by Joyce Alec
A sigh of relief escaped her, as Elizabeth felt herself relax, a smile catching her lips. “Thank you, Miss Caldwell. You have taken a weight from my mind.”
Miss Caldwell smiled warmly. “I am glad of it. Now, here is the shop where that wonderful bonnet was. There is a bookshop next to it, if you wish to go in there once I have completed my purchase?”
Elizabeth, glad that her friend knew that she had been doing a lot of reading in order to keep her mind from Lord Mallon, agreed at once. “But you must show me this bonnet first,” she insisted, as they approached the window. “I must see just how beautiful it is.”
Miss Caldwell laughed and obliged her. Elizabeth nodded and smiled and said how lovely it was and just how much it would suit Miss Caldwell. Then, when her friend stepped inside the shop, Elizabeth made her way to the bookshop with the maid just behind her. Miss Caldwell promised to only be a moment and would join her once the sale had been made.
The bookshop was quiet and dusty, which was something of a relief from the hustle and bustle of the London streets. Elizabeth smiled to herself as she walked in, asking the bookshop owner to send her friend to the left of the shop when she came in, just in case she became hidden between the shelves of books. Then she continued on her way further into the shop, looking at each row of books in turn and finding delight in just the titles she saw.
“Well, well. I am glad to see that your headache has disappeared. Are you feeling much improved, Lady Elizabeth?”
A familiar voice had her heart stopping with a painful squeeze. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Lord Parke leaning against one of the bookshelves with a rather sly expression on his face. He could not have followed her, surely?
Dismissing that thought, she tried to put a smile on her face, as he pushed himself away from the bookshelf and came towards her.
“Your headache is gone, yes?”
“Yes, it is. Thank you for your concern, Lord Parke,” she replied calmly. “I was sorry to have missed our walk the other day.”
“Then we shall have to rearrange it,” he exclaimed, his expression brightening. “Shall we say tomorrow?”
Hesitating, Elizabeth put a forlorn expression on her face, wanting to find a way to put him off approaching her until Lord Mallon returned. “I am afraid I cannot. Mama is taking me to have a new gown fitted tomorrow afternoon, and then I expect to see Miss Caldwell. She has become something of a dear friend, you see, and it is my hope to see her tomorrow afternoon after the gown fitting has taken place.”
“I see,” Lord Parke murmured, a slight frown creasing his brow. “This is a shame. The following day, then?”
No more excuses bounded into her mind, no quick answer came to her lips. She struggled for a moment, staring at him as he waited expectantly.
“No, Lord Parke,” she admitted heavily. “I cannot see you again, I think. Not until I find out what has become of Lord Mallon.”
His frown deepened. “Lord Mallon?”
“Yes, I have heard from him, you see,” she continued, watching him carefully. “Were you aware that his father was ill or injured?”
The surprised expression on his face took a trifle too long for her to believe it genuine. He shook his head, one hand on his heart as he stared at her.
“Ill or injured, you say?” he exclaimed, appearing to be horrified. “No, I had not heard. How awful!”
Elizabeth kept her gaze fixed on him, seeing the shock his face and finding her disbelief rising all the more. “Indeed, Lord Parke,” she murmured, tilting her head just a little. “I am surprised that you did not know. He also said that he sent me a note, but I had never received it. I now quite understand his absence, of course, and I only hope that he can forgive me for my silence. It was not intentional, and I am assured that he will understand that entirely.”
“Of course, he will,” Lord Parke replied with a slight frown. “Did he say whether or not he might be coming to town?”
“He did not say,” Elizabeth replied, quietly, wondering whether the frown on his face was due to something she had said, or if it was, in fact, a deep surprise over what she had revealed. “I expect him to reply to me any day now.”
“So, you have not yet received a reply to your letter as yet?” he asked, with a slight tilt of his head. “He has not yet written to you again?”
“I expect it any day now,” Elizabeth replied at once, just as the doorbell jangled behind her. “I think that will be my friend, Miss Caldwell. Do excuse me, Lord Parke.”
