Page 87 of The Beauty and the Boxer
What she was doing, she didn’t really know,only that she was desperate to find him. She needed to tell himthat truth. The whole truth.
As she raced towards the dockyards in hercarriage at breakneck speed, Meredith clutched her hands togetherin a painful grip, hoping against hope that she wouldn’t be toolate.
Chapter Nineteen
Jack lounged in one of the club chairs thatsat in his private cabin aboard the passenger shipGaelicBreeze, staring out the porthole that would be his only windowfor the next two weeks. A headache that hadn’t left him since thatmorning had finally begun to subside, but it wasn’t only his headthat hurt.
Jack hadn’t ever felt like this before. Itwas infuriating to feel so helpless. Perhaps it was cowardly to goto America now, but then he couldn’t stand to be in Meredith’spresence, not when he wanted her more than she could ever possiblyunderstand. He knew she couldn’t give him everything he wanted andso it was best to leave.
Meredith was a gentle born lady, finallyable to move about her world without the painful memories of herpast hanging over her like a guillotine. As the bell tolled tosignal the ship’s departure, he wondered what she would do now thatshe was free.
He supposed she would continue herfriendship with Sir Kent. He would probably court her for somemonths before asking for her hand in marriage, a proposal she wouldreadily accept. They would probably be married by the time hereturned, an idea that caused him an undiluted amount ofanguish.
Still, he wondered if she would think ofhim. He knew the next several months would be spent fighting offdreams of her. Perhaps he would find a mistress in New York. One tokeep his mind occupied even if he was sure she would not compare.For who could ever compare to Meredith?
He was debating on having a drink to drownhis sorrows in when a knock at the cabin door sounded. He turned tostare at it.
“Go away,” he called out, not moving. Whenthe knock sounded again, he spoke louder. “Go. Away.”
Still the knocking persisted.
Feeling particularly murderous, Jack stoodand stalked across the small cabin. He tore open the door, ready toend whoever thought it was a good idea to interrupt him.
“What—”
His words were cut short at the sight of asmall, cloak covered woman whose hood was pulled up over her head.He could only see her mouth, but then he had studied that mouth forweeks. For a moment, neither person moved until her hands came upto the edge of her hood, pushing it back.
Meredith’s face was taut with emotion. Hecould barely move, barely think as he stared at her.
“Meredith,” he said as the bell tolledagain. He gazed up to the ceiling. “They’re pulling out.”
“I know.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Can I come in?”
“You can’t be here. You have to get off theship.”
“Please?”
Confused and sure that he would need to gether on a dingy to bring her back to shore, he wrestled with whatneeded to be done and what he wanted to do. Sighing angrily as herelented, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into the cabin.The door closed gently behind them as he pushed away from her,pacing across the cabin to keep from touching her.
“What are you doing here?”
For a moment she didn’t answer. Her throatworked, up and down as if she were trying to find the words.
“It’s a lovely room,” she said eventually.“I’ve never been on a ship before.”
She didn’t seem too eager to tell him whyshe was there, but Jack wasn’t having it. He came before her,crowding her so that she couldn’t escape his questions.
“Answer me,” he demanded. “What are youdoing here?”
Her mouth opened slightly as she stared upat him and he felt his heart fracture. She was so damn beautifuland he knew she was about to say something devastating.
“Simon told us that you had plans to go toNew York,” she said gently. “I didn’t want you to leave withouttelling you…”
“Telling me what?”
