He's No Prince Charming (Ever After) (15 page)

“A package.”

Her suspicious stare caused his face to melt into a teasing smile.

“What is it really?” she demanded.

He cleared his throat, suddenly uncomfortable. “A gift.”

Danni’s eyes widened, her hands automatically pressing it back. “I cannot accept this.”

He stared at her in hurt disbelief. “Why the hell not?”

“A lady should not accept gifts from gentlemen.”

His features twisted. His arms bulged as they crossed his barrel chest. “Well, I’m no gentleman.”

Her hands tightened around the malleable bundle. She hesitated.

His face softened suddenly. “At least do me the kindness of opening it before you give it back.”

Nibbling her lip, her curiosity won out. She tore into the paper, revealing a hint of rose-colored cloth. In wonderment, she pulled the wrapping free, revealing the prettiest dress she’d ever seen. The soft muslin slipped through her fingers, falling elegantly. The skirt was decorated with delicately embroidered roses of the deepest red. Under the bust was a white satin ribbon, the sleeves and neckline bordered with lace. It was simply beautiful.

Stunned at his thoughtfulness, warmth washed over her. Even through his struggle with his own demons, he’d listened to her complaints regarding her attire, and taken it upon himself to make her feel better. She glanced from the dress to his watchful gaze, blinking back tears.

He cared for her. For the first time in several years, she felt special. She’d forgotten the power a gift could bestow. Annabel and Hu pegged her as independent and practical, and as much as she loved them, their gifts reflected that. Her father was too busy to even notice her, even though she tried to make him happy. Not even her future fiancé had given her a token of his affection.

The gathering pools in her eyes threatened to spill. She clutched the dress to her, surprised by the force of emotions that ripped through her. A virtual stranger, someone by all rights she should hate, had given her a gift. A rose-colored dress.

Panic struck his face. “You’re crying. You hate it.”

He reached to take the dress back. Despite proper dictates, Danni found she could not give it up. “No!”

He froze.

“I love it. Truly. I-It’s…Thank you so much.” Without thinking, she wrapped her arms about his waist, the dress caught between them. On impact, his spicy fragrance, the scent uniquely his, filled her lungs. A rush of happiness bubbled in her heart.

Slowly, hesitantly, solid arms lifted and wrapped about her, engulfing her in his strength. Instinctively, her head fell to his chest. The steady, rapid rhythm of his heart brought a gentle heat to her face. She’d never felt this close to someone before. “Thank you,” she whispered softly into his chest.

Abruptly, he drew back, red staining his high cheekbones, clearly ill at ease. “Yes, well.” He glanced towards the ceiling, clearing his throat before looking at her again. “Shall I meet you downstairs once you’ve changed?”

Danni nodded speechlessly, wiping her wet face and disappearing back to her room.

She stared at the folded gown. Another reason to believe this man was not the monster he presented to the world. He cared. He listened. He understood.

So much for confronting him about his compelling reasons for kidnapping Ginny. So much for not moving forward another step without an explanation for his actions. She was trapped. She trusted him. She knew eventually he would tell her, just as he had exposed his soul when he exposed his body to her. Answers to her questions would come when he was ready to tell her.

Quickly taking off the thin canvas shift, she slid into the proper undergarments she found nestled below the dress. For the first time in days, she felt appropriately dressed. Her relief was palpable. No more gawking eyes or shocked stares. As much as she wished to, she couldn’t bring herself to wear the rose creation. It was too beautiful for the muddy countryside. Danni wanted to save it for a special occasion. Instead, she opted for the simple blue dress folded beneath it.

Rewrapping the rose dress as if it were the finest china and tucking it in her trusty pack, she stepped out into the hall. It was a short walk to the bottom floor. Already men and women were arriving in droves, drink flowing freely. At their approach, the Amazon behind the bar spotted Danni and smiled in welcome.

“Good morning, Ursula. Busy already?” Danni tilted her head to indicate the men already surrounding the keg.

