No Choice but Seduction

by Johanna Lindsey

  “Oh!” She wasn’t going to say another word to him. Odious man. But he would be sorry!

  It started to rain. Big drops. She smirked for all of two minutes, until she was quite drenched.

  “Now look what you’ve done!” she said accusingly.

  “Sorry, but I didn’t summon up this downpour.”

  “I’m freezing!”

  “You’re nothing of the sort,” he said, but his arms did close around her a bit more tightly.

  “I’m going to catch my death and it will be your fault. I told you I was going to London. We could have been riding in my nice, warm coach! But, no, you couldn’t be sensible about this, could you?”

  She sneezed to make her point. It wasn’t a feigned sneeze, but it wasn’t a true sign that she was catching a cold either. Raindrops had gathered on the tip of her nose, tickling the sneeze out of her.

  But it was enough to make him ask, “I don’t suppose you know of any shelter nearby?”

  She blinked. He was going to be sensible? A bit late, but still…

  “As it happens, there’s a small town about ten minutes from here. You just passed the road to it. Go back. There’s an inn there.”

  He turned around. It took him less than five minutes on horseback to reach the town she’d stopped at that morning, but then he’d spurred his mount to a gallop again to get them out of the rain sooner.

  She pointed out the inn when they were in the center of the small town in case he hadn’t noticed it yet. He whisked them straight inside, leaving her in front of the fireplace in the common room to start warming up, while he paid for a room where they could wait out the storm.

  She wasn’t really cold. The rain might have brought a little chill to the air, but the weather wasn’t even close to wintry yet. She’d merely been trying to make Boyd feel guilty, not that she thought he was capable of remorse. Yet. But he would be when he finally found out what a colossal mistake he’d made.

  She kept an eye on him while she held her hands out to the fire. Unfortunately, he was keeping an eye on her. She sighed. There’d be no slipping out a side door without his noticing—yet.

  She also thought about making a scene now that they were around other people again. Having a constable summoned could go either way, though. Without her servants here to verify her story, Boyd might be believed instead, and she could well end up in jail after all. She decided not to risk that. Besides, she would rather make her way back to Northampton, collect her belongings and her servants, and put what had turned into a ridiculous adventure behind her.

  “Come on,” he said, taking her arm to escort her upstairs. “If this rain doesn’t stop within the hour, I’ll see if I can find a coach to hire for the remainder of the journey.”

  Concessions? So he could make them? But he should have thought of coaches before he galloped them out of the much larger town of Northampton. He wasn’t likely to find one to hire here. But she didn’t mention that. Anything that would separate them long enough for her to escape she would agree with.

  To that end, she said as soon as he ushered her into the room, “I’m starving.”

  He ignored her and went straight to the fireplace to get it lit. She wished he’d forget that she’d said she was freezing. He was so single-minded!

  Annoyed, she said, “Did you hear me? I’m starving?”

  He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Really?”

  “Yes, really. I haven’t eaten since yesterday,” she lied, but for good measure added, “My maid had just gone to fetch us food when you burst into my room.”

  He still got the fire going before he stood up, dusted his hands, and said, “All right, I’ll see about getting some food sent up and maybe a hot bath, too. Dry off while I’m gone, but stay the hell away from that bed. Is that clear?”

  “I didn’t say I was tired,” she quipped.

  He just stared at her until a blush appeared on her face. She knew what he’d meant. He’d mentioned her and beds in the same breath enough times for her to never forget just how much he wanted to get her into one.

  “We’re clear,” she was forced to say.

  He ran a hand through his wet hair and glanced at the comfy bed. “This is probably a bad idea,” he said in a half groan. “We should just wait out the storm downstairs. We can get food down there as well.”

  That wasn’t going to help her to get away from him! “You wait downstairs,” she quickly said. “I’ll take that hot bath you mentioned. Really. It will probably keep me from catching a cold.”

