It was when she brushed the dark curls away from her face, even as she continued to eye Reginald Cox with disdain, that Jed noted a barely perceptible trembling in her slender, white-gloved fingers. Sympathy stabbed at his chest. Obviously she was more shaken by what had happened than she would have them know. Obviously she was acting out of true bravery, rather than because of a foolish sense of invulnerability, as some did. He felt a growing admiration that surprised him, since he would not have expected to feel that way about anyone of her class.
Surprise at his own reaction kept Jed silent as Cox shrugged again and said, “I did mean to make an honest woman of you, Victoria. I had nothing less than marriage in mind, and would still continue toward that end, if you would only come to your senses.”
The beauty’s arched brows rose with haughty contempt. “I wonder that you would not take my repeated refusals as reply enough to convince you to leave me be.”
Reginald pursed pouty lips. “Dash it, “Victoria, that was what drove me to compel you. I am at my wits’ end to have you.”
Neither Cox nor the lady took note of the fact that Jed leaned toward the other man. “To have me,” she sputtered. “More like to have my wealth and property.”
Her remark served to cause the man to flush with embarrassment, but it did not stop him from trying to convince her she was wrong. He reached toward her. “Victoria, you must know how I feel….”
He was halted by Jed’s firm grip on his shoulder. The sea captain could now feel the undivided attention of both centered wholly on him. He focused on the man. “That will be enough Mr…. Cox.”
Clearly, Reginald Cox was not going to give up on this easily. He made a move to pull away from the hold on his shoulder, but Jed’s grip held firm. Cox’s frustration was apparent even when he raised his nose and tried for a superior expression as he lifted his gaze to Jed’s. “Unhand me, you madman. This is really none of your concern. Be on your way, and I will forget that you intruded where you were not wanted.”
Jed made no effort to hold back the mocking smile that curved his lips. “How very good of you, but again I must decline to accept your generous offer.” His expression and voice then hardened as his grip became what must be painfully tight. “Get out of the carriage.”
Cox paled, as if finally understanding that he was completely in Jed’s power. Slowly, and with clear reluctance, he followed the larger man without another word.
Victoria Thorn found herself blinking in surprise as she realized that the two men had exited the carriage. She sat back on the seat with a groan of self-derision. What in heaven’s name had come over her?
She could not have said. All she did know was that she had not had a coherent thought since first looking into the face of her rescuer. Surely, she thought, pressing her hands to her heated cheeks, her odd sense of disorientation was nothing more than a strange reaction to nearly being kidnapped, then just as suddenly finding herself safe once more.
Again she envisioned those heavily lashed sea-green eyes, that mobile mouth, which had been thinned with dangerous intent as the man spoke to Reginald Cox. He had radiated a kind of hard strength that had nothing to do with the gun in his hand. Here was a man who knew how to attain what he desired, who knew how to command respect because of what was inside him. If he had no weapon at all, Reginald would still have been forced to heed him. It was equally obvious that he was a man of honor or he would not have come to her aid.
She did not want to think that her awareness had anything to do with the fact that he was incredibly handsome, a valiant liberator who had come dressed all in black except for his flowing white shirt, as a reckless buccaneer might. That kind of breathless fantasy was for chambermaids and debutantes. Not for mature women, women for whom the well-being of hundreds of people was a daily concern.
But it could not be denied that he was handsome, with his strongly cut features, the angles and hollows having been clearly outlined by the light from the carriage lantern. That same light had played on the pale golden streaks in his dark blond hair. His hard jaw and lean cheeks had not kept her gaze from drifting down to the strong, tanned column of his throat, which was exposed by the open neck of his white shirt.
A shiver rippled through Victoria, though she was not the least bit cold. Her gaze strayed to the now closed carriage door through which the men had passed, even as her ears picked up the sounds of their voices.
It was not difficult to differentiate between her rescuer’s tone and the other’s. His was rich and authoritative, even without being raised. It was apparent that he was accustomed to giving commands—and having them obeyed. She also noted as he continued to speak that the man’s English was strangely accented. Surely, she thought, he must be American.
American. Her own grandfather’s brother had gone across the sea to make his fortune there. It was said that he had been a great adventurer who could not be contained by the small islands of Britain. The Thorns had never again heard from him, nor from any family he might have. Would his descendants have the same intractable courage and confidence that this man had displayed thus far?
An angry retort from outside roused her from these thoughts, and Victoria sat up straighter, running her hands over her blue silk skirts. Taking note of the fact that they were trembling, she then clenched them tightly in her lap. She must get hold of herself.
Victoria could only hope that neither Reginald nor her rescuer had taken heed of her upset. It was quite unlike her to become so distraught, and she disliked any sign of weakness in herself. As she was the last surviving member of the Thorn family, it was her duty to meet every challenge with fortitude and heroism.
She could not help casting up a silent prayer that Reginald had indeed given up the notion of abducting her. She could still hardly give credence to the fact that he had been so foolish. Did he actually believe he could whisk her, Lady Victoria Thorn, sole heir to the duke of Carlisle, off to Gretna Green or some such place and marry her against her will?
