Chapter Twenty-Six
Amanda pulled on her glove then leaned in to give Olivia a goodbye kiss.
“Everything was perfect,” she told her friend.
Olivia smiled with relief and said, “I do wish you would stay the night. Heaven knows we have more than enough of rooms.”
Amanda slowly shook her head as she pulled on her second glove. No, not tonight. Tonight she needed to be in her own bed so she could dream about Lord Warwick.
The man had confused her more than once this evening, she needed time alone to decipher everything. First, he invited Hicks and that Freddie character. Then throws them together. Even worse, he had ignored his entire cold and distant plan.
Instead, he had danced with her, then joined her at Olivia’s side. Even flirting occasionally. Right there in front of everyone. What was the man thinking? Their friends and then eventually the ton itself would surely discover the truth.
And while the scandal would not hurt him or his family. It would destroy her.
Yet, she hadn’t been able to stand aside either. She could have closed him down. A sharp word. Even a special look and he would have stopped being so solicitous. But she hadn’t. Instead, she had basked in his attention. Loving the feeling of specialness it gave her.
Both Olivia and Lady Weston had shared more than one knowing look. She could see it in Olivia’s eyes. The woman was a born matchmaker and had learned at the knee of an expert in Lady Weston. The two of them would be arranging supposedly accidental meetings between her and Lord Warwick within a fortnight.
Throwing them together in the hope they found a connection. What would they think if they knew exactly how … connected they had already been.
As Benson draped her cape across her shoulders, she asked him to have one of the footmen hail a cab.
“It is waiting, Miss Waters,” the butler said with a soft smile.
“Thank you, Benson,” she said before turning back to Olivia. The concern in her friend's expression made her feel loved.
“Really, Olivia, I will be fine. Anderson will meet the cab when it arrives. I will never be alone. I assure you.”
Olivia studied her for a long moment then nodded in acceptance. That was the thing about Olivia, she despised being thwarted.
“It is a shame that Lord Warwick left so early,” Olivia said with a knowing smile. “Perhaps he could have escorted you. He is enough of a family friend that there shouldn’t be any scandal.”
Amanda’s stomach dropped. It was starting already.
“Olivia, this is the nineteenth century. I am perfectly able to travel across town without a man escorting me.”
Again, Olivia rolled her eyes. “Amanda, I saw the way you two were acting tonight. If I didn’t know better, I would think you were lovers.”
Swallowing hard, Amanda turned towards the front door, determined to give no hint to her friend. Instead, she shook her head and said, “Don’t be such a ninny. And put away your matchmaking urge. Lord Warwick and I are from two different worlds.”
Olivia followed along by Amanda’s side. “Maybe. After all, the man is a rake. It is impossible to imagine you ever being interested in him. But tonight … I saw something.”
Amanda waved her hand in dismissal. “Really Olivia, you are being silly.”
Her friend shrugged, but Amanda could tell that this was far from over. Her insides curled up at the thought that she would have to spend the coming months in constant denial. It was going to be hard enough to hide her feelings without Olivia constantly pushing at her.
“Goodnight,” Amanda said. “Thank you again. As I said, everything was wonderful. You did very well. As always.”
Olivia brought her in for another kiss on the cheek then let her friend go, her eyes studying her as if she were an old puzzle with new pieces.
Amanda shook off the sudden feeling of dread and allowed a footman to hand her up into the cab. Once inside, she pulled her cape in close against the crisp night are and closed her eyes as she settled back. Letting the dark night fold itself over her. The evening had been one stressful moment after the other.
Seeing Warwick again. His handsome face and those wide shoulders calling to her. Then watching him with Lord Hick and that Mr. Bartholomew. Her heart had raced so fast she thought for sure it would never stop.
Add to that, their dance. She shuddered, remembering how close she had come to simply pulling him near and kissing him right there in the middle of Olivia’s ballroom. It had taken every fiber of her self-control to stop herself.
