by Wendy Vella
“And after this experience you have deduced all noblemen’s daughters would act in the same manner?” She didn’t look happy now; in fact, she looked furious.
“In short, yes, as unlike you I do not have a long list of illustrious ancestors at my back to protect me should I need it.”
“My lady, please—”
Ace turned to look at the servant again as he spoke, feeling now was a good time to change the subject. “Have we met before?”
“We fought once, Mr. Dillinger, many years ago in London.”
“I thought your face was familiar,” Ace said, shaking the man’s hand. He didn’t ask the outcome of the fight, as he had rarely lost and he remembered the faces of the few men who had beaten him.
“It was an honor to do so, Mr. Dillinger, if I may say so.”
“You never told me you fought him, Ted,” Lady Althea said, entering the conversation although she was still scowling.
“I don’t believe the topic ever arose, my lady.”
“I think we should make our way to the rear, as we are drawing attention.” Ace intervened before she could question her footmen further.
“But I can see better here.”
It wasn’t a demand, or spoken in shrill tones. It was just stated as a fact, and one she believed she had a right to voice. Foolish bloody woman. Will would have a seizure if he knew his little sister was in such a place, surrounded by these men, just as Ace would if one of his sisters were here.
“My lady, if you do not move I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of this barn.” Ace spoke the words in a low voice while he held her eyes. She should have been afraid, as it was a tone he used to great effect when required; however, she was not. “Your brother is my friend, and as such I am acting as your protector, as it appears you obviously need one.”
“There is no need to use that tone with me, Mr. Dillinger. I assure you I am quite capable of caring for myself with Ted at my side, and furthermore, had you not approached us then we would not now be drawing the attentions of others.”
Ace muttered something beneath his breath before taking her arm and steering her toward the rear of the building. Nudging her in front of him with a little more force than was polite, he then placed a hand in her back and propelled her forward; her footman fell in behind him. Once they reached his original position, behind everyone else, he removed his hand from her now stiff spine.
“To address your last comment, Lady Althea,” he said, once again lowering his head to look in her eyes. “You and I both know if your brothers were to hear of you being here, in this barn, with this many men, only a few of which are gentlemen, then you would have a great deal of talking to do. Therefore, I decided to take action to ensure the possibility of that happening is drastically reduced.”
“I am not your concern, Mr. Dillinger,” she said again, although she was looking a little less sure of herself now. “So please move along.”
“I am not one of those fools who fall adoringly at your feet every evening during the season, my lady; you cannot dismiss me as you can them. Will, your brother, is a colleague of mine, whom I respect a great deal. If he were to find out that I had found you here and not taken the appropriate steps to ensure your safety by removing you, then he would not be pleased. In fact, it would be fair to say he’d be justifiably furious,” Ace added. “In fact, I would say that were either of your brothers to discover this little adventure of yours, then you would be bundled back to the country and there you would stay for quite some time.”
Flicking a glance to the stage, he noticed the fight was about to begin. He should get her out of here now, before the men started shouting and gesturing. From experience, Ace knew these things could get out of hand easily, especially as most were drinking spirits of some kind.
“Firstly, they are not all fools, Mr. Dillinger. In fact, quite a few can even string together a rational sentence,” she said. “But only a few.”
Ace refused to be charmed by this woman.
“And you are, of course, accurate in your assumption that my brothers would be displeased were they to hear of this escapade.” She placed a hand on his arm which made him look down at her again. She wore gloves and her hand had no contact with his skin, but Ace was sure he could feel her touch through his clothing. “But when I saw the advertisement for this event, I decided to attend because I am staying not far from here at the Bell and Crown, and thought I could slip away for a while without anyone noticing. I coerced Ted into helping me with a great deal of pleading.”
Looking at the servant, Ace watched the man sigh, which suggested this was not the first adventure she had gotten herself and him, into.
“Where is your brother?” Ace asked the first of many questions he wanted answered.
“Joseph has a business meeting with Lord Harrup, at his home a few miles from here,” she said before turning toward the ring, where she climbed to her toes to see what was happening.
“And you were left alone?”
“No, of course not.” She waved a hand about but kept her eyes on the stage.
Ace wasn’t a conceited man, but most women did not look away from him when he was close. Lady Althea Ryder had never given him a second look, and for some perverse reason that rankled. He wasn’t ugly—no warts or moles and he had all his teeth. Perhaps it was that he was not born of rank like she? Ace had not believed her to be a woman who cared about such things. After all, her brothers did not appear to, but maybe he was wrong.
“I had a maid and two footmen watching over me. It took Ted to distract them, whilst I climbed out the window.”
“You did what!” Ace’s voice rose.
She looked back at him with an impish smile on her lips. It lit her eyes, and she was suddenly even more appealing, if that was possible.
“I was only joking, Mr. Dillinger. I walked out the door, I promise. And lower your voice, please, as I have no wish to draw further attention to us.”
Ace snapped his teeth together and then ground them. Bloody woman. She should be scared witless being surrounded by so many men. Exposure would ruin her or at the very least make life very uncomfortable for a while. Surely she could see that.