Victoria had been rejecting his proposals for weeks, and had known that he was growing impatient with her refusals. Never had she imagined that the fortune-hunting Reginald would have the audacity to kidnap her. Regally she raised her finely sculpted chin. The very impudence of him.
Yet in spite of her bravado she did know a flutter of fear at realizing that he might well have succeeded, had it not been for the stranger. The man with eyes the color of a frothy sea.
The fluttering came inside her again, but this time it had nothing to do with fear. There was much that was compelling about the man who had aided her. He was quite unlike any she had ever chanced to meet. Such a mixture of strength and chivalry was definitely unusual and gave Victoria pause for thought.
She was again pulled out of her reverie, by the sounds of angry voices from outside the clarence, and her heart thudded in reaction when they were followed by the retort of a pistol. There was then more shouting, and the sound of hooves thundering off into the distance. What could have happened, she wondered?
Deciding that she must see for herself what was taking place, Victoria reached for the door handle. But she sat back in surprise and sudden unease as the door opened.
Pray God, she murmured silently, it not be Reginald. A sense of relief coursed through her in the next instant as she saw that it was the very man who had rescued her.
He was rubbing the back of his neck gingerly. “I’m afraid they have gotten away. The other one had managed to overpower your driver while I was binding Cox. He hit me over the back of the head with a branch, and they escaped. I am going after them, but I am going to tell your driver to take you directly home.”
She held out her hand to halt him. “No, please, let them go. I do not believe Reginald will be of any threat to me now. He would not risk the scandal.”
“But…” The man’s expression was incredulous.
“Please,” She broke in. “I wish nothing so much as to put this whole episode behind me. Reginald is really quite
a harmless fool, and he will never find the courage to attempt such a thing again.”
He frowned in consternation, but she pressed on. “I assure you that this is all for the best. I have no wish to make this incident public. Nor will Mr. Cox, or Mr. Jenkins.”
He hesitated as his gaze met hers. “Is there no way that I can convince you? They should be punished.”
She shook her head.
As he was obviously not happy with her decision, she breathed a sigh of relief when he shrugged. “As you will.” He nodded toward the seat across from her. “May I at least suggest, then, that I see you safely home?” He looked at her questioningly, one dark brow quirked rakishly over those compelling green eyes.
She took a deep breath to steady herself as she realized anew just how attractive he was. The feeling of being safe in his presence had not abated. And in spite of what she had said to him, there was a lingering trace of fear in her at what might have happened if he had not chanced upon them. She gave a barely perceptible nod. “I would be grateful.”
He nodded. “I’ll tie my horse to the back.”
“Victoria nodded in return, wondering why she was being so faint of heart as she watched the man leave the interior of the carriage. A moment later he was back, opening the window and instructing the driver to go on. He then settled himself on the seat across from her.
The carriage started off with a slight jolt, momentarily distracting her. It was well sprung, and the motion smoothed out quickly, and her attention was soon drawn back to the man who had come to her aid. Try as she might, Victoria could not help noticing the way the lanternlight set his dark blond hair agleam with golden highlights. Coupled with the deep tan she had previously noted on his face and throat, this evidence made her certain he spent long hours in the sun.
Who was this man? And what strange twist of fate had placed him on this lonely stretch of road so late at night? And just when she needed him? She asked none of the questions dancing through her mind, something telling her he would not welcome her queries.
He leaned forward, drawing her gaze back to his eyes, which were watching her with concern. “Are you all right Miss…?”
“Victoria Thorn, and of course I’m all right,” she answered hurriedly as she willed herself to stop the blush that was stealing up from her own throat. It did no good. She could only hope her bonnet would conceal it.
Surreptitiously she ran her gaze over the considerable length of him. As she did so, she realized that his long legs, encased in snug black breeches, were mere inches from her own. He shifted, and she could not help noticing the flexing of the hard muscles in his thighs.
Victoria forced her gaze away from the amazingly stirring sight. What was the matter with her? she asked herself in exasperation. Carrying out her duties as mistress of all her deceased father’s lands and finances had given her a maturity far beyond her twenty-three years. Why was she now acting like a schoolgirl?
Obviously concerned at her renewed silence, he asked again, “Are you sure you’re all right?”
She nodded slowly as she met that green gaze. Her breath caught in her throat as something powerful yet indefinable passed between them. She felt protected and cared for beneath that steady regard, as she had not since her parent’s deaths, three years gone by. Victoria felt a sudden and inexplicable wish for him to hold out his arms and take her into them, as her father would have done. But, she reminded herself as she dropped her gaze to her clasped hands, this man was not her father. Her own reactions to his maleness were reminder enough of that.
Silently she berated herself for her own mad thinking. She had known many handsome men. Victoria had in fact been courted by some of the most attractive bachelors in England on her coming out. Her own unmarried state was due more to a desire to put the matter off than to lack of. opportunity. But as she risked a quick glance at him from the corner of her eye, she realized that that did not change what was happening to her now. None of those men had been as devastating to her senses as this one.
In a manner quite unlike her usual direct one, she continued to look at her hands as she answered him. “I am fine, sir. I must thank you now for having come to my aid, though I should certainly have done so sooner.”
