wood onto the fire. It blazed, creating a gush of smoke, before the wood caught.
Nicholas, coughing, gave Mac an irritated look but turned back to the girl sitting hunched and desolate next to him. “That still does not explain why you are apparently destitute and abandoned, unprotected. Do you tell me this”—he carefully unclenched his fists again—“this violinist threw you out with not a penny to your name?”
“Oh no.” Her voice was dull. “He wanted me to remain as his mistress.”
Nick swore.
“Feli—” She caught herself up. “ Yuri did not see why his wife and children should be any sort of an impediment to his pleasure. After all, they were in Bulgaria.”
“Did the fellow have no shame at all?” exclaimed Stevens.
“No. He was not the slightest bit put out by my discovery of his lies. He knew I was ruined, that I could never return to my former life. He thought I had no choice but to stay with him until he tired of me. So many people knew we had run away to get married, you see.” She added in a brittle voice. “I cannot believe the extent of my folly now, but when we eloped, I wrote to everyone to tell them. I thought it was the most romantic experience of my life.” She gave a dry laugh. “I even thought Mama and Papa would approve if they knew.”
Mac crashed around, rattling dishes noisily. “For God’s sake, Mac, will you stop your dammed noise!” Nick said irritably.
“The dishes need tae be cleaned.”
“Then take them down to the beach and wash them there!”
“Aye, I will that!” There was another lot of rattling and clashing of tin implements, and then he heard Mac stomping away, his displeasure evident. Nick ignored him. He wanted the whole story.
“So what did you do?”
“I could not stay there another minute. As soon as he left for his concert—he really is extremely talented, you know—I packed a few things and fled. I did not take the diligence—it was booked out and—”
“Do you mean to say you left Paris at night, to travel back to England on your own and in the power of complete strangers?”
She gave him a narrow look. “I had no choice.”
“Didn’t you have a maid?”
“No.”
“What? But—”
“Look!” she flared. “I was upset, and I wanted to leave Paris as soon as I could. I didn’t think it through, and I haven’t had much experience of planning journeys. I did the best I could at the time, and yes, I know it was a stupid and dangerous thing to do. Does that make you happy?” She glared at him.
“Not a bit.” Nick glared back at her. Why the devil should she imagine he’d be happy that she’d put herself in danger? He thought he’d made it quite clear that he didn’t approve of her being in danger.
“So what happened, miss?” Stevens asked in a soothing tone.
“I found—well, someone in the boardinghouse arranged it for me—a private carriage taking passengers. It was very old and rather dirty, but I did not care.” She paused for a moment, then added in a defensive voice, “Yes, I know! I should have cared. I will in future!”
“Why? What happened?” Stevens prompted.
“After they’d dropped the last of the other passengers off, I heard them talking—they did not realize I understood French. They—they planned to rob me—and worse. I managed to escape them but had to leave my baggage behind. Which is how you find me now,” she said with an air of having finished her tale.
Nick disagreed. She hadn’t left Paris in those disgusting big boots. She hadn’t left Paris half-starved. She’d left out several significant details. But he hadn’t been a wartime serving officer for nothing. Skilled questioning could elicit unexpected details.
“How did you escape?” Blunt questions could also do the job.
“I jumped out of it.”
“Out of a moving carriage?” Nick caught himself up and followed the explosion with a mild. “And don’t tell me—it was dark, too, correct?”
“The moon was
Nicholas, coughing, gave Mac an irritated look but turned back to the girl sitting hunched and desolate next to him. “That still does not explain why you are apparently destitute and abandoned, unprotected. Do you tell me this”—he carefully unclenched his fists again—“this violinist threw you out with not a penny to your name?”
“Oh no.” Her voice was dull. “He wanted me to remain as his mistress.”
Nick swore.
“Feli—” She caught herself up. “ Yuri did not see why his wife and children should be any sort of an impediment to his pleasure. After all, they were in Bulgaria.”
“Did the fellow have no shame at all?” exclaimed Stevens.
“No. He was not the slightest bit put out by my discovery of his lies. He knew I was ruined, that I could never return to my former life. He thought I had no choice but to stay with him until he tired of me. So many people knew we had run away to get married, you see.” She added in a brittle voice. “I cannot believe the extent of my folly now, but when we eloped, I wrote to everyone to tell them. I thought it was the most romantic experience of my life.” She gave a dry laugh. “I even thought Mama and Papa would approve if they knew.”
Mac crashed around, rattling dishes noisily. “For God’s sake, Mac, will you stop your dammed noise!” Nick said irritably.
“The dishes need tae be cleaned.”
“Then take them down to the beach and wash them there!”
“Aye, I will that!” There was another lot of rattling and clashing of tin implements, and then he heard Mac stomping away, his displeasure evident. Nick ignored him. He wanted the whole story.
“So what did you do?”
“I could not stay there another minute. As soon as he left for his concert—he really is extremely talented, you know—I packed a few things and fled. I did not take the diligence—it was booked out and—”
“Do you mean to say you left Paris at night, to travel back to England on your own and in the power of complete strangers?”
She gave him a narrow look. “I had no choice.”
“Didn’t you have a maid?”
“No.”
“What? But—”
“Look!” she flared. “I was upset, and I wanted to leave Paris as soon as I could. I didn’t think it through, and I haven’t had much experience of planning journeys. I did the best I could at the time, and yes, I know it was a stupid and dangerous thing to do. Does that make you happy?” She glared at him.
“Not a bit.” Nick glared back at her. Why the devil should she imagine he’d be happy that she’d put herself in danger? He thought he’d made it quite clear that he didn’t approve of her being in danger.
“So what happened, miss?” Stevens asked in a soothing tone.
“I found—well, someone in the boardinghouse arranged it for me—a private carriage taking passengers. It was very old and rather dirty, but I did not care.” She paused for a moment, then added in a defensive voice, “Yes, I know! I should have cared. I will in future!”
“Why? What happened?” Stevens prompted.
“After they’d dropped the last of the other passengers off, I heard them talking—they did not realize I understood French. They—they planned to rob me—and worse. I managed to escape them but had to leave my baggage behind. Which is how you find me now,” she said with an air of having finished her tale.
Nick disagreed. She hadn’t left Paris in those disgusting big boots. She hadn’t left Paris half-starved. She’d left out several significant details. But he hadn’t been a wartime serving officer for nothing. Skilled questioning could elicit unexpected details.
“How did you escape?” Blunt questions could also do the job.
“I jumped out of it.”
“Out of a moving carriage?” Nick caught himself up and followed the explosion with a mild. “And don’t tell me—it was dark, too, correct?”
“The moon was
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