She did not wait to hear what he said nor even at the expression on his face, as she turned away and walked towards the door. It was not Miss Caldwell as she had hoped. Finding that she wanted to be as far away from Lord Parke as possible, Elizabeth chose to leave the shop altogether and stood outside on the street, taking in great long breaths of air in order to calm her beating heart.
And then, without warning, something grabbed at her arm. Something painful, something strong, and something entirely unrelenting. A carriage stopped, the door opened, and Elizabeth found herself shoved, unceremoniously, inside.
She had not even been able to scream.
16
Luke smiled and bowed as the countess entered the room, seeing the rather relieved expression on her face.
“My lord, I am very glad to see you,” the countess exclaimed, gesturing for him to sit down. “Is your father recovered from whatever illness befell him?”
“It was not an illness, but a bad accident,” Luke replied, choosing not to sit down. “He is well recovered now, I thank you. However, I am in a great hurry to speak to my betrothed. Is she here?”
The countess shook her head. “No, she is gone to the hat shop in town with her friend, Miss Caldwell. However, she has not been gone long. I think you should be able to find her.”
Luke gave a short bow. “I will, of course, return to explain everything to you, but for the moment, I must find Lady Elizabeth. I want to put her out of her distress as soon as I can.”
Nodding and smiling, the countess rose to her feet, and Luke excused himself at once, jamming his hat back on his head as he stepped back into the waiting carriage. Giving the driver directions, he sat back as the carriage began to roll down the cobbled streets, his worry over Lady Elizabeth rising all the more.
He had not told the countess of his return to his townhouse, finding that not only had Lord Parke been living there, but that he had been taking liberty with much of Luke’s things. He had been eating and drinking well, sending bills for clothes he had purchased to Luke’s home, clearly with very little intention of paying for them. By the state of the bedchamber, Luke guessed that Lord Parke was thinking of leaving very soon, seeing that there were bags half-filled with various items—some that did not belong to Lord Parke. It was clear that Parke had begun to worry that Luke would be returning to London in the near future, and he did not want to be around when that happened. Luke supposed that the man would simply disappear for a while—unless, of course, he managed to persuade Lady Elizabeth to marry him instead of Luke.
However, Luke had no thought that Lady Elizabeth would agree to such a thing. He was quite sure that she was as dedicated and devoted as he had thought, recalling the affection in her eyes when he had kissed her that night. Worry churned in his stomach, as he peered out of the window in search of her, aware that Parke might be desperate enough to try and coerce the lady into doing as he wished.
A sudden shriek met his ears. To his horror, he saw a maid half running down the street after a carriage. Rapping on the roof of the carriage, he waited until it had stopped before jumping out, just as another lady came out from the nearby shop to stare after the maid.
“Are you, by any chance, Miss Caldwell?” Luke asked, turning towards the lady who was staring at him with wide eyes. “Were you out shopping with Lady Elizabeth?”
“I was,” she said hoarsely. “I heard a shriek, and then…”
The maid came hurrying back, tears pouring down her cheeks, as sh
e struggled for breath. “A gentleman,” she gasped, her cheeks burning with color. “A gentleman took her.”
Miss Caldwell gasped aloud and clung to Luke for a moment, but he kept his gaze firmly on the maid.
“A gentleman, you say?” he asked, frowning. “Did he take Lady Elizabeth in his carriage?” Quickly, he described the coat of arms that would have been on the side, calling for his driver to listen carefully so that he knew what they would be searching for.
The maid nodded, her lips trembling. “I could not stop him,” she whimpered, her skin paling with every second that passed. “He was so quick, darting out of the bookshop like that. I do not think anybody else saw what happened.”
Luke’s heart slammed into his chest, as the maid gestured to the other passersby. No one stopping to ask them what the fuss was about, no one hurrying over to tell them what they had seen. There were a few puzzled glances towards the maid, with some wondering mayhap why she had screamed, but whoever had taken Lady Elizabeth had moved quickly
Luke had no doubt who it was. It had to be Lord Parke. He had met Lady Elizabeth in the bookshop, and she had told him about their correspondence. Perhaps she had even asked him why he had not told her about the reason for Luke’s absence.
