Page 77 of Saved By the Belle

“And thank you for your trouble.”

She knew that voice. It was the man who’d come to the hotel, Arundel’s friend. What was his name? Willoughby? A man with a name like Willoughby was likely to have his throat slit in a place like this. And yet, if he’d tracked her here, he must have some skills. Part of her wanted to call out to him. Perhaps he’d come for her because he had received some news about her father.

But she bit her cheek and shook her head, reminding herself this was the man who thought her father was dead. He’d given up without even the pretense of a fight.

She sank back against the bags of tea, making herself small. He’d have a look about and then move on to the next warehouse. It would take a man hours to search this place and to find her. She was a—what was the saying?—a needle in a haystack. She might as well go back to sleep.

“Miss Howard, we meet again.” The light from a lamp illuminated her legs, drawn up against her chest. Willoughby stepped closer and the light shone in her eyes. Belle lifted a hand to shield her face.

“You found ‘er!” the night watchman exclaimed, coming up the aisle at a fast clip. “Well, I’ll be.”

“Mr. Merrick, do you mind giving us a moment alone?” the saboteur asked, his voice like silk. “I promise we will be out of your way very shortly.”

The watchman eyed Belle, who scowled right back at him, then gave a nod. “I’ll be just outside.”

“Thank you.”

As the watchman’s footsteps receded, Arundel’s friend set his lamp on the ground and sat, rather awkwardly, on the ground. “You’ll ruin your trousers,” Belle commented.

“Oh, our friend Hew is much more concerned about such matters than I am, I assure you.”

“I doubt that. A man named Willoughby?” She was being deliberately rude. “I imagine you dislike dirtying your hands.”

“You’d imagine wrong, but I have no doubt you will realize your mistake soon enough and find out just how much a dandy Mr. Arundel can be. God knew we all had to suffer him brushing his coats out every night at the Farm. And for what? He’d just be crawling in the dirt again or dusting the coat with gun powder the next day.”

“Shows what you know, Willoughby. Mr. Arundel and I won’t be continuing our acquaintance.”

“It’s Will, and your entire attitude shows how little you know, Miss Howard. Who do you think fought me tooth and nail to come after you? Arundel isn’t done with you. Not by a mile.”

Belle didn’t want to admit how those words made her heart jump. She tamped down the hope with the ease of long practice. “I think perhaps you don’t know Hew Arundel as well as you think, Willoughby. He has vowed never to love again.” She forced herself to meet his gaze. “I may not be pretty to look at.” She touched her scarred cheek. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t deserve love.”

Hew had taught her that. Her father and her sister had told her thousands of times that she deserved to be loved and cared for. They told her over and over that she was worthy, but only now was she beginning to believe it. The past few days had shown her she could do more than sell tea in a shop. She was so much more than the little mouse of a woman hiding behind a window on Fenchurch Street.

“And are you in love with him?” Willoughby Galloway asked.

“What business is it of yours?” She looked away.

“My God, but you are a trial, aren’t you? I ask because if you love Hew and he loves you—”

“I told you, he will never love again.”

“He’s vowed never to marry again, Miss Howard. It’s too late not to love again. Any fool can see he’s completely in love with you.”

Belle blinked then shoved Galloway back. He hadn’t been expecting this reaction and fell over, almost toppling the lamp. Belle hastily reached to steady it, lest it shatter and set the entire warehouse on fire.

“What the devil was that for?” Galloway asked, righting himself and brushing his coat off.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Do you shove every person who tells you a man loves you?”

“No one has ever told me that before.”

“No wonder,” he muttered under his breath. “Believe me or not, just come back to Mivart’s with me. I promised Hew I’d find you and bring you back.”

Belle crossed her arms over her chest. “I won’t go back.”

“Of course not. I’m sure you intend to make this as difficult as possible.”

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