Page 30 of A Bride for the Wicked Duke (Claimed by Regency Devils #2)

Chapter One

“H elp!” Lady Caroline Hawkins cried out desperately as she ran full pelt down the twisting road. “Help, please! Somebody, help!”

The road was narrow, surrounded on both sides by dense forest, empty of any signs of life save her own… and those who followed her. It wound through the forest like a slithering snake so that she could not see more than a dozen or so feet ahead, with no idea where it was taking her. The only thing she was certain of was that the way ahead was safer than behind.

“Anybody! Help!”

As she ran, she was forced to hike up the skirt of her dress so that she would not trip, although the heels she wore caught in the dirt and mud, skidding on stones and making it almost impossible for her to stay on her feet as she sprinted. The only thing that kept her from tumbling over completely was a keen sense of survival of which she had not known she was in possession until it became the only thing keeping her alive.

This cannot be how it ends. An accident, then a stupid decision made, ignorance because I did not consider the grave consequences of what I was doing until they were upon me.

“Help! Help!” voices cried out from behind her. They were mocking and gleeful, sardonic in the way they pursued her. “Help!”

She cast a glance over her shoulder. Through the bend of the road, around the trees, she spotted movement; shadows that chased her. She gasped and forced her attention ahead, not scared of the shadows so much as she was of those who made them.

Thankfully, the winding road looked to straighten ahead before widening considerably.

The main road. Thank the heavens!

Determined, getting a second wind, Caroline pushed herself to run faster.

A moment later, the road opened into a crossroads, which didn’t tell her anymore about where she was, but at least it might increase her chances of being found.

Breathing heavily, sweat soaking through her dress, she spun about, her eyes darting in panic down the intersection. The road was wider here, and the trees around her thinned considerably. A quick glance back the way she had come told her that the shadows chasing her had gone, but they were likely just around the bend, and she didn’t have time to think. She needed to make a choice and stick by it!

Think of the story this will make, at least. For once, I might not be considered the boring child.

She spun to her right and was about to charge for all her life was worth, only to hear the sound of something in the distance. A rumbling… the earth shaking as if it was about to split in two…

No. It was a carriage!

Her eyes lit up, relief flooding her as a horse-drawn carriage suddenly appeared on the road. Caroline could have cried—she was so darn happy! But she was desperate too, because she needed to get the passenger’s attention. Perhaps that was why she didn’t notice how fast the carriage was moving until it was almost on top of her.

She ran for it, her arms flailing in the air. “Please! Help! You must help me!”

It came at her. Her eyes went wide when she realized it wasn’t slowing down. A gasp escaped her lips, her heart lurching into her throat, the horses seeing her before the coachman as they reared up on their hind legs in a vain effort to stop before crushing her beneath their hooves.

“Oh!” She dived out of the way, although it was more of a full-bodied heave.

Through the air she tumbled, her hands scraping across the dirt, and her knees dragging painfully behind, before her shoulder rammed into the ground and she came to a sudden stop.

“Whoa!” She heard the coachman rein in the hoses. “Easy there!”

“Wh…”

The world spun, and her body ached as she rolled onto her back, somehow forcing herself to her knees and then her feet.

The carriage had come to a stop only a few feet from where she was standing. The horses, in a panic, neighed and trounced as the coachman tried to calm them. No doubt he would be angry with her—not that she cared one little bit. She needed saving, and whoever it was inside that carriage was going to have to do.

“Please!” Caroline lurched toward the carriage. “Please!”

“Miss!” the coachman called out, only just spotting her. “What on earth are you doing in the middle of the road?”

“There’s no time!” She stumbled toward the carriage, throwing herself at it. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the way she had come, the shadows that had been pursuing her growing large once more. “We must go!”

“Go where?” he barked. “Is something the matter?”

“There’s no time!”

