A Seduction at Christmas (8 page)

But he knew better than to question her. She didn’t trust him. Later, he would learn her story. “I’m sorry to be uprooting you like this.”

She shook her head. “You didn’t ask these men to chase you. And I’ve been ‘uprooted’ before. I will survive.” She said the last more to convince herself than to speak to him.

“You needn’t worry, Fee. You are under my protection now. I won’t let any harm come to you.”

“Perhaps you are the one I should fear most,” she murmured, tying a knot in her plaid.

She was right.

He’d not deny she attracted him. His fascination for her was more than just because she was a lovely woman. Or that she reminded him of the
Oracle. He actually respected her. She had a good mind and a steady nature. The ransom trick had been silly, but he could see where such a wild gamble might have worked on a man other than himself.

He picked up her plaid bundle. “I won’t ask you to do anything you aren’t willing to do, Fee. It’s the best I can offer, because you and I are going to be lovers. It’s that simple.”

Fire flashed in her brown eyes. “Nothing is that simple, Your Grace.”

He grinned. “It is now.” He changed the subject, holding up the plaid bundle. “Are these your clan colors?”

“Yes,” she said proudly. Her chin lifted as she added, “It’s a rebel plaid, Your Grace. You might not want to be seen carrying it through the streets.”

God, she intrigued him.
“I’ll take my chances.” He crossed to the window. “Tad, jump,” he ordered.

“That’s not the command,” she informed him, even as the big dog leapt out the window.

Nick gave her a conciliatory smile.

Her answer was a glare.

“He likes me,” Nick offered.

“Don’t assume that just because my dog does, I do.”

Nick laughed. “When it comes to you, Fee, I don’t assume anything.”

He threw his leg over the sill, hoping he had as easy a trip down as Tad had. He wrapped one arm around her plaid bundle. “I’m going first, Fee. That way I can help you down safely. That is, if you
wish
to follow.” He jumped.

H
olburn had jumped carrying all her possessions in the world.

Fiona knew exactly what he was about. He’d arranged matters so she had no choice but to do as he said. There were murderers at her door and her dog was outside with him. Her only option was to obey—especially since his plan made sense.

That didn’t mean she had to like it.

In less than twenty-four hours, Holburn had gone from being the object of her girlish dreams to the most arrogant, insufferable, always-in-charge man she’d ever met, and she’d met a good number of them.

Then again, would she have found him so attractive if he’d been anything less than what he was?

Holburn was more than an overadmired and cosseted nobleman. He was a loner. An outsider.

So was she.

She knew her own failings, understood her distrust of others. But what drove him?

He could be charming when he chose to be, but there was also a darkness about him. He was searching for something more than a mere ring.

And he wanted them to become lovers.

“Fiona,” the duke’s hushed voice came from a point below the window. “Hurry.”

She glanced toward the curtain separating the two rooms. If she could think of a way past the Irishmen guarding the building, she wouldn’t go with Holburn.

It was that hard to trust.

The air in the room seemed to close in around her, making breathing difficult—

She went to the window. Holburn waited with outstretched arms. His breath made small frigid puffs in the air. On the ground, Tad looked up excitedly at the window, overjoyed they were following him.

And then, all doubts fell away from her. A quiet voice came into her mind.
Go with him.
No
one spoke aloud and yet she “heard” this voice clearly.

For a second, she thought it was her mother. They’d been close…but her mother had not come back to her from the dead.

Fiona shook her head to clear it. She was not one given to fanciful thoughts, but she was bone-tired. Life had been very hard, and that was one more reason to go with the duke. Yes, he was intense in his wants and needs. He obeyed no rule other than his own. Then again, he was a duke. He didn’t need to.

She sat on the sill and swung her legs around because she had no other choice. Cold air swirled around her ankles and up her dress.

From this vantage point, the drop to the roof appeared more daunting. She didn’t have a shawl or coat and she’d sold her bonnet the week before for food. A shiver went through her.

“Come along,” he prodded. “It’s cold out here.”

“I know that,” she answered.

“You’re afraid,” he announced.

“What?” she demanded, even though he was right.

A grin spread across his face. “You haven’t jumped because you are frightened. Don’t be. I’ll catch you and help you down. It’s only six feet.”

“More like ten,” she informed him. “And I am not afraid.”

“Then prove it. Jump.”

She really didn’t like him. At all.

But she jumped. She used her hands to push off the edge.

Holburn caught her before her feet could hit the ground. He didn’t even lose his balance on the edge of the shed’s roof. “There you are,” he said, setting her on her feet.

Fiona was impressed. She wasn’t a large woman but she wasn’t petite either. Holburn hadn’t even blinked.

