The Spy Who Loved Her: Once Upon an Accident, Book 3 (10 page)

He looked back over his shoulder at her. “I am.”

She said nothing more but let him go. As he jogged down the steps and then stepped up into his coach, he was surprised to find Jack sitting across from him.

“I have a feeling you are going to have a problem with the lady.”

“What do you mean by that?” he asked, even knowing the answer.

“According to Jeffries, she might have seen the man who attacked you.”

“Who the bloody hell is Jeffries?”

“Her driver last night. He said she asked him if he recognized the man, and when he said he didn’t see him, she described what he was wearing.”

The implications of her seeing the man playing Viper sent a shiver of panic flushing through his blood. Ice chilled his gut. If Viper saw Anna, if he had recognized the coach, she could be in danger.

“Bloody hell.”

Chapter Eight

The moment Anna spotted Daniel approaching her group, she frowned. The musicale she was attending was not thought to be a big attraction to unattached rakes. The men here were either married, like her brother, or too young to tell their mothers no. He barely gave attention to the people who tried to stop him on the way to her. Even as irritated as she was, she could not help the thrill that danced through her blood. What woman would not be? He cut a fine figure in his evening clothes. Daniel was a lean man, all muscle and strength. The crowd unconsciously moved out of his way.

Besides his build, he was a beautiful man. It belied his rather cynical view on the world, but it never failed to gain attention from women—young and old. His gaze never left hers as he methodically moved in her direction. Her pulse hammered in her throat. The way he looked at her, it was as if he owned her.

“Lady Anna?”

She had to bring herself back from her musing to pay attention to Lord Greenwood.

“I do apologize. You were saying?”

He continued talking of his hounds as Daniel muscled his way into her group. She focused on Greenwood. Or tried to. But with Daniel so near, she found herself thinking of other things. Like how he looked without his shirt.

Stop it.

She could not go down that path. But even as she told herself not to, Daniel inched closer. She assumed no one else would have noticed it, but she did.

Finally, Lord Greenwood stopped talking and looked at her expectantly.

“I am sorry, what did you ask?”

“I said that your mother is right excited about the house party my father is throwing.”

“Hmm,” was all she said before she took a sip of warm lemonade. It was the second time he had mentioned the house party and her mother had yet to say word to her. There was a good chance she planned on kidnapping Anna to make her attend.

The first swipe of a bow across strings was the first indication that the musicale was to start. It was her one chance to escape the crowd for a moment.

“If you gentlemen will excuse me, I need a moment.”

All of them nodded but Daniel. She hurried to the retiring room, hoping to escape all of them and possibly much of the performance. She liked music, but sopranos were not her thing. Once she had wasted as much time as she could, she was the last of the women in the area. She stepped out into the hall to find Daniel leaning up against the wall.

“What are you doing here?”

He smiled. “I thought I could escort you back to your seat.”

That was a lie because she had no seat and he knew it. Daniel knew she hated sopranos and she did everything in her ability to stay far away from the performance.

“Indeed.”

She did not move, but crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. He tried to stare her down but it did not work. She stayed silent, waiting.

He grimaced. “Dash it, if you must know, my mother made me attend, saying that I owed her an appearance because of the fright I gave her.”

That did sound like Lady Adelaide. She was not above using blackmail to get her son to do her bidding.

“What I would like to know is why you are here?”

She widened her eyes. “All young ladies love musicales.”

Daniel chuckled, the sound of it sending a shiver down her spine. “Most young ladies, but you hate sopranos.”

She made a face. Few people knew her hatred of sopranos…but she only knew the real reason. That she would not tell anyone for all the gold in England. “Truth? My mother made me attend also. It was the only thing I could do to divert her attention from the fact that I ran from the ball last night.”

“What were you doing down there?”

He did not have a right to know, but she truly did not care if he did. “A couple of the boys have been ill. Mrs. Markham is a worrier and I had to attend to them. When I show up we are more likely to get a physician there.”