“I must go,” he said as gently as he could. “Here, you must take Miss Caldwell home.” He had no time to spare. He hailed a hackney, knowing he could not leave the pale-looking maid and horrified lady standing on the London street. “Miss Caldwell, I will inform you at once the moment Lady Elizabeth is safe. Pray, do not speak to anyone about this.”
“No, of course not,” she whispered, her hand still on his sleeve. “You are Lord Mallon, are you not? Her betrothed?”
Realizing that Lady Elizabeth had told her friend about his engagement to her, Luke managed a small smile, his heart lifting for a moment. Lady Elizabeth had not been ashamed to tell her friend then. There was no concern in that regard.
“Yes, I am he,” he said quickly. “Now, I must go. I will find her. Have no fear.”
The lady moved towards the waiting hackney, the maid holding her arm, and Luke climbed into his carriage, sending the driver ahead as fast as he could go.
Unfortunately, it was now close to the fashionable hour, and the streets were becoming busier. There were carriages and phaetons, gentlemen and ladies on horseback, and more than a few walking the streets of London. Gritting his teeth, Luke tried to think where Lord Parke might go and what he might do. If he intended to force Lady Elizabeth into matrimony, then there were only two ways Parke could accomplish such a thing. Either he could go to Scotland and have her marry him over the anvil, regardless of whether or not she agreed to do so, or he could ruin her reputation in such a way that marriage to him would be the only way out.
Groaning aloud, Luke threw back his head and closed his eyes tightly, his hands slowly curling into fists. Parke had betrayed him in the worst possible way, using Lady Elizabeth for his own ends. His debts were now snapping at his heels, and having nowhere else to turn, he had thought to try and worm his way into Lady Elizabeth’s affections so that she would agree to marry him instead of Luke. Her dowry would be more than enough for him, Luke was quite sure. However, Lady Elizabeth had not turned against Luke in the way that Parke had hoped, and so now, he had turned to desperate measures.
Luke just hoped he would, somehow, be able to stop him.
“Whoa!”
Suddenly, unexpectedly, the carriage was pulled to a sudden, harsh stop. Entirely unprepared, Luke was thrown forward, falling to his knees on the carriage floor, as his head hit the floor of the carriage.
The door flew open, and without warning, Luke tumbled out, landing with a thud on the cobbled ground.
A horse whinnied, rearing up near him, as the driver of his carriage shouted aloud and began to climb down from his seat, throwing the reins to the man who was sitting next to him. Luke stared up at the blue sky, only just realizing what had happened and trying desperately to catch his breath.
“My lord!” the coachman exclaimed, looking horrified as he put one arm around Luke’s shoulders. “Oh, my lord! I am so terribly sorry! The carriage in front stopped suddenly and—”
The sound of a scream pierced the air, and Luke shook off the coachman’s hand, trying to get to his feet without falling over. His head was spinning, stars sparkling in his vision as he stumbled forward.
“My lord,” the coachman said again, putting out one hand towards Luke. “You must not. Your head…”
Something ran into his eyes, and Luke wiped it away, looking down to see the red stain on his sleeve. He had hit his head.
“I have to get to her,” he said, the stars slowly beginning to fade as he took another step. “I know that is Lady Elizabeth.”
The coachman fell into step beside him, clearly unwilling to let his master out of his sight, as they moved further along the road. Carriages and horses were everywhere, men muttering and ladies whining as to why there was a delay. However, all Luke heard was that scream.
It had to be Elizabeth.
Ignoring the throbbing pain in his head, Luke rounded the corner, breaking into a run as he moved through the stream of carriages, only to see Lord Parke’s carriage across the street, blocking the way. There was no coachman to be seen, the horses stomping their feet and blowing air out of their noses, as they stood nervously, possibly aware that there was something going on.