“Oh, aye! Always is this time of year. What can I be gettin’ for you and his lordship, little lady?”

“We arranged for a pair of horses last night.”

She grinned. “Of course. I’ll tell the lad you’re ready.”

Danni turned to scan the room, ever conscious of the scout. She didn’t see him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t about. “Marcus?”

She caught hold of his forearm. He flicked a hesitant gaze towards her at the contact. Danni refused to let go, afraid he might see it as the rejection she was sure he expected. “The horses should be ready.”

His split brow rose, his gaze lingering on her grip against his sleeve, before his face shuttered and hardened. Nodding, he gently removed her hand from his arm, his fingers lingering for a split second, and headed towards the exit. Her fists clenched. He’d been so wonderful and now he was acting as if she’d done something wrong. She’d thought they’d come to some sort of understanding, a friendship of sorts. Why else would he make such a beautiful and thoughtful gesture by gifting her that dress?

She went after him. Once outside the courtyard, she found him at the mouth of the stables, already mounting a solidly built chestnut. The mare tossed her head as he settled in the saddle, the spirited animal tugging anxiously against the reins.

Danni picked up her pace, waving off assistance, and lifted herself into the sidesaddle with ease. As soon as she was seated, she ran her hand down the neck of her shining black gelding. It snorted lazily, stomped the ground, and rolled its docile brown eyes as if imploring her to allow it rest. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Marcus smiling softly to himself.

Of course he would commandeer the animal that would actually be fun to ride.

Accepting the reins of the horse from the stable hand, she shot Marcus an overly sweet smile. “You get the mare for half our journey, and then we must switch.”

His smile widened, erasing Danni’s anger with its charm. “Not a chance.”

With that parting shot, he pressed his heels into the horse’s underbelly. The mare took off, heedless of the increasing crowd in the yard. Swearing under her breath, she chased after him, knowing full well her little horse would never overtake him.

They spoke little since leaving the inn, but it was an easy, uncomplicated silence. They carefully circled back through the forest several times to ensure they were not being followed, and reached the outskirts of the fairgrounds in less than an hour. Marcus dismounted, Danni quickly following behind.

“I believe we should explore the village.” He spoke softly, “We may be able to find a clue as to Ginny’s location or the bandits’ campsite.”

She nodded, watching as he moved casually among the wares. Mimicking his actions, she eavesdropped on shoppers’ conversations. Glorious fabrics, linens, and ribbons brightened the atmosphere like colorful flags. Jewelry of all colors and gems glittered in the morning sun. In her old life, she would have had the time and the funds to enjoy the festive day, feasting and spending recklessly. Today, nerves raw, she impatiently marked wasted time, time that Ginny waited for rescue, and exposed them to potential discovery by the admiral’s scouts lurking about.

If only she could shake the information she needed from these people.

When she met Marcus at the next stand, he said, “I’ll be back shortly. Look around a bit, and keep your ears and eyes open.” Tossing her the reins unceremoniously, he disappeared into the crowd, which quickly separated as people caught sight of his face.

She glared at his retreating back. Dragging the horses out of the flow of the crowd, she waited by a stall selling meat pies. She had eaten the last morsel of her second pie, when a creeping fear that Marcus may have been captured churned the food into a swirling pit in her gut. When he eventually returned, carrying another tightly wrapped package under his arm, his eyes seemed to smile when their gazes met, and Danni sighed with relief.

Unable to resist teasing, she held out her hand towards it. “For me?”

He snorted. “No.”

“Fine! I see. You raise my hopes only to dash them.”

“I wouldn’t wish to spoil you, little one.”

She smiled softly, enjoying their light banter. Danni was secretly glad he hadn’t actually bought her a gift. She simply could not accept another one. “That implies more will be coming.”

He laughed. “Possibly, if you do not try my patience too much.”

She tilted her head in an exaggerated examination of the parcel. “What is it then?”

“Food.”

“Oh.” She tried to hide her disappointment. She’d been hoping the contents were more interesting, “But I just ate meat pies.”