  He stared at her for another long moment before he nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him. She immediately heard the scraping of a key in the lock and ground her teeth in exasperation. Well, no wonder he’d so readily agreed. He knew damn well he’d be locking her in!

  But Katey wasted no time in examining other options. The room had two windows that overlooked the street, and the street was empty because of the rain. One of those windows was even directly over the slanted porch roof at the front of the inn. And it wouldn’t be that far of a drop if she dangled from that roof.

  Ten minutes later Boyd stood at that same window that Katey had left open in her escape. Although he’d tossed a coin to one of the inn workers downstairs to get his horse stabled, he could see out the window that the horse wasn’t where he’d left it and had a feeling Katey had gotten to it first. It was just as well.

  As soon as he’d left the room and Katey’s presence, he’d started having doubts about her involvement in Judith’s abduction. It just didn’t feel right labeling her a criminal. She befriended animals, for God’s sake! And with that thought he began to think he’d wanted her to be guilty. Then he could put her from his mind, finally, as unworthy of his regard, and for a married woman, she’d been on his mind far too long as it was.

  But whether he was making excuses for her now and she was actually guilty as sin, he wasn’t going to chase her down. Judith was safe now. And he couldn’t really bear the thought of Katey Tyler in jail.

  Chapter 13

  KATEY RODE QUICKLY BACK to Northampton despite the rain. Halfway to her destination, she rode out of the storm. Although the road ahead of her was completely dry, the solid bank of clouds wasn’t breaking up. And while the clouds weren’t as dark as they were farther south, the rain could still drift north and drench her again. But that was the least of her worries.

  The storm clouds were probably making it seem later than it was, but the day was still nearly gone. There was no way she could gather up her servants and her belongings and reach London before nightfall. She was afraid to travel that same highway again anyway because she didn’t want to risk running into Boyd again.

  She’d delayed him by taking his horse, so she didn’t expect him to be right behind her. But she didn’t expect him to give up and go home, either. He’d proven to be too stubborn for that. But he wouldn’t find her in Northampton again. She’d leave his horse there for him to find, not that she felt the least bit guilty for taking it after what he’d done, but she’d have no further need for it once she was on the road in her coach again—heading in some other direction.

  She made quite a sight riding into town wet and bedraggled, wearing a man’s jacket. Even her hair had come loose, and she hadn’t wasted time to stop to rebraid it. She probably should have. She was attracting far too many curious looks, though that might be because her calves were showing. Embarrassed, she dismounted so her legs would be properly covered again.

  Leading the horse behind her now, Katey walked by the town’s marketplace, which reminded Katey just how hungry she was now.

  The market was closing down for the night, not that she had any coins to buy anything. But a few customers were still making their purchases, and one woman was shouting at a fruit seller whose stand Katey was passing.

  “Just point me toward the nearest docks, mon!”

  “I’ve already told you, you dafty woman, we don’t have docks.”

  “I ken ye dinna
hae any, but which way tae the nearest town that does? Did I no’ say my husband is trying tae kill me? I hae tae leave the country, ye ken?”

  Katey stopped in her tracks. She wasn’t just hearing an interesting shouting match. Was that the same Scotswoman she, Grace, and Judith had spent half the morning trying to lose? With the woman’s back to her, she couldn’t be sure. But having twice been accused by Boyd of being Geordie Cameron’s wife, she had a name now to put to Judith’s abductor. And here was a Scotswoman trying to escape her husband, which made her think of what Boyd had mentioned about Anthony Malory beating Cameron senseless over what the man’s wife had done.

  Katey didn’t really have any doubts by then, which was why she stopped a young boy running past her and whispered for him to fetch the constable. She’d detain Mrs. Cameron until he got there, and she was angry enough not to care how she did it. The woman had stolen and mistreated a child, chased them all over Northampton and the surrounding area trying to get the child back, and if it wasn’t for her, Katey’s memories of Boyd Anderson wouldn’t be utterly ruined now. The woman wasn’t going to walk away from all the trouble she’d caused without retribution if Katey could help it.