The door to the carriage suddenly swung open, and while it might have been Caroline’s imagination, a breeze as cold as ice swept from the inside as if winter had come early. She felt it through the panic, through the sweat that coated her body, through her flesh and into her bones, such that she gasped even before seeing who it was that lurked inside.

“What is the meaning of this?” a deep voice asked from inside. It was like a storm gathering over the ocean in the dead of night, filled with foreboding and dread. “Mr. Gulliver?”

“There’s a young lady!” the coachman, Mr. Gulliver, answered as he turned back in his seat. “Came out of nowhere, she did!”

“A young lady?” The owner of the voice climbed out of the carriage, the cold that his presence exuded coming with him.

It was a bright day, cloudless and sundrenched, but as his feet hit the dirt, and he stepped around the open door and fixed his gaze on Caroline for the first time, the sun itself seemed to retreat as though it feared this man and what he might be capable of doing.

“You? What on earth do you think you are doing?”

Caroline froze. Her mouth was open, ready to answer the question, but she found herself unable to form words, as if the gaze of this man—whoever he was—smothered them before they reached her lips. That was not to say that he was scary, certainly not compared to what she ran from. Rather, he was intimidating, possessed of a raw power and sense of command that made it appear as if the world itself moved according to his whims.

He was tall, well over six feet, and taller than any man she knew. His shoulders were as wide as a horse’s chest, with a back that looked strong enough to support the weight of one. His hair was as black as onyx, as if somehow absorbing the light, while his eyes… She found herself drowning in them. They were dark green, fierce and menacing.

Again, the word power came to mind as here stood a man who she had no doubt was used to getting his own way.

“I… I… I…” Caroline stammered stupidly.

“Is something the matter?” the dark stranger asked. “Did you hit your head?” He looked to Mr. Gulliver for an explanation. “Did she fall?”

“She may well have,” Mr. Gulliver answered. “I very nearly ran her over.”

The dark stranger somehow managed to look both concerned and frustrated at the same time.

“Wonderful. This is just what I need.” He looked up at the sky, taking note of the time, before turning his fierce gaze back on Caroline. “I am afraid that time is not something I have a great deal of, Miss. So, please, whatever this is, I would appreciate a straight answer. Tell me, who are you, and what are you doing in the middle of the…” he trailed off, furrowing his brow.

His head snapped up, and his gaze darted beyond where Caroline stood frozen. His expression, already one of sheer brutality, turned as cold as ice in a way that would have made her scream were it aimed at her.

“’Ello, ‘ello, ‘ello,” a raspy voice cooed from behind Caroline. “What have we got ‘ere, then?”

Caroline’s heart almost leaped through her open mouth. She recognized the voice without having to turn around, for she had heard it once before. Ten minutes ago, by her estimation, as she had been walking along the empty road while wondering to herself how she had ended up in such a deplorable situation, to begin with. It had come from the trees, first from behind, then the sides, until its owner had appeared right in front of her.

“No!” she cried out.

Without thinking, she lunged at the dark stranger, grabbing him by the coat and then scrambling behind him. One hand was on his coat, and the other grabbed his thick arm, yanking it before herself as if it were a shield.

The owner of the raspy voice was as detestable a sort as Caroline had ever seen. Tall and willowy, his skin was streaked with dirt and grime, his hair oily and hanging around his shoulders, his nose bent and broken, and the few teeth he had stained yellow. His clothes were practically rags, and he walked with more confidence than one of his ilk should have—perhaps because he wasn’t alone.

Two more men stood with him. One was big and fat, and the other was short and stout. Grubby like their leader, both deranged in temperament, their eyes like those of wild animals in search of prey.

All three of them ambled toward the carriage, seemingly unconcerned by the dark stranger in ways that struck fear into Caroline’s heart, because what sort of men would not see someone like this and turn to flee in the other direction?

Thankfully, the dark stranger didn’t seek to wrench his arm free or push her away. In fact, he straightened and then stepped forward, putting himself between her and the three men.

“Who’s this, then?” the leader of the three men sneered.