“You will be more pleased with my purchase later today when your belly aches. Have you found anything to lead us to Ginny?”

“No. And you?”

He frowned. “Apparently, this village seems to admire the bandits in the area rather than condemn them. The Green Bandit is a local legend. According to one of the stall owners, they like to camp to the north of here, but no one wishes to share more. Perhaps later, when the ale has flowed, they will be more forthcoming, but I am loath to wait. This crowd is thickening by the minute. Let’s head north and see if we can pick up signs of travel.”

Danni nodded in agreement, noticing for the first time his sweaty brow and slightly trembling hands. She rudely licked her lips and fingers to finish her pie with haste, taking a sip of her watered wine. His frown told her he’d found some fault with her again. Sighing, she said, “What have I done now?”

When he didn’t answer, she realized his eyes were riveted on her fingers as she licked the juices of the pie. Her heart responded to the heat blazing in their depths. Immediately, the ghostly memory of his lips brushing hers caused her to swallow awkwardly. Her pie hung forgotten in her hand as her mind conjured droplets dripping from his water-soaked hair across his corded neck.

Marcus’s hand reached out. Drowning in his eyes, she leaned into it. Her heart leaped and her skin tightened with the anticipation of his touch. She wanted nothing more than to feel the heat of his body against hers again. To wrap her palms in his rich white-blond hair. To trace the dimple in his lip with her tongue.

His breath fanned her face as he spoke, sweeping a quiver through her thighs. “Danni.”

Impossibly, the world seemed to spin.

Then an elbow collided with her back. She fell forward, dropping her pie. Marcus caught her with a ragged growl. The perpetrator and his companions laughed as they taunted, “The inn’s down the road!”

Danni’s face burned. She’d been trained from birth in proper behavior, the earl was waiting for her, and Ginny desperately needed rescue. What had come over her since this man had entered her shop?

Scrambling from Marcus’s embrace, she noticed the crowd’s knowing smirks, glares of disapproval, and stares of shock. She turned to Marcus, searching for a face free of judgment. She met stone. Too late, Danni realized that pulling away must have seemed a rejection to him. He turned and strode with determination towards the outskirts of the fair.

Panicked, she grabbed the horses’ reins and yanked on them to follow. She hurried after him through the crowd. Perhaps it was for the best if he were angry with her. They had no possibility of a future together. They needed to focus on poor Ginny.

“Marcus, shorten your strides.”

He stopped, but when she reached his side, she realized he hadn’t stopped for her. He quickly sidestepped around a nearby corner, pulling her roughly with him. He stared back intently at a man bartering a shawl at one of the several seamstress stalls.

“Do you recognize anything about that shawl?”

It was dark purple in color with a design bordering its edges in a burnt orange. She didn’t need to get closer to know exactly what that design was. It would be vines of laurel leaves.

“It’s Ginny’s. And that’s the highwayman I fought with.” Danni stared at the Green Bandit’s Gypsy companion. “The one who wanted me over Ginny.”

“Exactly. Let’s follow him.”

She couldn’t believe their luck. Ginny could not be far. And, Danni thought sadly, if the scout was near, she would have no trouble getting Ginny to safety.

But what would happen to Marcus?

Danni studied his intent face. If Ginny told her father about him, he would surely suffer severely, if he was not hanged outright. She could not bear that.

“Damn!”

Marcus’s angry curse died in the air as the man slipped away through the stalls. They pushed hurriedly through the streets after him, but the press of fairgoers engulfed them. They broke out of the crowd to find themselves at a small clearing edged by deep woods on all sides. Marcus raced fruitlessly along the edge of the fair, looking for tracks leading from the clearing into the forest. But who was to say he had even left the fairgrounds yet? They split up and searched again, until they had to admit they had lost him.

Danni stood staring out across the fields to the woods. Ginny was being held captive somewhere out there. As she gazed into the hidden green depths of the foliage, she felt a surge of hollow guilt. She shouldn’t be so happy she didn’t have to choose between either of them just yet.

