Soldier of Fortune: The King's Courtesan (Rakes and Rogues of the Retoration Book 2) (42 page)

“How will you protect yourself against him, then?”

“I will hire extra footmen. I’ve also heard one can hire boxers and ex-soldiers for protection.”

Thinking it through, discussing it, made it all seem a bit more manageable and helped her reestablish some sense of control. She was surprised at how easy and comfortable she was talking to this man who was a stranger only hours ago. It was as if he had always been a part of her life and she found herself responding to him as to an old friend. Perhaps it was because of the circumstances. It was hard
not
to trust someone who had rescued you from a grim fate and seen you safely down a tower. He was also undeniably attractive, though she hoped she wasn’t so shallow as to be swayed by something like that.

Perhaps it’s because I shall never see him again
. That thought filled her with a sense of panicked loss so strong it shocked her.
Tonight I am Belle de Nuit. Tomorrow I return to being the spinster Arabella Hamilton
. For a moment she envied Jack his carefree ways, his ability to slip away and leave things behind.

“I wish I were a man.”

“God forbid! Why ever would you say such a thing?”

“If I were, no one would molest me. There would be nothing to fear.”

She didn’t notice the slight tightening of his jaw, nor the dark look that shadowed his eyes, but the mare felt his tension and pranced and snorted in protest.

“If I were like you, Jack, I could come and go as I pleased and answer to no one. No one would try to steal me and force me into marriage. If I were like you I could challenge him to a duel.” The strain she’d been under for the past several days was clear in her voice.

“I could do that for you.” It was said quietly. Matter of fact.

“What? Oh, no! No! I wouldn’t want that on my conscience. Or on yours. You must promise me, Jack. I will find my own way of dealing with my cousin.”

Bess tossed her head and pawed the ground, annoyed with them both and ready to move on. A slight blue cast to the sky presaged the coming dawn.

“No duel. I give you my word.” Jack tightened his grip around her waist and gave the mare her head. They set off at an easy canter.

Lulled by the rocking motion and completely exhausted, Arabella leaned back and yawned.

“Go to sleep, Bella. You’ve had a long day.”

She sank against him, closing her eyes, and they thundered down the road toward London.

Arabella awoke to a bruised sky, outside a large, three-story, galleried coaching inn surrounded by fields. It was a mullion-windowed building with a magnificent arched carriageway and a shadowed courtyard enclosed by projecting wings. A splendid sign hung overhead, featuring the Angel of the Annunciation depicted in vivid hues. On the horizon she could see the spires and rooftops of London. They were at the Angel Islington, the first stop on the Great North Road that ran all the way to Scotland, and she was nearly home.

“Is it morning already?” she asked, her voice still rough with sleep. She felt a sudden chill, though she was wrapped in his coat and he was warm behind her. She gathered the coat tight around her, inhaling his scent.

“No. It’s nearly dusk. You slept all day.” Their voices were hushed and hollow, as insubstantial as the wisps of evening mist rising from the ground. He slid from the saddle and reached for her, and she slipped easily into his arms. He lowered her to the ground, holding her a bit too close against his large frame, and lingering a little longer than he should before putting her down. “You’ll be safe here. Mary Tully and her husband Nate are friends. You can trust them. They will swear by whatever truth you choose to tell, and they will see you safely to your door.”

Arabella nodded. She brushed off her clothes, straightened her skirts and attempted to smooth her hair as if those simple rituals might somehow have the power to return her to the woman she had been before. The woman whose most daring act had been to slip into her father’s library and read scandalous poetry, or force her way in to attend and vote in local meetings of the parish vestry. The woman who had never known a man’s warmth, his breath in her ear, or his solid bulk pressed against her.

Jack gave a sharp whistle and a stable boy came on the run, skidding to a stop with gaping mouth and eyes as round as saucers. “I seen your face on the broad sheets I have. You be him! Swift Nick the highwayman!”

“Aye, lad.” Jack flipped the boy a coin. “But highwayman no more. Pardoned and fast friends with King Charlie himself. Swift Nick is a changed man now.”

The boy turned his attention to what really interested him. “Is this her? Black Bess? The one that—”

“Aye, this is she. Fetch your master for me now, boy, on the sneak, mind, and when you get back you can walk and water her while he and I talk.”

