Page 14 of Escape of the Bridegroom (Escape #2)

Eve had been aware of her slip almost as soon as she made it. Fortunately, Aidan did not appear to notice and went away with that same achingly tender look in his eyes.

She could almost believe she had won him. Somehow. That together they would be strong enough to face anything.

I have lied to him , she thought, stricken. I can never take that back .

And yet, was it not worth it to hold onto his love? To make him happy and comfortable?

She remembered his cold distance in the carriage from London to Wolverton Hall. His fury when she had dared to appear as his wife at Grand Court. Their many lesser quarrels and the contempt in his eyes that amounted to hatred. She compared all of that with his kindness at the Black Bull. Last night he had flirted, kissed her, acknowledged they had a new beginning that he wanted.

Without her defensive gruffness, her deliberate masking of true feelings, she must be more appealing. How could she go back now to being his indifferent, contemptuous wife? Not that she ever had been. She was just even more hopelessly devoted now.

Only hunger drove her downstairs for breakfast, which she took with her family.

“I must say it’s a bit much of Wolf to bolt off to Grand Court,” Papa complained. “He knows I need to return to Town.”

“You must feel free to go, sir,” Eve said. “I no longer need careful watching and, in any case, he will back by dinner time.”

Miranda laughed shrilly. “Is that what he told you? I’ll bet you anything his mistress is there.”

“Miranda!” Aunt exclaimed in shock, while Papa glared with rare annoyance at his younger daughter. “You cannot speak of such things.”

What mistress? She hoped she had not asked the question aloud. For one thing, she already knew the answer, didn’t she? She had seen him in Helena Archer’s arms. She further suspected Helena’s friend had urged her there to witness the unbearable sight, just to remind her of her powerlessness as a despised wife.

Miranda was trying to complete the job. No doubt she had come off worse in some encounter with Aidan—his warning about her surely confirmed that—and she was stirring the pot for revenge. Miranda had always hated not to be first or best and her spite could be vicious.

“I understand you still need his help for your own social ambitions,” Eve said now. “I would not try to humiliate him if I were you.”

“ You couldn’t humiliate a potato, even in your right mind,” Miranda retorted.

“I fail to see why I would even try. But I shall give you a word of advice. You may think you are pretty enough and captivating enough to say what you like in any society. In his world, you are not. You will excuse me, Papa? Aunt? I’m going for a walk.”

But Miranda had the last word.

“You think he loves you,” she said in tones of stunned disbelief. “Because he’s hung around you from guilt, trying to look after you! Look at yourself, Evie. He’s not coming back tonight or any night. Why should he?”

“Miranda!” Papa snapped. “Must you be so confoundedly vulgar?”

It seemed she must. Ignoring their father’s interruption, she continued triumphantly, “Not when Helena Archer is at Grand Court.”

Eve kept walking but her knees felt as shaky as they did when she first woke after the accident. Miranda read the scandal sheets. She and therefore the world knew the name of Lord Wolf’s mistress.

***

A IDAN’S HEAD WAS STILL spinning with conjecture and fears and denials, when the Grandison groom brought Altas out to him, fed, rested, and re-saddled. He barely noticed at first that Snake Sanderly walked out of the stables behind them, until he realized the earl was going to walk past without speaking.

“Snake?” Aidan said. “Grandison will inquire about him. He’s also inquiring about my wife, so don’t take it personally.”

Snake paused and turned fully to face him. “I suppose one is as likely as the other. He must be desperate.”

Encouraged, Aidan said, “I know the feeling. Any ideas how to be rid of social-climbing in-laws? Particularly a pretty young thing desperate to be a duchess.”

“As it happens, I did sight a duke over by the Duck and Spoon when we stayed there.”

“I don’t recall any dukes at the fight. Which one?”

“The Duke of Death, naturally. He didn’t take the London or Harwich roads or the route to Grand Court. He might have been going to Southend-on-Sea. For the sea bathing.”

