Nic tried not to let his hand shake as he accepted the glass.
What was he to say to that?
He wasn’t used to feeling wrong-footed. And he certainly wasn’t used to being the one teased in their friendship circle.
“I-I don’t know what you mean,” he managed to croak before downing the contents of his glass.
Once more, silence descended, and Nic cursed the pair of them to Perdition.
Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore.
“Now that you mention it.” He tried and probably failed to sound casual. “Where is Miss Langton this evening?”
He scowled at Rob’s snort.
Abigail at least took pity on him, for she shot daggers at Rob before turning back to Nic.
“She is at Vauxhall Gardens tonight,” she said casually. “Miss Harriet Billings invited her along.”
Nic frowned, not at all happy with this turn of events.
He knew the Gardens would appeal to Alison. The fireworks, the fountains, the follies and secret pathways. She would love such a place.
But along with the whimsical, there was a real potential for a young lady to find herself in trouble.
Of everywhere in London that the beau monde frequented, Vauxhall Gardens was the least decorous, the least inhibited.
Classes mixed, merchants and servants rubbing shoulders with Peers. And more than one person had been known to throw caution to the wind there.
Nic couldn’t believe that Rob would let Ally go there alone.
“I’m not familiar with Miss Billings,” he said, trying not to panic. “Is her family well known?”
“Her father and I have met briefly,” Rob said. “They seem decent enough.”
“And her father is going, too, is he?” Nic bit out.
Rob and Abby shared a brief glance, which annoyed him further still.
“No, Miss Billings mentioned that her brother would be escorting them. He is an officer of His Majesty’s army,” she said reassuringly.
A soldier.
That was bloody worse! Nic had met far too many soldiers around the streets of St. Giles to entrust Alison’s safety to one.
“And you just let her go off, did you?” He rounded on Robert, sense and reason gone. “With a group of soldiers and a girl whose family you barely know? What the hell were you thinking?”
Rob narrowed his eyes at Nic’s furious criticism.
“If I thought she would be in danger, Nic, I wouldn’t have let her go.”
“And how do you know whether she’s in danger or not?” he snarled. “It seems you’ve been more than a little preoccupied.”
Abigail’s face fell at Nic’s words, and he felt a twist of guilt in his gut, which he ignored.
Rationally, he knew both Abby and Rob were dedicated to giving Alison a successful and safe Season. That they would never purposely endanger her.
But rationality had no place in his mind right now.
“Nic –”
He heard the warning in Rob’s tone, but he was past caring.
“Robert, do you think we should have let her go?” Abigail sounded distressed but once more, Nic refused to feel guilty for it.
“I’m going to go and see that she is well,” he snapped.
Robert sighed. “I’ll come with you,” he said. “And you need to calm down.”
“I’m not waiting,” Nic spoke over his friend.
In some part of his mind, he knew he was laying himself bare. Opening himself up to interrogation, but without awaiting an answer from either of them, he turned on his heel and marched from the room.
He wanted to find Alison and make sure she was safe.
After that he could worry about the consequences of how revealing his actions were.
Chapter Sixteen
Alison was enthralled by the sights and sounds around her.
When Miss Billings had sent a note inviting her to join their party to Vauxhall Gardens, Alison had been thrilled. Not least because it would be a good distraction from three miserable days wondering why Nicholas had disappeared once again.
At first, Abby had objected to her accepting the invitation. And Robert had outright refused.
But through cajoling, pleading, begging, and dangling the prospect of an evening alone together in front of them, they’d finally conceded.
Robert had interrogated Captain Billings, Harriet’s brother, when their carriage had arrived to take Alison to Vauxhall and had satisfied himself that she was in good hands.
The Captain and his friend had been attentive to Harriet and Alison all evening, securing them a box and making sure they weren’t approached by any of the more questionable gentlemen who walked by.
This place was like nothing she’d ever seen.
There were acrobatic performers, a gazebo for dancing, and a maze of walkways lit with lanterns and dotted with fountains and hidden loveseats.
There were even faux ruins in the middle, to her amazement.
It was exciting. Magical, even.
And though she wished she were experiencing it with Nicholas, she was determined to enjoy every moment of it.
She had already danced with Captain Billings, an unassuming and quiet gentleman much like his sister, and his friend Captain Sorrell, who waxed lyrical about the girl he planned to marry once he returned home to his native Scotland.
Alison found herself overcome with envy as Captain Sorrell spoke excitedly of his plans to wed.
She couldn’t imagine anything more wonderful than a quiet life in the countryside with the person she loved.
The glamour and excitement of London was all very well, but she could well imagine that it could lose its shine rather quickly.
It was exhilarating, but vacuous. There didn’t seem to be any meaning to any of it.
At Montvale, Abby had a busy life. She had charitable work, and she took care of their tenants. She had even been responsible for the building of a village school for the local children to attend.
Alison wanted a life like that.
A life where she could fill her days doing good for people and come home at night to a loving husband.
Captain Sorrell had escorted her back to their box and then left to procure refreshments.
