A Pair of Rogues (20 page)

“I won’t, your lordship.”

At this rate, Christina thought, a sense of nervous desperation making her stomach toss, I shall be discovered long before dark.

The day was waning, though. Already, she had been gone much too long, and much too far in one direction ever to make it home before five o’clock. Whatever the outcome of this evening, she would have serious explanations to make, even grave charges to refute. She rode in silence, grasping Levington’s bag with a sense of grim fatality, building slowly into despair. She had never meant for this to happen. No matter how wild she had been, she had never truly meant to be discovered in any of her peccadilloes. Deep down in her heart, she had not wanted to flout Robert’s authority or injure Louisa’s trust. She had only wanted to think poorly of herself so that the inevitable criticisms of others would not harm her so.

But her fear of the general censure that would result from this escapade was almost more than she could bear. Her guilt was so extreme it almost overrode her discomfort.

Just when she was certain her up-turned stomach would force a confession from her lips, she heard Levington say, “We should turn in here.”

Ned smoothly negotiated the corner of the main highway onto a private drive. In spite of his skill, the curricle lurched along the badly rutted road, exacerbating the headache that accompanied Christina’s nausea. Mercifully, the drive was short. Only a few more yards led them to a spot where, peering round, Christina saw an isolated barn in the middle of a dormant field of maize, in which scores of vehicles had stopped. Her gaze took in every kind of conveyance from gigs to handsome traveling coaches.

Grooms had unhitched many of the horses from their carriages to parade them around. Others simply stood at the head of the horses still in harness. Country boys, dressed in rough, rural garb, mixed with their city equals; some wove their way through the crowd, offering their services to any gentleman who arrived without a servant of his own.

This would be the fight they had been talking about, Christina thought numbly.

Although she had never been to anything vaguely resembling a pugilistic match, she knew such matches were both common and illegal. Small wonder that two rakes like Levington and Ned would begin their orgy by observing one.

She had no doubt they would bet on the outcome, as nearly all Englishmen did. Then, as she realized how many elegant equipages were there, she could only pray to avoid being spotted by one of their gentlemen owners.

As soon as the curricle stopped, she jumped down, having no doubt of being required to hold Ned’s horses and hoping she would find the strength. She was surprised, therefore, when Ned signaled to one of the local boys to take their heads.

“You, Jem!” Ned called. “You may watch the fight if you wish. We’ve got a long journey ahead of us, and you will need the rest.

“Here”—as Christina kept her gaze downcast, hiding her face with the top of her cap, Ned reached unexpectedly inside his buff waistcoat pocket—”use this to wager with if you like.” He flipped a coin in her direction.

Unprepared and still dizzy, Christina fumbled for it. It landed at her feet. Fighting the urge to dart a nervous glance up at Ned, she instead used the excuse to keep her eyes to the ground.

“Thank you, sir!”

Ned lingered. She could feel his searching gaze on the bulky cap on her head. “Are you perfectly well, Jem?” Uncertainty tinged his voice.

With a worried pulse thumping loudly in her ears, she muttered, “Yes, very well, sir. Thank you, sir.”

Another brief pause, and he said, “Good lad. His lordship and I will only be stopping a moment. Don’t lose sight of us, mind.”

“No, sir.”

As he finally walked away, Christina looked about her to determine what she should do. This could be her chance to escape. Indeed, it would be her only chance before nightfall, at which time the gentlemen would surely stop at an inn. She could not imagine the accommodations for a groom, but she assumed they would neither be comfortable nor private. A vision of the company she would be expected to bed herself down with nearly caused her to flee at once.

A moment’s reflection, however, made her reconsider. She could readily see it would be simpler to escape both Ned’s and Levington’s notice after dark. Easier, too, to rent a horse or other conveyance from an inn, when armed with a plausible story and few large coins.

From this farm, she could only travel on foot, which would give Ned the clear advantage once he noticed his servant’s absence and set out to look for him. Even with a horse, she would need an hour’s head start to evade his rapid team. Common sense and a glance at the sun, moving lower in the sky, told her that Ned would have to break his journey soon.

