Prince Charming (19 page)

Lucas couldn't help but admire Taylor because she was looking out for the woman. “Are you going to help Victoria get settled in Boston?” he asked.

“That is my intention,” she answered.

He smiled. She didn't know what to make of that reaction. And so she simply smiled back.

“Shouldn't we get going? All the vehicles will be taken up, sir.”

He was in full agreement. He suddenly wanted to get to their destination, too. He grabbed hold of Taylor's left hand and Victoria's right hand and strode toward the vehicles. Victoria's flower-laden bonnet was in jeopardy of flying off her head, so fast was his pace. She put her left hand on top of her head to anchor her hat in place.

Taylor was trying not to trip on her skirt. “We aren't running from a fire, Mr. Ross,” she called out.

He slowed down. He gave the driver their destination, then opened the door and turned to Victoria.

“Has your luggage been sent on?”

“Taylor had my tickets,” Victoria answered.

She was talking to the ground. She kept her gaze downcast while she answered him. She was a timid thing, and he found himself wondering how in God's name she was going to survive with only Taylor looking after her. He decided he would take the bankers aside and have a talk with them. Since the trust fund they held in their bank was quite substantial and they were certainly making a nice, tidy profit from the investments, Lucas felt certain they would be happy to look out for Taylor and Victoria. Also, Taylor supposedly had relatives living in Boston. Surely one or two of her family members would watch out for his wife and her friend.

His wife. Lucas shook his head in amazement. If someone had told him six months ago that he would be married, he would have had a good laugh. Then he probably would have punched the prophet in his face for suggesting the blasphemy.

“We're ready, Mr. Ross.”

Taylor nudged Lucas in his side to get him moving. She wanted to tell him to wipe that frown off his face as well. Like it or not, Victoria was going with them. Taylor assumed the irritation was due to the addition of another passenger. Lucas obviously didn't like to have his plans altered. She wondered how he was going to feel about having his future altered and immediately decided he wouldn't like that much either. She knew he'd be difficult; she prayed he wouldn't be impossible.

Lucas turned to Victoria and smiled at her. She felt it necessary to remove her bonnet before she got inside the carriage. He was being extremely patient with her friend, Taylor was quick to notice. He treated her like a piece of fine china that might shatter if he weren't careful. Why, he was ridiculously gentle assisting her inside the vehicle. He even held her bonnet for her while she adjusted her skirts just so. When she was settled to her satisfaction, Lucas finally turned to Taylor. He all but tossed her inside.

She wanted to sit next to her friend. Lucas had other ideas. By the time she'd straightened up in the seat he'd thrown her in, he was sitting beside her, squeezing her with his bulk into the corner. She couldn't go anywhere.

She gave him a good frown to let him know what she thought about his high-handed behavior, then realized she shouldn't have bothered. Lucas wasn't paying any attention to her. He was staring out the window, lost in thought.

Victoria drew her attention. “Look, Taylor. There's Morrison's Coffee House. We have one just like it in London.” Her voice was laced with excitement. “And there's Tyler's Bootery. Why, he's famous in England.”

Taylor leaned forward to look out the window. “There seem to be many English stores here,” she remarked. “It's disappointing, isn't it?”

“Why is it disappointing?” Lucas asked, drawn into the conversation by Taylor's odd remark.

She didn't want to tell him the truth, that she didn't want anything in America to remind her of England. He wouldn't understand. She gave him a half answer.

“I just want everything to be different.”

“Oh, most of the shops are different,” Victoria announced. “It's going to take some getting used to, isn't it? America seems so grand.”

Taylor nodded. She tried to pay attention to what Victoria was saying, but her mind kept wandering. Excitement was quick to build inside her. She could barely sit still in her seat. Her thoughts were on the babies. They were here . . . in this wonderful city, and just as soon as her business was concluded with the bankers and Lucas was on his way back to Redemption, she would go and collect the twins and their nanny, dear Mrs. Bartlesmith. They would all have to spend at least a week in Boston while Taylor hired the help she would need and bought whatever clothes the little ones needed for the coming season.