I
nstead of escaping the village and all possible danger, they decided to return to the inn.

Danni had a difficult time arguing with Marcus’s logic. Searching the woods would be dangerous and most likely fruitless. They could become lost and be attacked by the bandits again. Darkness would approach early, they could become trapped and spend an uncomfortable night in the forest. Besides, it was entirely likely the highwaymen wouldn’t move on from the village until the festival was over. The gathering of people would be the perfect opportunity for them to lift purses and rob travelers on the road to and from the village.

Marcus and Danni would return to the fair tomorrow, better prepared to track them to their lair and to recapture Ginny. In addition, since they had yet to see the admiral’s scout, it was quite possible he had left the area. They had safely stayed at the inn the night before and, he argued, another quiet night there was most likely a good bet. So, despite the possibility of sharing a roof with potential enemies, they went back to their rooms.

They arrived back at the inn as the sun sank low in the sky. The Jacket seemed a very popular place. Loud noise echoed with the fading light, and lanterns cast a soft glow as they were lit. The stable hands ran to and fro, on errands for patrons inside the inn. A boy approached to take their reins and walk their horses to the barn. As she dismounted, she began to remark upon Marcus’s lack of sharing skills of a certain high-spirited horse but the scowl he wore as he looked towards the ruckus could only be described as murderous. She judged it best to remain silent as they entered the inn.

The moment she pulled back the door, she was greeted by a slew of humanity. The crowd inside was louder and denser than even the night before. People competed to be heard over their neighbors and shouts of raucous laughter echoed from one corner near a large keg. The smells of sweat and spilled ale poured through the doorway, pushing her backward as if by a physical onslaught. The noise was deafening. She held back a moment to steady herself, bracing to enter the fray. Then she noticed Marcus lagging behind, deep lines of tension about his mouth. He hovered just outside the door, scanning the room with an ashen face. His breath came in short, shallow gasps. His hands shook slightly as he reached for the wall as if he were dizzy.

Coming back to the inn was obviously not the best decision. If only she could go back in time. They would have continued to search the woods for Ginny. With any luck they would have already rescued her and be readying to depart for Gretna Green. She groaned. But if they had found Ginny, she would be overcome with the task of extricating Ginny from Marcus’s plans. Nothing in her life could ever be simple.

Marcus visibly swayed. She hesitantly touched him.

“Are you all right? We can leave here if you would like.”

His look of annoyance gave her some measure of relief. She could read him now. He was directing his fear of the crowd onto her in the form of anger. She could work with that. She dropped her hand in disgust.

“You do realize I am getting tired of always being glared at and scolded.”

His eyes only narrowed further, but the terrified look was slowly fading as his anger was restored. The visible transformation actually made her smile.

His lips curled back in a snarled response.

“Fine.” She huffed. “Continue acting like a child. I am going to find a different entry. I have no wish to brush up against strangers in there.”

She wasn’t sure if he was going to follow, but Danni slammed the door shut and strode in the direction of the stables. The tension in her shoulders eased when she heard gravel crunch behind her. She resisted the urge to glance back at him smugly, her smile broadening. He was doing exactly as she wished. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t tried this tactic sooner. Her sense of judgment had been seriously skewed ever since he had walked into her shop.

She practically skipped up to the young boy in the stables. He turned a surprised gaze to her, widening quickly when his glance flicked to the space behind her. Marcus, she assumed. A stab of emotion cut her heart. He was just a man.

“How can I ’elp ye, milady?” he asked with a nervous edge.

“I hoped you could possibly direct us to another entrance of the inn? It’s frightfully crowded and I’d rather not be forced to deal with a drunken mob.”

“’Course! If ye go ’round the back, ye can enter the common room by the kitchens.”

“Thank you.” She offered him another quick smile before hurrying in the direction the boy had pointed. The crunch of gravel continued behind her until she reached the door near a small herb garden.

