With a supreme willpower he never thought he possessed, he managed to remain perfectly still as he stared back at Solange, who was still looking mighty pleased with herself. “Rest assured, madam,” he said, his tone as bland as he could possibly manage under the circumstances, “that I am not a man prone to indecision. Frankly, I’m surprised you would think otherwise. But, since you have so gravely misjudged me, let me be perfectly clear; I am married now, and more than that, I am happy. You see, my wife is a very capable woman. I have no need for you.”
There was a slight gasp, not from Solange, who was glaring back at him now with pure venom, but from Rebecca, who’d probably been horribly embarrassed by what he’d just said about her. He wasn’t sorry he’d done it though. There was just something so utterly satisfying about telling Solange that his wife was a better bedmate than she’d ever been. Pulling himself up to his full height, he gave her his most threatening look and said, “Now, if you will please excuse us, we should like to be on our way.” And with that, he led Rebecca past Solange, who looked as though she might start spewing insults after them as they left, toward the exit as quickly as he could manage.
Once in the street, he looked around for an available hackney, but all the carriages were either private or occupied. For a fleeting second he considered sending Rebecca back inside until he’d managed to procure a means of transportation for them, but then he thought better of it. They were not on a deserted street, after all. Surely she’d be safer at his side than alone in a hell full of foxed men and loose women, not to mention the unpleasant thought of what else Solange might say to her if he wasn’t there to put her in her place. “Come, let’s walk over to Regent Street. Hopefully we’ll have better luck there.” Without a word, Rebecca allowed him to lead the way. He knew he had to say something to address the situation that had just taken place inside Riley’s. Deciding that an apology was probably a good beginning, he simply said, “You shouldn’t have had to endure that. I’m sorry.”
“I must confess I’m not accustomed to being verbally assaulted like that. It was . . . shocking.”
Daniel stopped in his tracks and turned her toward him. “What exactly did she say to you?” he asked. He didn’t want to know, and yet he had to. There was no getting around the issue.
Rebecca looked away. For a long moment she said nothing, but then she took a big gulp of air and the words suddenly poured out of her. “She told me that I’m exactly what she imagined me to be—incredibly beautiful, but young and inexperienced. She said she could see it in my face, that there was a certain element of wonder and naiveté in my eyes that would eventually vanish with age, more quickly, she reasoned, as I got to know you better and became better acquainted with your . . . needs.” Rebecca’s voice had softened to barely a whisper, and Daniel wanted to stop her from saying more.
Dear Lord, it was worse than he’d imagined. Solange had deliberately tried to terrify Rebecca, perhaps even poison her against him. “Whatever else she might have told you, Becky, it’s—”
“She said she’d be happy to take my place in your bed if I ever grew weary of pleasing you, or if I decided that I didn’t wish to comply with some of your more . . . unusual requests, whatever that might mean. Frankly, I’ve no desire to contemplate it, Daniel.”
“She lied to you, Becky. She knows she’s been tossed aside and is now lashing out in the one way that might be able to hurt me.” Rebecca met his gaze, her eyes wide and soulful. “By placing doubt in the mind of the woman I replaced her with,” he explained. “Becky, I would never expect you to do anything you don’t feel comfortable with, and I would certainly never go to her or anyone else instead. I’ve told you this before—I’ve promised myself to you and you alone because you deserve to have a husband you can trust and because, truthfully, I’ve no desire for anyone else. All I want is you.”
Her expression softened and her lips trembled just a little until she eventually smiled. Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. “Please don’t doubt me,” he said as they resumed walking, the streetlights casting a yellow glow across the pavement. “What I told her in there is true, you know—you’re more than capable of attending to my needs.”
He could practically feel the heat radiating off of her. He’d embarrassed her once again, but it couldn’t be helped. She had to understand how much he desired her, and he would say whatever he must in order to make that happen. Besides, she’d quickly become the closest friend he’d ever had. The last thing he wanted was for someone to hurt her by filling her head with mistruths. For a split second the idea of losing her flittered through his mind, accompanied by a cold dread. It was probably the most unpleasant thought he’d had in years, if not ever, and he instinctively tightened his hold on her. Rebecca was his. He . . . cared for her and knew he’d be miserable without her company, something he’d grown very used to over the past two weeks. Heavens, was that really all it had been since he’d met her for the first time? It felt like he’d known her forever.
Daniel was still pondering the significance of this when a gruff voice interrupted his thoughts and he noticed that a large man stood blocking their path, knife in hand.
What the devil?
“Ye look like a wealthy pair, out for a lovely stroll,” he said. “Now empty yer pockets and I won’t have to harm ye.”