She wished she could see her nieces now. If she were clever, Lucas would never know she'd left. Just for an hour, she told herself. She would hire a vehicle and be back at the hotel before she was even missed.

Mrs. Bartlesmith would be happy for the company. Taylor would explain her plans and offer to hire someone to help with the packing. In her excitement, she reached over and grabbed hold of Lucas's hand.

He was startled by the show of affection. He saw the look of joy on her face and found himself smiling over her enthusiasm.

“Boston certainly appeals to you.” he remarked.

“It appears to be quite nice.”

She didn't sound overly enthusiastic about the city. Yet her expression told him she was excited about something. He was curious to find out what it was. Then he decided she was probably thinking about the coming reunion with her relatives and her friends, and perhaps she was considering where she was going to live. She would probably choose the Hill, where all the rich and influential resided. She'd fit right in. She'd like it, too. Lucas was sure of it.

Victoria kept up a steady stream of comments about the city. Taylor occasionally nodded, but it soon became evident she was preoccupied.

Lucas finally nudged her to get her attention. “Tell me what you're thinking about.”

“My relatives,” she answered.

He smiled. “I thought so.”

“And . . .”

“Yes?”

She let out a sigh. “I was also thinking about the greater good.”

He didn't understand what she meant. Neither did Victoria. “Is Boston the greater good?” her friend asked.

Taylor shook her head. She started to say something more, but her attention was turned then, for she suddenly realized she was holding onto Lucas's hand. She immediately let go.

“Pray forgive me for being forward,” she said.

He shook his head in exasperation. She turned to look out the window again before he could respond to the ridiculous apology. Victoria looked astonished by Taylor's comment. She stared at her friend for a long minute, obviously waiting for her to say something, and when Taylor remained silent, she turned her attention to Lucas. He thought about giving her some sort of explanation, then changed his mind.

“The sun's going down.”

Taylor made the announcement. She sounded disheartened. “It will be dark in another half hour,” Lucas guessed. “Does that bother you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to go and see my relatives,” she explained. “I'll have to wait until tomorrow.”

“People do go out at night,” Lucas said.

“They'll be asleep.”

Taylor didn't elaborate. She turned back to look out the window. Lucas assumed the relatives in question were old and feeble. Who else would go to bed so early in the evening.

Victoria's attention went back and forth between Lucas and Taylor. She wanted to ask why they were both acting so formal with each other. She supposed that wouldn't be very polite, however, and finally let the matter drop. They rode the rest of the way in silence and arrived at their destination a few minutes later.

At first glance, the Hamilton House was a severe disappointment. While Lucas paid the driver, Victoria and Taylor stood on the sidewalk and stared up at the huge, gray granite building. Victoria whispered it looked quite dreary. Taylor was more emphatic. She declared it was as ugly as sin.

For some reason, Lucas found her opinion amusing. He told her to lower her voice, but he gave the order with a grin. She didn't know what to make of that. She noticed he was once again being very solicitous toward Victoria. She wasn't jealous, however. She was pleased. Lucas was proving he could be a gentleman when he put his mind to the chore.

Victoria was taking forever to put on her bonnet. It took her three attempts to tie the satin strings into a perfect bow. Taylor wanted to take over the task for her, so impatient was she to get moving. Lucas acted as though he had all the time in the world. He simply stood there with his hands clasped behind his back, waiting for Victoria to finish. Then he offered his arm to her. Victoria took hold and smiled sweetly up at him.

They left her standing on the sidewalk. She followed the pair inside. Since Lucas was watching out for Victoria, Taylor felt free to explore the ground floor. It was filled with retail shops, and in the very center of the area was another set of double doors leading to the hotel's reception area. There was a large crowd of men smoking in front of the entrance. Most were dressed in business suits, though there were a few garbed in buckskin jackets. Several of the men openly gawked at her in a way that made Taylor feel decidedly uneasy. She held her head high as she hurried through the entrance the doorman held open for her.