  She approached the woman from behind. “Mrs. Cameron?”

  The Scotswoman swung around immediately. Katey almost laughed at how quickly the fruit seller took off in the opposite direction to escape any further harassment. And Katey had no trouble recognizing her now. Her hair was still in wild disarray, and her eyes had a wild look to them as well.

  “How’d ye know my name, eh?” she demanded in the same belligerent tone she’d been using with the fruit seller. “From the inn? We paid for that room, though we should’ve got our money back. Bluidy lock was broken on the door!”

  Katey realized the woman didn’t recognize her, but that didn’t surprise her. Her clothes soaked and disheveled, her hair wet and windblown, Katey looked nothing like she did that morning, and in fact, she probably looked as wildly unkempt as the Scotswoman.

  “I’m not from the inn.”

  Katey didn’t point out who she was, though. She needed to detain the woman until the constable arrived, and engaging her in a conversation seemed to be the best way to do that.

  Mrs. Cameron squinted her eyes at Katey. “Then where do I know ye from? Ye seem familiar tae me—never mind. If ye can tell me which way tae the nearest docks, I’ll be thanking ye. Otherwise I’ll be finding someone who can.”

  Common sense would suggest heading to the nearest coast, but Katey merely said, “I’m afraid I can’t help you there. I’m not all that familiar with this part of the country.”

  The Scotswoman snorted with impatience. “Then I dinna hae time tae waste chatting at ye. Good day.”

  Interesting how she’d put that, as if her words were the only ones that mattered. And she was already glancing around for someone else to accost with her demand for directions. But Katey needed to keep her talking. She’d rather wait to accuse her until the constable was there to arrest her.

  “What’s your hurry?”

  “None of—”

  Katey cut her off, “Did I actually hear you tell the fruit merchant you were running away from a husband determined to kill you? That was quite an exaggeration.”

  “That was the bluidy truth, womon. He took a beating that’s made him dafty in the head. I barely recognized him. And now he wants tae take it oout on me.”

  “Take what out?”

  “That he got blamed for what I did. Chased me down the road, he did, swearing he was going tae kill me afore the Mal—er, afore they got their hands on me like they did him. But here now, this isna any of yer business and I’m oout of time. Geordie will be riding intae town any minute.”

  She started to walk away. Katey glanced anxiously behind her, but there was no sign of the constable yet, or the boy that she’d sent for him.

  “Wait, Mrs. Cameron. I look familiar to you because you stopped me on the road earlier today. You were looking for your daughter, which we both know was a lie. You don’t have a daughter any more than I do.”

  Mrs. Cameron swung back around. Her expression was momentarily surprised, but quickly turned angry as she poked a finger at Katey’s shoulder. “Sae ye did steal her from me? I’d hae my fortune now if no’ for ye. Where is she?”

  “She’s back with her family, where you won’t be getting your greedy hands on her again. The constable is on his way to apprehend you. Did you really think you’d get away with this?”

  Katey braced herself to stop the woman from taking flight, but Mrs. Cameron actually looked thoughtful, then amazed Katey by saying, “Aye, that’s no’ a bad idea. Gaol will be a safe place tae hide from Geordie, I’m thinking.”

  Katey was thinking that Geordie Cameron might be daft for marrying this woman, but if anyone was really crazy, it was her.

  “Come on then,” Mrs. Cameron continued, and she even grabbed Katey’s arm to take her with her. “Let’s find yer constable, eh? I’ll be needing ye tae say I’m guilty. They’re no’ likely tae believe me if I’m the only one saying it.”

  That was doubtful, but Katey had expected to have to make the charges. She hadn’t expected the woman to insist on it and be the one to lead them eagerly to the constable’s office. And a good thing she did, since Katey spotted the boy she’d sent off for the constable playing at the end of the square with a dog. A coin might have got him to do as she’d asked, but without one, he’d simply ignored her request!

  She was still suspicious of the Scotswoman’s motives. Could she really prefer a jail cell to facing her husband’s anger? Apparently so. But what she should have been suspicious of instead was why Mrs. Cameron insisted that she go along with her.

