Lady Abigail was happy to walk down her townhouse steps to join Lord Heshing in his carriage. She was surprised to see that instead of the gig they normally rode through the park in, today he had his Barouche with its top back.
It seemed a silly thing to bring such an important vehicle when they were only going to turn around the park. Lady Abigail looked up at the sky. Impending bad weather might warrant the use of a coach that could be covered, if needed.
It was, however, a beautiful sunny day. Lady Abigail could only surmise that Lord Heshing had brought such a beautiful carriage with two beautiful chestnut horses pulling it to impress her brother. It brought a warm feeling in her heart to know he cared this much about appeasing her wish for him to make friends with her family.
She sat down in the seat next to him at the front of the carriage where he controlled the steeds. It was a bit tighter than the quarters she was used to, but she felt it silly to sit in the back when he sat up front.
“I have a surprise for you,” he said, hitching the horses and starting on his way.
Lady Abigail could tell by the way he hadn’t looked her way yet that he had to be nervous. Her eyes didn’t miss the tight grip his gloved hands had on the reins.
She wasn’t dressed for anything outside of a trip around the park in her soft cotton walking dress in a shade of dark cream.
“What is it?” Lady Abigail asked when he explained no further.
“If I told you, it wouldn't’ be a surprise anymore,” Heshing replied with a wicked slant to his eyes.
They sat in silence as he drove down the street. She watched as they passed all the entrances to Hyde Park. She wondered if he was perhaps taking her somewhere else. Soon, the whole of the city seemed to be passing her by. She began to grow worried when they finally stopped at an establishment.
“Is this where the surprise is?” Lady Abigail asked.
She looked up and down the building. It was a tavern of some sort and not a very reputable one, if she judged correctly. Not only the building, but this whole part of London seemed to be coated in a thick layer of grime. It was not at all where she had hoped to take her journey today.
Heshing stepped out of the front seat, hooking the leather leads to the seat for safe keeping. He reached up to take her hand as well. Lady Abigail hesitated.
“It is only a stop, not the final destination,” he said, waiting for her hand.
Lady Abigail huffed with relief. She placed her hand in his as he helped her down. He walked her to the back of the carriage and motioned for her to take her place there.
“Heshing, whatever is going on?” Lady Abigail asked, full of confusion.
“All will be explained shortly, my dear,” he said as she got in.
Instead of seating himself beside her, he instead flipped up the retractable hood and entered the establishment.
Lady Abigail sat nervously inside the small compartment. She was full of worry, unsure what exactly Heshing had arranged. He did tend to possess an impulsive nature, although this behavior seemed like much more than she had even expected from him.
Finally, she caught a glimpse of Heshing’s brown velvet hat as he emerged from the tavern. In his company were two other men. One seemed to be a coachman, as he promptly sat at the front of the carriage.
The other man, who appeared to be a servant, stood and spoke with Heshing for a moment. Finally, Lady Abigail made out a note being passed from Heshing to his man before the latter turned and walked away.
She leaned forward in her seat as Heshing came to join her. All the warmth of the sun seemed to vanish under the dark cover of the carriage. When Heshing entered, a cold wind blew in with him.
Heshing tightened his riding jacket a little closer around himself and blew warm air into his gloved hands.
“It’s getting beastly cold out there,” he said by way of conversation.
Lady Abigail was stunned. He was speaking to her as if this whole occasion was utterly ordinary. It was anything but that in Lady Abigail’s mind.
“Heshing, you must tell me what is going on. I am becoming a bit frightened,” Lady Abigail said as coolly as she could muster once the carriage started again.
“Do not worry, my dear. All will be explained in due time.”
It was the second time he had called her such. It was an endearment meant for two attached. Although they had spoken of the possibility, she didn’t consider that this was sufficient to warrant the use of the term.
She sat silently as the journey continued. They passed through the city and began to enter the outlying lands.
“I wish you would have told me that we were to leave town. My brother is expecting us for dinner. I would have brought a maid along, as well,” Lady Abigail added.
She was never one for propriety, but there was a difference between taking an open gig ride in the park with a gentleman and driving a carriage to an unknown place out of town. They were dangerously close to causing much gossip after this matter.
Though she rarely cared what others gossiped about her, it would make it that much more difficult to win her brother over to Lord Heshing. This was a bold move which bordered on that recklessness that the duke had worried about.
“I sent a note along with my man. They are aware that we won't be returning tonight,” he replied coolly as he looked out at the passing landscape.
