Page 24 of The Honorable Rogue (The Notorious Nightingales #5)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

H ad that just happened? Violet looked at Charles. His face gave her the confirmation she needed. More bruises were blooming, and his nose bled.

He moved to the window and looked out.

“I can’t see that carriage following, but that doesn’t mean it won’t,” he said. “We also don’t know how many are involved.”

“I must return home, Violet,” Tilly said from beside her. “My mother said I could only visit you briefly, as we have guests arriving shortly.”

“What is your address?” Charles asked from the seat opposite them.

“It is but five minutes from here,” Tilly said.

Charles relayed it to the driver and asked that he stop a few houses away from it so they were not seen.

It humbled Violet that he would think of her friend’s reputation in that moment.

Her mind went back to what had just happened. One minute, they had been discussing the note, and the next, he’d told them to flee. Dear God. Even now they could be bound hand and foot and held against their will somewhere. I would never have seen my family again. The thought made her hands shake, so she clasped them together.

Violet’s body felt strange. It was filled with energy, and she couldn’t seem to sit still, and yet fear still coursed through her.

“Are you all right, Charles? Your shoulder is surely hurting, and your face?” Violet said, looking at him. In that moment, he appeared a great deal larger and more dangerous. Nothing like the gentleman she knew him to be. His face was set in a fierce expression, and the bruising only enhanced that.

“Are you all right, Vi?” Tilly asked.

“Yes.” She nodded, gripping her friend’s hand. “Are you?”

Tilly nodded.

“I’m beginning to think you are bad luck, Violet.” Charles dabbed at his nose with the handkerchief. Thankfully she noticed the blood seemed to have stopped. “Thus far, I have damaged my shoulder and?—”

“I played no part in that other damage to your face,” she protested. He’d risked his life to save us. The thought was a humbling one. “You leaped at that man without a care that he would shoot you,” Violet said. “Thank you for saving us.”

“I heard them saying they wanted us alive, so I took the risk that was the truth,” he said. His voice sounded different too. Less cultured and more an angry rasp.

“When did you hear that?” Tilly asked, but Violet knew. The words had not been spoken; he’d heard them in his head.

“Violet will tell you how I heard another time, Tilly,” Charles said.

“You’re clairvoyant? Violet told me. Do you hear voices?”

His eyes went to Violet, then back to Tilly, and then he nodded .

Was he disappointed in her for telling Tilly? Had she broken his trust by doing so?

“Those men were going to take us somewhere, weren’t they, Charles?” Tilly’s words sounded shaky, and Violet squeezed her fingers.

“I’m sorry, Tilly. I would never have brought you had I known there was danger.”

Tilly smiled, and it was a shadow of her normal one. “While it was terrifying, and I am awfully grateful to Charles for saving us—very brave of you, sir—it is also exciting.”

“Nearly getting abducted is exciting?” Charles asked.

“No, of course not.” Tilly waved his words away. “But don’t you see? What just happened proves we are onto something, and we must continue to find answers.”

Violet hadn’t thought of that. “You’re right.”

“Are you both mad?” Charles asked. “That”—he pointed out the window in the direction of the park—“could have ended with our deaths. And you are both excited? Someone is now after us, in case you haven’t understood the gravity of what just occurred. Even now they could be planning how to grab you again.”

“Oh, to be sure,” Tilly said. “But who? And how is it they knew we would be in that park today with that note?”

“What matters is they did,” Charles gritted out, eyes narrowing as he glared at them.

“Please don’t mistake me. I was terrified… am still shaking, but don’t you see, we may be onto the trail of the Pavlov fortune,” Tilly said.

He impaled them with an angry stare, which should have chastened her and Tilly.

“Where are you both supposed to be?” he snapped.

“At each other’s houses,” Violet said. “Now, I know what happened likely puts us in danger, but I think we need to decipher that clue and find?— ”

“Absolutely not,” Charles said. “Neither of you are without intelligence, so think clearly about what just took place and about the people who will risk capturing three members of London society to get the information they wanted. How do you think they will react knowing we still hunt that fortune… or whatever that note leads to?”

The carriage fell silent for a few minutes while Tilly and Violet thought about those words.

“You are both sheltered young ladies of society, and it is not my intent to belittle you, but ensure you understand how close you came to having your life change completely. This is no game, ladies, and whoever is behind what happened today is dangerous,” Charles said. “When we stop, Tilly, run to your house, and from now on, don’t leave it alone,” Charles cautioned her. “Speak to no one suspicious and be on your guard. Always ensure you are in company. Violet will send word with more instructions, or what is to be done when I have spoken through this with my family.”

She nodded. The hackney slowed, and Tilly kissed Violet’s cheek.

“Thank you again for saving us, Charles, and for putting yourself in danger to do so,” Tilly said. She then kissed his cheek and left the carriage.