Wolf laughed. “Never met his grace but I hope for his sake he’s strong-willed.” He swung himself up into the saddle and walked the horse the few paces to Sanderly, who looked surprised when he bent to offer his hand.

After only the smallest hesitation, Sanderly took it in a brief clasp and strolled away.

For Snake’s good, as well as his own, Aidan hoped this Captain Berry was not involved. He could not imagine how Eve would even have come in contact with such a man. Had the unlikely Neville merely been a cover for Eve to meet a suitor even less pleasing to her father? Was Eve helping him out of love? Or ignorance?

Or was there no connection between them at all? Grandison was right. He had no proof that the masked man was Captain Berry. He certainly had no proof that his wife lied to him, except in the matter of her memory, but even that might have been a mere glimmer of its return. She might remember more and more each day without consciously noticing...

As he rode, he argued with himself, castigated himself as alternately gullible and idiotic. But when he thought about Eve, from first impressions to last, he found he just could not believe in her guilt. She was undoubtedly sweet natured and kind. Her shy awkwardness might have vanished with her memories, showing the delightful person she had always been, but that was not deception.

When Aidan stirred himself, he was perceptive. And deep down, he knew Eve. Their closeness was no lie, no cynical seduction. She was Eve, not this contorted fantasy Grandison’s accusations had conjured. Half-accusations. Grandison did not believe them either. Malicious gossip-mongers like Archer and Wriggley, and probably Helena herself, were no doubt responsible.

His troubles began to fall away as Atlas ate up the miles back to the Black Bull. He even began to smile because he was so eager to see his wife again. To talk to her and make everything right between them. To love her.

He clattered into the yard and walked Atlas over to the stables where he handed him over to the ostler. He was just turning away when some movement caught the corner of his eye.

A man emerged from behind the large oak tree. He was tall and fair, wearing a rather disreputable looking coat, and he limped badly on his left leg. Even so, he moved with surprising speed toward the back entrance to the inn’s tap room.

***

H ER FAMILY SHOWED NO signs of imminent departure. Eve felt obliged to spend time with them in the inn’s common room, where her father wrote letters very busily, Aunt sewed, and Miranda complained. Eve tried to concentrate on Mrs. Radcliffe’s exciting novel, but it was not nearly so much fun without Aidan.

She set it aside when her family dispersed to their own rooms and wandered restlessly toward the chess table. Aidan should be back soon. If he was coming. She prayed he was, for she had made up her mind.

For something to do, she set up the pieces on each side of the board, including the screwed up scrap of paper to act as the missing white pawn. She thought she heard the clatter of a horse’s hooves in the yard and her heart began to beat faster. Aidan? Please be Aidan ...

She tried not to watch the front door, instead moving pieces about the chess board as though playing a real game. Still no one entered by the front door, though when she finally glanced up, she saw someone entering from the left side, from the short passage that led to the tap room.

He did not look surprised to see her, merely stood perfectly still, gazing at her.

Eve could not have moved if she’d tried. For she knew this man. She remembered him perfectly, for she had seen him without the mask in some blurry moment of half-consciousness, and then with perfect clarity before the horse beneath them jolted her back into agony and the returning relief of blackness.

“You’re alive,” he said, his tone pleased.

“It’s you,” she said stupidly. “Did you hit me?”

“God, no.” He came toward her, and she jumped to her feet, ready to flee. He stopped at once, holding up both hands encased in rough gloves, palms outward. “I won’t hurt you. One of my idiots did that and decided to bring you along. Opinions vary as to whether the motive was a doctor or the diamonds on your gown. I apologize for him from the bottom—”

The front door crashed open and Aidan burst inside, hurling himself between Eve and the stranger.

“Aidan!” With joy, she rushed to his side, clasping his arm in both hands.

“You,” the stranger said in startled accents.

“Captain Berry,” Aidan said coldly.

“Hush, for God’s sake, you’ll get me hanged.”

