Once Upon a Moonlit Night: A Maiden Lane novella (3 page)

Hippolyta looked up into Mr. Mortimer’s green eyes, gleaming in the dank, dark stables, and thought,
Oh, thank God
.

He loomed, big and angry, towering over the three men who’d dragged her into this stinking stall, and his face was twisted into a rictus of rage.

He looked murderous.

And she was
glad
.

One of the men started to say something, half-standing, but Mr. Mortimer took him by the front of his jacket and
shook
him as a bulldog would a rat. The man’s head flopped back and forth helplessly before Mr. Mortimer simply threw him aside. The next man he cuffed on the side of the head, throwing him into the stall door and splitting his ear. And the third—the one still holding his hand over Hippolyta’s mouth, perhaps too stunned to move—he punched full in the face with his great fist. The man’s head snapped back and he fell insensate to the straw.

Hippolyta gasped, looking up at her savior, opening her mouth.

“Don’t,” he growled, and leaned down to pick her up. His expression hadn’t changed at all since he’d appeared so suddenly at the stall opening. He still looked enraged—half-maddened with it, in fact. “
Don’t
say anything.”

His arms were tight around her, holding her close to his hard body as he strode from the wretched little stables into the bright daylight of the inn yard.

She blinked, squinting at the change of light, and realized that she’d begun to shake, which was just silly, really, because the men in the stables hadn’t…they hadn’t…

Mr. Mortimer’s arms tensed as he climbed into the carriage. He sat with her on his lap, disentangling the arm that held her legs to shut the door.

“Go!”

The carriage pulled away from the inn.

Hippolyta lay with her cheek against the wool of his waistcoat, listening to his rough breathing. He’d wrapped his arms around her, cradling her as if she were a child. She ought to get up, at least cross to the other side of the carriage and sit there. Her current position was quite improper.

But she found she couldn’t move—or perhaps she just didn’t want to. And also she was still shaking.

Mr. Mortimer bent to the side and rummaged in his sack, bringing forth the bottle of small beer. He unstoppered it and held it to her mouth. “Here.”

She sipped. “Th…thank you.”

He took a swig himself before stopping the bottle back up and replacing it in the bag.

Her tremors were lessening.

“Did they hurt you?” His voice was abrupt.

“I…” A great shudder racked her. “No. They hadn’t the time. You came before they could.”

She hadn’t realized it, but he must’ve been coiled taut, his muscles in a state of tension, for she felt him relax at her words.

“I went in the inn as you told me, but the innkeeper said I was too…”—she bit her lip, tears of humiliation stinging her eyes—“
filthy
to stay inside. He insisted I go wait in the stables for the mail coach. He wouldn’t even let me rent a bath—I don’t think he thought I had the money to pay for one.”

She inhaled shakily and felt one of his big hands brush against her shoulder comfortingly.

“I went to the stables and those…those men were inside. I tried to avoid them, truly I did.” She clenched her fists together, feeling the helpless anger, the terror, the
shame
of having let herself be caught. “I…I should’ve never gone inside. I know that. If I’d stayed in the yard…or…or…” But her body was racked now, seized with a sob, squeezing at her chest, choking off words and thoughts.

Hot tears overflowed her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as she gasped for breath.
Stupid.
So stupid!

“Hush,” Mr. Mortimer breathed over her, his palm against her cheek. “Hush now and listen: this is not your fault, do you hear? I should not have left you there by yourself. If anyone is to blame it is I. I’ll not leave you again. You can ride with me for the rest of the way to London. No one will harm you while you ride with me. I promise.”

She sobbed again at that, not ladylike weeping, but deep, ugly convulsions, her mouth gaping with her grief and the lingering aftereffects of her fear.

He held her as she shook and shuddered against his big strong body and for the first time in over a week she felt
safe
.

That afternoon Matthew watched his little beggar maid as she slept in his arms. Her eyes were red and swollen from weeping, her hair tangled and matted, her face grimy. Oh, and she still stank.

He glanced away, staring out the carriage window. He couldn’t forget the sight of her, frightened and defenseless, at the mercy of those jackals. That those vermin would seek to crush her proud spirit, to stomp upon her quick wit and the dash she pulled around her as surely as her tattered cloak, made something inside him snarl in denial. This shouldn’t be. No one should be able to hurt her. He damned himself for a fool for ignoring his own warning senses and leaving her alone at that sodding inn in the first place.

