mistress after refusing their marriage contract was still
fresh on her mind. He was a deplorable cad, as far as she was
concerned. Even if he had just saved her life.
Chapter 10
"So, care to tell me why that man was trying to kill you,
and why he kept referring to you as "your highness?"" Derrick
asked casually.
Kristen had been in the process of opening the carriage
door to grab her belongings, but she stopped and looked at
Derrick. "How long were you standing there?"
"Since the whole thing started."
Kristen closed her eyes and tried to steady her temper.
The footman had died needlessly so that Derrick could
appease his curiosity, and Mel had been in danger for a time,
as well. She closed the carriage door and walked up to him.
He grinned down at her, completely oblivious to her anger.
She barreled her fist straight into his nose. He staggered back
and instinctively covered his nose with his hands. She saw a
small amount of blood trickle out between his fingers. It didn't
make her feel better, but it was no less than he deserved.
"What the bloody hell was that for?" He demanded
angrily.
His voice sounded muffled behind his hands, and he
blinked several times. Kristen assumed it was to clear the fog
in his vision. She had hit him right at the bridge of the nose,
which could have broken it, and would have caused his vision
to blur over.
"That was for standing there and letting an innocent
man die, and putting Mel in danger simply to appease your
curiosity. If you had intended to help, you should have done so
from the beginning." She spat angrily and then turned back to
the carriage.
Derrick pulled a handkerchief from his coat and held it
to his nose. He didn't think it was broken, but he was sure he
would have a black eye come tomorrow. Kristen was certainly
proving to be a surprise. Despite her small form, she could
wallop a man with the best of them. That was a powerful
punch she had just thrown, and worse, she knew how to do it
without giving her intentions away. Derrick had no idea it was
coming until it was too late.
"The footman took me by surprise, but I would not have
allowed him to hurt Mel. Her husband would wring my neck,
I assure you."
Kristen peeked out from the carriage. "You know Guy?"
"Of course, he's my best friend. We grew up together,
went to school together, he's been there for me more than I
can ever repay. So, when he travels as the ambassador for
the king, I keep an eye on his wife for him."
Kristen narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything more
on the subject. She withdrew back into the carriage. Derrick
got the distinct impression that he had said something wrong
again and sighed. He walked over to the carriage and poked
his head inside.
"What now?" He asked.
"Nothing." Kristen replied, picking up her reticule and
putting the blanket back where it went.
"Obviously something."
"Look, thank you for your assistance, but I need to be
getting home. We'll need to send someone to collect the dead
and the carriage."
She hopped down from the carriage and walked down
the road back toward the main part of London. Mel's
townhome wasn't that far, but they had taken the scenic route.
Kristen liked the look of the trees along the road, and she
enjoyed a good carriage ride after a stressful day of shopping.
Honestly, for all of Kristen's blustering about things being
Derrick's fault, she was the one to blame. If they had taken the
direct route back to Mel's house, none of this would have
happened. Also, she couldn't forget that they were after her in
the first place, so Mel was in danger because of her, not
because of Derrick.
She glanced sideways at Derrick as he fell into step
beside her.
"I have a carriage, you know." He said kindly.
"I'll walk." She replied brusquely.
"Then I'll accompany you."
"I'd rather you didn't." She said.
Truth be told she was feeling rather guilty that she had
hit him. None of this was his fault, but she wasn't handling
things as well as she would like, and he
fresh on her mind. He was a deplorable cad, as far as she was
concerned. Even if he had just saved her life.
Chapter 10
"So, care to tell me why that man was trying to kill you,
and why he kept referring to you as "your highness?"" Derrick
asked casually.
Kristen had been in the process of opening the carriage
door to grab her belongings, but she stopped and looked at
Derrick. "How long were you standing there?"
"Since the whole thing started."
Kristen closed her eyes and tried to steady her temper.
The footman had died needlessly so that Derrick could
appease his curiosity, and Mel had been in danger for a time,
as well. She closed the carriage door and walked up to him.
He grinned down at her, completely oblivious to her anger.
She barreled her fist straight into his nose. He staggered back
and instinctively covered his nose with his hands. She saw a
small amount of blood trickle out between his fingers. It didn't
make her feel better, but it was no less than he deserved.
"What the bloody hell was that for?" He demanded
angrily.
His voice sounded muffled behind his hands, and he
blinked several times. Kristen assumed it was to clear the fog
in his vision. She had hit him right at the bridge of the nose,
which could have broken it, and would have caused his vision
to blur over.
"That was for standing there and letting an innocent
man die, and putting Mel in danger simply to appease your
curiosity. If you had intended to help, you should have done so
from the beginning." She spat angrily and then turned back to
the carriage.
Derrick pulled a handkerchief from his coat and held it
to his nose. He didn't think it was broken, but he was sure he
would have a black eye come tomorrow. Kristen was certainly
proving to be a surprise. Despite her small form, she could
wallop a man with the best of them. That was a powerful
punch she had just thrown, and worse, she knew how to do it
without giving her intentions away. Derrick had no idea it was
coming until it was too late.
"The footman took me by surprise, but I would not have
allowed him to hurt Mel. Her husband would wring my neck,
I assure you."
Kristen peeked out from the carriage. "You know Guy?"
"Of course, he's my best friend. We grew up together,
went to school together, he's been there for me more than I
can ever repay. So, when he travels as the ambassador for
the king, I keep an eye on his wife for him."
Kristen narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything more
on the subject. She withdrew back into the carriage. Derrick
got the distinct impression that he had said something wrong
again and sighed. He walked over to the carriage and poked
his head inside.
"What now?" He asked.
"Nothing." Kristen replied, picking up her reticule and
putting the blanket back where it went.
"Obviously something."
"Look, thank you for your assistance, but I need to be
getting home. We'll need to send someone to collect the dead
and the carriage."
She hopped down from the carriage and walked down
the road back toward the main part of London. Mel's
townhome wasn't that far, but they had taken the scenic route.
Kristen liked the look of the trees along the road, and she
enjoyed a good carriage ride after a stressful day of shopping.
Honestly, for all of Kristen's blustering about things being
Derrick's fault, she was the one to blame. If they had taken the
direct route back to Mel's house, none of this would have
happened. Also, she couldn't forget that they were after her in
the first place, so Mel was in danger because of her, not
because of Derrick.
She glanced sideways at Derrick as he fell into step
beside her.
"I have a carriage, you know." He said kindly.
"I'll walk." She replied brusquely.
"Then I'll accompany you."
"I'd rather you didn't." She said.
Truth be told she was feeling rather guilty that she had
hit him. None of this was his fault, but she wasn't handling
things as well as she would like, and he
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