“Are you going to lower me down the rest of the way?” she asked, picking up her clothing bundle. If he did, she could be off and running from him before his feet could touch the ground.

But the duke was on to her. “I know what is stewing in that crafty mind of yours. We stay together, Fee. You
and
I. They will hurt you to find me or to cover their own tracks. Don’t worry. I’ll see to your protection.”

You and I.
When he’d talked about “protection” before, she’d rebelled. She knew Holburn’s reputation and was wary.

But she heard another tone in the duke’s voice—kindness. It had been a long time since she’d heard kindness.

It went right through the walls she’d erected around her heart. It made her want to trust him,
even though she knew
she should know better.

“I’ll see you on the ground,” was all he said before taking hold of the roof’s ledge and swinging himself down to the ground, not bothering with Tad’s ladder of crates and barrels. He made it look easy.

“Do I have to go down that way?” she asked.

He laughed. “I’d like to see you try.”

She was tempted to give it a go for no other reason than to prove her mettle, but one glance over the edge dissuaded her. She tossed her bundle to him and then started to drop to the roof to climb down to the ground. She hated thinking what the filth on the roof would do to her dress.

Holburn stopped her. “Don’t climb down those crates. Just jump. You did it once, Fee, and I caught you. Trust me again.”

This time the distance was farther. Holburn didn’t know what he asked.
You and I.
She closed her eyes and jumped.

Strong arms caught her. Her body was pressed against his hard chest as he absorbed the momentum of her jump. She threw her arms around his neck to keep her balance and because jumping had been more scary than she had imagined. For a long moment, he held her close before slowly
lowering her to the ground. Her senses were full of him. The man was rock-solid hard. She believed there was
nothing
he couldn’t do. It was that simple. He could protect her.

“We make better bedfellows than enemies, don’t we, Fee?” he said, his arm around her waist kept her against him. The warmth in his voice flowed through her.

She started to nod her head—and then came to her senses. “I’m not that sort of woman, Your Grace. My honor is all I have left, that and the piece of plaid I’ve wrapped my clothes in. Stop this nonsense talk about us being lovers. It
won’t
happen.”

All humor faded from his eyes. “Don’t pass judgment on me, Fee. Don’t assume my motives. And don’t think I don’t understand the meaning of honor. I’ve spent my life defending my honor.”

He let her go then, and she almost lost her balance. He steadied her with a hand on her arm, the gesture chivalrous. Other men might have walked off then. He didn’t. He picked up her bundle of clothing.

And Fiona felt guilty. She didn’t think she’d jumped to conclusions…but the man had just helped her escape a dangerous situation, and she had no choice but to rely on him until she was completely safe.

“I just think it best we be honest with each other.” She avoided his gaze, preferring instead to brush at dirt on her skirt.

“Honest?” He snorted his opinion and took her arm, forcing her to meet his eye. “
Honest
, Fee, is saying that I’ll not ask for more than what you are willing to give. But I’m growing bloody irritated with you pretending you aren’t as attracted to me as I am to you. I’m no bloody lecher.”

“I never said you were,” she defended herself.

“You don’t have to. It’s there in the stiffness of your back any time I’m close to you and the prim set of your mouth. But the truth is you are more afraid of yourself than you are me.”

That was honest.
And true.

“You don’t understand,” she whispered. “It’s not what you think.” A headache was forming behind her eyes. She was tired, worn thin, but not just from the events of last night. She’d been raped. She’d been beaten. She needed peace. She needed to feel whole again.

And this man who had occupied so much of her imagination, this man for whom she had stayed in London, was larger, stronger, and more vital than she’d ever expected…and she had nothing to offer in return.

He released his frustration with a heavy sigh. He leaned toward her, dropping his voice even though
they were alone in the narrow alley, Tad waiting patiently at their feet. “I’m not one to explain myself. I don’t understand the twists and turns of fate. I don’t know you, not in the way I will know you.”

His prediction brought her gaze up to his.

“So let it be,” he told her. “Stop thinking beyond the moment. We’re here. This is now. That’s all that is important.”

She could have argued with him. A woman had to think ahead if she valued herself. Fiona had learned hard lessons because she’d trusted.

However, when he took her hand, she silently followed.

And that
was
enough.

Holburn paused at the alley’s entrance onto the street. The narrow, winding lane was alive with human traffic. He used his height to scan the passing crowd.

“Do you see the Irishmen?” Fiona asked.

He shrugged. “I assume we saw them last night but I don’t remember what they look like. I don’t see anyone who appears to be searching for us. There is one burly man leaning against the wall sleeping.”