“How is it you use every name but your own, Jack?” Arabella asked as the boy scurried off.

“I’ve a mind to keep my freedom and my head for as long as I might, Bella. I’ve avoided using violence against those I rob, and I
usually
wear a mask. England is a big land. The more names I’m known by, the faster I move, the more confusion there is as to who I am. I like it that way. Mystery is doubt, and doubt can make the difference between the gallows and walking free. Was it Mr. Nicks? Mr. Nevison, Swift Nick, Mr. Johnson, William, Jack, Samuel, John or James? Swift Nick was seen tonight just outside of London, while Gentleman Jack was seen the night before in Newark. As for John…hardly anyone knows him and he’s never run afoul of the law. That’s a secret I share with very few and I should like it to stay that way.”

“Of course. I am not one to break a confidence, I assure you. But wouldn’t the better course be simply to avoid those activities which might—”

He grinned and tugged gently on a lock of her hair. “The answer is ‘no,’ and as there’s no adequate way to explain it to you, I shan’t even try. Look now. Here comes Nate. He was once a high-pad himself, and though he’s married and gone respectable, he’s still a rum colt. We can rely on him.”

“A colt?”

“An innkeeper who is a helper of sorts, with lending mounts and other things.” His grin flashed white in the night.

“He is a criminal too?”

“Of course not! Not anymore. He is a good friend. He merely caters to a diverse clientele.”

A portly man in a rich, gold-brocaded vest and a fine velvet coat hurried over to greet them, a beaming smile on his face.

“Jack, you bog-trotting son of the devil! ’Tis grand to see you, indeed! You’ve been far too scarce in London as of late. Mary will be all aflutter and we shall dine exceptionally well tonight because of it.” He turned to look at Arabella with undisguised curiosity, taking note of her bruises and her swollen lip, her disordered but finely cut clothing, and what was clearly a gentleman’s coat wrapped about her shoulders. “Is the lass another of your projects, then? I’m sure Mary has room for one more. And how is young Allen by the way?”

“Allen has grown since last you saw him, Nate. And so have you! He eats as much as a regiment of foot. Be glad I foisted him on someone else.”

Nate patted his belly proudly. “’Tis the sign of a successful businessman, old friend. Drinking and dining on the sweet fruit of his own labors.”

“Then you have been successful indeed,” Jack said with a grin. “My companion is Miss Hamilton. We have journeyed a long way together, but I’m afraid I’ve accompanied the lady as far as I might. I would have you see her safely home in my stead. Personally, and with the utmost care and circumspection. She will need trustworthy guards. Civil and presentable enough to act as footmen. Two for her home, and at least one more to accompany her about her business. A dependable man with military training, not a street thug. Will Butcher perhaps, as a favor to me. If you can arrange this for her, you’ll have my gratitude.”

The innkeeper grinned, looking from Jack to Arabella and back again. “My wife and I owe you our happiness, Jack. It’s a delight to help you and your lady in any way we can. Mary is always saying how happy she’d be to see you take an interest in a nice—”

Arabella broke in, suddenly mindful of the proprieties. “I thank you very much for your kindness, Mr. Tully. Truly, I cannot tell you how grateful I am. But I must correct you. I am not Jack…that is Mr. Nick’s lady, but very much my own.”

Mr. Tully winked at Jack. “I see you’ve still got some convincing to do, lad. It’s always the way with the spirited ones, but of course, that’s half the fun. Why even today my Mary—”

“I don’t mean to interrupt, Nate. But I’ve still urgent business and hard riding ahead. You will see her home? You understand why it’s best she not be seen with me?”

“I can and I will and I do, lad. Though next time I’ll be expecting a proper visit.”

Jack nodded. “You have my word on it. As for the girl, if it happens that she has been ill, or visiting a friend…?”

“The wife and I can vouch for it. Naturally, we know most of the comings and goings in London of folk both big and small. Our version of the latest gossip passes as gospel in these parts.”

Jack clapped him on the shoulder. “Thank you, my friend. I knew I could count on you. Give my regards to Mary and tell her next time I’ll be expecting some of her plum pudding and honeyed beef.”