Suddenly, Marcus was in front of her, his body blocking her way. She stepped back, crossing her arms in defiance. He glowered down at her for several moments before speaking. His voice was low and full of warning. “I know what you are doing and I do not appreciate it, Miss Green.”

Her heart sank. She’d thought she could help him cope without wounding his pride. She dropped her arms by her side, lifting her shoulders in bewilderment. “I haven’t a clue as to what you mean. Please step aside.”

“Haven’t a clue? Do not insult me. You know of my distaste for crowds.”

“It isn’t hard to fathom. Your eyes were wild and your hands were trembling. The other night, you could not escape the tavern room fast enough.”

“Let me make this very clear.” He fairly growled. “I do not want or need your help. I’ve managed before you and I will manage after you, once I am on my way to Gretna.”

Danni stepped back as if he had struck her. So that was that. She shouldn’t be surprised. She yanked her spine straight, her jaw tilted with determination. He was set upon this crazed scheme. He would force a terrified girl into an unwanted marriage. And he planned to never see her again.

She knew beneath that gruff exterior was the heart and mind of a caring, compassionate man, but he was still a beast. He was still going to force Ginny to marry him for her money. The mere idea was almost a physical pain streaking through her chest. Tears burned at the back of her eyes. His gaze was shuttered and his face still as stone. It was that barrier again. “Why do you need her fortune, Marcus? Are you really as destitute as the gossip columns report?”

He mirrored her stance, his eyes unreadable, but worse, unfeeling. He wasn’t going to answer. She feared he never would. Well, then, she could worry about him no longer. In the beginning, she had gone along only with the intention of raising the alarm the moment Marcus was out of London. Then, in the woods, she feared for him as well as for Ginny. But now she no longer cared. If he carried through on his threat to expose her to the
ton
, so be it. From now on, her sole concern was Ginny.

“If you consider ‘managing’ your problem by drowning everything with liquor, then feel free to enter the inn by the front entrance. There is plenty of it available to you in the tavern. I am entering this way. Please move.”

He stood in place, dumbstruck.

Blinking back more tears, she hissed through her teeth. “Marcus Bradley, if you do not move out of my way this very instant, I will not be responsible for my actions.”

A smirk split his lips as he measured her up and down. She could see he considered her threat futile. She saw her lack of worth in his eyes, and tried to hold in her tears. She couldn’t believe he would belittle her honest effort to help him. She’d been so wrong about him. So very, very wrong.

Anger spurred her to retaliate. Gritting her teeth, she swung back her leg and let her foot fly. A satisfying crack resulted as her boot connected solidly with his shin. He let out a grunt, grabbed his leg, and shifted out of the way. She didn’t know if he was more surprised or hurt. She didn’t care. Danni pushed past before he could recover, slamming the door to block him out. Ginny was not the only female who could kick.

A harried kitchen servant scurried to her side, clucking about eccentric females before ushering her out of the crazed space and into a back hallway. At the end lay the staircase to the second floor. A few feet away, festivities roared from the common room. She marked her place at the end of the bar, clear of the servants’ path. Ursula, the innkeeper, stood at the end of the counter talking with someone just out of sight.

Steeling herself against the rush, she pushed through the crowd. A man stepped up to grab her arm—the look on his face told her he didn’t want to simply talk. Danni shifted out of the way, narrowly avoiding a collision with a tray before finally coming to a stop next to the Amazon. She gave her a surprised look. “Lady Bradley! I didn’t expect ye back. ’As somethin’ gone amiss?”

Shaking her head, she ignored the man at the bar with Ursula and addressed the owner. “My brother is not well enough yet to travel. Would our rooms still be available for tonight?”

Ursula was already nodding, waving the issue away. “’Course! ’Ave the same ones!”

“Thank you, Miss Ursula.”

“Pardon me, milady. Must clear the floor for the dancin’.”

Danni leaned against the countertop, waiting for a serving girl to move so she could head to the stairs. A discordant note of a fiddle floated across the common room.

“Care for a dance?”