As the evening wore on, the place was growing more raucous.
When Alison entered the box, she was surprised to see Lord Fulham sitting close to Harriet, their heads bent together.
He looked up then and his eyes raked her, gleaming with obvious admiration.
“Good evening, Miss Langton.” He stood and bowed over her hand, placing a kiss on the back of it.
Alison resisted the urge to snatch the limb back from him.
“Good evening, Lord Fulham. What a surprise to find you here.”
His smile didn’t quiet reach his eyes as he stepped closer to her.
“A pleasant surprise I hope, my dear Miss Langton?”
“Of course.” She smiled politely.
He didn’t say anything else, so Alison cast around for a topic of discussion.
“Are you enjoying your evening, my lord?” she asked.
“I always enjoy a trip to Vauxhall Gardens,” Lord Fulham said, casting his eye around the revellers outside. “So decadent. So much to see.”
“I’m quite in awe of it,” she confessed. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“And have you visited the ruins and the fountains?”
Alison shook her head. “Not yet,” she said. “I expect that we will, once Captain Billings and Captain Sorrell have returned.”
“Oh, but there isn’t a moment to waste.” He smiled charmingly. “You simply must see the tightrope walkers above the pathways. And you want to return to your box in time for the fireworks, do you not?”
“Most definitely,” she said quickly. She was desperate to see the fireworks, and the tightrope walkers sounded thrilling. “Perhaps Miss Billings and I could –”
“Why don’t I escort you to see them, Mis
s Langton?” he continued smoothly. “I will ensure that no harm befalls you. It wouldn’t be safe for two young ladies to wander out there alone. Things can get quite – er – lively at times.”
She could well imagine what he meant.
Even now, ladies and gentlemen of both classes were stumbling about. And the goings on in some of the boxes around them were nothing short of alarming.
She so badly wanted to see it all. But this was Lord Fulham. Lord Fulham who had all the appearance of being enamoured of Harriet at the musicale and only moments prior. Not to mention James and Rob really, truly didn’t want her to spend time in his company.
Nicholas didn’t want her with him, either.
The thought of Nicholas made her gut twist with hurt and a feeling of stubbornness to awake inside of her.
Lord Fulham had always been so attentive to her. Unlike that gentleman, who’d been occupying far too many of her thoughts.
Her mind made up, Alison beamed at the man, ignoring her misgivings about his flirtations with her friend, and the dire warnings from her guardians.
“That would be lovely, thank you, my lord.”
His light blue eyes lit with a triumphant gleam, and Alison wondered if she were making a mistake.
If Robert were to find out that she’d wandered off with a gentleman with whom she hadn’t arrived, and who he had forbidden her to spend time with, he’d have her head.
But then, she reasoned, Robert wasn’t here.
And Lord Fulham had never been anything but kind and charming to her.
Besides, she would take Harriet along.
She looked over at her friend, shocked to see her drinking wine from a goblet held to her lips by a man she hadn’t even noticed come into the box.
“My friend, Lord Severill,” Lord Fulham said. “He will take care of Miss Billings. Now, shall we?”
Alison felt a stirring of trepidation. The name Severill was familiar to her, she was sure.
She wasn’t at all sure, however, that this was a good idea.
However, another glance at Harriet told her she didn’t particularly want to be in their box at that time, either.
Who would have thought that quiet, unassuming Miss Billings would be so – well, so scandalous?
Alison was uncomfortable enough she decided to leave with Lord Fulham despite her concerns.
She would take a quick walk and return when she was sure Captain Billings would be back to take them home. Besides, she didn’t particularly want to be present when the captain returned and saw his sister like that.
So, squashing down all her misgivings, she took the arm Lord Fulham extended and allowed him to lead her away from the crowds.
The Pleasure Gardens had reached the point where inhibitions were well and truly thrown to the wind by the time Nic marched inside.
He was neither surprised nor bothered when Robert showed up behind him only minutes later.
They had made short work of purchasing tickets, and now they were inside. And faced with absolute chaos.
“I’m assuming they’ve procured a box?” Nic asked shortly.
The chances were slim, he knew, that any harm would come to Alison.
But equally he knew he would be unable to relax until he had her safe and well, if not in his arms, then at least in his line of vision.
They hurried to where the boxes were located, Nic’s eyes darting around people more foxed than not.
“Billings!”
Nic whipped around at the sound of Robert’s shout in time to see two scarlet-coated officers rush toward them, a tearful young lady in between them.
“Y-your grace,” one of the young captains, Billings presumably, was gasping.
“Where is Miss Langton?”
Nic hadn’t even been introduced to the man before him, yet he was beyond caring.
The slighter man’s eyes darted from Robert to Nic.
“S-she went for a walk, Mister?”
“The Duke of Barnbury,” he snapped, watching with grim amusement as the man’s eyes widened. “A walk?”
“Y-yes, your grace. I came back to the box, and my sister –” He turned a glare on the sniffling young lady. “Was in the company of Lord Severill.”
Nic’s stomach dropped, and he shared a frown with Robert.