“That is none of your concern,” the dark stranger replied.

His voice was calm, and while Caroline was shaking, she noticed that he stood tall and proud.

“We don’t want any trouble,” the leader said. “Just the girl, and we’ll be on our way.”

“No…” Caroline gasped.

“ You will be on your way,” the dark stranger said. “The way you do so will depend entirely on how smart you think you are,” he scoffed. “Which, by my estimation, does not bode well for you.”

The fat man laughed. “Hear that? Who does he think he is?”

“Quiet!” the leader snapped.

He stood ahead of the two men, doing what he could to instill a sense of control in the situation—outnumbering the dark stranger, he likely thought he had all of it. But he was hesitant also, his beady eyes sizing up the dark stranger with a sense of caution.

“You seem to have misunderstood the situation.”

“I understand it just fine.”

“Do ya now?” The leader chuckled and looked back at his two men. “Seems to me that you’re outnumbered. And Bert here—” A jerk of his head toward the fat man. “He makes a habit of wrestlin’ bears for fun. Methinks he can handle you.”

“Is that so?”

“The girl,” the leader said, taking a step closer. “Leave her and be glad that you did.”

Caroline was shaking terribly. She did not know the dark stranger. And he certainly had no reason to help her. What was to stop him from doing as they asked and leaving her? Any sane man would!

She clutched harder onto his arm, her other releasing his coat and taking his hand as if to let him know that he’d need to tear his arm off if he wanted to leave her. Most surprisingly, his grip on her hand tightened, and for the first time since she had found herself running from these men, she felt safe.

“Unfortunately for you, I consider this young lady under my protection, meaning that if you wish to have her, you will have to take her from me.”

“That can be arranged.”

“Mr. Gulliver,” the dark stranger spoke to the coachman. “What will happen to these men if they are found stealing from me?”

“They would be rounded up and hanged, Your Grace,” Mr. Gulliver said.

His Grace!

Caroline gasped and tore her eyes from the savage men to better look at the dark stranger. She did not recognize him, nor would she have guessed a man as cold as him to be of the peerage. And yet, somehow, it seemed so obvious that she could not believe she’d missed it.

“If they are lucky to get that far,” the Duke said calmly. “If I have my way, by the time I am done with them, they will be begging for the mercy of the noose. Now…”

He fixed the men with a glare that was so cold Caroline felt it in her bones. She shuddered on the spot, and the world seemed to grow darker.

“What is it going to be?”

The leader’s eyes went wide, and he took a step backward. He looked back at his men, who were both shaking as they slowly stepped back and out of harm’s way. He was back on the Duke for a moment, sneering in a final attempt to scare him off… only to spit on the ground instead.

“My mistake,” he bit out. “Seems we thought she was somebody else. Our apologies, Your Grace.”

Shockingly, he bowed his head before turning around and storming past his two men.

They followed quickly, and within seconds the three of them were gone.

Caroline watched them go, and it was only once they were out of sight that she realized she hadn’t taken a single breath since she hid behind the Duke. Her heart was beating so ferociously that it hurt. Her body was shaking. Were she alone, she might have burst into tears.

But I am safe. I am alive. And I have this duke to thank!

“Thank you,” she said, sighing with relief as she felt the panic slowly seep from her body. “I cannot tell you how grateful I am.”

“Hand,” the Duke said.

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Hand.”

He turned to look at her, his eyes trailing down her arm to her hand, which was still entangled in his own. His fingers were splayed, but her hand was wrapped around them as if her life depended on it.

“Oh!” she gasped and released his hand. “I am sorry. I did not—I was not thinking.”

“As I can see it, that is the least of your concerns.”

He looked down at her, again with an expression on his face that seemed caught in two worlds. There was worry behind his eyes, that was clear, but he did not look as if he wished to voice it. Rather, he glanced up at the sky again, clicking his tongue as he took note of the hour.

“I…” She swallowed past the lump in her throat, reminding herself that he was a duke and not someone she needed to be afraid of.

