Page 49 of Daring the Forbidden Earl
Not only that, but she had confided in him entirely, despite not knowing if he would balk to hear her confession of having had a lover and a child, which she had lost. And all she had asked in return was his full honesty, and to hear everything of his past, as a fair exchange. But he had not held up his end of that bargain.
“I must go to her,” Mark urged, trying to find Kenneth in the darkness. “I must go to her, now.”
Liam nodded. “You fear she is in danger from Lord Dresday?”
Mark gulped, for he had not thought of that. “Yes… among other things.” He eyed his friend. “Are you quite certain we can be wed at Gretna Green?”
“I am.”
Mark took a steadying breath. “Then I must go to Johanna and make a proposal of marriage, for that is that only way that both of us can be safe, now. Once we are wed, Lord Dresday will have no choice but to stop this.”
For once he belonged to Johanna, and she belonged to him, there was nothing and no one in this world who would be able to tear them apart. And, to make doubly sure of their safety, he would not be returning to London once they were married.
We will start our new life together at my country estate, my love.
That place held terrible memories for him, but if Liam was right about being able to heal, then perhaps he would be able to put all of those nightmares to rest, once and for all.
But first…
“Denninson!” Mark barked. “Come back here!”
Kenneth appeared between the gates, panting. “I could not find him, Westwood, but I saw blood on the ground. I definitely shot him.”
“That does not matter now,” Mark replied. “Get in the carriage. I have somewhere more important to be.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ashort while later, Mark arrived outside Johanna’s apartments. He knew she would be at home, for if she was not with Nora, waiting to hear news of him, she had to be here. And he had already checked with Nora, to make sure she was not.
Drawing in a deep breath, he got out of the carriage and headed into the building. Taking the steps two at a time, he reached her front door. There, he paused to gather himself, before knocking.
A few moments later, Johanna opened it, but her appearance surprised him. She looked very weary indeed, as though she were truly unwell, with bruised crescents beneath her eyes and a dullness to her skin. Her beautiful blue gaze took a moment to register his presence, before her eyelids flickered in shock.
“Mark?” she gasped. “You are safe! It worked! But… what are you doing here?”
He peered over her shoulder. “Is the housekeeper here?”
“She departed a few hours ago,” she replied, her forehead furrowing as she noticed the injury on his arm. Her fingertips reached out to touch the makeshift bandage, where blood had seeped through. “What happened to you? How did you get this?”
Mark’s shoulders sagged. “Please, if you would allow me inside, I will explain everything.” He swallowed thickly. “I have been going quite mad in the days since our last encounter, and… I hope I am not too late to remedy my missteps.”
Hesitantly, Johanna stepped back from the threshold, to permit him entry. Leading the way, she turned and guided him through to a small parlor at the back of the apartments. It was a room he had not seen before, and though it was night outside, he noticed she had not pulled the drapes, allowing the bright moonlight in.
“Sit here,” Johanna instructed. “I will fetch water and cloths to clean your injury, and then you will tell me everything of what has happened.”
Mark folded his arms awkwardly behind his back. “My wound can wait.” He nodded to a nearby armchair. “Please, would you sit instead? I think it would be best, for I have a great deal to say.”
Saying nothing in reply, she sat down and looked up at him expectantly.
“I know you went to Miss Steele to try and help me,” he began. “For that, I am eternally grateful, which is why it pains me to tell you that it did not work. Miss Steele must not have been able to manage it, for Lord Dresday was at the meeting place, and his pistol caused this.”
Johanna covered her mouth with her hand. “No… No, how can that be?”
“It is not easy for a daughter to stand up to her father,” he ruminated, only to waft a dismissive hand. “But that does not matter, for I have another solution to this problem, that will ensure the safety of both of us. I fear I have riled Lord Dresday’s fury, and he may seek to harm those closest to me, so we must act quickly.”
Johanna blanched. “What do you suggest?”
“I will come to that, but first I must tell you something else. Perhaps, it will go some way toward explaining why I am the way I am. Or, rather, how I have been these past years, though I hope to be a better man going forward at your side,” he continued. “I do not want to be that man anymore, and I pray that we will be able to heal together.”
