Page 34 of The Lady Was Lying
The wind helpfully billowed through the narrow space between the carriages.
“You may not stay here with me,” he declared again, leaning into the wind like it didn’t faze him.
“I don’t have much choice if you won’t allow me in the carriage. If I go into the theatre, my sister will gloat for the rest of our lives. If I go to the duke’s townhouse, I’ll have to sneak inside. What if his mother is home? Can you imagine what would happen if I encountered her?” She had no idea if his mother was even in London, but she still affected an expression of shock. “If I return home, I will be unable to converse with the duke. As far as I can tell, waiting with you is the only viable option I have. Unless…”
“But waiting here isn’t a viable option. As soon as the performance ends, I’ll be driving around to pick the duke up. It won’t be safe for you here. If you won’t go inside, you’d be better off lingering outside the theatre.”
“And allow my family to find me? I think not.” She shifted, still resting against the carriage and making it impossible for him to drive away. “I hope you don’t run me down when you leave.” She made a face. “I’d hate for you to have to explain to Lord Greydon why you abandoned his sister in the street and then ran her over.”
“Get into the carriage,” he grumbled after a beat of silence.
“Thank you, kind sir.”
She reopened the door and disappeared inside.
It was chaotic when James exited the theatre. People were laughing. Carriages were pulling in and out of traffic. Coachmen, including his own, were shouting at each other. In order to escape the swirling noise, James ducked inside as quickly as he could. The door had already swung halfway closed when his coachman shouted, “Your Grace.”
He didn’t need to wonder why he was being hailed, because he immediately noticed he wasn’t alone in the carriage. For the second time that week, a stowaway awaited him in the shadows.
The leap in his pulse was undeniable.
Why had she sneaked past his coachman a second time?
And why was he so happy about it?
“Lady Belinda,” he drawled, trying to pretend he hadn’t spent the evening wondering why she hadn’t come with her family. He’d feared that she was avoiding him, but seeing her sitting calmly across from him eradicated that worry.
“Duke.” She propped her chin on her fist and asked, “How was the theatre?”
Her tone was off, but in the dimness he couldn’t read her expression. “Is something amiss?”
“Not at all,” she replied. “How was the theatre?”
His certainty that something was different only increased with every word she uttered. Why was she lurking in the shadows? Had she settled on a new strategy?
“It was crowded,” he answered, and then remembering her observation that being parked outside her brother’s townhouse would draw attention, he tapped on the roof. Once he’d assured the coachman that all was well and that he wasn’t angry about his unexpected guest, the carriage smoothly pulled into the street.
“You seem to have a strong aversion to crowds,” she remarked as they started to move.
“I spent my formative years in the country, so it’s hardly surprising that London has been an adjustment.”
“I suppose.” Her lips curled upward. “Did you at least enjoy the performance?”
“Of course.”
“Then why are you frowning?”
“Because I don’t know why you here.” And because he couldn’t shake the sense that something was wrong. Why was she engaging in pointless small talk? Was this the night she would succeed in kissing him?
“I realized something earlier this evening, and decided I needed to discuss it with you promptly. Considering the time and locale, I think you can agree that waiting for you in your carriage was the safest option.”
“Safer than staying home?”
She hmphed. “I had a realization.”
“You had a realization that required you to slink about the London streets until you stumbled upon my carriage? You couldn’t wait until the morning? Have you any idea how unsafe it is for a woman to be alone at night?”
She waved her hand in the air. “As you can see, I’m perfectly well.”