“Not tonight? What does that mean? Really, Heshing, this is too much for me. I think you should tell me right now what is going on or take me home,” Lady Abigail said, mustering all her will to control the frustration inside her.
He smiled softly at her. Heshing had a dull, calming look to his eyes that instilled fear in Lady Abigail. Removing his gloves one by one he began to get himself comfortable in the carriage for a long ride.
“You see, I couldn’t wait for your brother to come around,” he said, stretching his legs as much as the tight confines allowed. He was sitting with his back to the driver and across from Lady Abigail.
“We are on our way to Gretna Green to be married.”
“What?”
It was the only word that Lady Abigail could manage to procure from her mouth. He had stated the fact so naturally, like it was apparent.
“I knew once you were in the carriage with me, you would see reason. Your brother is dear to you, this I understand, but it shouldn’t impede our happiness.”
“Happiness? Heshing, you have kidnapped me! I want this coach turned around this instant!” Lady Abigail said in a full rage.
“Yesterday, you said yourself that you agreed to us being married. I am merely speeding up the process.”
“This is not how I would want it to be done. I would want my family around and happy for the marriage. I thought you understood that?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t have time to wait for that,” Heshing said with a tilt of his head.
“What does that mean?”
“You see, I have been growing a rather increasing amount of debt over the last few years. I came to London to find a wife and rectify the situation. You seemed all too happy to fill that role. Now, we are to be wed and my financial situation will be fixed. Isn’t it a bit of luck that we also find each other agreeable company?”
He spoke his words as if all of this was perfectly logical. To Lady Abigail, however, he would have been clearer should he were to speak a different language.
“I don’t find you at all agreeable at this moment. You will take me home this instant!”
“My dear, I have already sent a note on, as I said, explaining to the duke where you will be. What other concern might possibly warrant you wanting to turn around? I know you are sorry to not have your family with you, but they will come around in time,” Heshing said as if he was speaking to an errant child.
“How about that I refuse to marry you! I was mistaken in thinking I know you at all. I will not marry you, Lord Heshing, and I demand you take me home at once,” Lady Abigail said, fully aware that her face was puffing with rage.
She leaned forward in her seat to catch the attention of the driver. Lord Heshing tilted to the side to block her way.
“You have two choices. You may return to London as the Countess of Heshing or be ruined. It is already well known that we are taking a carriage ride together. Not to mention the fact that many have already begun to talk about our intimate connection. If it were known that you left town with me this day in a closed carriage and returned unmarried…”
Heshing made a disapproving sound as he allowed Lady Abigail’s mind to finish what his words did not.
“Then I shall risk being ruined and just hope no one saw,” Lady Abigail replied.
She was desperately hoping that somewhere still existed the charming gentleman she had come to know, in the man that was sitting across her.
“I made sure they saw, my dear,” he said, looking down at her pitifully. "Not to mention the note I sent on to your brother.”
“I will tell him we had a misunderstanding. That I didn’t explain myself well last night and you took my words a different way.”
“Yes, but the note was in your hand,” he said while he rubbed his own hands together in front of him.
“That is not possible,” Lady Abigail said in a breathy whisper.
“It doesn’t take much to pay a woman to write a note. He will see the feminine handwriting signed with your name and assume that it is, in fact, you. It would only make sense that you, a lady full of spunk and adventure, when told by her brother that he didn’t approve of her choice, would run and marry anyway.”
“Christian will know it’s not me,” Lady Abigail said, trying to convince herself as much as Heshing.
“The point is moot,” Heshing said, growing irritated with this argument. “You are here in this carriage now. You will marry me or be ruined for the rest of your days. Is that what you want for yourself? For whispers to be spoken about the other members of your family on your account?”
Lady Abigail did waver at this. It seemed there would be no choice for her now but to marry Heshing. How she could have been so wrong about this man in front of her? At that moment, she thought of her family.
How much hurt she had caused this day, without even knowing it. She worried over the duchess who was already in a fragile state. How would her mother react when she learned that her daughter was dishonored, had run away, and was married to a dishonest man?
Her mind turned to Lord Gilchrist. He had tried so hard to put distance between Heshing and herself and she had ignored all his warnings. She couldn’t help but wonder if she would return to see his gloating face, as he was right and she was so wrong.
His thought, however, brought to her a deeper sinking feeling inside of than she thought possible. Gilchrist wouldn’t even have the chance to show her how right he was, as he was sure to be already gone. It seemed the only friend she had outside her family, was gone for good.
She was alone now. She had made her choice when she made friends with Heshing and this would be her downfall. Lady Abigail, however, was not one to go down with no pride.