Lucas suddenly seemed to remember he had a wife. He turned, grabbed hold of her hand, and pulled her close to his side. She didn't understand what had come over him. One minute he was smiling down at Victoria and the next he was frowning at everyone who looked their way. Victoria seemed to understand, if her smile was any indication, and Taylor thought her friend might actually burst into laughter so amusing did she seem to find Lucas's conduct.

Taylor decided to ignore her husband until he got over his sour mood. Both she and Victoria changed their opinion of the hotel. The owners had obviously decided to spend their money on the inside. It was, as Taylor whispered to her friend, grand. The floor was black and white marble squares, and circling the gigantic foyer were magnificent white pillars.

Everything was sparkling clean. The lounges in the spacious hall were covered with buffalo skins. Taylor wanted to go across the room and touch one.

Victoria drew her attention with her remark. “Do you notice there aren't any ladies here?” she whispered.

“I did notice,” Taylor replied.

“There's a separate entrance for ladies traveling alone,” Lucas explained. “But since you're with me, it's all right for you to be here. Wait by the luggage while I sign in and get a room for Victoria.”

Lucas underscored his order by adding what he obviously considered a meaningful frown at Taylor and then walked away.

The luggage was easy to spot. It was a pyramid of baggage really and stacked in the center of the hall.

Taylor was a bit overwhelmed by the chaos surrounding her. There were at least two hundred gentlemen coming and going, more reading the daily papers on the settees, and large groups of men standing around talking to one another. The noise made conversation difficult.

Victoria had to ask Taylor her question twice before she heard her. “What if all the rooms are full?”

“Then you'll stay with me.”

“But what about your husband?”

“Oh, I'm certain he'll get his own room.”

“But you're married.”

“Yes,” Taylor agreed. She patted Victoria's hand. “In your delicate condition, you shouldn't be worrying about inconsequential matters. I think you should sit down. You look weary to me. Let's try out the buffalo lounges.”

Victoria nodded agreement. She pinched her cheeks for color, hoping to hide her fatigue, and followed Taylor over to an empty lounge.

The two women sat side by side. Taylor stroked the animal skin with her fingertips and smiled at her friend. “We can now boast that we sat on a buffalo.”

Victoria gave her a weak smile. She folded her hands in her lap and stared down at the floor.

“You're worrying, aren't you?”

“Yes,” Victoria admitted. “I'm thinking you shouldn't have told your husband I was married. If we keep to the lie, I'm bound to run into people I know in Boston who have moved here from London . . .”

She didn't go on. Taylor immediately felt guilty. “I shouldn't have made up the lie, and I apologize for putting you in an awkward position. If I tell you something, do you promise not to say a word in front of Mr. Ross?”

“Yes.”

“I don't have any intention of living in Boston. You don't have to stay here either, Victoria. There are at least a dozen other cities to consider.”

Victoria's eyes widened. “But I heard your husband mention . . .”

“Oh, he thinks I'm staying in Boston, and it's best he doesn't know the truth just yet.”

“I don't understand. Won't he notice if you leave?”

“It's complicated,” Taylor told her. “Tomorrow morning, after you've had a good night's rest, we'll sit down and have a long talk. It's going to be all right. I promise you. Heavens, I'm so excited to be in Boston, I can barely sit still.”

A beautiful marble statue of a Greek warrior holding a disc caught her eye. It was at least nine feet tall. Taylor stood up, told Victoria she would be right back, and then crossed the hall to have a closer look.

One gentleman after another tried to catch her attention by calling out a greeting. Taylor ignored the men, yet by the time she reached the impressive statue, she found herself surrounded by strangers wishing to engage her in conversation.