“I’ll do it myself if you harmed a hair on her head.”

“One of my oafs thumped her and then thought it a good idea to bring her along. This was the best I could do. She would have died if she’d stayed with us. To be fair, she might have died at Grand Court waiting to be found. Now that I know she is well, I can flee with a clear conscience.”

“You’ve just admitted burglary and part of the assault on my wife!”

“I explained to the lady as a gentleman. As the miscreant burglar, I bid you good day.”

With a grin, he actually bowed and strolled away to the front door. Aidan started purposefully after him, but Eve hung onto his arm.

“No, let him be, Aidan. He isn’t a bad man, I would swear it. He really did come to make sure I was well.”

Aidan swung on her, glaring, his eyes fierce and turbulent with emotions she could not even begin to read. And then he seized her, and his mouth was on hers in the kind of savage kiss she had never even imagined, and instead of being frightened, she let out a gasp of pure joy, threw both arms around his neck, and kissed him back.

“Dear God, Eve,” he muttered against her lips. “I was so afraid for you! I don’t know what I feared most, that he’d kill you or...” His mouth latched to hers again.

“Or what?” she asked breathlessly, when she could speak.

He groaned. “I have so much to tell you of my own doubts and fears and idiocy. But I believed in you utterly, do you hear? I knew you were not in league with him. If you’d loved him, I truly believe I would have killed him.”

“Goodness,” Eve said, awed and rather reprehensibly more pleased than shocked. “Of course I was never in league with him, but I did remember him as soon as I laid eyes on him, and oh, Aidan, I have to tell you I remembered nearly everything before you left but I was so afraid to tell you in case it ruined...”

He tilted up her face as she seemed inclined to look down in shame. “In case it ruined what?”

“Love,” she whispered. “I hoped you might love me. Because I always loved you. Even before we married.”

His breath caught. “Thank God. I thought you’d despise me again when you remembered.”

Her mingled tears and laughter were lost in his mouth as he began to dance her gently across the room to the stairs, passed an open-mouthed Jilly, and up to their bedchamber.

“Tell me to wait, wife of my heart,” he said, as they fell against the closed door. He buried his face in her hair—still careful to avoid her wound.

“For what?” she asked bewildered. His heart thundered against her and his body pressed to hers was excitingly hard and wonderful.

It was presumably clear she had no desire to wait for anything, for instead of loving her with mere words, he took her to bed. And there, he showed her the astoundingly physical reality of passion and pleasure. Amid sighs of pleasure, and gasped, tender words, he made her his wife in truth.

***

I T WAS TWO HOURS LATER before, somewhat languidly, they descended the stairs once more. Her family was already dining. Aidan, buoyed up with the sheer pleasure and the joy of true tenderness he had found in his wife, felt ready for anything.

“You’re late,” snapped Romilly.

“On the contrary, you are early,” Aidan said, holding a chair for Eve. “I thank you for looking after my wife today, especially when I know you are anxious to return to London.”

“ He might be,” Miranda muttered. “I’m not. Anyone who’s anyone has left Town. And there’s nothing wrong with Eve. She remembers everything so you could easily take me to Grand Court with you.”

“Oh there’s no one worthy of you there,” Aidan said, taking his own place next to Eve. “The guests are departing. But I did hear of a certain duke gracing Southend on Sea with his presence.”

“Southend?” Miranda said in disbelief. “What does he want there?”

“Sea-bathing is good for the health,” Aidan said vaguely. “I don’t know his grace personally, so I can’t introduce you, but I’m sure a clever girl like you could contrive a meeting. You could try the sea-bathing yourself. For your temper,” he added pleasantly.

No one noticed.

“Papa, we must go immediately!” Miranda commanded.

Romilly sighed. “You and your aunt go. The provinces are so damned exhausting.”

Eve’s eyes danced as they met Aidan’s. He had bought them some peace until they could go home and begin their truly married life. And he looked forward to that more than anything ever.