He carefully thumbed a lock of her hair off her cheek and vowed to himself that he’d guard and protect her until they arrived in London.

Across the carriage Tommy stirred from his nest of blankets, poking a pointed little nose out to sniff the air.

They’d left the inn hours before and no doubt he was hungry. Without disturbing his beggar maid, Matthew reached into the sack and found a bit of chicken.

The mongoose wriggled his way free from the blankets and darted across the carriage to snatch the offering from Matthew’s fingers.

The small movement must’ve jostled her, for the woman in his arms stirred. He watched as she blinked, large brown eyes opening in confusion and a trace of fear.

“It’s all right,” he said at once. “You’re in my carriage and”—he glanced out the window at thatched cottages—“we seem to’ve come to a village.”

“Oh,” she said drowsily. “Will we stop?”

“If there’s an inn we certainly will, or Josiah might very well skin me alive.”

She straightened and moved to sit beside him.

He let her, though he had a strong urge not to.

She glanced out the window and then at him, her eyes clear and bright. “Josiah is your man on the box?”

“Yes.” He smiled wryly. “Charlie’s the younger one. They’re both former sailors and used to speaking their minds. Josiah was not best pleased to’ve driven through the night and in the rain.”

“I can’t say that I blame him,” she said, returning his smile almost shyly.

He blinked at the sight, disconcerted, and opened his mouth.

The carriage jerked to a stop and Matthew glanced out the window to see that they were in an inn yard. “Wait here.”

He climbed down and found the innkeeper, a bantam man with a military bearing, a shock of gray hair slicked into a neat queue, and a missing left arm—probably a former sailor or soldier. There were two rooms left—one behind the stables that Josiah and Charlie could use, and one upstairs. He’d have to share with the little beggar, but that was just as well.

Best he not leave her alone again in a strange place.

Having made the arrangements, Matthew trotted back to the carriage and collected the beggar maid and Tommy as well as one of his bags. He escorted her inside and realized how much better she must be feeling only when they arrived at the room at the top of the stairs.

“But…” She wrinkled her nose as if the neat little room smelled worse than she—which it most certainly
didn’t
. “There’s only one room—and only one bed. Surely you could’ve procured two rooms?”

Her Highness was back.

Matthew dropped his bag with a thump on the plain wooden floor. “I’m aware that you claim to have mountains of gold,
Princess
, but some of us
haven’t
.”

She stared at him, her mouth opening in a small outraged O.

“Besides.” He aimed a sardonic smile at her. “They’d only the one room—unless you wanted to bunk with Josiah and Charlie?”

Her brows gathered together as if she was actually considering the idea. “The company certainly might be more convivial.”

“Now, now.” He stalked closer, watching her eyes widen in sudden alarm as he tapped her on the nose. He leaned over her and breathed in her ear, “Try to keep that sharp tongue under control. I’ve no mind to bleed to death tonight.”

When he drew back, her chin was tilted so high in the air he was surprised she didn’t overtip herself. “I’d no idea your skin was so tender.”

He rolled his eyes. “I said I’d protect you until we get to London and so I shall. And even if I were a cad who would forswear myself, I assure you I would
not
bed a woman who stinks of shit. You’re more than safe with me, Princess. Now stay here with Tommy while I see to the horses. Charlie and Josiah are nigh asleep on their feet.”

So saying, he banged out of the room and clattered down the inn stairs.

He sent both drivers to bed and then spent the next hour grooming the carriage horses. He hadn’t the funds to spare to rent another pair of nags—he hadn’t access yet to the earldom’s credit. Even if he had, unless matters had changed drastically while he sailed the Indian Ocean, he was inheriting debts and a country manor in need of repairs as well as a title.

Matthew sighed and concentrated on the horses. They’d been working for a day and a night. He checked them over thoroughly, making sure they hadn’t any sores from the tack, and paid extra for a scoop each of oats in their feed.

Then with a last pat for both horses he made his way back into the inn.

The inn was redolent with the scents of cooking when he entered and he ordered a tray of food made, waiting by the common room fire while it was prepared. He took it up himself, figuring that it was safer for Her Highness to eat in their room than in the common room.

He propped the tray against his hip, knocked once at the door to their room, and then tried the handle. A surge of irritation swept his chest when it turned easily beneath his hand.

“What were you thinking leaving the door unlocked?” he growled as he entered and kicked the door closed behind him. “Anyone could’ve…”

The words died abruptly in his throat.