“Nothing serious, I hope.”

She shook her head. “Just a bit of sniffles, a little fever. They will be right as rain in a few days.”

They lapsed into silence as the sounds of the soprano filled the air around them. She could not seem to think of one thing to say, not with him looking at her like that.

“I must get back or Mother will not be happy,” Anna said.

He nodded but did not look away. His solemn expression held her captive.

“What? What is it?”

“It has been a long time since you have dressed like that.”

She looked down at the ball gown and frowned. “You have seen me dressed like this before. Why, I was wearing my ball gown the night…”

“Ah, I believe my mother mentioned I ruined it.”

“You did not. It was already dirty from attending the boys at the orphanage.”

He nodded. But said nothing. Again. She had to resist the urge to fidget, to do something to break his concentration. At the same time, she could feel the excitement rolling through her.

“What?”

He cocked his head to one side. “Am I making you nervous?”

Yes, he was, drat the man. Her pulse fluttered. What was he about? She could not understand his tone. It was one he had never used with her, one that had her body heating. In fact, she had heard him use it for other women…not her. She was never the subject of his hot stares, or his seductive tone.

“Daniel, stop it. I will not be toyed with.”

He widened his eyes. “Is that what I am doing with you?”

Anger and embarrassment surged through her, unsettling her stomach. “I…never mind. I must get back. Alone.”

She said nothing more as she turned away and walked away, very aware that he watched her every step down the hall.

Daniel waited a few moments before returning. It would not do for people to see him follow her out. Although, that had been what he wanted to do. From the moment he had walked into the musicale and had seen that horde of men surrounding her, he had wanted to do nothing more than to toss her over his shoulder and take her away.

He’d spotted her the moment he’d stepped back into the ballroom. Lord, she was a vision tonight. Blue had always been a good color for Anna. With her flawless ivory skin, the blond hair and blue sparkling eyes, she was a vision in the silk she wore tonight. It hugged every curve, allowing him to appreciate the way she had grown. Anna had always possessed a slight figure, but now there were curves a plenty. Not to mention breasts that were far too exposed for his liking—again. Lord Greenwood was practically drooling on them as he blathered on about his damned dogs. What was her mother thinking letting her out of the house dressed that way?

It hit him in that one moment. Her mother may have enticed Anna to go out to get donations, but she was trying to get the girl married off. Of course she was. Didn’t his mother say as much?

It angered him on her behalf. Anna had said she did not want marriage. Did her mother pay no attention to her whatsoever? Of course she did not. Victoria was as much of a meddler as his mother.

“Surprised to see you here,” Sebastian said from beside him.

He glanced at his friend. “I wish I could say the same for you. The fact that you do Colleen’s bidding is embarrassing.”

Sebastian smiled. “The benefits are worth it.” Then his smile faded. “I need a moment of your time.”

Daniel nodded and followed him out onto the terrace.

“Lord, I hate sopranos.”

“It must run in the family,” Daniel murmured.

“Ah, yes, Anna hates them too. But then Mother enticed her with the hopes of getting donations from people. From what I gather she has not been able to do any fundraising because of her harem of men who follow her around.”

“Yes, of course, that is to be expected with the dress she is wearing.”

Something passed over Sebastian’s face, but Daniel could not discern the look he gave him.

“Yes, well, I am here to talk to you about her.”

Every fiber of his being tensed. Had Sebastian guessed his regard for his sister? “What is it?”

“There seems to be a problem down at the orphanage.”

“Yes, she told me. A couple of the boys were sick.”

“No. A few nights ago, someone tried to break into the place.”

“Break in? To that orphanage? What would be the reason?”

“I have no idea. I have put a man on it, doing a little digging, but I cannot seem to come up with one motive for a person to want to break into the place. Never mind the fact that the residents are in an uproar about it. They do not take kindly to someone even attempting to hurt something that is linked to my sister.”

