When a bright smile split Annalise’s face in two, Meredith knew that it did. “I may be able to do more than that, My Lady. But I will fetch the cloak first. It would do well for you to wear a very simple dress as well. Luckily, all these gowns are quite old-fashioned, so they may be deemed simple enough.”
Meredith nodded eagerly. “Do whatever you think is best. His Grace will be leaving shortly and I would like to leave at the same time he does.”
Annalise nodded vigorously. “Yes, My Lady!” she said as she ran off. Meredith watched her go, feeling a warm sensation spread through her chest.
She got up and went to the balcony. What she was about to do felt familiar yet foreign at the same time. Meredith did not let go of the past, did not forget the girl she’d been who had always craved adventures rather than marriage. That girl was now raring to go, and Meredith didn’t know how to deal with it. Becoming the lady she was now—a recluse with a nervous condition—was the only way she knew how to protect herself.
But something was beginning to bother her. Something about Heath’s actions told her that he was not telling her the whole truth. The curiosity, the need to know, drove that girl even more.
Soon enough, Annalise returned. She moved quicker than ever, helping Meredith into a simple dark blue dress and wrapped the cloak around her shoulders, twisting her hair into a tight chignon.
“I have told one of the coachmen that you wish to for an evening ride and His Grace has given his permission,” Annalise told her. “I believe you should hurry along before word reaches Francis.”
“Yes, yes.” Meredith quickly made her way to the door. She paused to throw a grateful look over her shoulder. “Thank you, Annalise.”
“Oh, trust me, My Lady. It has been my pleasure.”
Meredith didn’t doubt it.
She left the room and instantly made her way to the back staircase, intending to escape through the doors leading out into the gardens. It surprised her, as she went along, just how well she knew the layout of this manor. She’d spent a considerable amount of time here when she had been younger, but it would have been easy enough to forget. But in her state of hurry, she managed to make it down the staircase and around the side corridor until she slipped out into the night.
The moment she did, she caught a glimpse of Heath. He was on foot, a large coat billowing around him. Even so, he’d gone quite a distance, far enough that he was completely unaware of the carriage that had been prepared behind him. Meredith whispered a prayer of relief.
“My Lady?” the coachman called. “Where would you like to go?”
“I will tell you along the way,” she said easily as she slid into the carriage herself, without the help of the footman that stood nearby. “Now, let us go.”
The coachman instantly complied. Meredith kept her eye on Heath’s dark figure, her heart pounding in her chest. A glimmer of excitement nipped at her when what she was doing finally sunk in. He would not be happy when he found out about this, she knew. If he found out. But right now, Meredith didn’t care. And when she saw him climb into the front of a carriage, a short distance ahead of her own, that excitement tripled.
He is leading the carriage himself? What could he possibly be doing?
With the thought came a tremor of unease. She needed only to think about the many stolen items in his manor and that unease grew to towering heights. Could he be doing something unscrupulous again?
“Do you see that carriage?” she asked the coachman, tucking her head out the window hoping he would hear. He inclined his head to the side to indicate that he had. “Follow it. And ensure you remain a decent distance away from it so they do not detect you.”
The coachman glanced over his shoulder for a moment, and Meredith saw his look of surprise. But she said nothing else. She knew the coachman would not ask any question, and she didn’t want to think of the rumors that would arise from her odd request. Finding out where Heath was going was paramount in this moment.
She took to tapping her leg in her agitation the longer they followed behind Heath’s carriage, but after a while, he came to a stop. Her coachman drew to a halt as well. Meredith craned her neck to see Heath hopping down to the ground and pull his coat closer around him. He looked from side to side, but his confident swagger didn’t falter in the slightest. It seemed he was unaware of the fact that he had been followed.
Meredith quickly exited the carriage. A strong gust of wind rammed into her the moment she did, as if to warn her not to leave. But she pushed against it, pulling her cloak closer over her body.
“Remain here,” she ordered the coachman. He said nothing, but Meredith could feel his eyes boring into the back of her as she quickly followed behind Heath.
This place was…unusual. It was quite dark, the gas lampposts cracked and unlit. She only had the moonlight to guide her path forward, which wasn’t very sufficient. The buildings that stretched along the rut-riddled road was dark, but they did not seem as dilapidated as the building she’d run into before Heath found her several days ago. Perhaps people did live here, but she saw neither hide nor hair of anyone, even though night had not long since fallen.
The air continued to roar around her. Heath disappeared down a dark alleyway and Meredith hesitated. Everything in her screamed for her to turn back. But, after a moment, her steps continued. Before she knew it, she was dipping into that alleyway, shuddering at the utter blackness that fell over her.
Sure enough she saw Heath’s tall form disappear around another corner and Meredith hurried to keep up with him. She stopped at the end of the alleyway, peering around to see where he’d gone.
