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Her voice was soft as it floated across the rooet?"
"You scandalized every h aloud"
After that memorable first dance, he’d made it a point to attend the sa at several houses before finding her Society dictated that he could clai and every moment spent with her had to be chaperoned, but despite these restrictions they’d discovered a mutual affinity He was never bored with her, was instead endlessly fascinated
Elizabeth was genuinely kind but had a quick temper that rose in an instant and dissipated as rapidly She had in abundance all of the things that irl a woman but retained a childishness that could be at once endearing and frustrating He adlimpses of vulnerability that pushed hied to protect her froe, to shelter her and keep her all to his between them he still felt that way
Marcus cursed under his breath and then juhts," she whispered "But it can never be that way again"
His laugh was harsh "I’ve no desire to have it that way a second ti I have for you You won’t suffer in the slaking, I can pro, he stared into her upturned face, seeing the violet eyes so unfathomable and sad Her lower lip quivered and he stilled the betraying movement with a soft stroke of his thumb
"Itomorrow" He cupped her flushed cheek and then lowered his hand to her breast "I will speak with the outriders Avery assigned to you They’ll follow at a discreet distance Wear neutral colors No jewelry Sturdy shoes"
Elizabeth nodded and held still as a statue as he lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers Only the racing of her heart beneath his palm told hihtening of his loins and chest He’d give up his fortune to be rid of this longing
Sick with self-disgust he stepped past her and departed, hating the hours between now and the ain
Chapter 5
Marcus stared through the cover of bushes, his jaw clenching as a droplet of sweat trickled between his shoulder blades Elizabeth stood a few feet away in the clearing with her husband’s journal clutched tightly in her tiny hands The grass beneath her feet was tra into the air, but it didn’t soothe hi her out there, exposed to whoever it was that wanted Hawthorne’s book She shifted nervously froed to soothe her and take the burden of waiting froht shoulders onto his own
He’d had precious little time to prepare Surrounded by trees, the specified location ly difficult There were too many places to hide Avery and the outriders, who stood nearby watching the worn paths that led to theplace, were conal the patiently was not in his nature and he gripped the hilt of his small sith barely restrained ferocity What in hell was taking so da?
This mission was the ned to; it required the presence of s But to his dismay, he was as far from level-headedness as he’d ever been in his life Failure was never an option, but this … this was Elizabeth
As if she sensed his tur for him She chewed her bottoht in his throat as he watched her It had been so long since he’d had the opportunity to study her at his leisure He drank her in, every detail, from the uplifted chin that defied the world, to the restless way she shifted the journal A slight breeze ruffled the curls at her nape, revealing the slender white colue and the fierce protectiveness it engendered, Marcus failed to see the dark-clad body dropping from the tree until it was too late He leapt to his feet as the realization hit, his blood roaring so loudly he could scarcely hear past it
Elizabeth was knocked to the ground, the book flying from her hands to land a few feet away She cried out, the startled sound cut short by the crushing weight of the ed over the bushes and tackled the assailant away fro before they rolled to a halt A quick blow to thehie such that he couldn’t think beyond the instinct to kill anyone who threatened Elizabeth He fought like a ripped hiape She’d known Marcus was a physically powerful man, but he had always controlled himself with a confident air of self- the self-assured rogue brandishing a sword or a pistol with careless arrogance, taunting his opponents with a few cutting re quick work of the ination had not pictured the Marcus before her--a vengeful beast, easily able to kill ato do so
She scrambled to her feet, eyes wide, as he wrapped his hands around the man’s throat, a el’s book "No! Don’t kill hirip at the sound of Elizabeth’s voice, the haze of bloodlust retreating With a, the assailant bucked upward, effectively garnering his release by throwing Marcus to his back
Rolling quickly to his stoht, but the attacker scooped up the book and fled
There was the barest glint of sunlight off theh Marcus rose frooal to reach Elizabeth and shield her froh The report of the pistol bounced off the trees around the at the sight that greeted him
Elizabeth stood by her mount, her hair in disarray about her shoulders In her outstretched hands was the sinated, he turned his head and watched in confounded wonder as the assailant stuun skittering away across the dewy grass The man’s left hand was liainst a wound to his shoulder Swearing, he ducked between two bushes and disappeared into the trees
Stunned by the series of events, Marcus was startled as Avery ran past hi hell," he snapped, furious at hio so awry
Elizabeth took his arent "Are you hurt?" Her free hand drifted over his torso
His eyes widened at her obvious concern
"Damn you, Marcus Are you injured? Did he hurt you?"
"No, no, I’ with that?" He stared, dazed by the sight of the pistol she held at her side
"Saving your life" Her hand to her heart, she released her breath in a rush and then walked to the fallen journal to retrieve it "You may thank me when you recover your wits"
Marcus sat silently in the sitting room of his London townhouse Divested of his coat and waistcoat, he lounged with his feet propped up on the table, and watched the play of light froh the brandy in his snifter
To say thehad been a disaster would be an understatement, and yet Elizabeth had retained the book and wounded her attacker Marcus was not surprised His friendship with Williaht
Her mother lost to illness, Elizabeth had been raised by a father and older brother ere both notorious voluptuaries Governesses never lasted long, finding the young Elizabeth to be incorrigible Without the cal influence of a woman in the house, she’d been allowed to run wild
As children, Willia neck-or-nothing through the fields, cli pistols Elizabeth had been blissfully unaware of the societal rules women were expected to follow until introduced to the in deportiven her the tools she used to hide herself from him, but he paid them no mind He would know her, all of her
The erous than any of them had previously realized Steps had to be taken to ensure Elizabeth was kept safe
"Thank you for allowing me to repair myself here," Elizabeth said softly from the doorway that led to the bedroom
She’d used the room that wasto face her, he saw her staring down at her clasped hands "Willia was a athe dark circles that ri? Was he tor her dreams the way she tormented his?