Page 56

Chapter Twenty-Six

T he poorly sprung carriage seemed to find every rut in the cobbled road.

Whomever had bound her following her drug-induced slumber had strung her arms tightly behind her, and her shoulders screamed in protest as her body, perched atop the threadbare bench, jostled and lurched.

She willed herself to ignore the pain, as well as the gun Angelique held loosely in her lap.

She had to think. Her grandmother’s life depended on her keeping her wits.

Angelique told her she’d left Lady Wentworth with Brutus. Anna was fairly certain the lady lied.

Doubtless, she did not have an unlimited number of male servants at her disposal whom she could drag with her across the countryside. Therefore, assuming she had only Brutus, he would have to be the man driving the team, wouldn’t he?

If so, she could cease worrying over her grandmother for now.

That left her tasked with disarming Angelique, removing herself from the moving carriage, and evading Brutus. She scoffed inwardly. Was that all? No matter. She had to try.

“Where are we going? Can I assume you’re taking me back to Lord Bolton’s London mansion?”

“Keep your mouth shut. I’m tired of answering your questions.”

“Are you so sure Bolton intends to risk incurring Lady Wentworth’s wrath?”

“I said shut up.” Angelique’s voice rose an octave.

“I think he’s more likely to cross you than Lady Wentworth, don’t you? Perhaps you should reconsider your course of action while you still can.”

“Stop. Talking. You have no idea what you’re saying. Bolton is my…” She broke off and sent Anna a cold smile. “He’ll do as I say if he knows what’s good for him.”

What had she meant to say? Bolton was her what?

Anna tried another tack. “I could save you both the trouble. I could pay you whatever amount you name, if you let me go free.”

Angelique snorted in dismissal, but Anna thought she caught a gleam of interest in the woman’s eyes.

“I could give you my mother’s ruby. It’s worth a fortune.”

She saw immediately she had struck a nerve.

Angelique’s face lit with greed and malice. “ My ruby. The one you stole. I assumed you’d pawned it. You kept it?”

“Of course. It was my mothers.”

Angelique scoffed. “Stupid little fool.”

Still, she appeared to give Anna’s claim some thought. “Perhaps we could work something out. Where is it?”

She swallowed. It was now or never. “I’m wearing it. ”

Angelique’s eyes flicked over her. Her gaze settled on the ribbon tied around Anna’s neck, disappearing into her bodice.

“It’s on a ribbon, tied around my wrist.” She bit her lower lip and scooted on the bench, angling her body purportedly to grant Angelique access to see her wrists, bound behind her. “See for yourself.”

Angelique’s eyes narrowed. She leaned closer. “Move, you stupid cow.”

Anna made another infinitesimal shift, forcing Angelique to bend further still until, finally, she teetered forward. When she could finally make out Anna’s wrists, she grunted in annoyance. “ Liar . You’re not wearing any rib—”

Anna shoved off the bench with all her might, jamming her knee into the woman’s midsection.

She heard Angelique’s muffled “Oomf,” and a masculine shout from outside as the two toppled onto the floor.

Then came a loud Bang!

Anna grimaced in anticipation of disabling pain from the gunshot as the carriage braked, hard, slamming to a jerking halt, and catapulting Anna atop Angelique.

She wondered if she suffered from shock. Not only had it sounded as if the gun had exploded outside the cabin, she felt no pain aside from her still-aching shoulders.

“Get. Off. Me.” Angelique shouted, their combined skirts muffling the woman’s voice.

Gritting her teeth, Anna fought with every fiber of her being to keep the woman beneath her as she strained toward the door. If she could just nudge the handle with her—

Abruptly, the carriage door swung open wide.

Anna blinked at the sudden brightness, and then Brutus’s broad chest filled the open space, blocking out most of the light .

She sagged in defeat. Her last ditch effort had failed. She cringed as the man reached in, one handed, and with a surprisingly gentle grip, pulled her from the coach.

“Anna, tell me you’re all right?” Caden demanded.

Caden demanded?

She wobbled on violently shaking legs and gaped at the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen.

Caden, here. He’d come. Her very own Prince Charming had come.

"I may have been shot."

She glanced around, frantic. In a blink, she took in Angelique, trying to right herself, and the driver’s box, empty. “Where is Brutus?”

“Shot?” He cursed and began patting her down, one-handed.

“By Brutus, do you mean the man whose head I fired over? He’s charging down the street, directly toward the magistrate. I’m not finding any bullet wounds, by the way.”

“You are wearing my ruby! It’s there around your neck. Give it to me.” Angelique sprang from the coach cabin, launching herself toward them.

“She’s got a pistol,” Anna shouted, turning her body to shield Caden’s.

“Woman,” he growled. He wrapped one arm around her waist and moved her aside. She heard the cock of his pistol. “So do I.”

“No,” Angelique screamed and reeled back. “You can’t do this.”

Never taking the pistol’s aim off Angelique, he turned to Anna, his free hand untying her wrists.

She’d never seen his face look so hard. Yet, when he spoke, one corner of his mouth cocked up. “Evidently she never heard the tale of Prince Charming rescues his princess.”

