Undressed by the Earl (16 page)

She knew, well enough, that this marriage proposal might be her last. A bitterness clenched her inside, for this was not the way it was meant to be. She’d obeyed the rules of the ton, learning everything a lady ought to know. And it was worth nothing at all.

Amelia was standing across the room, holding a glass of lemonade, while Lord Lisford was gazing at her with longing. Thankfully, her sister had come to her senses and had recognized that the man was nothing more than a rake and a wastrel. Even so, it appeared that the viscount hadn’t given up. Amelia remained polite, but it was clear that her sister had little desire to speak with the man.

Margaret was interrupted from her musings when Lord Castledon appeared. He invited her to dance, but it was clear that he, too, had caught sight of Amelia and the viscount. “Someone needs to remind Lord Lisford that there are other women here who would suit him better.”

“Rich women who want an ornamental husband, you mean.”

Lord Castledon sent her a sardonic smile. “Rich, feather-brained women with deep pockets.”

Margaret decided that she liked the earl a great deal. Not as a husband, but more like a brother. “Just so.”

She held his gloved hand while turning, and found that she was enjoying herself in the dancing set. Were it not for her sister’s interest, she might have said yes to the earl’s proposal. He was a good man and a kind one. They could get on well enough.

But when she thought of kissing him, her mind turned back to Cain Sinclair. Reckless and wild, the Highlander was a man she could never be with. But his kiss made her blood rise, and he made her feel alive in a way she’d never felt with any other man. He was her stolen secret, a forbidden attraction that she could never indulge.

Thankfully, the earl hadn’t pressed her for an answer to his suit. He’d offered for her and had her parents’ approval. All that remained was her response.

They danced the remainder of the set, and Margaret was nearly out of breath at the end. She glanced back to where Amelia had been standing, but there was no sign of her sister. Likely she had gone to speak with other friends. But as she turned slowly to study the ballroom, she couldn’t see Amelia anywhere.

A dark thread of worry pulled tightly within her. “Lord Castledon, would you mind helping me search for my sister? I don’t trust the viscount, and I don’t see either of them. I would feel better, knowing where she is.”

The earl’s face transformed into seriousness, understanding her concern. “You search the ballroom while I go outside.”

“If he’s dared to lay a hand on her—” Margaret began.

“He won’t
have
a hand when I’ve finished with him.” The earl crossed the room, and she had no doubt at all that if Amelia were in any danger at all, Lord Castledon would protect her.

In the meantime, she had to search the rest of the ballroom.
It’s likely nothing at all
, she told herself. Amelia could be in the ladies’ retiring room.

But after searching there and speaking with several other women, it became clear that no one had seen Amelia in several minutes.

When the minutes turned into half an hour, her sense of panic heightened. A few years ago, her older sister Victoria had been kidnapped. The viscount wouldn’t do the same thing, would he?

If Amelia had gone home, she would have said something to them. Margaret didn’t want to cause her mother unnecessary alarm if it turned out to be nothing. But when Lord Castledon returned, his expression was grim.

“She’s gone, and so is Lisford.”

Dear God, no. Not him. Margaret’s stomach sank, for she was afraid of what might have happened. “She never would have gone with him willingly.”

“Someone thought she wasn’t feeling well. Supposedly, Lisford was escorting her back to your mother.”

“Does anyone know where she might be?” Margaret demanded.

“I don’t know, but rest assured, I’ll find her.”

Margaret leaned against the wall, dreading the prospect of telling Mother. The earl was already striding across the room, and she felt slightly better that he was there to help. Even so, she thought of another man whom she could rely on to track down her sister: Cain Sinclair.

Time was of the essence. No longer did she care about propriety or what other people would think. This was about protecting Amelia.

She stopped briefly near her mother. “I can’t find Amelia. I’m going home to see if she’s there. I think someone said she had a headache.” The lie flowed easily, and though Beatrice appeared concerned, her mother gave no protest. “I’ll give our apologies to our hostess and join you.”

No, that wouldn’t do at all. She needed time to speak with Mr. Sinclair.

“It’s all right,” Margaret assured her mother. “She should have told us where she was going, but I imagine she’s fine. I’ll look after her.”

Her mother didn’t appear convinced, and Margaret signaled to her maid to accompany her. She had to move quickly, regardless of her mother’s intentions.

When she reached her carriage, she saw Castledon outside. “Have you heard anything?”

His face was hard, like frosted ice. “According to another driver, the viscount took a coach, and he’d packed baggage. I think he may have taken Amelia somewhere.”

“We have to stop him.”

“He won’t get far,” Castledon agreed. “I promise you that.” There was a steely resolve in his tone, as if he would not stop until she was found. But although she trusted him, she trusted Cain more. The Highlander could find Amelia, no matter where Lisford had taken her.

“I’m going to get someone else to help us,” Margaret insisted. “Someone who knows London well and can help track them down.”

“Sinclair?” the earl guessed.

Her face flushed, but she offered no denial. “Go after her, and Sinclair will follow. He is a good friend of our family’s.”

The earl studied her a moment. “You were never going to agree to my proposal, were you?”

Margaret hesitated, wondering whether to reveal the truth. But then, it hardly mattered now. She faced him and admitted, “Not while Amelia is in love with you.”

He didn’t react at all, but she sensed that her announcement wasn’t a complete surprise. So, her instincts had been correct. There
was
something between them, though she didn’t know if it was only Amelia who had developed feelings.

Before the earl could say anything, Margaret saw her chance to make a match on her sister’s behalf. “If Lord Lisford travels too far, Amelia will be forced to marry him. Her reputation will be compromised, and she’ll be ruined.”

