perfect, darling. No one will know what naughtiness we’ve just committed.”
“I should hope not, George.” She narrowed her eyes on him. “You’ve turned into quite the rascal. What’s come over you?”
“You.” He smiled.
“I should suppose you’d say exactly that.” She leaned toward the window and stared out into the night. “How far off do you suppose we are?”
“An hour, two at most.”
The horses slowed their pace, stealing his attention away from his lady as he focused on the carriage; he realized they were slowing very quickly.
“What’s happening?” Kate pushed one palm against the wall and grasped the edge of the seat with her other hand to hold her place as the carriage rocked and then came to a sudden halt.
They might be stopping for a number of reasons: a horse may have lost a shoe, they were much closer than he thought to their destination, highwaymen could be blocking the road, or Kate’s father had finally caught up with them. The last was bound to happen sooner or later, and he’d be a fool to think otherwise.
George pulled up the floorboard in the carriage and retrieved his rapier. There was no telling what state her father would be in, and he wouldn’t strike the old duke down, but he’d at the very least defend himself should the old man challenge him.
Kate looked white as a ghost. Did she assume it was her father, too?
“What if he’s come in force to take me away?”
“I won’t let that happen.” He handed her bonnet back to her, so she could hide her disarrayed hair. “You have to trust me, Kate.”
One of the horses, eager for the open road, stamped its feet and snorted. George drew the blind on the window, blanketing them in pitch black. “Do not leave the carriage, Kate.”
“I will not cower before my father.”
He reached out and clasped her cheek in his hand. “Everything will work out in the end.”
After a quick kiss, he said, “I will call for you.”
He thought she’d refuse when she hesitated to respond. “I will remain here as long as possible.”
He’d be back before she could do anything foolish. There was a possibility her father came with reinforcements and would be able to force his daughter to leave. Only George would never allow that to happen.
“Carleton!” someone called out in a thunderous voice from outside. “Show yourself this instant, you bloody blackguard!”
Kate gasped and stalled George’s leaving by placing her hand on his sleeve. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard him shout a day in my life. He’s livid.”
To her, George said, “With me, darling, not you.” The he called back to her father. “I’ll join you in but a moment!”
The cool evening air kissed his cheeks and blew his hair back as he opened the door and stepped out onto the damp grass at the side of the dirt road. Kate’s father stood ten feet in front of his hired horses, foil drawn and pointed threateningly in George’s direction.
“You’ve made a laughingstock out of me, you devil, and you’ve stolen my only child.”
George walked toward the man who would be his father-in-law, should either of them like it or not. “I tried to reason with you. I even went so far as to beg for your permission to marry her.” George didn’t point his rapier in the duke’s direction. This was a battle he would have to win with words if he wanted Kate happy.
“What is the meaning of this, Father?” Kate’s voice was shrill, angry.
He closed his eyes and sighed when he heard the creak of the carriage stairs. Kate’s skirts ruffled in the breeze as she walked toward them, her shoulders were back, her head held high, her sharp eyes full of determination.
The duke lowered his rapier at the sight of his daughter. It was an improvement. “You’ve ruined your name and made me a laughingstock, and now I need to deal with your muddied reputation.” The duke focused only on his daughter. “Come here this instant, Katherine.”
Kate was positive
“I should hope not, George.” She narrowed her eyes on him. “You’ve turned into quite the rascal. What’s come over you?”
“You.” He smiled.
“I should suppose you’d say exactly that.” She leaned toward the window and stared out into the night. “How far off do you suppose we are?”
“An hour, two at most.”
The horses slowed their pace, stealing his attention away from his lady as he focused on the carriage; he realized they were slowing very quickly.
“What’s happening?” Kate pushed one palm against the wall and grasped the edge of the seat with her other hand to hold her place as the carriage rocked and then came to a sudden halt.
They might be stopping for a number of reasons: a horse may have lost a shoe, they were much closer than he thought to their destination, highwaymen could be blocking the road, or Kate’s father had finally caught up with them. The last was bound to happen sooner or later, and he’d be a fool to think otherwise.
George pulled up the floorboard in the carriage and retrieved his rapier. There was no telling what state her father would be in, and he wouldn’t strike the old duke down, but he’d at the very least defend himself should the old man challenge him.
Kate looked white as a ghost. Did she assume it was her father, too?
“What if he’s come in force to take me away?”
“I won’t let that happen.” He handed her bonnet back to her, so she could hide her disarrayed hair. “You have to trust me, Kate.”
One of the horses, eager for the open road, stamped its feet and snorted. George drew the blind on the window, blanketing them in pitch black. “Do not leave the carriage, Kate.”
“I will not cower before my father.”
He reached out and clasped her cheek in his hand. “Everything will work out in the end.”
After a quick kiss, he said, “I will call for you.”
He thought she’d refuse when she hesitated to respond. “I will remain here as long as possible.”
He’d be back before she could do anything foolish. There was a possibility her father came with reinforcements and would be able to force his daughter to leave. Only George would never allow that to happen.
“Carleton!” someone called out in a thunderous voice from outside. “Show yourself this instant, you bloody blackguard!”
Kate gasped and stalled George’s leaving by placing her hand on his sleeve. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard him shout a day in my life. He’s livid.”
To her, George said, “With me, darling, not you.” The he called back to her father. “I’ll join you in but a moment!”
The cool evening air kissed his cheeks and blew his hair back as he opened the door and stepped out onto the damp grass at the side of the dirt road. Kate’s father stood ten feet in front of his hired horses, foil drawn and pointed threateningly in George’s direction.
“You’ve made a laughingstock out of me, you devil, and you’ve stolen my only child.”
George walked toward the man who would be his father-in-law, should either of them like it or not. “I tried to reason with you. I even went so far as to beg for your permission to marry her.” George didn’t point his rapier in the duke’s direction. This was a battle he would have to win with words if he wanted Kate happy.
“What is the meaning of this, Father?” Kate’s voice was shrill, angry.
He closed his eyes and sighed when he heard the creak of the carriage stairs. Kate’s skirts ruffled in the breeze as she walked toward them, her shoulders were back, her head held high, her sharp eyes full of determination.
The duke lowered his rapier at the sight of his daughter. It was an improvement. “You’ve ruined your name and made me a laughingstock, and now I need to deal with your muddied reputation.” The duke focused only on his daughter. “Come here this instant, Katherine.”
Kate was positive
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