Another scream came from within the carriage, and seeing that the curtain was drawn, Luke had no hesitation in reaching for the door handle and pulling it open with such force that it slammed against the side of the carriage.
And then something huge, something heavy, came slamming down on the top of his head. Another scream, the cry of Luke’s coachman, and something that sounded like a gunshot filled his ears as he staggered backwards, blinking furiously. His body grew weak, his mind whirling, as he tried his best to stop himself from fainting.
“Careful, my lord!”
Someone caught Luke as he stumbled, his head aching terribly as he looked straight ahead of him, his vision slowly coming back into focus. By now, there was a great many gentlemen around him, their conversation growing louder and louder as he was helped back toward the carriage.
Managing to see straight, Luke reached the carriage door and saw Lady Elizabeth sitting in her seat, his coachman sitting beside her. She was holding something in her hand, something that was smoking. The coachman slowly took it away from her, as Lady Elizabeth stared horrified at the prone figure of Lord Parke.
“Elizabeth,” Luke whispered, reaching for her hand. “Elizabeth, I have found you.”
Slowly, she turned to look at him, her eyes filling with sudden tears, her skin milk white. Her lips trembled as he reached for her, trying to help her down from the carriage despite the pain in his head.
“Luke,” she whispered, shaking all over as she managed to gently step down from the carriage and into his arms. “Oh, Luke. I shot him.”
“You are safe now,” he said, as firmly as he could, wrapping his arms around her and closing his eyes as relief swept through him. “I am so sorry, Elizabeth, for everything.”
She shook her head and pressed it into his shoulder, ignoring the crowd that surrounded them. Nothing was said for a long time. They just stood together, in the middle of London, finally back where they each belonged.
17
By the time another carriage had been brought for Elizabeth and Lord Mallon, a great hubbub of noise had broken out around them both. It was a relief to climb into the carriage, and even more of a relief to feel Luke’s arms around her as she rested her head on his shoulder. The moment she had seen him, it had felt as though her world had finally come to a dizzying stop, having been frantically spinning around her for the last few minutes.
“Oh, Luke,” she whispered, as he held her tightly. “What will happen to me? Am I to go to prison?”
He smiled gently, looking down at her. “No, my love. You did not kill h
im.”
A wave of relief crashed over her, her body going limp as tears crept from her eyes. “Thank goodness,” she whispered, suddenly aware of the red streaks of blood running down Luke’s face. “Are you all right?”
“I am more than all right, now that I have you back safely,” he replied, dropping a tender kiss onto her brow. “Parke tried his best to get between us, but it appears you were steadfast in your dedication to me. He had no choice but to try something desperate. I am just glad he did not succeed.”
Tiredness overtook her, and Elizabeth felt her eyes grow heavy. She wanted to stay awake; she wanted to tell him everything that had happened but found that she could not so much as think clearly.
“Rest, my love,” he whispered, as her eyes fluttered closed. “You are safe now. We will speak later, have no fear. But, for the moment, you must sleep.”
When Elizabeth awoke, she found that she was in bed with the covers pulled up to her chin. Sitting up carefully, a maid instantly by her side, she discovered that she was feeling a great deal better than she had before and asked for something to eat.
The moment the maid went to procure a tea tray, the countess rushed in, her eyes wide as she saw Elizabeth sitting up.
“Mama,” Elizabeth breathed, hugging her mother tightly as the countess threw her arms about her daughter. “I am quite all right.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” the countess exclaimed, sitting down heavily in the chair next to Elizabeth’s bed. “When Lord Mallon carried you in, I thought the worst.”
“Luke?” Elizabeth asked at once, her stomach tightening. “Is he here? Is he all right?”
Her mother nodded, and relief coursed through Elizabeth’s veins.
“He left here shortly after explaining what had happened, in order to patch himself up and to assure your friend that you had been found. But Elizabeth, there is already a great many rumors spinning around London about you, and I am afraid that your marriage to Lord Mallon must come very soon now. Sooner than you might have expected.”