Having decided to wait until that moment to make a dash, Christina knew her principal task would be to remain undetected. Better, then, to act as Ned would expect Jem to do, and go see the match.

Christina took hasty steps towards the barn. Cheers, whistles, and shouts flowed out of its doors. The prospect of witnessing an event strictly forbidden to females normally would have excited her interest, but it could do nothing to stem her growing worry for Ned.

If she escaped, as she must, she would fail to stop him from his foolish course of action. With Levington nearby—evidently chosen to accompany Ned on his journey to the devil—she could do nothing to stop him unless the two men somehow became separated. At the moment, she could think of no way for this to happen, and her time had definitely run out. As much as she wanted to save him, she could not risk being caught in his company overnight. The result would be ruin for her, with its resulting misery for him.

Still sick from her ride, she reached the crowd spilling out the door, a frightening mixture of town tulips, bulky Corinthians, and local farmers all packed inside a small, dark space. Shorter than the men, Christina knew she would see nothing of the match unless she worked her way to the front.

Secure in her disguise, which had managed to fool both men who knew her quite well, she pushed and inched her way past the shouting, gesturing spectators. The sound of snarls and loud barks up ahead, a low pitched growl, and a sharp animal squeal, confused her, but her mind was too preoccupied and her digestion too overset to reason them out. She only wondered vaguely that dogs should be so stimulated by a boxing match.

She should have expected the sight that met her eyes as soon as she reached the center of the barn. As she forced her way past a portly gentleman holding a smoking cigarillo, she found herself pressed against the sides of a pen. The eyes of all the men present were avidly fixed on its occupants.

Two dogs. Locked in a vicious confrontation. A mongrel of sorts—short, broad, and strangely muscled—gripped the other dog by the throat. His long white teeth and bone- crushing jaw had a strangling hold on the second one’s neck. Blood dripped from both dogs’ muzzles and tattered ears. Crimson gashes dotted both of their flanks. A length of skin and muscle from the weaker dog had been ripped clear away exposing a bone.

In that moment of shock, Christina heard a sickening snap.

Trapped by the crowded bodies all around her, her nostrils filled with smoke, her stomach already heaving, Christina felt her insides revolt. She went weak at the knees.

* * * *

Ned had lost all interest in the dogfight long before it had ever begun. Although he had attended his share of matches from his childhood on, he had never relished the sight of two animals ripping each other apart. Levington, on the other hand, had declared his keen desire to see the match and to place a bet on Brutus, the unfortunate cur that had just lost its life, and as his host, Ned had been forced to oblige.

He gave a snort for the idiocy of men like his guest. Nearly at
point non plus,
Levington still could not resist the opportunity to throw his money away.

Concern for his normally loquacious tiger soon turned Ned’s thoughts. The boy’s movements had been sluggish today, his shoulders beneath his jacket appearing thin and hunched.  The gruffness in his voice led Ned to believe him sickened by a cold, in which case a trip this strenuous could send him lower still.

Ned glanced about the barn for a glimpse of the boy. He had not taken a look at Jem’s face to see if his nose was red or his cheeks either hollow or feverish. There would be little he could do for the boy until they reached an inn, but if Jem proved to be ill, he would have to be sent home.

As Ned’s eyes roamed over the heads in front of him, he spied a number of his acquaintances and drinking cronies. Lord Pepperill and Adrienne Mounts were earnestly cheering the winner on. At the betting tables, where Levington tried desperately to recoup his losses, more of Ned’s friends were placing bets on the next contenders.

The male half of London appeared to be here, taking a well-deserved break from society balls. For the first time today, Ned experienced a sense of misgiving over the possibility of finding lodging for the night. Judging by the number of vehicles out in the field, every room within miles would already be spoken for. He ought to have foreseen such a problem, but his mind had been hampered by a dull ache spreading from his chest with his thoughts of Christina.

He could almost see her now, her pale, delicate features rimmed with shadows. And, in the carriage, for one dizzying moment, he’d thought he had sensed her perfume.