What was she to do? The man was her soul mate. The one person she knew she should be with for the rest of her life.
Yet, it was not to be. No. It could never occur. The thought sent a sadness through her. A sadness that felt as if it would weigh her down and keep her from ever being happy again.
The cab rocked as it turned a corner. Amanda sighed. She was returning to her life, she reminded herself as she checked her reticule to ensure she had a coin ready for the cab. Back to a life of boredom and loneliness.
No, she would never be Warwick’s countess. Such miracles do not happen in the real world.
Wiping at a tear, she looked up. As the cab once again turned a corner.
Her brow narrowed in confusion. This wasn’t the way to her home. Had the driver misunderstood her?
“Sir,” she said as she leaned out of the window and called up at him. “This isn’t correct. You were to take me to Bolton street.”
The Cabbie ignored her as he called out to his horse.
Amanda’s heart jumped as a new fear started to build. Was the man taking a different route? Or was this something else. Something nefarious.
What would Warwick do?
“Sir,” she yelled louder.
The Cabbie continued to ignore her as he pulled his horse to the side.
Oh, good, she thought. The man was preparing to turn back. He must have finally realized his mistake. Setting back, she waited for him to turn his horse. But instead, he pulled to a full halt.
“What are you doing?” she mumbled to herself. However, before she could say anything, the cab door was yanked open by a big burly man dressed in rough clothes and a gray cap. His large dirty hand held the door while he stared at her as if he’d found a lost pound note laying in the street.
“There you are Miss,” he said with a snaggled tooth grin. “If you will come this way. His Lordship is waiting.”
Her heart hitched. No, Warwick would not have done this. Not without a warning.
“No,” she told the man, her chin rising to let him know she was very serious and would not be disturbed. “I wish to go home. There seems to be some kind of mistake.”
The man’s smile dropped to be replaced with an evil glint to his eyes. Amanda’s insides clenched up into a tight ball. This man would not be dismissed easily. No, this man loved to mistreat women, she could see it in his eyes.
“You can come easy, Miss. Or I can carry you, and there will be no telling where my hands might go,” he said with a look that let her know just how much he hoped she resisted.
Taking a deep breath, she held it for a long moment. If she screamed, would anyone come? Really, in the middle of the night, in London? No, probably not. No, it would only give this man permission to paw and handle her as he pulled her into the building.
Could she escape? Could she get the door behind her open and escape into the street?
As if reading her mind, the man’s hand shot out to grab her wrist. A shiver passed up her arm as she looked down at the dirty hand holding her.
“I will come,” she snapped as she pulled her hand from his grasp. She would do almost anything to not be touched by this animal.
The man smiled again, his eyes running over her body. “A shame.”
Amanda ignored the hand he offered to help her down. Gripping the door, she used it to steady herself. Once, on the street, she looked back over her shoulder up at the driver.
The man ignored her. Obviously unwilling to admit his complicity in her abduction.
“This way Miss,” Her tormenter said.
She turned to look up at the building and her heart slammed to an instant halt. Lord Hicks home. She well remembered it from her last time there. Her feet stopped moving of their own accord.
Why? She wondered. No gentleman would treat a woman of standing this way. Not unless he wished to ruin his place in the ton.
Lady Weston would eviscerate his family’s name across the entire country once she found out. His family would be shamed. No, this was not some simple mistake.
The burly man pushed her lower back, moving her to the door. She looked up at him and shuddered. This was not right. So not right.
Once they were inside, the heavy door closed behind her with a heavy thud.
Her heart continued to race as an anxiety built inside of her. How had Lord Hicks discovered her connection to Warwick? What had given her away? That could be the only reason that he had her abducted.
Or was Warwick already here?
A sudden hope flashed into her as a parlor door opened. Only to be smashed into pieces once she recognized Lord Hicks walking towards her. Those feral eyes of his slowly traveling over her as he smiled at her. A smile of a predator who had captured its prey.