What she saw had her heart sinking into the bottom of her chest. There were four men in tattered clothing. They were surrounding a gentleman who seemed quite out of place in an area like this. And quite afraid. Even from the distance, Meredith could see that he was trembling—and she doubted it was from the cold.
She clutched her dress, watching in trepidation as Heath approached the lot of them. He stood on the outskirts and crossed his arms. For a moment, Meredith hoped he would intervene, that he would do something to stop what was happening. But her hope was shattered when he simply stood there and watched as the men advanced on the gentleman, making him fall to the ground in fright.
One of the men broke away from the group of them to stand by Heath’s side. He bore a wide grin that sent terror skittering down Meredith’s spine. She recognized him—he was the same man who had been very against having her go to Heath’s manor.
He clapped Heath companionably on the shoulder, and pointed to the man on the ground. Meredith couldn’t hear what was being said and she was a little glad for it. But she couldn’t look away.
Then, Heath moved. Meredith tensed.
Please, no. Please do not do it.
If her prayers were to be answered, he would turn away. Run away if he thought he stood no chance against these men. But leave this place all the same and return to the comfort of his home where he thought she was.
But Meredith had long since learned that her prayers would always fall on deaf ears.
Heath knelt before the man and punched him in the nose. Meredith squeaked, covering her mouth. No one heard her. They were too busy roaring with laughter when Heath punched him again. The gentleman finally broke and, as he clutched his bloody nose, he scrambled to hand over all his belongings. His jewelry, his pocketbook, even the watch on his wrist. And when Heath stood, he took that as his cue to scramble away.
Meredith felt sick. And still, she couldn’t look away as Heath faced his mates. He didn’t smile but that wasn’t enough to make her feel better. Not as he tossed the things he’d taken to the others. He didn’t need those things. He did these things simply for the fun of it.
Tears blurred her eyes at the thought. Somehow, she’d convinced herself that he wasn’t a bad person. That, underneath the gruff words, he was still the same Heath she’d known. He still had that light within him that only needed a bit o
f coaxing to shine through.
But she’d been wrong along. He was no longer there. This man was a stranger to her.
Meredith staggered back, trying to keep her sobs inside. She couldn’t be here any longer, couldn’t be near such people. Quickly wiping the tears, she whirled on her feet.
And collided right into a hard chest. Heart stopping, she looked up into the face of a gap-toothed smile and vicious eyes. “Are you goin’ somewhere, m’lady?”
Chapter 15
“I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to that rush!” Heath looked over at Matthew, the youngest of the gang members. He’d joined only a few months prior to today and was thoroughly enjoying every minute of it. Heath reckoned he was, considering he’d run away from an overbearing father who had been adamant to have him marry a decent woman and become a merchant.
Matthew’s eyes glittered with excitement as he searched through the pocketbook Heath had just stolen from the gentleman. The young man elbowed his friend, James, in his side and then looked over at Brandon, who was studying the expensive watch.
Heath watched them steadily, Phillip standing next to him. He had a bad taste in his mouth, but he couldn’t ascertain why. He’d robbed many gentlemen like him before. He was used to it.
“That’ll teach him,” Phillip said next to him, taking a swig of the ale he’d brought from the nearby pub. “Can you believe he was here to visit his mistress?”
“You would be surprised to know how many gentlemen of the ton take on mistresses who live in areas such as this,” Heath murmured. He leaned against a nearby tree, watching the others as they argued about how they would split the money.
“Bah!” Phillip spat off to the side, wiped his mouth, and kept on drinking. “I’ve no doubt he has a wife wondering where he is right now.”
Heath glanced at him. “Who would have thought you were so defensive about adultery?”
“Not defensive,” Phillip snarled, even as his lips curled. “Impressed, really. That’s the only thing women are here for, after all. A quick shag and pushing out babies. And when you get bored of them, you move on to another one.”
Heath wasn’t surprised to hear that. Phillip was quite vocal on how he viewed women, and it had never bothered Heath before. “I suppose this is your daily reminder that you will not be getting married,” he drawled.
“Over my dead body,” Phillip snorted. Finished with his ale, he tossed the mug aside and looked Heath up and down. “I didn’t think you would make it today. You’ve been oddly absent these past few days. Even had Vincent wondering what you were up to.”
“I don’t normally come every day, do I?” The others were done arguing and were now wondering how much they could get for the watch and the cufflinks. Heath stared at them, but hardly heard a word.
“True enough. But it makes me wonder if that woman in your manor is the reason you haven’t been by lately.”
Heath sighed heavily. “She’s the very reason I had to get out,” he answered truthfully.