Taking a moment to size the man up, Daniel contemplated his options. He could tell Rebecca to get behind him while he took his chances with the man. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d gotten into a brawl, and with Starkly’s warning in mind, he’d brought a weapon of his own along with him just in case—a dagger strapped to the waistband of his breeches. One thing was clear. He had to protect Rebecca. She was a liability now, and whatever happened, he couldn’t risk placing her in harm’s way. If the man somehow got to her and threatened her with the knife, or, worse, overpowered Daniel and kidnapped her . . . dear God, he’d never had to consider another person’s safety like this before and found himself fearing not for himself but for her. He had to keep her safe at all costs, even if it meant giving up his winnings.
“You make a convincing argument,” he said as he reached inside one of his pockets and pulled out a stack of bills.
The man, eyes glistening with greed, moved toward Daniel, ready to grab the prize, when Daniel heard a steady click. “I suggest you beat a hasty retreat, sir,” Rebecca said, her hands shaky on the small pistol she was holding. Daniel stared at her and then at their assailant, who’d stopped in his tracks and was now looking very much afraid. “From what I hear,” she continued, “these things have a tendency to go off without much provocation, and as you can see, I’m not very calm at the moment. I’d hate to fire upon you by accident.”
Without uttering another word, their assailant took her advice and backed away slowly before turning on his heel and taking off at a run. He disappeared down the first side street. Once he was out of sight, Daniel turned to Rebecca, whose whole body was shaking, her hand still holding the pistol in an outstretched pose. Reaching for it, Daniel pried it from her fingers, placed it safely in his own pocket and hugged Rebecca fiercely against his chest, not caring who might see such a public display of affection and think it inappropriate. They could all go hang for all he cared.
“You were marvelous,” he whispered against the top of her head. “Absolutely, bloody marvelous!”
He felt her breathing return to a steadier pace as she calmed herself, and then he felt her chest vibrate against his own and realized that she was laughing. Pulling away, he looked down at her and was met with a broad grin that forced a smile to his own lips. “What’s so amusing?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she managed between giggles. “I suppose the thought of such a large and terrifying man being so thoroughly frightened by a woman wielding a pistol. And to think that I’ve never been quite so scared in my life.”
“That’s probably what convinced him to run away,” Daniel mused as he took her by the arm and started hurrying her along. He was eager to get Rebecca home, where it was safe. “A pistol in the hands of an unpredictable person can be a frightening thing indeed, and you, my dear, looked very unpredictable just then. Tell me, have you always carried a weapon in your reticule?”
Rebecca shook her head. “It was a gift from Lady Trapleigh. When I told her of my plan to escape, she warned me that the world can be a dangerous place—London in particular—and suggested I always carry the pistol on me wherever I went. It’s a very handy little thing, don’t you think?”
Daniel couldn’t help but laugh. “It certainly is, and thank God for Lady Trapleigh and her invaluable piece of advice. She may very well have saved our lives!”
“Oh, do you really think it could have come to that?” Rebecca asked, all traces of humor vanishing from her voice.
Daniel didn’t. He was confident that the villain would have run off as soon as he’d gotten some money. Risking the hangman’s noose in the middle of Piccadilly was probably not on his agenda. “I don’t think so, but he would have taken our money, and then where would we be? I daresay he was mistaken in assuming that we are wealthy.” Speaking of their financial situation left him with a bitter taste in his mouth. He hated living like this, with the constant worry of what tomorrow would bring. Yes, he was good at gambling, and his winnings were enough to sustain them until his investments started making a profit, but what would happen if he lost, or if the companies he’d invested in didn’t do as well as he was hoping they would?
Rebecca must have shared his concerns, for once they’d returned home and settled themselves in bed, she quietly said, “There has to be another way for us to get by until your investments start earning us money. I’m not comfortable with going back to Riley’s again. It’s too dangerous.”
“A bit too adventurous?” he teased, attempting to calm her fears by making light of the situation. She didn’t laugh this time, so he reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, saying, “I must admit that I agree, Becky. Which is why next time you’ll be staying home, where it’s safe.”
“What? You can’t be serious, Daniel. When I spoke of the risk, I was thinking of you as well.” He heard her voice hitch a little, and then she swallowed, as if struggling to find the words. “What happened tonight . . . Dear God, if you’d been alone and . . . and . . . no, I cannot think of it. I will not think of what could have happened if we hadn’t managed to scare that man off. Don’t you see? I . . . I . . .”
Daniel found himself holding his breath as he waited for her to continue, but her words trailed off and she took a deep, shuddering breath before quietly saying, “Please don’t go there again, Daniel. We’ll find another way. There has to be another way for us to manage without either of us risking our safety. Please don’t make me sit at home and worry for you—I don’t think I could bear it.”