Page 67 of Lord Ramsey's Red-Headed Ruin
Her racing heart picked up.
The performance was long. But the hours found him whispering now and then about the play. If he did so because he wished to appear congenial for the other guests, Amber took what she could get.
She’d make a better play to get him to agree to talk at length with her.
His desire had always been her leverage. Now, however, she would not use it and be unfair to him. Tonight, she wished to aid both their causes. Only that.
*
The party dispersedinto the night air. The Chilterns and Manning thanked Kane for the evening and called for their own carriages. Appleby also excused himself, with regards to Kane for the evening. He said he would find his own way home but hurried off for the theater’s backstage to find Charmaine, who had so enthralled him. Kane, who called for his own large town carriage, offered Amber and Ram to ride with him.
Amber spoke first as she gathered the white fox collar of her opera cloak to her throat. It was now or never if she was to persuade Ram to come home with her. “I hope you’ll excuse me, Kane. I wish to hail a carriage myself.”
“You cannot go alone,” Kane objected.
She gave him a look that said otherwise. “I often have.”
“I’ll go with her, Whit.” Ram stared at his friend.
Kane, surprise written in his narrowed eyes, checked the expressions of each of them. “I return home alone, then.”
“Give Gus my best wishes,” Amber told him.
“Mine as well, Whit. Good night.” Ram took her arm. “Come,” he said to her with the first smile of the night. “We’ll have a better chance of getting a good carriage if we leave the crowd and stand down there.”
Minutes later, Ram hailed a cab and gave the groom Amber’s address. The two of them climbed into a well-appointed fiacre that smelled fresh and clean.
Ram sat opposite her.
The horse took to the streets with a regular clip-clop that punctured her composure—and left her planned speech full of holes.
In the flickering shadows of night, Amber watched him remove his hat and run two hands through his hair. He wore it longer these days, a pirate’s appearance that suited his endearing swagger.
She had to shut her eyes to his allure. She was not here to seduce him.
“Now then,” he said as he cocked a long black brow at her, “what is it you want to tell me?”
Chapter Nineteen
“Not here.”
“Why not?” Impatient, he raised a hand. “We’re alone.”
She lifted her chin. The defiance poked at his awareness of the way her cloak fell half open and how the moonlight gleamed on the perfection of her décolletage. She clutched her fingers together. She could not hide a bad case of nerves.
He gave in.
Silent, he counted the minutes as they traveled across the city to her house. She glanced up and down the street as their carriage slowed. The road appeared empty. Somewhere a cat howled. A few houses away, another carriage jangled to a stop. From inside, voices rang out as a man and woman argued loudly.
Ram felt in his greatcoat pocket for his pistol. He was wary of them. Of anyone. Across from him sat his darling, and while she was in his presence, she was his to protect. He wouldn’t put it beyond Vaillancourt to watch her house—or to plant a ruse such as a couple arguing. The deputy chief of police had a fascination for Amber that bordered on the obsessive. How and why she had been able to avoid becoming his mistress was a subject Ram wished to ask her about, but never would. She did as she wished. He was now only her friend. Her friend who loved her still.
A footman emerged from her foyer and jogged to the street to pull open their door. Ram left first as he surveyed the street. Beyond them, the carriage that had stopped swayed withwhat appeared to be a tussle. No sound came forth. Did they pose, feigning a battle so they could report to Vaillancourt that the lovely Madame St. Antoine welcomed a man to her home tonight? Alone?
Let them.He defied them and spun to offer his hand to her. “Come, madame, the night is cold.”
She grasped his fingers and swept past him to lead the way inside.
Nodding to her friendlymajordom, Ram gave over his coat, hat, and gloves and followed her to her small private salon on the second floor.