Fiona moved so that she could see and immediately recognized the sleeper as one of their pursuers. “He’s one of them. Do you think he is really asleep?”

“I have no doubt of it,” Holburn answered. “Look at the slump to his shoulders. It must be hard chasing and murdering people. His mate must be upstairs. Come. This way.”

He took her arm and led her in the opposite direction, Tad at their heels. They came out on the street where Fiona had met Hester’s coach the night before. It was very busy. Horses, wagons, and coaches clogged the streets while women of every class saw to their shopping, servants bustled along on errands and men on business. A gang of sailors strolled along, obviously fresh from their ship and taking stock of their surroundings.

All was as it should be. While she and the duke had been running for their lives, the rest of the world had gone on.

The duke raised his hand to signal at a passing hack. The driver’s cab was empty but he drove on by.

Holburn shook his head. “That was odd.”

“We don’t appear as if we can afford his fare,” Fiona explained.

“Do you think?” the duke asked as he glanced down at his person as if just now realizing what he was wearing. His shirt was open and his jacket was still damp from where Fiona had tried to clean it. He ran a self-conscious hand over the growth of beard. “You’re right,” he conceded.

“I don’t appear much better,” she consoled him.

“You’re beautiful,” he said without hesitation.

The compliment startled her. She knew she wasn’t, especially right now. It had been a long, rough night. Her eyes felt gritty and the braid in her hair was coming loose.

He saw another hired vehicle and waved to it. This one didn’t stop either.

“It’s hard, isn’t it?” Fiona couldn’t help noting.

“What is hard?” he asked.

“Being like everyone else.”

He took her teasing as a challenge. “I’m
not
like everyone else, and well you should remember that, Fee.”

“I’m not certain I could forget,” she murmured.

The flash of his grin was like the sun coming out from behind the clouds and just as stunning. He’d taken her gentle jab as a compliment. Fiona gave her head a little shake. She could arm herself against his good looks, his strength, his power…but the smile could be her undoing.

“Let me prove it to you,” he said eagerly, taking her arm.

Fiona gave him a suspicious frown. “You are enjoying this adventure a bit too much.”

“I am,” he admitted readily, his eyes searching for another hack to hire. “It’s a challenge. It’s been a long time since I’ve been challenged.”

A new concern grabbed Fiona. She came to a halt. He turned in question.

“My friend Grace McEachin,” she said. “She’s supposed to return to my rooms tonight. I almost forgot. I must warn her.”

“Where is she?” he asked.

“Covent Garden.”

“She’s in the theater?”

Fiona nodded.

“It won’t be hard to send word to her,” he said. “Relax, Fee. I’ll handle everything.” His head lifted. “There’s a hack over there,” he said and guided her across the street to where a horse and driver waited as they often did since that corner was close to a busy mercantile exchange.

They approached the hack from the rear. Holburn opened the door and all but lifted Fiona into the cab before giving the driver an address.

The driver’s manner was immediately one of pleasing subservience, until he caught sight of the duke’s ragged appearance—and even then, he was uncertain whether to drive them or not.

It was when Holburn said to the dog, “Tad, climb in,” that the driver decided to protest.

“Wait there,” the driver protested. “You can’t think to put that animal in my vehicle.”

Holburn left the door and went to the driver’s
box. Fiona could hear them murmuring. The duke returned and said, “Come, Tad.”

In truth, Fiona didn’t see how there would be room for the three of them. The cab was very narrow and not wide at all. It would be crowded for her and Holburn.

But the duke pointed Tad to the floor and the dog obeyed—which was the most amazing thing of all. Tad hadn’t been completely obedient to her of late and he never listened to strangers. It was as if the dog was pleased that Holburn had come into his life.

The wolfhound took up all the floor space. Fiona and the duke had to position their feet around him. Holburn knocked on the roof.

The coach started forward and then stopped with a jerk. Apparently someone had stepped into the hack’s path. The driver yelled. Fiona’s heart leapt to her throat, her first thought being the Irishmen had caught them escaping. She reached for the door, but Holburn placed his hand over hers.

“Courage,” he said quietly.

A beat later, the hack started forward again without further mishap.

“Why don’t you rest?” he suggested. “Lay your head on my chest and I’ll keep watch.”

“I couldn’t sleep,” she assured him. Every muscle
in her back was tight and her nerves were stretched thin. “Once I know Grace is safe—”

“She will be,” he said, cutting off any other protests. Fiona couldn’t stifle a yawn. “Close your eyes for a moment,” he suggested.

He was right. She should relax while she had a chance. It had been a long night.

It had been a long year.