Danni met the gaze of the man Ursula had been talking to. He had a friendly smile and didn’t appear overly drunk. She found she did not want to return to her room to wallow in her thoughts.

She knew this was not a smart thing to do. There was much at stake. She scanned the crowd for the admiral’s scout. The room was jammed full of villagers, so loud and boisterous she would never be spotted unless she was directly beside him. She thought of Ginny and regret flushed through her. How badly she wanted to right the mess she had helped to create. Then Marcus’s grim face flashed through her mind and anger washed away regret. What did it matter what he would think? He’d made it plain that for him, she was just a means to an end.  

The man encouraged her with a charming smile and reached for her arm. Danni surrendered. It was time to forget all and enjoy herself for a moment.

Accepting his hand, she was drawn to the center of the dance floor. The final discordant tuning of the instruments evolved into the first strums of a quadrille. The dancers scrambled into position, laughter erupting as people bumped into one another. The man was already on the turn with her by the time the others had fallen into place. Danni weaved in and out of the lines, the music an unexpected pleasure in this run-down establishment. ’Twas no wonder it was popular.

The next steps of the dance drew them together. Danni realized her dance partner was much more impaired than she had originally thought. His face was flushed and his hands skirted her body. More than once she quickly removed one that skimmed too far down her back or far too high on her chest. His charming smile turned threateningly wicked. Danni wasn’t amused, and turned towards the crush to make an escape.

The man suddenly grasped her close, leaning deeply against her, his lips brushing the rim of her ear. Her skin crawled with discomfort, and she unwillingly recalled the shiver of excitement that Marcus stirred in her. Hurt and pain crushed her heart again as the stranger staggered heavily into her. “Ye right pretty, milady.”

Some may have been flattered. She was anything but. “Sir, it’s best if we sit, I think.”

He pulled back, his clouded eyes clearing slightly. “No. Another dance, instead.”

“I think one is enough. Please release me this instant.”

His eyes narrowed. His hands dropped low, too low, against her back, pulling her close against the full length of his body. Alcohol-stained breath wafted unpleasantly against her face when he buried his face in her neck. She wanted away. Now.

Danni tried to pull free, but his grip tightened. Her heart beat faster. The unpleasant situation was fast becoming out of her control.

Then an angry roar erupted behind them, and the man was abruptly pulled off her. Marcus stood before her, holding the shorter man by his throat, feet dangling in the air. Shocked, Danni pulled viciously on Marcus’s arm. “Stop it, Marcus!”

He looked terrible. His brow was beaded with sweat and his grip on the gasping man trembled violently. He managed to look directly at her and Danni saw the incredible rage inside him. She stepped back, letting him go. For the first time, she was truly terrified of what Marcus could be capable of.

He shook her dance partner. “Stay away from her!”

He chokingly assented, head bobbing as best he could against the pressure of Marcus’s huge palm. Marcus released him to crumble on the floor. Danni moved to assure herself he would recover, but the giant dragged her towards the door. She did not fight him. Instead, she glanced back, relieved to see bystanders help the drunkard stagger to his feet.

Marcus spun her about, clutching her closer than propriety allowed. He breathed erratically as his eyes shifted about, searching for an exit. He barely spoke. “Come.”

Did she have a choice?

Latching onto her arm, he dragged her up the staircase to the floor of rooms. He pulled up short in the hallway outside his door.

“You should never have allowed that man a dance.”

She knew that, but he had no stake in what she did or did not do. “I may dance with whomever I choose, Marcus.”

His face twisted, turning uglier than she’d ever seen it. “He almost kissed you!”

Danni opened her mouth to retort, but clamped it shut with an audible click. Why should she defend herself? It was not as if she’d encouraged that man.

“What kind of woman are you? Did you want him to kiss you, Danni? Did you like having a man like him maul you? What about your fiancé? What about m—?”

His mouth snapped shut, and his glower deepened, shadowed with pain.

“What do you mean, a man like him?” she managed past her thick throat, ignoring the mention of the earl.