There was a battered tin hip bath set before the little fireplace and Princess was in it, facing him. Her sopping, inky hair draped down her smooth gleaming shoulders and into the water. Her breasts hung, plump and wet, just above the water’s surface, the nipples large, brown, and gathered as if waiting for his mouth. Her eyes were wide and startled, her nose straight and proud, her lips a dark, erotic cinnabar.

She was beautiful.

Jesus.

He turned his back, feeling as if he’d been kicked in the stomach. “Your pardon.”

“I…I should’ve locked the door,” she said from behind him.

“Yes, you should have.” He crossed to the bed and set the tray of food on it without turning. “Anyone could’ve come in.”

Behind him he heard a small splash.

He cleared his throat. “Did you send your clothes down to be cleaned?”

“Oh. I didn’t think to do so.” Another splash.

He gripped the edges of the tray, frowning down at the plates of stewed chicken and dumplings, trying not to remember what she looked like behind him,
naked
, in her bath, droplets of water on those sweet, glistening, tempting tits.

The edge of the wooden tray cracked under his right hand.

She cleared her throat. “I’m not sure my clothes would withstand washing, frankly.”

“I’ll see what I can find.” He strode to the door, making very sure not to look her way. He paused, his hand on the knob, and noted absently that his knuckles were white. “Be sure to bar the door behind me this time.”

He closed the door and then ran down the inn stairs as if the hounds of hell were after him.

Hippolyta let out a long breath and pressed wet hands against her burning cheeks. Oh, Mr. Mortimer must think she was a ninny—or worse! Whatever had possessed her to forget to lock the door? But she’d been so glad to
finally
have a lovely hot bath that she really hadn’t been thinking about much else.

Still.

She’d rarely been so…embarrassed in her life. Yes, embarrassed. That was the reason she’d felt so very hot under Mr. Mortimer’s intent gaze as he’d stood there staring at her nude breasts. Those green eyes had narrowed just the tiniest bit as he’d looked his fill, and she’d felt her nipples actually
ache
.

Oh, whom was she fooling? It hadn’t been embarrassment she’d felt. It’d been something quite different—something a young, unmarried lady of quality should never feel.

Or at the very least never
admit
to feeling.

Hippolyta huffed to herself, scrambling ungracefully from the tub. The last thing she needed was for him to find her still naked when he returned. She hastily wrapped a drying cloth around herself and ran to the door on tiptoe, sliding home the bolt. Then she returned to the small rug before the fireplace and dried herself with the thin cloth.

She was just debating getting in the bed to keep warm when the knock came at the door.

She skittered across the cold wooden floor and unlocked the door, peeking out.

Mr. Mortimer’s scowling face met her gaze. “Next time ask who it is before unbolting the door.”

She pursed her lips to keep from retorting and simply stood back.

He came in, closed the door, and stalked past her to toss a bundle of clothes on the wooden chair next to the fireplace. “You’re in luck. The innkeeper has two daughters. I was able to purchase a set of clothes for you. I think they’ll fit.” He crossed to the bed, standing with his back to her.

“Thank you,” she said, examining the pile in the chair. There was a chemise, patched but clean, two petticoats, a brown dress, an apron, stockings, a shawl, and shoes. Oh, and a pair of stays. She felt hot again at the thought of his purchasing undergarments for her. “I’ll repay you, naturally.”

He grunted. “There’s no need. Save your pennies for London.”

“But I—” She cut herself off by shutting her mouth with a click. She
could
repay him, of course, now that he was taking her to London—even if there wasn’t enough money in the little purse she still had, her father was very, very rich.

But Mr. Mortimer still thought she was a beggar—or worse, some sort of prostitute.

Hippolyta frowned as she slipped into the chemise. Oh, she was going to take great delight in seeing his face when he finally found out who she really was! Not a beggar or actress or whore but a lady, the daughter of Sir George Royle, one of the richest self-made men in England. She was going to take quite a lot of pleasure in rubbing Mr. Mortimer’s overbearing nose in his mistake.

But in the meantime she sat in the chair to pull on the stockings because her toes were cold.

“May I turn around?”

Hippolyta grabbed the shawl and wrapped it around herself. It was long—thank goodness—and covered her torso adequately.

More or less.

“Yes,” she said breathlessly.

He glanced at her and then quickly away again, his brows drawn together. “You haven’t put the dress on.”

