Page 24 of The Devil and the Heiress
She was in a carriage alone with Lord Lucifer. The thought made Violet’s lips twitch, but she managed to quell the smile. She could not, however, stop her errant gaze from going back to him far more than was prudent for her state of mind. After they had left London, he had tied back the curtains to allow in the light and had spent the past several hours reading over a few ledgers while occasionally marking entries with a pencil. As best she could tell, they were accounts for an estate, and they were of far more interest than her company.
The realization had made her feel dispirited. She was quite unworldly compared to a man such as him. He owned a club, had likely traveled extensively on the Continent, and had seen more of the world than she probably ever would. Why would he find her company of interest?
He had been gentlemanly enough as they had ridden through the streets of London. They had exchanged remarks on a couple of mutual acquaintances, discussed theabysmal rain that had seemed to have fallen for days on end and a few of the exhibits in the Egyptian room of the British Museum. Her initial worry that he might have been so willing to help her because he harbored some interest in her had given way to disappointment, and then mild embarrassment that she had kissed him at the ball. To be fair, he had kissed her back, but he had not so much as glanced her way in the hours that had taken them far away from London.
Perhaps he found her girlish attention tedious. He was nearly a decade older than her. He had shallow creases at the corner of his eyes that shone vaguely the few times he smiled. Now that it was evening, his valet—had he been traveling with one—would probably have given him a stern look at the fine shadow that had begun to darken the lower half of his face. His eyes were always serious. She found that she liked that. He was the opposite of Teddy in every way.
Teddy with his ready smile who was hardly ever serious about anything. Teddy who sounded like a proper goose when he laughed. Teddy who had allowed Papa’s money to sway his affections for her. A tender pang sliced through her at that memory. She had never properly mourned the loss of him, and now she knew why. It was not his loss that she regretted. He had been a friend, and in her ignorance, she had tried to make their relationship more than it was. She had never once longed for a deeper connection with him, nor had she ever sought out his touch.
Their kisses had been full of excitement because the idea of kissing had been exciting. His boyish charisma had been charming because she had wanted to be charmed. The idea of marrying had been more appealing than the actual state would have been because she had wanted control.
Control. The thought came from nowhere, but the force of it made her sit up straighter. Yes, that was why marrying Teddy had held any appeal at all. She had wanted to chooseher husband because she hadn’t wanted her parents to do it. Even then, some part of her had known that she would not like their interference. Teddy had been the obvious choice. They had the same circle of friends, and he had made her laugh, but there had never been any sort of real attraction to him on her part. Not like with Lord Lucifer—er, Lord Leigh.
“Everything all right?” He glanced up at her and raised a brow. Had his voice become deeper in the hours since he last spoke?
She nodded. “Yes, fine.”
He gave her a quick once-over before glancing back down at his work, then sighing at the lack of adequate lighting, he closed the ledger. “You are having second thoughts,” he said, as he tucked the books into a leather satchel on the seat next to him.
“No. I am a little worried for my parents. They must know that I’m missing by now. I hope they find my note soon. I wouldn’t want them to worry needlessly.”
That brow rose again. “You left a note regarding your whereabouts?” He sounded alarmed.
“I merely told them that I had left of my own volition, and that I would not marry Lord Ware or anyone like him. I didn’t want them to think that I had been taken away.”
His shoulders relaxed, and he went back to casually perusing her face. Despite her best effort, her face warmed from his attention. What did he see when he looked at her? A girl running away from her troubles, or a woman taking control of her life? She hoped the latter.
“It is beyond me how you can fret for them when they would have fed you the wolves.” There was a thread of steel in his voice.
“I love them very much.” Something made him breathe in sharply through his nose. The wordlove, perhaps?
“Touching.” His glance moved to the window where it was now almost fully dark, though the moon was bright.
“Did you not once love your parents, my lord?” She knew very little about his family. He seemed to have none.
Without looking at her, he said, “My father was more concerned with raising horses than children. My mother only sometimes remembers she has any offspring.”
His mother was alive, then. Interesting. “I am sorry to hear that. Every child should have a loving family.”
He glowered at her. She was certain now that he saw her as a girl running away from her troubles. Her heart sank in disappointment. “Yes,” he said. “Look what a loving family has done for you.”
“Touché.” She inclined her head but refused to back down to him. “However, I have many good memories of my parents. They are simply misguided in their plans for my future. They can love me and still make mistakes. Both are possible.”
His scowl softened slightly, though it was difficult to tell in the poor lighting. After a moment, he said, “We shall stop for the night up ahead. The last inn for a bit is in the next town, and if we miss it, God knows how long until we find the next one.”
“But is it too soon? Can they find us?” She was suddenly afraid that her plans could come to an end before they had even begun.
“Not likely. They have no idea where to look, but we should leave very early in the morning. It is best to make good time tomorrow. We can discuss the route tonight if you like—you still have to tell me where I am taking you.”
“Yes, I suppose I must tell you my destination. It’s too late for you to back out of our deal now.”
“Did we make a deal?” She heard a smile in his voice.
“Of sorts. Though we never settled on how I could repay you. Perhaps we can do that over a meal tonight.” Her own words made her face flame hotter than it ever had before. They had sounded rather like a proposition. Who was this person sitting so casually across from an earl in his owncarriage and flirting? She didn’t recognize herself, but she liked this new person.
“Let us do that.” That gravelly husk was back in his voice. It sent a thrill of anticipation right through her.
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