Lord Castledon held her gaze, as if he knew precisely what she was implying.

“You could help her,” Margaret said quietly. “You said yourself, you need a wife and a mother for your daughter.”

“That wouldn’t be fair to her.”

“And would it have been fair to me?” Margaret countered.

She knew that Lord Castledon’s offer had nothing to do with love or affection and everything to do with keeping his word to his daughter. At least Amelia had the forthright manner where she dared to confront him. And whether either of them would admit it, Margaret had seen the spark between them. There
could
be something there, if circumstances permitted.

“She needs help, Lord Castledon,” Margaret insisted. “Don’t let her become a victim to the viscount’s schemes.”

The earl said nothing at all, but she’d made her point. Without another word, he climbed into his carriage and disappeared into the night.

Amelia awakened, her mouth feeling as if she’d swallowed a mouthful of fleece. Her head ached, and the world seemed to sway. What had happened? Had she fainted? She couldn’t recall fainting in all her life.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Viscount Lisford seated across from her. She blinked a moment, trying to clear the dream away, but he remained right where her imagination had conjured him. Clearly, she was having an appalling nightmare.

His expression held a blend of relief and terror. “You’re alive. I’m so glad.”

“Was I in danger of dying?” she blurted out. Her voice sounded woozy, not at all like herself.

“No. That wasn’t my intention at all.” He clasped his hands together and glanced outside the window. That was when she realized she was in a carriage.

A carriage that was moving entirely too fast, jostling her against the seat. Which then reminded her that her stomach was also tossing.

“Are you taking me home?” she asked, trying to keep herself from being sick.

He glanced out again, and from his nervousness, she suspected the answer was no.

Her nausea rose up higher, not only from the moving vehicle, but also from fear. “I need you to stop this carriage,” she informed him. “Right now.”

“I—I can’t do that, Miss Andrews.”

“You had better stop it, or I’ll be sick all over your shoes.” Again, her body fought the tossing motion. Had he given her something to make her sleep? Amelia tried to think of when or how.

He had gone white, and as she tried to sit up, the dizziness flowed over her. Her brain was still suffering the effects of whatever illness had struck. “You need to tell me what has happened, Lord Lisford.”

He glanced outside. “I shall, I promise. But we must go a little farther.”

Farther from where? Her eyes widened, and she realized that he had arranged all of this. “Were you trying to kidnap me?”

He wouldn’t meet her gaze, and she realized that yes, that
had
been his intention. “No, not that,” he said. “I wanted a grand romantic gesture, something that we could tell our children about. We’re eloping together.”

If she had believed he was foolish before, now she was convinced that the man had nothing save cotton batting in his skull. He’d gone utterly mad.

“Let me see if I can understand you,” she said slowly. In her mind, she replayed the events. He’d come to speak with her, offering a glass of lemonade and apologizing profusely for his behavior when he’d stolen a kiss.

After the lemonade, she’d begun to feel odd. He’d taken her arm, escorting her to the ladies’ retiring room, and the next thing she remembered was waking up inside the carriage.

“You gave me something to drink and then brought me here with the intention that we should run away together?”

He looked relieved. “Yes, that’s it exactly. I thought we could go to Scotland and spend some time there after we marry.”

Scotland? Exactly how long had she been unconscious? Amelia tried to look outside the window, but the motion of the coach made her quickly avert her gaze. “You forgot an important detail, Lord Lisford,” she said. He waited for her to continue, and Amelia added, “Normally when a suitor tries a grand romantic gesture like sweeping a woman away to marry her, he
asks her first
.”

Bewilderment crossed his face. “Well, of course, you were going to say yes. I apologized to you, after all.”

She straightened and forced her stomach to behave itself. He truly believed that, didn’t he? This handsome rake honestly thought that no woman would ever refuse him. How had she ever considered him delicious and the man of her dreams? Right now, he was the man of her nightmares.

“Lord Lisford,” she said calmly. “I ask that you please tell your driver to turn around and take me home. I do not wish to go to Scotland.”

Confusion clouded his face. “Then how are we to marry?”

She wanted to screech at him that she would sooner marry the coachman than him, but she wasn’t entirely certain whether she was safe in his presence. Shouting or making demands might make things worse.

“I believe you, when you say that you wanted a romantic gesture,” she said gently. “But my family will be angry with you. They will not approve of this.”

“They don’t approve of me, I know,” he agreed. “But that is why we should go away together. Once we’re wed, they will have to accept me as your husband.”

She couldn’t believe what he was saying. “My father hasn’t forgotten what you did to Margaret. He won’t allow it to happen a second time.”

The viscount appeared uncomfortable. “In time, he will see that we were meant to be together.”

She gritted her teeth. Did he honestly believe that was true? Exactly how pompous was his opinion of himself?

“How long have we been traveling?” she asked, willing herself to stay calm. There had to be a way out of this.

“Most of the night. We have much farther to go, before we’re safe.”

A frigid chill came over her as she realized the gravity of her situation. If she’d been alone with this man for most of the night, he had well and truly cornered her. Even if she cried off and refused to wed him, her reputation would be in tatters.

For the first time, she let the fear gain a foothold. If she told him no, if she refused him now, he might leave her in the middle of nowhere. She couldn’t survive alone with no money or protection.

Her family would be searching for her; there was no doubt of it. But even if they found her, the damage would be done. All of London society would know that she’d been taken by the viscount. If they married, most would overlook it. His prediction that it would become a Grand Romantic Gesture could become a reality.