Maneuvering himself to the other side of her, he gave Ted a look which had him moving to the space he had just left. Lady Althea was now flanked on both sides.
“You do understand what would happen to you if anyone here recognized you and word got out, don’t you, Lady Althea?”
“My reputation would be in ruins, lying tattered at my feet, and I would never marry the man of title and consequence my brothers expect me to. Is that right, Mr. Dillinger?”
“Yes.”
“Actually, I don’t think the result would be that dire. Therefore, I shall take my chances,” she added, turning from him to look at the ring.
“Spoken like a woman who has never had a bad day in her life,” Ace muttered.
“I cannot help my birth, Mr. Dillinger. Furthermore, I have experienced many dark days, and I would thank you not to suggest otherwise.”
“I bet mine are darker,” he added, and wished he’d kept his mouth shut.
“I beg your pardon?”
Ace didn’t reply to that, instead saying, “Please do as I say from this moment on, my lady, or I shall be forced to pick you up and carry you from here. Do you understand?” he said, knowing if he did as he’d just said, the scene they created would cause too much attention, yet she did not know he was bluffing.
She opened her mouth so he threw her a look that made her shut it again.
“Against my better judgment, I am going to let you stay here and watch some of the fight.” She opened her mouth again but he kept talking. “You will stand between your footman and me, you will not speak or move, and you will do exactly as I say at all times. Is that understood, Lady Althea?”
“You have no control over me, Mr. Dillinger, nor am I a child who needs protection.”
“I am ensuring your safety,
my lady.”
She looked forward, lips pursed.
“Say the words please, my lady.” Ace wasn’t a fool; this was a very smart woman. They shared friends, he and Lady Althea Ryder, and he had heard stories about her from Bella, his friend’s wife, who had also grown up with Lady Althea, and often spoke of her intellect and spirit. Bella may not have mentioned this woman’s willful nature but Ace had determined that for himself.
“Are you suggesting that unless I say the words out loud, you will not believe me?” Lady Althea looked affronted as she glared at him.
“As I have already stated, my lady, I am not one of your noblemen who is easily distracted by a pretty face and an innocent demeanor. I have lived and seen the worst of people. Nor am I easily fooled. Besides, it is my belief if you do not stay then you will just make your footman’s life hell by trying to attend another boxing match.”
Her smile was small, but a smile nonetheless, and Ace shouldn’t feel its affect deep inside his chest. He didn’t react that way to women—never had and never wanted to.
“Very well, I promise.” She did not flounce or look coy, nor did she make any attempt to flirt with him. “I will do as you say and make no noise or move.”
“Excellent,” Ace said.
“And I should also thank you, Mr. Dillinger, because although you probably think I am the spoilt daughter of a duke, I have, in fact, wished to attend a boxing match for some time and my appearance here is not based on a whim.”
“You do surprise me,” Ace drawled.
“I, however, must admit to feeling surprised at the amount of persons in attendance,” she added, ignoring his sarcasm. “It was probably wrong of me to drag only Ted here. I should have bribed another footman to accompany us. It’s fair to say I was perhaps a bit impetuous.”
“Have you done that often?” Ace asked.
“Done what?” She was on her toes again, trying to see the ring. The problem was that she was tall for a woman, but still not the height of most of the men attending.
“Bribed footmen?”
“Yes, many and often,” she added without a shred of shame.
“Your brothers have my sympathy.”
“You think my brothers did not get up to their share of scrapes, Mr. Dillinger?” She shot him a look before returning her eyes to the ring.
“I’m sure they did. However, they are not standing here beside me in a room of ale-drinking men spouting course language,” Ace added.
“But if they were then it would be acceptable, Mr. Dillinger, and that is grossly unfair.”
Ace raised his eyes to the rafters briefly. “If by that inference you are debating the rights of women versus men, then allow me to point out I did not make those rules. Your forefathers did, my lady.”
“Surely not my forebears, Mr. Dillinger. They were a forward-thinking lot.”
Ace found himself laughing as she gave him another impish smile.
“I reiterate,” Ace said, looking around him. “Your brothers have my sympathies.” He found what he sought a few feet to his right. Bending, he picked up the small box and placed it on the ground before Lady Althea. Lifting her off her feet, he then lowered her on to it.
“Oh, this is wonderful. Thank you so much, Mr. Dillinger. I can see quite well now.”
“You really are a most unusual woman, Lady Althea,” he said.
“Yes, well, not all of us enjoy embroidery and batting our lashes, Mr. Dillinger. Some of us were born with a yen for more.”
“If you want more, my lady, then go out and get it.”
Ace, like her, was now watching the ring. They stood shoulder to shoulder, her face level with his, and he was aware of everything about her—her breathing, the brush of her sleeve against his, the flick of a wrist. Any movement she made, he felt. He should get her out of here; it would be the right thing to do.
“Spoken with the arrogance of freedom, Mr. Dillinger.” She turned her head, her gray eyes now inches from his, and he could feel them on the side of his face.
