Page 57 of Married to the Rake

Chapter Twenty

“That bloody woman.” Brook paced past the fireplace and back again.

Benedict watched him from his seat, saying little. Elizabeth stood behind her husband, a hand resting on his shoulder while she eyed Brook. He couldn’t face another day at home with his parents questioning why he looked like he was ready to attack someone.

It was because his foolish past had caught up with him. Because he’d argued with Chloe and flung accusations at her rather than talked it through. Because he feared he’d lost her forever and had little idea how to fix this.

But he could say none of that, so his next best bet had been to escape to Benedict’s.

The scent of coffee lingered in the air, but he hadn’t drunk a drop. Coming here and burdening his friends with this was a mistake perhaps but it was certainly not a matter he could discuss with his father and Lord knows, he was making a hash of it on his own.

Brook paused and scowled at Elizabeth’s slightly amused look. “What is it?”

She gave a half-smile. “Forgive me, but I never thought I would see you in such a tangle over a woman.”

He shoved a hand through his hair. “Well, she is quite a woman.”

“So it seems,” Benedict said. “You must be absurdly in love if you were willing to give up your bachelor lifestyle and elope.”

“I would not sayabsurdlyin love.” Brook grimaced. Perhaps it was absurdly so. If he was willing to upset his family and risk their ire, he most certainly had to be madly, deeply, absurdly in love.

“Well, what are you going to do about it?” demanded Elizabeth. “You are not going to let that vile Judith ruin things, are you?”

Elizabeth knew Judith from London and they had never been friends so she did not appear at all surprised when Brook explained what had happened.

Shaking his head, Brook sighed. He couldn’t let Judith win. But to get to Chloe, he would have to trespass on Larkin land with a high chance of getting shot if he did so. He could wait until nightfall and do as he has done before but he very much doubted Chloe would entertain the thought of sneaking out to see him. The problem was, he hardly blamed her. With his past, was it any wonder she thought the worst of him?

Well, Chloe had to leave her house at some point. She could not remain hidden away there forever. As soon as she stepped off Larkin land, he would take his chance and try to explain, with infinitely more eloquent words, what had happened.

“If I were you, Brook, I would waste no time, whatever you are going to do.” Elizabeth moved to the side table and poured a cup of coffee, turning and taking a sip. “Did I not hear that she was to marry Mr. Lawrence?”

Brook made a face. “She will never marry him.”

“Unfortunately as women, we often have no choice. Her mother was suggesting they were going to see him today, I believe. Mr. Larkin is known for being soft on his daughter so I should imagine Mr. Lawrence wishes to get the marriage contract drawn up quickly before her father changes his mind.”

A chill ran through him. Brook curled a fist at his side. He’d been so damn wrapped up in the idea of them eloping, he’d forgotten the real reason they had even agreed to speed things up. He couldn’t let Chloe marry that old stick of a man.

“I need to get to her.”

Benedict nodded. “I think you do.”

Mr. Larkin could shoot him for all he cared, he had to get to Chloe. He bid Benedict and Elizabeth a hasty farewell and retrieved his horse from the stables, cutting a swift path toward the Larkin estate. Perhaps Elizabeth was incorrect and Chloe was not due to visit with Lawrence today. Maybe Mr. Larkin had even changed his mind. None of it mattered, he needed to see Chloe and he needed to see her now.

Bunching the reins tight in his hand, the leather strips cut into his palms. He should have risked being shot in the first place and followed her and insisted they made up immediately. He could think of many, many better ways of ending that argument but his foolish pride had got the better of him.

He slowed the horse when he spied a carriage thundering along the road from the Larkin estate. He was some distance away still but he recognized the carriage as Chloe’s fathers. His heart beat a sickening tattoo against his chest. They were going to Lawrence’s—they had to be.

And he was going to lose Chloe forever.

He urged the horse into action. If they moved fast enough, he could intercept the carriage and force Chloe to listen to him. Who knew if her father was with them—he might end up being beaten to a bloody pulp—but it would be worth it if he could only tell Chloe the truth.

He loved her even if they fought. Even if it took him an eternity to prove himself to her. He’d wait forever if he had to. So long as she didn’t marry that man.

Trees whipped at his face, the sting hardly registering while he rode down a path seldom travelled. With any luck, it would bring him out in front of the carriage. His pulse beat hard in his ears and he could feel his blood rush through his veins—hot and urgent. Every instinct in his body urged him to get to her. He’d promised to protect her at all costs and if he did not prevent her from marrying a man she did not know, he would no longer be doing his job.

“Good girl,” he urged the horse, breaths coming fast as they emerged onto the road. He cursed when he spied the carriage, bumping its way along the country road up ahead. “Looks like we’re not done yet, girl.” With a flick of the reins, he continued his pursuit.

Coming alongside of the carriage, he was all too aware of the driver noting his presence and flexing his hand at his side. It was likely he travelled with a pistol in case they ran into highwaymen. He’d risk getting shot if he had to but he’d rather not end up with a hole in his chest.

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