Sebastian said it with a heavy dose of pride. Daniel understood. There were not that many ladies of her rank who helped with charities, let alone ran the whole place.

“What do you want from me?”

Sebastian studied him for a moment and then said, “I know you have contacts.”

His stomach roiled. He had done everything he could to keep things from Sebastian. Not because he did not trust him, but because he needed to protect him. If his enemies thought Sebastian knew anything, they would not stop in trying to obtain information. They would hurt him, his family…anything to gather the information. He opened his mouth to deny it, but Sebastian held up his hand.

“Do not even lie to me. I do not want to know about them. I would never breach your privacy on that matter, but I am asking for you to ask a few of your…associates about it.”

He nodded.

“I would be grateful. I am right proud of her work there. She has done a lot and I would hate to forbid her to go because it has grown too dangerous. I am not sure I would succeed anyway.”

“I have to agree with you there. Your sister has never been one to listen to the dictates of society.”

Sebastian laughed. “Oh, when has anyone in my family done what society dictates?”

Daniel laughed. “I cannot think of the last time you did. Other than marrying your countess.”

A fond smile curved his friend’s lips and Daniel felt a twinge of envy. The accident that had led to their marriage had been just what Sebastian had needed. And he would be lying if he said he was not jealous of their bliss.

“I will contact a few people, see if they have heard anything. I assumed they would have told me if they had already.”

Sebastian frowned. “Why would they?”

Because he had ordered surveillance on the orphanage last week when he had heard she was involved with it, but he could not tell his friend that. It spoke of too much interest.

“They would let me know because of our association.”

Sebastian nodded. “Understandable.”

The soprano belted out the last few bars of her song. “Good God, that is horrible.”

Sebastian laughed. “Yes. Fairly shrivels the goods. I best be getting back.”

Daniel nodded as Sebastian drew past him. He stopped and said back over his shoulder, “Take care of yourself, Daniel.”

Had Anna told him of his injury? No she would not have told him, thinking to save him from embarrassment. “I always do.”

Sebastian nodded and slipped back into the ballroom. Daniel took a few moments to gather himself and then turned to follow his friend when his mother stepped out.

“You are not behaving, Daniel. You did not even listen to any of the singing.”

“Sebastian wanted to talk to me about the orphanage. There seemed to be someone trying to break in the other night.”

Immediately, his mother’s smile faded. “Nothing serious I hope?”

“They did not get in, but I will have Jack ask around.”

She nodded.

“Was there something you wanted?” he asked.

“Yes. I wanted to go to the Fillmores’ Ball with Lady Victoria.”

“You do not need my permission to go to a ball.”

She made a face. “Daniel, behave. I need you to attend to Lady Anna.”

“What?”

“Well, Victoria is a little suspicious after last night and is trying to drag the poor girl to the ball. Anna wants to go home.”

“Why does she not go with Sebastian and Colleen?”

“They left. Colleen is ill.”

“Nothing serious?”

His mother smiled. “I dare say she is increasing again.”

“Good Lord, they already have three children.”

She chuckled. “I have a feeling you will understand some day. So, will you take her in your carriage?”

The thought had him breaking out in a cold sweat. Alone in a dark carriage with Anna? This would not do. “Do you not think people will question it?”

She laughed. “I doubt it. We are family friends and you are escorting her home. Everyone saw how sick Colleen was.”

“How are you getting to the ball?”

“Lord Greenwood is taking us.”

“Is he not a little young for you?”

“Not the pup who has been sniffing around Anna’s skirts. His father. Really, Daniel, I do not have the time to play around. Will you escort Anna home? She is none too happy with the attention she has been receiving tonight.”

Just then he saw her standing off to the side, surrounded by her horde of men. Anger and possessiveness griped him. He did not have a right to it, but he did not like the way they were slavering over her.

“Daniel?”

Without looking away from Anna, he said, “Yes.”

“Oh, wonderful.” She stepped closer, rose to her toes and brushed her lips over his cheek. “Be careful.”