Last year, Simon had nearly killed Severill with his bare hands when the man had attacked Amelia on the balcony of Dashford Manor.
He was a bastard, and so were the men whose company he kept.
Nic felt a snake of fear slither through his veins.
“And Miss Langton?” he prompted.
Something of what he was feeling must have shown on his face, for the young man paled significantly.
“Harriet?” He nudged the snivelling debutante, who glanced up briefly at Nic and Rob before dropping her eyes to her feet.
“She went for a walk as my brother said,” she mumbled.
“Alone?” Rob bit out.
“N-no, your grace.” She sniffed before raising tear-filled eyes once more to Robert. “With Lord Fulham.”
Nic didn’t even stay to hear what Rob said to the group.
He turned and darted toward the maze of darkened walkways and corners.
He knew exactly where a blackguard like Fulham would go.
Somewhere dark and isolated, where Alison would be vulnerable.
He told himself over and over that she would be fine.
If only he could believe it.
Chapter Seventeen
“I really would prefer to turn back now, my lord.”
Alison dug her heels in, refusing to let Lord Fulham pull her further into the darkened maze of pathways.
The tightrope walkers had been wonderful, just as he’d said.
However, she noticed that the crowd of people was getting scarcer, and she wasn’t willing to put herself in any sort of danger.
“But there is so much more to see, Miss Langton.” He smiled but instead of finding it charming this time, Alison just found it unnerving.
She had been foolish to come out here with him. She knew that.
So desperate had she been to escape Harriet’s behaviour, to be distracted from her thoughts of Nicholas, that she’d ignored all the warnings in her gut and rushed out here with him.
“There is the most beautiful fountain just up ahead,” he said now. “It is truly a sight to behold. It would be a shame for you to miss it.”
He tugged on her arm, forcing her to stumble a few steps forward.
“I’d really rather not, Lord Fulham,” she said through gritted teeth, pulling herself from his grip.
“You’ll regret missing it, my dear,” he insisted.
“And you’ll regret not taking your damned hands off her!”
Alison and Fulham both turned at the sound of the voice behind them.
There stood Nic, looking coldly furious.
Alison shivered at the look in his eye.
Though she had never feared him, and never would, she could sense the power from him and knew he would intimidate even the bravest of men.
Fulham, it turned out, was a coward.
“I didn’t touch her,” he said straightaway, stepping back and holding his hands up.
The smile on Nic’s face was both beautiful and terrifying.
“And nor will you,” he promised, deathly quiet.
“The lady wanted to see the –”
“Perhaps I haven’t made myself clear.”
Nicholas stepped forward, and even Alison stepped away from the look of fury in his eyes.
“I don’t care what the lady wanted or didn’t want. I don’t care what you did or didn’t do.” He stepped closer still, his voice low and deceptively calm, and all the more terrifying for it. “If I see you anywhere near her again, I’ll tear you apart with my bare hands. Understand?”
Alison’s jaw dropped and though she felt a flicker of irritation that he should ignore her for three days and then act like a jealous suitor,
she didn’t think now would be the best time to mention such a thing.
For one thing, he was ferociously angry. For another, she very much wanted Lord Fulham to stay away from her.
Fulham darted a look between Alison and Nicholas before turning and without another word, hurrying back toward the boxes.
The relief Alison felt was overwhelmed only by the joy of being with Nicholas again.
Even though she’d been hurt that he’d disappeared, the fact that he’d shown up here when she needed someone like a knight in shining armour melted her heart.
She turned her gaze up to him, preparing to thank him.
But his face was still stony, his eyes lit with unholy fire.
Her words died in her throat as she got caught in the intensity of that expression.
He had yet to move, yet to speak. And the silence was becoming unbearable.
“Nicholas, I –”
Just those two, innocuous words seemed to unfreeze him, and he suddenly reached out, wrapping his hands around her upper arms.
She didn’t have time to feel ecstatic at the feel of his touch before he glared down at her.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he asked, and any thought of thanks or gratitude quickly fled as anger sparked hot and potent inside her.
Nic saw the exact moment that relief and tenderness left her deep, blue gaze to be replaced by a raw, fiery anger.
“What’s wrong with me?” she screeched, and he resisted the urge to flinch.
Now that he had his hands on her, his heart had stopped thundering so much. It still thumped erratically, but for a very different reason.
He wouldn’t, however, focus on the floral scent of her, or how mesmerising her eyes were when sparked with fury.
He wouldn’t be distracted by that mouth, open now, no doubt, to blister his ears.
And he wouldn’t, absolutely wouldn’t pull her against him just to feel her body pressed to his. Just to feel that she was here with him. Safe.
“You have some nerve, your grace, ignoring me for days and then swooping in here, acting as though you have the right to control what I do and with whom.”
“Did you want to be dragged down a dark pathway by a creature such as Fulham?” he bit back, his temper igniting once more. “Do you have any idea what could have happened to you? Even coming to a place like this without proper supervision is dangerous and foolhardy.”
The Saint of St. Giles Page 11