Even if he’s making such an assumption as hard to believe as possible.

“I am forever in your debt,” she croaked.

“You have still not answered me,” he said. “What are you doing out here? And why were those men chasing you?”

She tried to meet his eyes, but the look he fixed her with had her looking away as if in shame. “It is an embarrassing thing,” she admitted sheepishly.

“Which part?”

“I… I was on my way to an engagement party—my older sister’s—to be held in a few days. From London,” she stammered under his judgmental gaze. “My family and I were forced to stop over for the night. Not far from here. There is an inn only a few miles back. Perhaps you know it?” She attempted a chuckle as she pointed down the road.

He said nothing, still staring at her with cold judgment.

“Yes, well… it seems that in the panic to leave, my family… they, ah…” She clicked her tongue. “They seemed to not realize I was not with them. An embarrassing incident, and I am sure that they are worried sick by now.”

If only that were true…

Caroline was one of six children in her family—the middle child, in fact. Buffeted on both sides by a brother and sisters who demanded their mother’s attention for varying reasons.

Growing up under such circumstances, she had been forced to develop a sense of independence because she had learned from an early age that if she wished for attention, then she would need to act out to receive it. And acting out wasn’t exactly her strongest suit.

Thus, she was the forgotten child. Not unloved. More realized by her mother that of the six of her children, Caroline was the one who needed the least amount of care. And Caroline, understanding the pains her mother went through to keep order in their home, was never one to complain or draw attention to herself unless it was absolutely necessary.

In a strange way, she hadn’t even been surprised when she woke up this morning to find her family gone. Having always had to take care of herself, there was no reason that her mother or siblings might have thought to check on her.

Although… it still would have been nice if they did occasionally, just to remind me that they cared.

“So, you thought it a good idea to…” The Duke shook his head and sighed. “To walk on your own? Is that what you are telling me?”

She smiled sheepishly. “In hindsight, it was not the smartest of ideas. I just did not want to cause a fuss, and I truly thought that my family would turn around once they realized I was not with them. Which…” She grimaced and looked away, her face turning red with embarrassment. “Which clearly they have not done yet.”

The Duke studied her for a moment longer. She tried to meet his eyes, to see what he might be thinking. Was he taking pity on her? Did he think that she was a fool? Or did he care so little that his only thought was how to get rid of her?

“This engagement,” he spoke finally. “To whom is your sister promised?”

“Oh.” She blinked. “The Duke of Aldworth.”

It was subtle, but she could have sworn she saw a hint of recognition in his eyes.

“And that would make you…?” he prompted.

“My name is Lady Caroline Hawkins.”

The Duke glanced at Mr. Gulliver, who shrugged and then nodded. The Duke also nodded once, only to step around her and walk back to the carriage.

“Where are you going?” she cried after him.

“As luck would have it, I too am on my way to Aldworth Estate.”

“You are?” She blinked. “You… you know His Grace?”

It was a silly question, she realized as soon as she said it. Being a duke, of course he knew her sister’s betrothed. Did that also mean he knew her sister? And her family?

“I do.”

“Might I ask for your name?” she probed.

He groaned, looking annoyed by the question. “I assure you, it is perfectly safe. Or it will be, assuming that we leave immediately. I do not appreciate being delayed, nor do I intend on arriving late.”

She considered her options quickly.

What options? It is not as if I have any but one .

“Thank you.” She hurried forward. “I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it. I am forever in your debt, Your Grace.”

He climbed into the carriage and then turned to her. “The Duke of Eggleton.”

“Excuse me?”

“The Duke of Eggleton, for future reference.” And with that, he disappeared inside the carriage.

That name… it took Caroline a moment to remember where she had heard it before.

I know that name…

Her eyes widened, and she gasped, for she remembered it suddenly. She found herself looking back down the road, wondering if perhaps it would be safer if she just walked.

How do I manage to find myself in these situations? If only I knew.