fortune will stay in your hands after you marry—you can come and go as you please without all the world calling you a hoyden. Women do not have that luxury, but I intend to stay as free as I may … at least, until I fall in love.”
He was astonished both at her vehemence and the thoughts behind her words. He smiled indulgently. When he had been her age, he had been idealistic. He too had thought that ‘love’ was the all-important ingredient to any successful union. She was an innocent in a woman’s body. A lethal combination, and he had better keep his distance.
Love ? There had been a time when he believed he would never marry for anything but love. That particular dream had turned into a nightmare when he had fancied himself in love. He had been only a year older than Felicia was now. The girl of his heart had told him she loved him, but in the end she had other plans for her future. He had only been a baron then with a modest fortune and, with two cousins before him at the time, no hope of ever being the Duke of Somerset as he was now.
He knew better now . Love was just a word, easily discarded for more tangible things, and love didn’t always last.
“Ah,” he said, inclining his head. “Love … for you and young Scott, then, eh?” He was baiting her. He would get at the truth about the two of them, perhaps through the back door. Something had preceded her intense need to run. That was the question uppermost in his mind. Why had she suddenly decided to run?
She made a face at him, and that surprised him as she wagged a finger and vehemently declared, “That is a very silly notion. I would have expected it from another, but not from you. Anyone should be able to see that I adore Scott but only as a sister adores a brother. We have been brought up in one another’s way, you see, and it was only natural that Scott should want to rescue me before my guardian arrived to take me off.”
He was intrigued in spite of the nagging and cautious man in his head telling him not to get involved. Right then, that part of this very odd tale rang true. Right, so her very real guardian had for some unknown reason decided to descend upon her. Now he needed to know why she felt it necessary to run.
He asked, “Ah, so this night … Scott was saving you? How exactly was he going to do that? By running off without even a change of clothing?”
She shuffled in place and uncurled her legs from under her before sitting forward. “We had word that my guardian was spending the night at a nearby inn and would arrive to take me off in the morning. I have friends in town, and my staff … well they are more family than servants.” She sighed sadly. “We had a plan, Scott and I, but it all went wrong, you see. We suddenly had no time, and then I was late getting out of the house … and then the blasted highwaymen, and what must Scott do but go running off to rescue whoever … and get himself shot!”
Ashton swallowed his laugh and attempted to look serious. “Indeed, but what was this plan that went awry?”
“We thought to make the trip to London. We were supposed to get off early enough that only the last hour or so would be in darkness.” She stopped, appeared to think this over, and looked doubtful as she sighed and added, “I suppose that was our first mistake. The other was not anticipating that there might be highwaymen running amok on the king’s roads.” She shook her head. “I should have brought my gun and hurried after Scott … perhaps I could have shot one of them dead.”
“Er … or gotten shot yourself. Seems to me your guardian might have had a good notion to bring you under his eye.” At this point he could not help the chuckle that escaped him, for she gave him a darkling look. He waved this last off and said, “ Sorry … but tell me, do you own a gun?”
“Well, of course I own a gun, and I know how to use it, but one cannot predict everything, can one?”
“No, that is the
He was astonished both at her vehemence and the thoughts behind her words. He smiled indulgently. When he had been her age, he had been idealistic. He too had thought that ‘love’ was the all-important ingredient to any successful union. She was an innocent in a woman’s body. A lethal combination, and he had better keep his distance.
Love ? There had been a time when he believed he would never marry for anything but love. That particular dream had turned into a nightmare when he had fancied himself in love. He had been only a year older than Felicia was now. The girl of his heart had told him she loved him, but in the end she had other plans for her future. He had only been a baron then with a modest fortune and, with two cousins before him at the time, no hope of ever being the Duke of Somerset as he was now.
He knew better now . Love was just a word, easily discarded for more tangible things, and love didn’t always last.
“Ah,” he said, inclining his head. “Love … for you and young Scott, then, eh?” He was baiting her. He would get at the truth about the two of them, perhaps through the back door. Something had preceded her intense need to run. That was the question uppermost in his mind. Why had she suddenly decided to run?
She made a face at him, and that surprised him as she wagged a finger and vehemently declared, “That is a very silly notion. I would have expected it from another, but not from you. Anyone should be able to see that I adore Scott but only as a sister adores a brother. We have been brought up in one another’s way, you see, and it was only natural that Scott should want to rescue me before my guardian arrived to take me off.”
He was intrigued in spite of the nagging and cautious man in his head telling him not to get involved. Right then, that part of this very odd tale rang true. Right, so her very real guardian had for some unknown reason decided to descend upon her. Now he needed to know why she felt it necessary to run.
He asked, “Ah, so this night … Scott was saving you? How exactly was he going to do that? By running off without even a change of clothing?”
She shuffled in place and uncurled her legs from under her before sitting forward. “We had word that my guardian was spending the night at a nearby inn and would arrive to take me off in the morning. I have friends in town, and my staff … well they are more family than servants.” She sighed sadly. “We had a plan, Scott and I, but it all went wrong, you see. We suddenly had no time, and then I was late getting out of the house … and then the blasted highwaymen, and what must Scott do but go running off to rescue whoever … and get himself shot!”
Ashton swallowed his laugh and attempted to look serious. “Indeed, but what was this plan that went awry?”
“We thought to make the trip to London. We were supposed to get off early enough that only the last hour or so would be in darkness.” She stopped, appeared to think this over, and looked doubtful as she sighed and added, “I suppose that was our first mistake. The other was not anticipating that there might be highwaymen running amok on the king’s roads.” She shook her head. “I should have brought my gun and hurried after Scott … perhaps I could have shot one of them dead.”
“Er … or gotten shot yourself. Seems to me your guardian might have had a good notion to bring you under his eye.” At this point he could not help the chuckle that escaped him, for she gave him a darkling look. He waved this last off and said, “ Sorry … but tell me, do you own a gun?”
“Well, of course I own a gun, and I know how to use it, but one cannot predict everything, can one?”
“No, that is the
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