“No.” She glanced at the clothing. “But…I thought I’d go to sleep after supper?” She was determinedly
not
thinking about the single bed right now—one thing at a time. “It seems a little silly to put on the dress just to take it off almost at once.”

He muttered something under his breath that she didn’t quite catch.

“I’m sorry?”

He sighed heavily as if she were a great burden and she found herself blinking, feeling a bit hurt. “Fine. Let’s eat. The supper’s already cold as it is.”

He pivoted and moved a small table from the wall to beside the bed and placed a chair on either side.

He gestured for her to sit. “Please.”

“Thank you,” she replied, uncertain. He sounded so curt. “Really, I
can
repay you for the clothes—”

“Forget it.” He transferred the plates of food and the glasses to the little table before unstoppering a bottle of wine and filling both glasses.

Tommy emerged from whatever hiding place he’d found in the little room and scampered over. He stood on his hind legs beside the table, his little pink nose twitching in interest at the savory aromas.

Wordlessly Mr. Mortimer selected a few morsels of meat from his plate, placed them on a saucer, and deposited the whole on the floor for the little animal.

She took a bite of the stewed chicken. It was cold, but still good. The wine less so.

She eyed him over her wineglass.

His head was downbent as he ate silently, a crease still between his brows.

She set down her glass. “Did Charlie and Josiah like their room?”

“They went straight to bed, so I presume so.”

She took another couple of bites.

“Do you know how much longer it will take to get to London?”

A shrug. “Depends on the roads.”

She pursed her lips at him—not that he noticed, since he seemed to be doing his level best not to look at her. “I don’t suppose you have a comb?”

That got a glance from beneath lowered brows. His eyelashes hadn’t grown any less lush, she noticed. He sighed and pushed out his chair with a loud scrape against the floorboards, rising and going to his satchel at the end of the bed. He bent and rummaged for a moment before returning and tossing a comb on the table beside her plate.

Hippolyta arched an eyebrow. “Have I offended you in some way, Mr. Mortimer?”

He looked at her finally, but his expression was irritated. “No.”

She finished her dinner and picked up the comb, running it through her damp hair. “And yet you’ve been just short of rude since we got to the inn.”

He poured another glass of wine and leaned back in his chair. “Look. I said I’d take you to London and I will, so you don’t have to do this.”

She lowered the comb, puzzled. “This?”

He stood suddenly, nearly tipping over the chair, and thrust an arm toward the tub. “The bath.” He waved back at her. “Swanning about in nothing but a chemise, combing your hair. You needn’t bother with any of this.”

“I…” Hippolyta’s brows snapped together. “Any of
what
?”

He placed his hands flat on the table and leaned over it, nearly in her face. “You don’t need to seduce me.”

Matthew watched as that lush cinnabar mouth dropped open in outrage. “I…
what
?”

“Don’t act the innocent with me,” he growled, as if his cock weren’t pressed hard against the placket of his breeches. “No doubt you’re used to making your way in the world. Seducing men and using them and their money—”

“I have my
own
money, thank you very much!”

“—to live, but I’ve already promised to take you as far as London and since I’m a gentleman—”

“Ha!”

“—a
gentleman
, you can quit attempting to use your feminine wiles on me.”

“I
haven’t
any feminine wiles.”

He looked at her, from her stormy dark eyes to her outraged mouth to her plump tits, trembling with indignation under the flimsy chemise, and back up again. “You, Princess, are brimful of feminine wiles.”

His voice had deepened and he watched as awareness dawned in those dark eyes—as they widened, and she leaned forward just a fraction.

Her lower lip was wet.

He’d have given anything in that moment to take that mouth. Show her that he wasn’t a man to be played with.

Except he’d just told her he wouldn’t.

Sodding
hell
.

He shoved away from the table and strode to the door. “I’m going down to the common room. Lock the door behind me. And
check
this time before you open it to anyone.”

He ignored the outraged cry behind him and slammed the door, waiting only long enough to hear the bolt shoot home before clattering down the stairs.

The common room was small and dark, lit only by a few candles and the peat fire, burning low. A half-dozen men were seated at a table, intent on a game of dice.

Matthew ordered ale and sat alone. Discovering the little beggar was a lovely woman under all that mud and muck shouldn’t have shaken him so. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t availed himself of female company in the last two years. Then again, one didn’t talk to whores. And besides. It’d been a while.

