was already stepping down from the carriage as the door was opened. She hoped he wouldn’t feel obliged to follow.
“Good night, Vicky,” Annabella called softly. “It turned out to be a most interesting adventure, did it not?”
“It certainly did,” Victoria replied.
Lucas followed Victoria through the carriage door. “Wait here, Lyndwood,” he instructed over his shoulder. “I shall return as soon as I have escorted our reckless little dandy back over the garden wall.”
Victoria turned toward him in alarm. “There is no need to see me home, my lord. I assure you, I am perfectly capable of finding my own way.”
“I wouldn’t hear of it, Miss Huntington.” He must have spotted the new uneasiness in her because hesmiled knowingly. “Excellent,” he murmured, grasping her arm and propelling her into the shadows. “I see you understand me well enough now to realize that I am not in a good temper. It is always best not to argue with me when I am in this mood.”
“My lord,” she began, her chin lifting imperiously, “if you think to hold me accountable for what happened this evening, you can think again.”
“But I do hold you accountable, Miss Huntington.” He glanced up at the high stone wall covered with thick ivy. “How do we get inside the garden?”
She tried to retrieve her arm. When he took no notice of her small struggle, she gave up and nodded toward the far end of the walk. “There is a way over there.”
He hauled her along in the indicated direction until she pointed out the heavy vines which concealed a few chinks in the bricks. Without a word, Victoria wedged the toe of her boot into the first opening and grabbed a vine.
Beneath her, Lucas shook his head in grim disapproval as he watched her climb the garden wall. Victoria felt awkward and clumsy under his close scrutiny. She had not as yet had much practice scaling garden walls. She could only hope the fitful moonlight hid the shape of her snugly clad derriere as she went over the top.
Behind her, Lucas grabbed a trailing bit of ivy, found the chink in the wall with the toe of his boot, and followed.
On the other side of the wall, Victoria dropped lightly to the ground and looked up to see that Lucas was almost on top of her. She stepped back quickly as he dropped down in front of her. She noticed he took most of his weight on his strong right leg and did not stumble as he caught his balance.
“My lord,” she hissed, “you should be getting back to the carriage. The Lyndwoods will be waiting.”
“I have one or two things to say to you first.” He stood in the midst of the fragrant, deeply shadowed garden, a tall, lean, menacing figure as dark and dangerous as the night.
Victoria summoned up her courage. “I must tell you, Stonevale, that I have no wish to endure a lecture for what happened this evening. I am already quite aware that none of us would have been in jeopardy if I had not insisted upon going to the fair.”
“In that, Miss Huntington, you are correct.”
The total lack of emotion in his voice was far more unnerving than a scolding would have been. But Victoria suddenly remembered the way he had defended her in the alley. Impulsively she touched his sleeve.
“I know I am deeply indebted to you, my lord, but I must tell you quite truthfully that up until the moment the crowd turned violent, I was having a fine time. I cannot remember when I have enjoyed an outing more.” She took a deep breath when there was no response and rushed on. “I would also have you know, my lord, that I thought you were quite wonderful. Very cool under fire, as they say. You got us free of the mob and I assure you I shall never forget the way you handled those two footpads in the alley. For that, my thanks.”
“Your thanks,” he repeated in a considering tone. “I am not certain that is sufficient reward under the circumstances.”
Victoria looked up at him, suddenly aware that Aunt Cleo’s botanical garden was a very
“Good night, Vicky,” Annabella called softly. “It turned out to be a most interesting adventure, did it not?”
“It certainly did,” Victoria replied.
Lucas followed Victoria through the carriage door. “Wait here, Lyndwood,” he instructed over his shoulder. “I shall return as soon as I have escorted our reckless little dandy back over the garden wall.”
Victoria turned toward him in alarm. “There is no need to see me home, my lord. I assure you, I am perfectly capable of finding my own way.”
“I wouldn’t hear of it, Miss Huntington.” He must have spotted the new uneasiness in her because hesmiled knowingly. “Excellent,” he murmured, grasping her arm and propelling her into the shadows. “I see you understand me well enough now to realize that I am not in a good temper. It is always best not to argue with me when I am in this mood.”
“My lord,” she began, her chin lifting imperiously, “if you think to hold me accountable for what happened this evening, you can think again.”
“But I do hold you accountable, Miss Huntington.” He glanced up at the high stone wall covered with thick ivy. “How do we get inside the garden?”
She tried to retrieve her arm. When he took no notice of her small struggle, she gave up and nodded toward the far end of the walk. “There is a way over there.”
He hauled her along in the indicated direction until she pointed out the heavy vines which concealed a few chinks in the bricks. Without a word, Victoria wedged the toe of her boot into the first opening and grabbed a vine.
Beneath her, Lucas shook his head in grim disapproval as he watched her climb the garden wall. Victoria felt awkward and clumsy under his close scrutiny. She had not as yet had much practice scaling garden walls. She could only hope the fitful moonlight hid the shape of her snugly clad derriere as she went over the top.
Behind her, Lucas grabbed a trailing bit of ivy, found the chink in the wall with the toe of his boot, and followed.
On the other side of the wall, Victoria dropped lightly to the ground and looked up to see that Lucas was almost on top of her. She stepped back quickly as he dropped down in front of her. She noticed he took most of his weight on his strong right leg and did not stumble as he caught his balance.
“My lord,” she hissed, “you should be getting back to the carriage. The Lyndwoods will be waiting.”
“I have one or two things to say to you first.” He stood in the midst of the fragrant, deeply shadowed garden, a tall, lean, menacing figure as dark and dangerous as the night.
Victoria summoned up her courage. “I must tell you, Stonevale, that I have no wish to endure a lecture for what happened this evening. I am already quite aware that none of us would have been in jeopardy if I had not insisted upon going to the fair.”
“In that, Miss Huntington, you are correct.”
The total lack of emotion in his voice was far more unnerving than a scolding would have been. But Victoria suddenly remembered the way he had defended her in the alley. Impulsively she touched his sleeve.
“I know I am deeply indebted to you, my lord, but I must tell you quite truthfully that up until the moment the crowd turned violent, I was having a fine time. I cannot remember when I have enjoyed an outing more.” She took a deep breath when there was no response and rushed on. “I would also have you know, my lord, that I thought you were quite wonderful. Very cool under fire, as they say. You got us free of the mob and I assure you I shall never forget the way you handled those two footpads in the alley. For that, my thanks.”
“Your thanks,” he repeated in a considering tone. “I am not certain that is sufficient reward under the circumstances.”
Victoria looked up at him, suddenly aware that Aunt Cleo’s botanical garden was a very
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