Anna gazed at him, massaging her wrists. “Evidently not. ”

He gazed at her, awe in his eyes. “Although, I’ll say it looked as if this princess was doing a fair job of rescuing herself.”

***

Several hours later, having returned to the Black Swann Inn to first assure herself of her grandmother’s safety, and then to answer questions of the magistrate, Anna found herself alone in her chamber.

She had bathed, dressed, and now awaited Caden—with increasing impatience.

She had yet to speak with him privately.

In stoic silence, he stayed by her side as she submitted to detailed questioning by the magistrate, who, by then, and with Caden’s assistance, had apprehended Angelique and her fearsome associate.

Caden was seeing the man off when Zeke arrived.

Zeke, it turned out, had not come because he’d been summoned. He had already departed Chissington Hall to deliver salient news.

According to the earl’s man-of-affairs, Anna and Lord Bolton had never actually been married—not legally. Neither had Angelique and her father been properly wed.

It seemed Lord Bolton and Angelique had been married to each other for many years. For reasons unknown, they’d kept their nuptials secret. Nonetheless, the truth was recorded in black and white. Neither Bolton nor Angelique had been free to marry another.

It was certainly good news. She was neither related to Angelique by marriage, nor did she face the necessity of acquiring an annulment. Meanwhile both Lord Bolton and Angelique would have to answer for their bigamy, among other crimes .

Under normal circumstances, Anna would have been overjoyed by the discovery. Due to the tumultuous events of the day, however, all she really cared about was getting Caden alone.

She finally thought the moment had come when the magistrate made to leave. Instead, grim faced, Caden told her he needed to fill his brother in on all that occurred, and suggested she and her grandmother take some time to rest after their ordeal.

She didn’t want to rest. She wanted to hear from Caden in his own words why he had come. She wanted to throw her arms around him. To tell him she loved him and wanted to marry him whether or not he loved her as she loved him.

She wanted him here. Now .

What was keeping him? Had he left with Zeke?

She could not wait another second.

She marched toward the door and reached for the lever just as a soft knock sounded.

“Anna? It’s Caden. May I come in?”

Her heart in her throat, she smoothed suddenly damp palms over her skirts and opened the door. Finding it hard to breathe, much less speak, she gestured for him to enter.

No sooner had he closed the door, than he pulled her close and covered her mouth with his.

With a cry of unabashed delight, she twined her arms around his neck. He was warm and strong and she never wanted to let him go. Dizzying joy bubbled up inside her.

Never taking his lips from hers, he slid one arm around her shoulders, one under her knees, and strode to the bed. He lowered to sit, Anna cradled against his chest. Only then did he break off the kiss. He sent her his slow, pirate’s smile, one that, oddly, didn’t reach his eyes.

“That was past due,” he said .

“Past due?”

“The Prince always claims a kiss from his princess upon rescuing her.”

She reached up to cup his cheek—a smooth, freshly shaven cheek. “Oh, Caden. You came,” she half choked.

Misery filled his eyes. He ducked his head, grasping her hand to press a kiss into her palm. “I’m sorry. So sorry it took so long.”

“What do you mean? Your timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Even the magistrate said so.”

“Wrong. That mad woman should have never had the chance to grab you. I should never have let you go, at least not without a fight. I should have told you how I felt. How I feel .”

She licked her lips. Her heart beat so hard against her ribs, she wondered he didn’t comment. “How do you feel, Caden?”

He wrapped one large, slightly damp hand around her nape. His eyes blazed with ice-blue fire. “Like you’re the most beautiful, most brave, most delectable creature on this earth. Like I don’t deserve you—”

“Oh, Caden—”

“—and don’t care a fig that I don’t. I don’t care because I love you more than life.

More than breath. I told you I never bet it all on anything, and I meant that.

I don’t. People call me lucky, but the truth is nothing has even been worth gambling everything on.

I’ve never wanted anyone or anything the way I want—no, the way I need you.

You make me believe I can be a better man.

“So this is me, begging you to be my wife. To spend your life with me. Not because you may be with child—though I vow, nothing could make me happier—and not because you need rescuing, but because I love you—so bloody much it hurts.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head .

His expression turned bleak. “I’m too late?”

“Never.”

He frowned in confusion, even as hope lit his eyes.

“I meant, no, you can’t be a better man, because you’re already the best man I know.

” Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes.

“It’s me who doesn’t deserve you, my very own Prince Charming.

But I’m so glad you love me because I was giving you one more day to come to your senses before I stormed the castle of Chissington Hall to demand you marry me. ”

His own eyes went suspiciously damp, and one corner of his mouth curved upward. “Is that so?”

“Yes.”

He crooked a finger under her chin. “Does that mean you love me, Anna?”

She laughed softly, one fat tear coursing down her cheek. “Didn’t I say so?”

He shook his head.

She sent him her most brilliant smile. “I do love you, Caden Thurgood. So much. I think I always have.”

“In that case,” he said. “I suppose I can give you this back.” He reached into his inner waistcoat pocket and withdrew a small item fashioned of gold satin.

“My…slipper?”

He arched a brow. “Not sure. Let’s see if it fits. After .”

With that, he rolled with her onto the bed, and showed her exactly how much he loved her, in a language older than time.