“Aye, I’ll do that. I’ll leave you to say your goodbyes now. Give a whistle when you want me to fetch her, Jack. And welcome to The Angel, Miss Hamilton.”

~

I can find my own way home from here, Jack. I don’t need to be fetched and escorted about,” Arabella said as he took her by the arm and pulled her into a stairwell in the courtyard. She didn’t know why she should feel so out of sorts when home and safety were at last so close at hand, but there was a queer panic in her heart, and she was unaccountably close to tears at the thought of saying goodbye.

“Yes, you do, Arabella. It is safe inside the inn, but you mustn’t travel alone or even walk alone outside it. Trust no one but Nate and Mary. This is a dangerous area. A harbor for thieves and highwaymen, most of whom don’t share my scruples about using violence.” He straightened her collar with his free hand. “They gather here to prey on travelers. The wiser customers meet at the bottom of St. John Street and make their way to the inn in groups under armed guard. Pray put my mind at ease. Stay here for tonight and in the light of day, Nate will find you men you can trust, and see you safely home.”

“Yes of course. You make them sound like fishermen lining the banks when the salmon are ready to run—all of them hoping to snatch a fine fish. You needn’t worry. I shall do as you recommend. It’s rather odd though. Most of my life I’ve felt safe and protected in my father’s halls, but I was often bored and lonely. I’ve never felt as frightened as I have in these past few days, but nor have I ever felt so gloriously alive. No sky has ever been so beautiful. No evening air has smelled as sweet. No ride has been so thrilling.” She looked at him with luminous eyes.

He smiled, and brushed his knuckles gently across her swollen cheek. “Those are dangerous thoughts, Bella.”

“Is danger always so exciting?”

“Yes…to some.” He wrapped his finger around a glistening tendril of her hair and drew it out its full length. “Will you allow me a keepsake of my adventure with the daring
Belle de nuit
?”

Breathless, she gulped and nodded. A wicked looking dagger appeared, and with a soft snick he cut one long lock, and put it in his pocket. It was a romantic gesture, but it filled her heart with sorrow. Soon he would be lost to the night, and something wonderful would come to a close. She didn’t want him to remember her. You remembered what was gone. She wanted this night to never end. She wanted him to stay.

“I suppose I should give you back your coat.” It was all she could think to say.

“That’s not necessary, Bella. Keep it. Let it keep you warm.”

But she was already struggling out of it. The coat was far too big for her and her arm caught in her sleeve as she tried to shrug it off.

“Here. Let me help,” he said with a low chuckle. The struggle to free her arm drew her closer, and his low laugh cut off abruptly as their eyes caught and held.

I thought his eyes dark and shadowed, but now they are amber in the torch light. At times, it almost seems like they’re aflame
. Arabella was intensely aware of his parted lips, the feel of his fingers wrapped around her upper arm, and the rise and fall of his chest, just inches from hers. She watched, mesmerized, as he lowered his head toward her, holding her breath as he nuzzled the curve of her shoulder and neck. His breath was warm against her ear, sending shivers through her body, and she turned into him. His eyes gleamed and she made no protest as he lowered his mouth to hers. His kiss was careful, gentle, mindful of her bruises, but it thrilled her to her toes.

Heedless of all the lessons she’d been taught, she stood up on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and hesitant, curious…she kissed him back. He groaned and hugged her tight against him, backing her into the wall, the fingers of one hand threading through her hair as his mouth claimed hers in a heated caress. Her lips, already swollen and tender, ached with pain and pleasure. The feel of him pressed against her, his arms around her...made her forget all else. She didn’t want it to stop, she didn’t want him to leave, and she sighed when he finally pulled away.

“My apologies, Lady Hamilton,” he said with a shaky laugh.

“Please don’t do that.”

“Do what? Kiss you?”

“Please don’t apologize. That was my first kiss, Jack. Do you regret it?”

His lips curled in a slight smile and he caught her chin between thumb and forefinger. “A starry night, a lady brave and bold, a first kiss. You have been an adventure well worth the risk, Bella, and I don’t regret a thing.”

The way he said her name warmed her like a caress. “I owe you so much. How can I ever repay you?”

“Come and find me if they ever catch me, and give me a kiss to warm my soul before I hang.” He brushed her bruised lips with a kiss as soft as a whisper, and she stepped fully into his embrace.