“If I had an ego, Lady Althea, you would certainly have shriveled it.” Ace turned to meet her gaze, his eyes roaming her features, noting the color high in her cheeks and soft pink of her lips. “I’m both an idiot, and arrogant.”
“Yes, well,” she said, “you speak as if I have choices.” Her face had suddenly become serious.
“You have more than many,” he replied.
With those words, their attention was drawn to the ring once more and Ace was able to haul in a deep breath. He kept Lady Althea close to his side, and as they were at the rear it was now dark enough that no one would see them unless they were really looking.
“I understand the inclement weather has forced this fight inside. Usually it would take place in the open, Mr. Dillinger?” she asked after the fighters had been introduced.
“Yes, the fights are usually outside.”
“And will the ring be the same size?”
“Yes, the ring is approximately an eight foot square and each fighter will have a knee man and a bottle man. The latter holds the water, a sponge and an orange, should the boxer require it.” Ace went on to answer the questions she asked, and was surprised by her knowledge.
“Ted is not an overly talkative man, and although I have coaxed many things out of him I had not heard of a knee man?” She was leaning toward Ace, and he inhaled again, enjoying her scent.
“He is the man who will step into the ring and offer his knee between rounds, and the boxer will sit on it.”
“Really.” She looked at him again. “I’m sure your knee man had to be quite strong, Mr. Dillinger.”
“The fights I had were not civilized enough to have knee men, my lady.”
The match was even, as he had predicted, and the boxers traded blows throughout the first round. It was toward the end of the second he heard Lady Althea’s hiss of breath after one of the men took a punch to the nose and blood started to flow. Looking at her, he noted she was paler, her eyes wide, mouth open slightly and her fists were clenched.
“I think that’s enough for you.” Lifting her off the box, he motioned to the footman. “Ted, lead the way out please.”
Placing a hand on her shoulder, he then urged her to follow and she did not resist, but they had managed no more than a couple of paces before Ace saw the brawl erupt before them.
“Ted, stand at your lady’s back and let me through,” Ace said as the roar of voices rose. The footman immediately did as he was asked and Ace moved to the front.
“What is happening?” Lady Althea tried to peer around him but he urged her back out of sight.
“Stay as close to my back as you can, Lady Althea. In fact, grab a fistful of my coat and do not let go!”
Relieved when he felt two small hands grip the heavy wool, Ace started forward. She was covered on two sides now, and they would keep the rear of the building to her exposed side until they reached the doorway.
“Step aside!” Ace said to a man who had stumbled into his path. When the idiot did not move quickly enough, Ace grabbed his collar and bodily threw him out of the way.
“Are you all right, Lady Althea?” He had to yell as the roar of voices had risen. Some were still focused on the fight in the ring, others encouraging the brawl before them.
“Yes, Mr. Dillinger.”
Relieved that her voice sounded steady enough, Ace kept walking and pushing men to one side until the door was in sight, and it was then disaster struck. The hands at his back were wrenched free. Turning, he saw Lady Althea trip, as Ted stumbled into her. Two men were wrestling and had bumped the footman, causing him to fall, taking his mistress with him.
“My lady!” Ted reached for her, but she still hit the ground, landing hard on her shoulder.
Ace reached her seconds later, lifting her into his arms. “It’s all right. I have you,” He pulled her into the safety of his chest. He felt her arms wrap around his neck and hold him tight, as he started moving once more. Her heart thumped
hard and Ace was sure his did the same. The thought of her being hurt enraged him. She could have been trampled by men who saw nothing but the need to swing a fist. Most had consumed a tankard or two, enough to make them irrational, and he would have never forgiven himself had anything happened to her.
“Are you there, Ted?” Ace heard a curse and then confirmation that the footman was once again at his back.
Ace held Lady Althea with one arm while he forced his way toward the door, and managed a smile when she kicked out with one of her dainty feet and got a man in the nose, making him howl in pain. When they reached the doorway, he hurried through and continued walking until they were clear of any men. Only then did he release her, lowering her slowly to the ground, his hands holding her waist until she felt steady. He then watched as she lifted her face to the sky and inhaled deeply.
“Are you all right, my lady?”
“Yes, Ted, thank you. I had just not expected it to be quite so…”
“Brutal?” Ace offered.
“Yes.” She lowered her head and looked at him.
“Is the lady all right, Sir?”
Ace nodded to his driver as he appeared. “She is.”
“Shall I get the carriage, Sir?”
“Yes, thank you, Riff.”
“Where is your carriage, my lady?” Ace touched her elbow.
“W-we hired transportation.” Her voice was unsteady and she was pale. Ace suspected her hands shook also; however, those she had tucked behind her back.
“Then I shall drive you home,” he added, taking her arm.” She did not argue, which told Ace more than any words could.
They stood in silence until his carriage appeared, and Ace noted one of the satin ribbons that held her bonnet in place was torn and her skirts where dirty as were the fingers of her pale leather gloves.
“Are you sure you are unhurt, my lady?”
