to find two more men just a few steps behind her. One of them was Marko. Her instant of joy turned quickly to confusion. “You’re covered in mud,” she said with disbelief.
He laughed, a light sound, full of joy. He bowed deeply from the waist in a gesture no longer seen in the courts of Europe. “I live only to serve, milady.”
The suspicion that he was laughing at her stretched her taut nerves beyond endurance. Abruptly, she forgot how glad she was to see him. “I don’t recall asking you to roll in the pigsty.”
He eased close enough to her that she could see a glint in his dark eyes that might have been humor or arousal or some combination of both. “Your brother objected to my stealing Lord Stowe’s coach.” He cocked his head to one side as if considering the matter. “Or rather, what we thought was in it.”
“You fought?” Anxiety shaded her voice. “Are you injured?”
He held his arms out to his sides and turned in one smooth motion. “As you can see, only my pride.” One corner of his mouth tilted in a wry grimace. “However, you might need to hire a new maid.”
Juliet had had enough of the ambiguous phrasing of the gypsy tribe. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides and she stomped her foot. “Tell me what happened, in plain words, if you know them.”
Reaching for her hands, he brought them up to his lips. With gentle care, he loosened her fingers from the tight balls in which she held them. “Ah, my Juliet, I fear plain words will not do you justice.” He pressed a warm kiss into the palm of one hand. “I would rather wax as lyrical as a bard of old, comparing your beauty to a moonbeam or the sparkle in your eye to a smattering of stardust.”
As he laid his mouth against her other palm, his voice dropped in timbre. “Wouldn’t you rather hear those words from my lips?”
Her fingers curled around his reflexively as a spark of heat ignited in her veins. Color rose in her face as she realized that the other men could hear. “Don’t tease, Marko. I can’t bear it right now.”
“My brilliant love. Your plan has worked only too well. Your brother is on a wild goose chase to London and you are here with me.”
“Serves him right,” she muttered.
“I agree wholeheartedly, though I would have liked to have been included in the arrangements. I felt a royal fool when I opened the door to that coach.”
“Serves you right too.”
He went still for a moment. “I stand chastised.” Then his lips quirked in a smile that took her breath. “Might I ask what I am being berated for? Like the thieving gypsy I am, I came to kidnap my bride from under the nose of another.”
His bride. Her heart swelled at the words, but she wasn’t ready to let him see the gladness in her face. With an effort, she jerked her fingers from his. Hunching one shoulder, she said with challenge in her tone, “How was I to know you’d arrive? You appeared ready to let me marry Lord Stowe.”
“You should have trusted me, my love, as you must trust me now.”
She stiffened in suspicion, but hesitated a second too long. From behind her, someone grasped her arms, dragging them behind her. She turned her head to see that it was Luca holding her. “What are you doing?” she demanded as he tied her wrists together with a length of twisted cloth.
She struggled against the hold while Marko pulled a kerchief from around his neck and approached her. “No, don’t–” She broke off as he thrust the cloth between her teeth and tied it behind her head, gagging her. She stared into his face, trying to read the emotion there. His lips were pressed together in a firm line, his dark gaze sharp with an intensity that caused her heart to trip on its own beat. Had he tricked her? Rumors abounded that gypsy tribes made their money by kidnapping. If he planned on ransoming her back to her brother, he’d find James was unlikely to pay.
He laughed, a light sound, full of joy. He bowed deeply from the waist in a gesture no longer seen in the courts of Europe. “I live only to serve, milady.”
The suspicion that he was laughing at her stretched her taut nerves beyond endurance. Abruptly, she forgot how glad she was to see him. “I don’t recall asking you to roll in the pigsty.”
He eased close enough to her that she could see a glint in his dark eyes that might have been humor or arousal or some combination of both. “Your brother objected to my stealing Lord Stowe’s coach.” He cocked his head to one side as if considering the matter. “Or rather, what we thought was in it.”
“You fought?” Anxiety shaded her voice. “Are you injured?”
He held his arms out to his sides and turned in one smooth motion. “As you can see, only my pride.” One corner of his mouth tilted in a wry grimace. “However, you might need to hire a new maid.”
Juliet had had enough of the ambiguous phrasing of the gypsy tribe. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides and she stomped her foot. “Tell me what happened, in plain words, if you know them.”
Reaching for her hands, he brought them up to his lips. With gentle care, he loosened her fingers from the tight balls in which she held them. “Ah, my Juliet, I fear plain words will not do you justice.” He pressed a warm kiss into the palm of one hand. “I would rather wax as lyrical as a bard of old, comparing your beauty to a moonbeam or the sparkle in your eye to a smattering of stardust.”
As he laid his mouth against her other palm, his voice dropped in timbre. “Wouldn’t you rather hear those words from my lips?”
Her fingers curled around his reflexively as a spark of heat ignited in her veins. Color rose in her face as she realized that the other men could hear. “Don’t tease, Marko. I can’t bear it right now.”
“My brilliant love. Your plan has worked only too well. Your brother is on a wild goose chase to London and you are here with me.”
“Serves him right,” she muttered.
“I agree wholeheartedly, though I would have liked to have been included in the arrangements. I felt a royal fool when I opened the door to that coach.”
“Serves you right too.”
He went still for a moment. “I stand chastised.” Then his lips quirked in a smile that took her breath. “Might I ask what I am being berated for? Like the thieving gypsy I am, I came to kidnap my bride from under the nose of another.”
His bride. Her heart swelled at the words, but she wasn’t ready to let him see the gladness in her face. With an effort, she jerked her fingers from his. Hunching one shoulder, she said with challenge in her tone, “How was I to know you’d arrive? You appeared ready to let me marry Lord Stowe.”
“You should have trusted me, my love, as you must trust me now.”
She stiffened in suspicion, but hesitated a second too long. From behind her, someone grasped her arms, dragging them behind her. She turned her head to see that it was Luca holding her. “What are you doing?” she demanded as he tied her wrists together with a length of twisted cloth.
She struggled against the hold while Marko pulled a kerchief from around his neck and approached her. “No, don’t–” She broke off as he thrust the cloth between her teeth and tied it behind her head, gagging her. She stared into his face, trying to read the emotion there. His lips were pressed together in a firm line, his dark gaze sharp with an intensity that caused her heart to trip on its own beat. Had he tricked her? Rumors abounded that gypsy tribes made their money by kidnapping. If he planned on ransoming her back to her brother, he’d find James was unlikely to pay.
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