Page 21 of An Unbending Lady for the Desperate Earl
“Perhaps.” Lord Galbury gave her a gallant smile that only proceeded to redden her cheeks to scarlet proportions.
“That is very kind, My Lord.” Betty sketched a curtsy. “I will feel much better, knowing she is in capable hands.”
“Anyone would think I were a damsel!” Victoria protested.
Lord Galbury laughed softly. “I can assure you, nobody thinks that.”
“Come, we will be late if we tarry any longer.” Victoria was desperate to remove Lord Galbury from her mother’s presence, where the pair of them could tease her at their leisure.
“I hope you will dance with His Lordship this evening. After all, if you are to keep up appearances, you will have to be convincing. And one must dance if one is to attend a ball.” Betty managed one last word to secure Victoria’s mortification.
Lord Galbury held Victoria’s gaze. “Your mother makes an exceptional point.”
“No dancing. I do not dance. And, in this dress, it wouldn’t be dancing, it would be stumbling in every direction,” Victoria retorted. “Now, please may we go?”
Lord Galbury bowed his head to hide a hint of a smirk. “We may.”
“Goodnight, Mama. I will return here afterwards, but I advise you not to wait for me before you retire. I don’t know how long I shall be,” Victoria said, eager to be on her way.
Betty grinned. “Be as late as you wish, darling. I look forward to hearing all about it.”
Heaven help me.With a roll of her eyes, Victoria bid her mother farewell and headed out into the cold night air, the icy wind nipping at her cheeks and adding the rouge she had refused to allow her mother to apply. The breeze swept up off the river, scented with the fecundity of all that poured into those murky depths. And she had seen enough bodies dredged from the riverbed to know what horrors lurked beneath.
This is why you don’t know how to behave as other ladies might,she told herself sternly. Even in the presence of a handsome gentleman, dressed in all his finery, her mind couldn’t help but turn to the worst of this world. Being an investigator had ruined her for the romances and fairytale pleasures of simpler folk. For where others saw magic and beauty upon this Earth, she saw only shadow and pain, knowing that happiness could be stolen away at any moment by the darkness that lingered on every corner. Even where high society roamed.
This night, for example, she had no thoughts of dancing and merriment. This was not a revel for her. This was business. No, she thought only of Miss Longacre, and the dark shadows that might be coming for that young innocent when the celebrations ended, and she retired to what should have been the sanctuary of her own bedchamber. Right now, Victoria and Lord Galbury were the only ones standing between those shadows and another missing lady being emblazoned upon tomorrow’s newspapers.
How could anyone think of dancing, with lurking devils on the horizon? Devils who could well be hidden in plain sight.
Chapter 10
Christian tried his best not to stare at Victoria, throughout their journey from Southwark to Mayfair. As instructed by his fearsome associate, they had changed carriages on a quiet corner, away from prying eyes, and were now safely ensconced in Christian’s as it made its way through the familiar surrounds of the wealthy residences.
I would not recognize her, if I did not already know it to be her.He turned his gaze out of the window, while stealing a glance or two out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t know if his attempt at discretion was going unnoticed under Victoria’s perceptive watch, but he hoped so. For he was not the sort of gentleman who ever stared so outright at a lady.
Seeing her in the doorway of what he supposed to be her family home, he had been left breathless by the ethereal nature of her beauty. Once more, he found himself thinking of how unlike any other lady she was. She did not wear her beauty as a badge of honor, or as a mode of enticement to draw in rich suitors. Instead, she wore it with an air of reluctance, and even disdain. It amused and intrigued him in equal measure, considering she was quite the rarest and most striking creature he had ever had the pleasure of encountering.
“Did nobody educate you that it is rude to stare at a woman?” Victoria’s voice echoed out of the faint glow within the carriage. “I would have thought that would be your first lesson, at whatever elite establishment you attended.”
Christian smiled to hide his embarrassment. “I did not mean to stare, Victoria. I am trying to grow accustomed to this new demeanor of yours. It is surprising and, as such, it is taking some time for the shock to dissipate.”
“I am little changed, Lord Galbury.”
I suppose that is true. You are the same Victoria I have come to know, in some small measure. And, in truth… I almost prefer the plain dress and woolen cloak.He did not say so out loud. Indeed, the thought perplexed him, for it was not the sort of thought he ought to be having, with his fiancée captured by villains.
“Actually, I have been contemplating that,” he said, to try and alter the subject and clear his mind of wayward notions.
“What? My attire? You would have me always dress in a ballgown and these ludicrous silken gloves that will be ruined within an hour? Why, I would be laughed out of London!” Victoria retorted, with her usual caustic wit.
He shook his head. “No, not that. I agree, it would be highly impractical. Although, it would certainly make criminals pause in their actions, if you were to come barging in, wearing such grandeur.” He chuckled softly at the image.
“Then what did you mean? Speak frankly.” Victoria leaned against the carriage wall and fixed her gaze upon him, making him feel suddenly flushed. Those intense eyes had a habit of making him feel unsettled.
“If you have insisted upon my referring to you as Victoria, even though it goes against every mote of propriety within my person, then it only seems fair that you call me Christian. Then, we may be on equal footing, as associates ought to be.” He gulped awkwardly. “I would not be an Earl to you, but a partner in our joint endeavor, dispensing with titles and formalities.”
He had been thinking about it since they parted ways after speaking to Miss Jennings. He had never felt particularly comfortable with having a higher status over others, but it seemed even more undesirable when he was in Victoria’s company. He didn’t want there to be any societal barrier between them, not while they continued on this missive together.
And, perhaps, beyond that…He scolded himself for even thinking it, wondering what on earth had got into him. He convinced himself it was the lack of sleep he had been enduring, since Helena had gone missing, sending him quite mad.
