Page 65 of The Dangerous Love of a Rogue
Edward could not look at Ellen. ‘We had better start our search there. I saw her speaking with Lord Brooke and Framlington only days ago at a ball.’
‘Brooke is Framlington’s best friend,’ John stated, ‘and he rarely goes to such things?—’
‘Well, he has attended balls recently, and twice, he danced with Mary,’ Ellen interjected. ‘Oliver had introduced one of his friends. I never thought to question it.’
‘And Oliver clearly never gave a damn,’ John spat.
‘It hardly matters now,’ Edward said. ‘What is done is done. Now we must simply find them…’
21
Mary had no idea how many miles they had travelled but it seemed a considerable distance. Her bottom was sore from being bounced about on the seat of his curricle over rutted tracks. She ached in other places too after last night. They had stopped at a busy coaching inn for luncheon, but that was hours ago. So, when he said they would stop for the night, relief overrode every other emotion.
Tomorrow, her parents would discover her gone and follow. Her parents would be angry and heartbroken when they discovered that Mary had lied. John would be disappointed.
Andrew said it would take three or four more days to reach Gretna. He’d said he did not care if her father caught up with them, because what was done could not be undone, so they need not rush now.
She hoped Papa would find them. At least then her parents would be at her wedding. But she still believed this had been her only choice. Papa and John would not have let her marry Andrew unless he forced their hands.
On arrival, they had dinner in a parlour downstairs. As they climbed the stairs to their room. Andrew held her hand.
The soft light of a vibrant sunset flooded the small room. It gilded Andrew with gold.
‘You’re silent,’ Andrew said as he closed the bedroom door and turned the key in the lock. His eyes gleamed a dark honey colour. ‘What are you thinking? Tell.’
Ah. Why must tears come? They stung in her eyes. Her teeth caught her lip to stop them tumbling over but failed.
‘Mary? You are not regretting…’ His expression twisted as he caught her hand. He would have pulled her to him, but she pressed her other hand against his chest to stop him and wiped the tears away.
‘I am not regretting what we did. I am thinking of my parents. They will know I am not there tomorrow.’
His thumb brushed a stray tear from her cheek, as a bitter sigh escaped his lips. He turned away. ‘Must you think of them now? Why do you care? You left them behind.’ His voice was tinged with impatience and anger.
He picked up the decanter of wine on the table and poured some into a glass.
He did not understand because he was not close to his family. She did not try to explain. Her wounded emotions meant finding the words was too difficult. Instead, she walked to his back and hugged his waist. Her hands crossing over on his stomach, she squeezed him tightly for a moment.
His body was stiff; nothing in his stance yielded as she held him.
‘I would like Papa to walk me up the aisle, and Mama there too, that is all.’
A condescending sound left his throat as he turned, forcing her to let him go. ‘Your father might drag you away from the aisle.’
‘I should have tried to persuade them to accept you.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘You would not have persuaded them.’
Mary opened her mouth to speak, but no words came as he sipped from the wine glass, his hard gaze telling her he did not want to discuss her parents’ point of view.
After he had drunk, he held the rim of the wine glass to her lips and tilted it. It felt like he was offering her a poison chalice as the devil in him grinned in the black hearts of his eyes.
After she sipped from the glass he put it down.
His hands held her hips as his lips pressed hard on hers. The kiss felt like a branding iron. When he broke the kiss, his hazel eyes were like treacle not honey, his pupils were so wide. Her bones were as weak as aspic.
‘I love you. You know that…’ His words did not sound like a statement, but a question.
‘I know.’ She believed him, but he did not understand how much it hurt her to hurt her family, and when she spoke of caring for her family it appeared as though she hurt him.
