awareness in her eyes now
that hadn’t been there before, and Merrick flinched guiltily as if she had
accused him.
This was her wedding night, or rather, the morning after.
The tattered state of her dress left only one inevitable conclusion. He had not
thought even Rupert so low as to stoop to rape, but the evidence was damning.
The only question remaining was how Thomas had become involved in this.
Wyatt held her tight. “You don’t have to explain, Cass. Just
tell us where Thomas is. We’ll find him.”
“Down the street. Rupert challenged him. Hurry, please,
Wyatt. Don’t let him hurt Thomas.” Straightening her sagging shoulders,
Cassandra pushed from his arms. “I’ll go with you.”
Merrick held her back, studying the black smudges beneath
her eyes and the painful swelling of her jaw. “Let me call a maid to take care
of you. We’ll find Thomas.”
“No, it won’t do. You can’t stop Rupert. It’s me he wants.
Give me your coat.” Cassandra wearily held out her hand.
When Merrick hesitated, she pinned her gown with her fingers
and started for the doorway. “I can’t stay here. You will have to come with me.”
That made about as much sense as anything else that had
happened this night, Merrick decided drunkenly. Peeling off his coat, he
wrapped it over Cassandra’s slender shoulders as they started down the hall. He
ought to be calling for maids and a physician, but he sensed Thomas’ danger was
immediate.
They hurried into the frosty night, letting the cold air
sweep away the last of the brandy fumes. Between them, Scheffing and Merrick
half-carried Cassandra down the street.
By the time they reached the wall where she remembered
leaving Thomas and her husband, there was no one in sight. Cassandra moaned in
frustration and wilted against the earl’s arm. She didn’t have much strength
left. The pain in her jaw throbbed, and the blisters on her feet made each step
one of torture.
Merrick held her up. “We’ll have to send for a carriage,
Bertie. We’ll need to go to Rupert’s and your family, see if they’re there. And
Lady Cassandra needs to be taken home.”
Cassandra shivered at the thought of facing Duncan, but she
didn’t object. Duels required seconds. Rupert would go to her brother for
support in this. She nodded agreement.
But when they finally arrived at the Howard town house, it
was to discover Lord Eddings had just been called out on an urgent matter.
“We have to stop them, Wyatt. It’s all my fault. You can’t
leave me here. Perhaps we can stop Rupert.” She clutched his coat around her
shoulders and met his worried dark eyes.
Wyatt had donned a cloak earlier, but she could see the
gleam of his shirt sleeves and waistcoat beneath the dark material. That seemed
to make him look even broader and taller than before.
“I cannot drag you out again. You need medical attention.
Stay here, and we will come back to you as soon as we have word.”
“No!” Beyond reasoning, Cassandra grabbed his sleeve. She
only knew she could not be parted from Merrick. He was the only one who could
save her. “You can’t leave me here. Duncan will just send me back to Rupert and
all will be for naught. I must go with you. I have to make them understand.”
She knew she was nearly hysterical, but there was no one in
Howard House to aid them. Resigned, Merrick followed her out to the carriage.
Scheffing had taken one of Merrick’s horses and ridden home
to try to stop his brother there.
Merrick raised his whip and raced across the park toward Rupert’s
home.
As the curricle pulled up to the doorstep, the townhouse
door swung open and Lotta raced down the step to meet them.
“My lady! He’s gone. He’s furious, Jacob—that’s his lordship’s
valet—says. I thought he’d gone for you. Oh, thank goodness you’re safe.”
She would have swept into the curricle after Merrick stepped
down, but Cassandra lifted the reins and whip and froze both Wyatt and her maid
with her
that hadn’t been there before, and Merrick flinched guiltily as if she had
accused him.
This was her wedding night, or rather, the morning after.
The tattered state of her dress left only one inevitable conclusion. He had not
thought even Rupert so low as to stoop to rape, but the evidence was damning.
The only question remaining was how Thomas had become involved in this.
Wyatt held her tight. “You don’t have to explain, Cass. Just
tell us where Thomas is. We’ll find him.”
“Down the street. Rupert challenged him. Hurry, please,
Wyatt. Don’t let him hurt Thomas.” Straightening her sagging shoulders,
Cassandra pushed from his arms. “I’ll go with you.”
Merrick held her back, studying the black smudges beneath
her eyes and the painful swelling of her jaw. “Let me call a maid to take care
of you. We’ll find Thomas.”
“No, it won’t do. You can’t stop Rupert. It’s me he wants.
Give me your coat.” Cassandra wearily held out her hand.
When Merrick hesitated, she pinned her gown with her fingers
and started for the doorway. “I can’t stay here. You will have to come with me.”
That made about as much sense as anything else that had
happened this night, Merrick decided drunkenly. Peeling off his coat, he
wrapped it over Cassandra’s slender shoulders as they started down the hall. He
ought to be calling for maids and a physician, but he sensed Thomas’ danger was
immediate.
They hurried into the frosty night, letting the cold air
sweep away the last of the brandy fumes. Between them, Scheffing and Merrick
half-carried Cassandra down the street.
By the time they reached the wall where she remembered
leaving Thomas and her husband, there was no one in sight. Cassandra moaned in
frustration and wilted against the earl’s arm. She didn’t have much strength
left. The pain in her jaw throbbed, and the blisters on her feet made each step
one of torture.
Merrick held her up. “We’ll have to send for a carriage,
Bertie. We’ll need to go to Rupert’s and your family, see if they’re there. And
Lady Cassandra needs to be taken home.”
Cassandra shivered at the thought of facing Duncan, but she
didn’t object. Duels required seconds. Rupert would go to her brother for
support in this. She nodded agreement.
But when they finally arrived at the Howard town house, it
was to discover Lord Eddings had just been called out on an urgent matter.
“We have to stop them, Wyatt. It’s all my fault. You can’t
leave me here. Perhaps we can stop Rupert.” She clutched his coat around her
shoulders and met his worried dark eyes.
Wyatt had donned a cloak earlier, but she could see the
gleam of his shirt sleeves and waistcoat beneath the dark material. That seemed
to make him look even broader and taller than before.
“I cannot drag you out again. You need medical attention.
Stay here, and we will come back to you as soon as we have word.”
“No!” Beyond reasoning, Cassandra grabbed his sleeve. She
only knew she could not be parted from Merrick. He was the only one who could
save her. “You can’t leave me here. Duncan will just send me back to Rupert and
all will be for naught. I must go with you. I have to make them understand.”
She knew she was nearly hysterical, but there was no one in
Howard House to aid them. Resigned, Merrick followed her out to the carriage.
Scheffing had taken one of Merrick’s horses and ridden home
to try to stop his brother there.
Merrick raised his whip and raced across the park toward Rupert’s
home.
As the curricle pulled up to the doorstep, the townhouse
door swung open and Lotta raced down the step to meet them.
“My lady! He’s gone. He’s furious, Jacob—that’s his lordship’s
valet—says. I thought he’d gone for you. Oh, thank goodness you’re safe.”
She would have swept into the curricle after Merrick stepped
down, but Cassandra lifted the reins and whip and froze both Wyatt and her maid
with her
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