“There is no need to thank me. Anyone would have done the same.”
The modesty of his tone made her look at him. As she answered, her voice was filled with sincerity. “No, I do not believe that anyone would have. You must certainly be a man of good character and a brave heart, else you would not have done so.” He appeared decidedly uncomfortable with her gratitude, which drew her to say, “You must allow me to reward you in some way.”
He shrugged offhandedly. “I will accept your thanks as reward enough.”
She watched him with growing approval. What a rare man he seemed! Strong, chivalrous, modest, and apparently without greed. Again she tried, feeling compelled to do something for him in return. “Is there nothing I can do for you? You have no idea how much good you have done me. I fear I would have had the dubious distinction of being Mrs. Reginald Cox by morning if you had not happened along.”
He laughed ruefully, his teeth flashing white, his eyes sparkling in the lanternlight. “Maybe a reward is in order. The crown jewels just might equal a debt of that magnitude.”
Ah, a sense of humor as well, Victoria thought as she watched him. The husky sound of his laughter sent a tingle of awareness down her spine. “Truly,” she found herself asking, “is there no small thing I can do for you in return for your kindness? I do not even know your name.”
Jed sobered as he studied her. His expression was thoughtful, assessing. For into his mind had come the realization that this might just be his opportunity to try to learn something of Nina, or at least to get some idea of where to begin to find her. Yet he hesitated.
As he watched Victoria, saw her gray eyes earnest on his, he felt a strange reluctance to tell her anything about himself or his problems. Some part of him said to get on his horse and never look back. Another part, the one that was bent on locating Nina and his son, told him his resistance had solely to do with the fact that Victoria Thorn was just the type of woman he so wished to avoid.
The crest on the carriage door, the woman’s clothing, her regal bearing, all were evidence of a certain social standing. Yet in spite of all that, he had not been able to let her ride off into the night alone, especially knowing that those two men might be lurking about with that hope in mind. After the way Jed had watched his father mistreat his mother, he could not bear to see anyone abused by someone of greater strength.
His discomfort had nothing to do with the way her dark hair curled softly about her delicate cheeks, nor the expression of interest he saw in her undeniably lovely gray eyes—which he knew was only a trick of the light. Surely his wariness was not connected to the way his body tightened when he remembered the view he’d had of the lady’s sweetly rounded bottom.
And because his discomfort was not caused by any of those things, he would be a fool indeed to pass up this chance to gain some knowledge of Nina and his child. So thinking, Jed looked at her squarely, not allowing his gaze to stray to the distracting curves that were exposed by the tight-fitting bodice of her blue gown. “My name is Jedidiah McBride. I was on my way to London from the port of Westacre, where I left my ship.”
He couldn’t help seeing the way her interest quickened at the mention of his ship. Her words confirmed his thought. “You are a sea captain?”
“Yes, I… have some business in England.”
There was curiosity in her tone as she said, “You are an American, are you not?”
He nodded. Jed continued to face her, not liking to be anything but direct. Still, it was a moment before he could bring himself to say what he wanted to, as she was looking at him with those wide, questioning gray eyes of hers.
Jed forced himself to look away from the hypnotic attentiveness in her gaze. He had to know if she could tell him anything that might help him fin
d Nina. That was all he wanted from her.
He spoke with cool remoteness. “There is a possibility that there is something you could do for me.” He could not quite keep the slight hopefulness from his voice as he went on. “Would you know of a family by the surname of Fairfield?”
She frowned as he glanced at her, and he saw that she seemed somewhat surprised by the question. Slowly she shook her head. “Fairfield? I do not know. Is there any more you can tell me?”
Jed frowned himself. “Squire Fairfield.”
Her expression grew even more pensive. “Squire Fairfield.” After a moment, she looked at him regretfully. “I am very sorry. Are these people some relation of yours?”
He was disappointed, but he tried not to let it show as he shook his dark blond head. “No, no relation of mine.” She was watching him very closely, and Jed had the feeling that she was seeing more than he would have liked.
She held up her hands in a gesture of helplessness, confirming his suspicions when she spoke. “I can see that this is important to you. Is there not some other clue you might give me? I feel quite useless in not even being able to help with this small matter.”
Their gazes met and held, as Jed found himself thinking that she was indeed very lovely with the gentle glow of the lanternlight on her face. The delicate curves of her cheeks and jaw beckoned a man’s lips, as did her sweetly shaped mouth. For one arresting moment, he could have sworn that he saw attraction in those fathomless gray depths. But he knew that could not be. Never would a woman of her world be interested in him, a simple man of the sea.
Yet she seemed genuinely concerned that she had not been able to assist him. She did in that regard appear different from the other women of her kind he had known. For some inexplicable reason, he found himself wondering if he should reveal to this stranger, this English lady, his reason for being here. If she knew more of the story, might then she be able to help him find Nina—and his son?
Yet even as he made the decision, it was almost against his will that Jed found himself reaching into the inner pocket of his coat. He watched her eyes widen as he withdrew the letter and handed it to her.
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