  Chapter 14

  KATEY SAT ON THE COT with her legs scrunched up, her chin resting on her knees, her lips twisted sourly. She was creating one of her tales in her mind, of Boyd Anderson being walked up to a gallows. His hands weren’t tied, but his mouth was gagged. He was being asked if he had any last words to say, but he couldn’t answer because of the gag. But he could remove it easily enough, couldn’t he? Very well, she was going to have to tie his hands, since she had no interest in hearing what he might have to say.

  She delayed opening the trapdoor under him. She was savoring the moment. He didn’t look frightened, though. Looked damned stubborn, actually, just as he did when she’d last seen him. Maybe because he was confident that he wouldn’t be hung for stupidity, which was what he’d been convicted of. So if she put herself in the scene, let him see her, then he’d know he had something to worry about…

  “Ah, so here you are,” Grace said drily. “I should have known. I looked everywhere else. Why didn’t I think to look in—jail?”

  Katey glanced up as the cell door was closed behind her maid. Grace had a highly developed sarcastic sense of humor.

  “I’m glad you’re seeing some humor in this,” Katey said with a sigh.

  “Did I sound amused? Really? I assure you I’m not. I assure you I’m quite angry. Good deeds are not supposed to end this way.”

  And that was exactly how Katey had felt, until she’d started hanging Boyd Anderson in her mind. Dispensing a just punishment to him, even if it was only in her imagination, had got rid of, or at least calmed down, some of her anger. She knew very well that she and Grace would have been in London by now if not for his stubbornness. She certainly wouldn’t still have been in Northampton and run into Maisie Cameron again and ended up in jail herself because of it.

  But Grace was here now, and surely her identical version of events had convinced the constable that she was innocent. “Now that you’ve arrived, we can be on our way, so let’s just put this—”

  “Whatever made you think that?” Grace cut in curtly. “No, I’m joining you. Apparently, I’m a member of your gang of abductors.”

  That certainly wasn’t what Katey had been hoping to hear. “This is so silly. You’d think with us both telling them exactly the same thing�
��”

  “Did we?” Grace cut in suspiciously. “Or did you get creative?”

  “I did not!” Katey said indignantly.

  “Well, the constable didn’t ask me much, but why haven’t you talked your way out of here yet?”

  “I did,” Katey replied with a small degree of triumph. “Mr. Calderson, our jailor, even believed me.”

  “I should have guessed,” Grace said, and rattled the door that prevented them from leaving.

  Katey glowered. It was an impressive glower for a change. Grace even looked contrite over that last bit of sarcasm—but only briefly.

  While the maid was momentarily silenced, Katey explained, “I haven’t been released yet because of who Judith’s family is. They’re apparently very well known in this country. Mr. Calderson recognized their name immediately and said he doesn’t dare let me go until he hears from a representative of the family.”

  “So you’ve been in here all afternoon?” Grace asked incredulously as she sat on the cot next to Katey. “I looked everywhere for you—twice! I was sure I had to just be missing you by moments, that—”

  “Didn’t you question the innkeeper?”

  “Of course I did.”

  “Then you should have thought to look here sooner. He saw me being dragged outside. He didn’t tell you?”

  “He probably would have, but he wasn’t there by the time I discovered you weren’t in the room. His wife had taken over at the desk and she claimed she hadn’t seen you.”

  “Well, I wasn’t even in Northampton. That blasted American who came to rescue Judith was determined to take me back to London to answer to the Malorys, and he carted me off to do just that! If I hadn’t climbed out a window to escape him—”

  Grace shot off the bed and said stiffly, “Now I know you’re spinning one of your tales. All things considered, the truth would be appreciated—right now!”

  Katey didn’t take offense. Grace was understandably upset. They’d done nothing wrong, yet they were both sitting in jail right now. And Katey had spun one too many tales in her life, giving Grace good reason to doubt her.