Page 91 of Nothing Compares to the Duke
Then what?
Soon there would no longer be any point in their ruse. No reasons to be seen in each other’s company or slip away to Claremont House to make love.
Rhys would go back to his life and she would resume hers.
What frightened her was that she couldn’t imagine that independent life she’d so longed for anymore.
She couldn’t imagine any future that didn’t include him, and she feared giving in to that yearning too.
Chapter Twenty-One
Rhys had never seen Bella so anxious. She sat opposite him in his carriage but she hadn’t cast him a glance in a quarter of an hour. Her gaze was fixed out the window at a house a few doors down the street.
“Macadams knows what time we intended to be here?” she asked, her voice an octave higher and revealing every ounce of her irritation.
“He’ll be here. I’m certain. We were early, Bella.”
“To thwart a thief, one should be a step ahead, don’t you think?” She glanced at him but far too briefly.
“Since this is my first foray into criminal hunting, I really couldn’t say.”
That seemed to deflate a bit of her anxiousness. She let out a sigh and turned to face him.
“You’re right, of course. I’m no detective inspector from Scotland Yard.”
“Not yet anyway.”
She grinned at that and he felt lighter for the first time all morning. But the ease between them faded because a moment later she was staring out the window again, chewing at her bottom lip nervously.
“Perhaps I should knock on the door and see if he’s even there.”
“Mostly definitely not.”
“I don’t fear him.”
“If we go up to that door, we’re doing it together.”
She huffed out a sigh. “We did this at Mrs. Turner’s. You’ve met him. If he sees you, he’ll know the jig is up and bolt.”
Rhys laughed. “The jig is up? Have you been spending time with Macadams that I’m not aware of?”
“No, I read it in a detective novel.” She cast him an odd look. “I’m going in.” Even before the words were out, she’d opened the door of the carriage and stepped down onto the pavement.
“Bella, stop.”
But she didn’t.
Rhys was out of the carriage almost as quick as she was, but before he could make it down the pavement to catch up, she was knocking at the door.
He waited to see if anyone answered. As he did, he heard a carriage rattle to a stop behind him. A moment later, footsteps approached.
“Your Grace, I didn’t expect to find you here.” Macadams was breathless and cast a harried look at Rhys.
The note Rhys had sent the man had been short, as all his written correspondence was, only laying out the details of what they’d found. He’d made no mention of him and Bella being present when Macadams investigated the address.
“My fiancée is a very determined woman.” Rhys kept his gaze fixed on Bella as she rapped again on the front door.
“My God, is that the lady?” Macadams stared at her in horror. “She can’t simply strut up to the man’s door. Is she mad?”