Taking himself up short, Ned banished these painful wanderings from his brain. He searched the barn again for his tiger and spotted a suit of coarse, black jersey and a bulky, brown cap wedged tightly against the pen.

Ned managed a grin. It had taken Jem no time to wriggle his way up to the front. Then, something about the boy’s posture made him stiffen. Jem’s head flew back as his legs collapsed.

Ned caught a glimpse of fine, blond hair escaping from the cap; a pair of anguished blue eyes; and two porcelain cheeks.

His stomach gave a leap and lodged in his throat. Quick anger followed his fear.

Looking around, he saw that no one had noticed Christina yet, as, mouth covered, she struggled to find her feet.

Moving as rapidly as he could while still maintaining a careless air, Ned worked his way through the shifting, noisome crowd until he attained her side.

He gripped her arm, pulling her onto her feet until her startled eyes flew up. Instantly, they lit with relief.

Her patent joy on seeing him doused Ned’s anger like a smothered flame. A wave of pure emotion buoyed the heavy burden from his chest. Beneath her boyish garb and her English rose complexion, he saw the evidence of a heart both loving and brave.

He had never been so happy to see anyone in his whole life.

Badly sickened by the death match in front of her, Christina listed heavily on his arm.

Ned lowered his lips to her ear. “May I suggest we remove from here?”

Chapter Eleven

Christina leaned gratefully on him, though she tried to hide her illness while they negotiated a path to the door. Then, a slap of fresh air from outside threatened to knock her flat.

Ned half dragged her to the edge of the field and settled her on a stile. He remained standing, shielding her identity from the spectators behind.

Christina took several tremulous breaths, but her knees still felt as weak as jelly. Nausea filled her head. In truth, she thought it never would be vanquished, not after the sight of those curs.

“Ned, how could you?” she wailed, when she could speak without fear of hiccuping.

He chuckled in response.

Glancing at him with reproach, she met his laughing eyes.

“I might have known,” he said, “that my forbearance to lecture you for this prank would be rewarded like this. May I inquire what I have done to deserve this hair-combing?”

“How could you watch such a mean-spirited thing?”

“One might ask the same of you, I suppose, considering the lengths to which you’ve gone to gain admittance to the match.”

So, he thought she had waylaid his groom just to watch an illegal dogfight. It seemed improbable, but she was ready to leap at the excuse.

“I did not know how beastly they were,” she mumbled. “But you must have known.”

Ned was smiling down at her as if every word she said amused him. She knew she ought to feel glad that he had not treated her to a lecture or a vicious shake. And she was. But it was far more pleasant to act angry than to give in to her queasiness.

He glanced over his shoulder at the crowd of vehicles, then said, “May I suggest that we dispense with this discussion while I figure out what is to be done with you?”

Shame overcoming her, she could only nod.

“Did you bring your maid with you?”

“No.”

“Shall I assume, then, that Robert has no notion of your whereabouts?”

“Yes, but, Ned, everything has gone wrong. I did not mean to travel with you this far, but once Levington joined you, there was nothing else I could do.”

He gave a throaty laugh, before a more serious thought brought a frown to his brow. “Yes, I can see you were in a fix. If I am to take you home, however, something will have to be done about Levington, and soon.”

“Can you think of a way to get rid of him?”

“Of course. Meanwhile, I want you to stay right here. Keep that muffler over your face, and do not speak to anyone.”

She muttered, “I’m not a complete simpleton, you know.”

Cutting her a wry glance before he departed, he offered, “We could add that question to our future debate. Meanwhile, you will do as I say? I have your word?”

Christina threw up her chin. “I have no choice.”

“There’s a good girl. I’ll only be a few minutes.”

As Christina watched him walk calmly towards the barn, she issued a sigh that was at once hopeless, yet full of contentment. Ned’s tall, athletic figure soon merged into the group of rowdy men, but she had no doubt he would soon return.

And she would have nothing to fear. From this moment on, everything would be all right. Well, perhaps not everything. But, at least, she had stopped Ned from ruining his life, and he did not seem to resent her for it at all. And no matter what Robert and Louisa did to her once she got back to London, for tonight she could be with Ned.