He watched as she ran to her house and then, with a look behind, disappeared inside. Charles told the driver to take them to Crabbett Close.

“You are coming home with me, and then we will contact your brother, who I believe lives away from your family, to join us. This is no longer something we can deal with alone, and I will not be responsible for either your or Tilly’s abduction or worse.”

“I-I understand the gravity, Charles.” Violet started to shiver .

“You are safe, Violet.” She watched as he moved to sit beside her.

“My limbs feel weak suddenly,” she whispered, looking at him as he took her hands.

“It is a normal reaction after what you endured. Your body is letting go of all the fear. You will feel better soon.”

“Has this happened to you often?” she asked.

“A few times.” His finger brushed the skin under her eye, and Violet realized she was crying. “I promise you are safe now.”

“And you,” she whispered, looking into his eyes. “I was so scared when you ran at those men, Charles.”

One large hand cupped her cheek, and he caressed her face.

“Charles,” she whispered as his head lowered, and then their lips were touching. One light brush, and then another, which had Violet’s eyes closing as sensations coursed through her. Never had a kiss with Tobias felt like this.

“I don’t want to stop,” he said against her lips.

“Don’t,” Violet begged.

His arms pulled her into his body and her breasts were pressed to his chest. One hand roamed her spine through her clothes, and she felt everywhere it touched.

“Open for me, Violet,” he rasped.

She did willingly, and he deepened the kiss. Angling her head with his other hand. She tasted his fear and felt his desperation, as it matched her own.

More, Violet thought.

The hand moved to her side, and up to her neck. His warm fingers brushing the skin of her chest. Violet shivered as they traced the neckline of her dress. She arched up and into his hand. Innocent and naive yes, but eager to feel more. One finger slid inside her bodice and stroked. A lance of pleasure ran through her. Another joined it and then he had eased down her bodice and cupped her breast. The moan rose up inside her.

Violet reached up to grip his head and hold his mouth to hers. An ache began to build inside her that needed to be appeased.

The pad of one large thumb stroked the sensitive peak of her nipple. She was on fire, her body no longer her own, but his to command.

A cry from a street vendor startled them both, and Charles lifted his head. Their eyes held for long seconds.

“Charles?”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his hands tugging her bodice back into place. “Forgive me, I should not have done that.”

She didn’t know what to say, so merely nodded. In that moment she’d completely forgotten about Tobias. Now he’d stopped touching and kissing her, reality had returned.

“What happened between us we will discuss, but not now. Now we need to get to Crabbett Close where you will be safe. Trust me to do that, Violet.”

“I do.”

She needed his strength in that moment as the memories of what they’d endured filled her head once more. Violet laid her cheek on his chest and listened to his heart thudding a steady beat beneath her ear. Closing her eyes, she inhaled him as his arms held her tight.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, and with that came clarity. She pushed upright, and the top of her head connected with his chin.

“Ouch!” He was rubbing it when she looked at him.

“Sorry, but, Charles, I have just thought of something.”

“What?” His hand took hers, engulfing it in his larger one. Safe, she thought. Those hands would always make the person they touched feel that way.

“Someone must have overheard me and Tilly talking in my father’s study the night of the musical. There can be no other way those men knew to be there today. I’m sorry,” Violet added as he looked at her. “For telling Tilly about you being clairvoyant, but I wanted to talk about what Mr. Nightingale had told me about Tobias.” He released her hand at the mention of her late friend.

“We don’t want anyone to see us like this,” he said, returning to the opposite seat.

Anyone could have seen them doing what they just had, and she knew he’d put distance between them because she’d mentioned Tobias.

“Tilly would never tell anyone, Charles,” Violet said, missing his body close to hers.

“Neither I nor my family are ashamed of what we are, Violet. But not everyone understands or accepts it, and we are all right with that.”

“I think it wonderful,” she said, hoping he knew the words for the truth. You’re wonderful, and that terrifies me. But she would think about that later when she was alone.

“Thank you. Now, how about you tell me exactly what you said that night in your father’s study?”

“I told her about the note, and how I needed to tell you what it said first. That I would send word to you with the time and place arranged.”

“And you thought you were alone?”

“Yes. But we heard a scratching sound and believed it was a mouse. Now I’m wondering if someone was in there, Charles.” The thought made her shiver. Had someone been in there looking for something when they walked in?

“Charles?”

“Yes, Violet, I do think that someone could have been in that room, perhaps looking for something. A book? Or do they know of the connection between us and what I found?”

“Dear Lord, do you really believe so? ”

He nodded, and a chill ran down her spine.

“We are going to tell others now, Violet, and they will help keep you and Tilly safe.”

“And you, Charles. You must stay safe and take care also.” Because if something were to happen to this man, she had a feeling the pain would be worse than what she felt when Tobias passed, and that scared her.