Society's Most Scandalous Viscount by Anabelle Bryant Page A

possessed the courage…
    Shaking her head, she dismissed her wayward thoughts and focused on the nightmare that had caused her to wake. Her father had been angry, his voice raised and walking stick tapping the floorboards as he demanded she obey. Why wouldn’t he listen to her? Why wouldn’t he see reason?
    He loomed above her, his shadow a portent of misery, and she cowered from his outstretched hand, a silver key on his palm gleaming as she winced at his overbearing demands and refused to accept the key, much to his anger.
    Then her sister appeared half hidden by her father’s shadow and far in the distance. Helen looked distraught, her voice a haunting echo as she urged Angelica to take the key and run. But still Angelica stayed crouched on the floor near her father’s feet, frozen with indecision and kept at bay by the end of that wicked walking stick, prodding the ground as if poking holes in her confidence and resistance.
    Slowly the darkness increased, the voices faded, and Helen shrank as their father burgeoned larger. Angelica wavered between the two. Paralyzed and unsure, unable to act, her hands trembling and her heart beating hard. At last, the chaotic emotions of the nightmare startled her awake and set her free.
    What did it all mean? Was it her fear of the unknown that consumed her while she slept? Surely it could only be troubled emotions over Helen and the imperious interference of her father that caused the lingering disturbance. The single time she’d forgotten her familial distress and found a semblance of peace was when she’d kissed Benedict.
    Benedict.
    Even his name sounded like a peaceful prayer and psalm of salvation…a benediction. What harm could be found in one more kiss? If her thoughts were so burdened with worry and apprehension that nightmares prodded her awake, perhaps she needed a talisman to cling to as she navigated her future. She hardly knew him, only a few days, but it would be heavenly to find comfort in his embrace and the strength of his arms as she indulged in one last kiss. It was an act of desperation, she couldn’t ignore, the need and unrelenting desire to walk to the beach and into Benedict’s arms. It didn’t matter he was a stranger she’d never see again. He could offer her a vital memory to cherish in her heart no matter what the future held. Her father might force her to bow to his decision but in this moment, she possessed free will. This was her choice.
    With the solidifying realization, all contrariness evaporated. She slid from the mattress and gathered her slippers and wrapper, only pausing to drape the blanket around her shoulders before she tiptoed downstairs.
    Kellaway waited in the dark. He’d brought two lanterns, but he hadn’t lit them. He’d also brought a blanket. Tonight a full moon graced the sky. He’d indulged in a bit of tranquility with his telescope before coming down to the ocean. The moon’s glow lit his path as if it were a beacon to providence. Gypsies considered the full moon a sign of good fortune. Indians likened it to a gold coin and believed it was a sign of prosperity. Kell didn’t believe in such omens, singularly appreciative for the light it provided as he made his way to the beach.
    He’d downed one drink,
an accomplishment
, after agreeing to his mother’s request, then mulled over the proposition that he’d be bound for London come morning. After which he whiled the time in his bedchamber before he yanked the coverlet from the mattress and headed out. Bitters would have many complaints. Perhaps London wasn’t a poor choice after all.
    Now, he waited. Like much of his life, he bided time. Would the lady appear? Happenstance had provided him three unexpected exchanges with her. It proved pure selfishness to wish for more, but he did. He was a man who wanted what he wanted and at the moment he wanted to kiss a mermaid, if only the lady would appear.