He grimaced as he took a swig of the ale. It felt almost like a betrayal, finding that his little scamp with her acerbic wit, ridiculous, aristocratic speech, and vulnerable eyes was a beautiful woman. The trip to London was going to be torture—he had to share a
bed
with the wench tonight.

It wasn’t fair.

He grunted at the thought.
Life
wasn’t fair and he was man enough to know it.

Matthew drained his tankard, flipped a coin at one of the innkeeper’s daughters, and retraced his steps to the room upstairs.

He braced a hand on the doorjamb, head downbent, and knocked.

A pause and then her voice. “Who is it?”

“Me.”

She unlocked and opened the door.

He glanced up.

Her chin was tilted up and one eyebrow was raised haughtily, but her lips trembled. He shouldn’t feel something inside him squeeze at the sight. “I suppose I should’ve asked for your name and some proof of your identity?”

He snorted and pushed past her into the room. Only one candle burned now and the room was intimately dim. The bedclothes were turned down. She’d obviously been lying in the bed. Tommy had hidden himself somewhere.

Behind him she shut and locked the door.

He shrugged out of his coat, hanging it over one of the chairs.

She scurried past him and got in the bed.

If it were bigger, he’d suggest a line of pillows or clothing down the middle to separate them. But the bed was hardly big enough for two as it was. He didn’t fancy falling out on his arse in the middle of the night just to keep away from her.

“Are you married?” she asked.

He paused, his hands on his neckcloth, and looked at her. She’d pulled the coverlet to her nose, but he could see the gleam of her eyes even in the dark of the bed. “No.”

“A sweetheart?”

“No sweetheart.” He grimaced, pulling the neckcloth free, and tossed it to the chair where his coat lay.

“Why not?”

He shrugged, unbuttoning his waistcoat. “I’ve been busy with my studies of cartography and other scientific matters.”

Which was true enough, though not the entire truth. He’d had no title and not much in the way of money when he’d last been in England. Now, of course, the matter was different.

An earldom was tasty bait for the family of some heiress.

The thought did not improve his mood.

She humphed. “Many gentlemen manage both to study and to court.”

“Not me.” He flung the waistcoat on the chair and bent to unbuckle his shoes. “Besides, I’ve been gone for two years. Haven’t met many eligible ladies on my voyage.”

“And now you’ve returned,” she whispered.

“So I have.” He toed off his shoes and kicked them under the chair. He straightened and blew out the candle. “You seem awfully interested in my matrimonial state. Do
you
have a husband waiting for you in London?” His mood turned downright foul at the notion.

“No husband.” She sighed, sounding a little sad there in the dark.

“No?” His mouth twisted. She was a whore—or at least a beggar by the road. Such as she
always
had a man to scrounge off. “Then a
sweetheart
, I imagine.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.

There was a silence from the bed and then her voice came, sounding much more awake. Not to mention very, very precise. “No sweetheart, either. Of any kind, I assure you, Mr. Mortimer.”

“I suppose that covers pimps?”

He knew he’d gone too far even before she sprang from the bed in a rustle of covers and limbs. In the dark she was a shadow, darting to the door, but he caught her, his princess, his beggar maid. Grabbed her around the waist and bore her against the solid oak door. She hit out with sharp elbows. Kicked with flailing heels and bare toes and all he could think, as he absorbed the blows, was
She’ll hurt herself
.

That and
I deserved this
.

But she didn’t speak, merely panted as she struggled with him, gasping for breath, her gorgeous fat tits heaving against his chest, until she
did
.

“
Bastard
,” she hissed. “Son of a bitch, c…c…
cock
-sucking
arse
.”

He wanted to laugh, but he bit the inside of his mouth—
hard
—to keep from doing so, and let her rail.

“You have
no
right, no right at all to call me that,” she panted into his face, her breath sweet and arousing. “Think me a beggar, think me an actress or swindler, if you must, but I am
not
a whore. I am Hippolyta Royle. I am a respectable lady of good breeding and fine intelligence and wit. If your tiny mind cannot remember or believe that, at least believe that you are lucky to even share the same
air
, let alone a pathetic country inn room, with me. Do we understand each other, Mr. Mortimer?”

God, he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to cover that lush cinnabar mouth and inhale all those clipped accents, those sharp vowels, and make her forget her stupid name, assumed or not.

He wanted to fuck her until nothing mattered but coming fast and hard.

But he’d promised her.

And besides, he rather thought at the moment she might bite his tongue off if he stuck it in her mouth.