He could feel Phillip’s confusion. Honestly, Heath envied it. He wished he was as confused about why he was so desperate to get away from her, but the reason filled his mind every time he thought of her. She was temptation in its strongest form. More and more, he thought of her, wondered what she was up to. His eagerness to be by her side was more than simply reconnecting with an old friend, but something that ran deeper. Something carnal.
Heath was used to being attracted to other women. He was no stranger to that feeling. But this was something he’d never felt before, and he had to get away from it before it drove him mad.
“I told you it was a bad idea,” came Phillip. “You need to listen to me from now on.”
“It’s not so bad,” Heath said noncommittally. Has she had dinner yet? Or is she waiting for me?
He was wondering if Francis would inform her of his absence when Phillip’s voice broke through again, “Let me take care of her, Heath. Get rid of this pest once and for all.”
“She’s not a pest.” His words came out a bit sharper than he’d intended, drawing the attention of the others. Heath faced his friend. “She is my duty to take care of, so I will do it as I see fit. Do you understand?”
A lesser man would have balked at Heath’s cold tone. That gentleman had surely wet himself before Heath had even raised his fist. But Phillip was made of much stronger stuff. He only narrowed his eyes, saying nothing.
If he had planned to respond, he didn’t get the chance when a sudden scream rent the air. All their heads whipped around to the sound of it.
That sounds like…
There came another sound, a strangled cry. It was close, seeming to come from the alleyway Heath had cut through. Without thinking, he took off in the direction of it.
It took only a few seconds to come upon the scene. Meredith was there, her back to the wall, one hand clutching her cloak while the other was held in the strong grip of the man who towered over her. The man had his other hand planted on the wall by her head with a knife in his palm, leaning close to her face with a terrible smile on his face.
Heath saw red.
The world seemed to disappear and all he saw was the look on Meredith’s face. He didn’t stop to think why she was here, how she’d come, what she’d seen. He only had one goal and that was to rid her of that fear.
Heath charged toward the man, grabbed him by his lapels and rammed his fist into his jaw. He heard Meredith gasp, but nothing could stop him at that moment. The rage came over him like the waves of the ocean, washing over him again and again. He heard shouting behind him, but that didn’t stop him from kneeling over the man’s shocked frame. Nor did it keep him from pummeling his hand into his face over and over again until all he could see was blood.
“Heath, stop it!” Meredith’s voice cut through the roar in his head. “You’re going to kill him!”
Strong arms caught him, prevented Heath from punching the man again. Two, maybe three of his mates pulled him away, but he fought against their hold. He had to make him pay.
The man could hardly speak. He was shaking, his face a bloody mess. He scrambled to his feet and ran off into the darkness and Heath fought to follow.
“Heath, calm down!” That was from the ever-silent Brandon. That realization had Heath jerking back into himself. The red haze faded into the back of his mind and while rage still trembled through him, he could think straight again.
Heath shrugged his mates off him. They hovered by him, as if to grab him again if he thought to take off after the man. But Heath had one thing on his mind now.
He turned to Meredith. She was still by the wall, still clutching her cloak. But her brown eyes were black with horror, her body shaking so much that her teeth were chattering. When he saw the thin line of red on her neck, blood trickling down her collarbone, that anger threatened to consume him again.
Heath shrugged his coat off and approached her. She flinched, but she didn’t take her eyes off him, staring at him as if he was a creature she’d never seen before. Heath tried to ignore the look and wrapped the coat around her shoulders.
Then he looked back at the others. Phillip was standing a short distance away, as if he hadn’t cared to join in. His arms were crossed, watching Heath with a slight frown.
“I will be taking her back,” he said slowly, so as not to frighten her any further.
They said nothing. It seemed none of them knew what to say, their previous good mood fleeing. Heath understood the reaction. He’d never been so angry before, had never been so violent. He could exert what force he needed to get what he wanted but had they not dragged him away, he might have killed that man.
The thought frightened even himself, but he wouldn’t let it show. He looked back at Meredith to see that she’d lowered her gaze to the ground.
He reached for her, but she flinched away from his touch. It felt like a kick to his chest.
She shifted away from, her eyes still on the ground. Slowly, she inched away,
still trembling, keeping as far away from the others as she could. Heath waited until she was a bit of a distance away before he followed behind her.
There was simply silence. Meredith’s steps were slow, as if she was dazed by what had happened and Heath couldn’t blame her. He remembered how she’d been the first time he’d seen her again, as if it had happened yesterday. The deer-like woman who had cowered in fear whenever someone looked in her direction. He hadn’t realized that she’d been not been that woman for the past few days—until the moment he saw that terror leap back into her eyes.
It was a struggle to stay away, to keep those ten paces between them. She walked past his carriage, not even sparing it a single glance. Heath paused, watching as she headed toward another carriage hidden in the shadows a short distance away.
Captive to the Kiss of a Wicked Duke: A Steamy Historical Regency Romance Novel Page 11
