Chapter 13
Chapter thirteen
Edward
Rarely do our plans proceed without difficulties.
If I have learned anything over the course of my lifetime, it is that no matter our pursuits, there will always be opposition.
Just as there can be no light without darkness, no joy without sadness, there can be no success without the threat of failure.
What more can we do, then, but persevere through the hardships, knowing that our victory will be worth every setback?
Do not give in to the temptation to quit, for that is the surest and fastest path to losing.
JN
My body ached, stiff from crouching in such an uncomfortable position.
I’d remained hidden in the woodland far longer today, determined not to return to Kenwick until I had some evidence of Hollinsby’s presence.
Thus far, my efforts had been for naught.
Another day of observation without a hint of activity in or around the gardens.
I glared at the house, its stone face dull and taunting.
It mocked me with its secrets, and my frustration swelled.
There had to be a way of confirming Hollinsby's presence without alerting him, but how? I could ask around town, of course, but there was no guarantee someone wouldn’t mention it to him.
I hadn’t any idea whether he’d bought the loyalties of those living in the area.
He certainly hadn’t hesitated to do so at sea.
A high-pitched noise rent the air, drawing my attention to one of the windows.
Shards of broken glass fell from it, and shouts reached me even from this distance.
My body tensed when the servant’s door flew open, and I sucked in a breath when a dark-skinned figure fled from within.
Her hair was tightly wound in a plait pinned at the back of her head, and she wore a ragged brown dress.
Fear lit her dark eyes, and it took all of my strength not to vacate my hiding place and go to her.
Adda. She was here.
Another woman, similarly dressed and of the same skin tone, rushed out of the house.
She grabbed Adda by the arm, pulling her to a halt.
I could not hear their conversation, but her frantic gestures alone were enough to tell me something was wrong.
She seemed to plead with Adda, and I watched the woman who had saved my life slump with capitulation, as if all will to escape drained out of her.
The door opened again, and my body went rigid, every muscle tense with restraint.
Hollinsby stormed toward the women, and when his hand slapped Adda across the face with a loud smack, I had to grip the tree next to me to keep myself in place.
Anger surged within me, and my jaw clenched so tightly I thought my teeth might break.
Hollinsby, face mottled with red, grabbed Adda by the arm. “I told you what would happen if you tried to escape! You will regret this.”
Leaves rustled behind me, snatching my attention.
Someone approached. My heart lurched, and I immediately withdrew the knife I kept hidden in my boot.
A shadowed figure moved among the brambles, and I shot to my feet.
Rushing forward, I rounded the tree and grabbed them from behind, bringing the knife to their throat.
The woman squealed, and I dropped my knife to cover her mouth, praying she had not alerted Hollinsby.
She. It was a woman in my arms, and one with flaming red hair.
My stomach twisted as the scent of lavender filled my nose. Annette squirmed in my grasp, her screams muffled beneath my glove.
I held her tighter, ignoring the way her boots slammed against my shins. “Annette, you must be quiet, or we shall be caught.”
She stilled, but my heart continued to pound against my ribs. She could not see my face to confirm my identity, and the realization that she had ceased struggling at the sound of my voice, that she recognized me by that alone, shot pleasure through me.
“I’m going to release you,” I whispered into her ear. “Please, do not scream.”
She nodded, and I loosened my hold. When she turned around, her expression was sharp and penetrating.
The glare might have amused me in any other circumstance.
Or if I were not completely arrested by her appearance.
Until now, I hadn’t noted how her hair fell over her shoulders and nearly to her waist, the texture as wavy as the sea.
“Just what do you think you are doing?” she said, outrage lining her tone.
I stepped forward, shushing her. “Keep your voice down, or I’ll do it for you.”
How her glare intensified, I did not know, but her blue eyes lit with fury.
“Do not proceed to order me about, Edward.” She didn’t whisper, but her volume had dropped significantly. “I do not need to obey your demands. I will not.”
I glanced briefly over my shoulder, but I did not have a clear view of the house from here. Had Hollinsby heard us? I could not afford to be discovered. “We must be quiet. Stop being so stubborn for once and listen to me.”
“Says the man who attacked me with a knife.” She gestured to the ground, where my blade had dropped.
I stooped over, picked up the weapon, and returned it to my boot. “I thought you were one of Hollinsby’s men.”
“Why, thank you for the compliment. Being compared to a man has really made my day, on top of being attacked.”
“That is not—you do not look like a man. You look…” My gaze roamed her figure, and my chest constricted. I swallowed. If seeing her hair tied in a loose plait served as an enormous temptation, then her current state represented my downfall.
“I look…” She raised a brow, daring me to finish my sentence.
Stunning. Beautiful. Alluring. A number of similar words would do, but I would speak none of them. Annette was likely to find me calling her a man more of a compliment than any of them.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, averting my gaze in hopes it would help deter my desire to take her back into my arms and—
Focus, Edward. Do not become distracted.
“Of course, you would change the subject. Always so forthcoming.” She scoffed. “I might ask you the same question. What are you doing out here in the woods? I thought you had business to attend to in the mornings?”
“I do have business.” My response was sharp. I had no desire to play this game with her. Finally, I had evidence, and Annette had pulled me away from my observations with her intrusion.
I retreated to my hiding place, careful to remain concealed by the trees.
The area where Adda and Hollinsby had stood minutes ago was now devoid of people.
I swore under my breath. The likelihood that more time would have provided any additional information was improbable, but still.
Why did Annette have to show up at the most inopportune moment?
“What are you doing?”
I startled and, whirling around, found her directly behind me. She jerked back to avoid the swing of my arms, and her boot caught on a protruding root. My hands shot forward, gripping her waist and holding her steady.
“Must you keep putting your hands on me?” she snapped, batting me away. Her cheeks visibly tinted despite the leaves and branches above us blocking most of the sunlight.
I shushed her again, whispering. “Must you be here? Take yourself home, and I will have no need to put my hands on you.”
No need. Desire, on the other hand…
Annette folded her arms. “Not until you tell me what you are doing. Spying on my neighbors, it seems, but who is Hollinsby?”
My jaw went slack. I had not meant to offer her any details as to what I was doing. It was far too dangerous to involve her. “No one you need to concern yourself with.”
She lifted her chin. “Well, I am concerned. So, out with it.”
A low growl rumbled from me. This woman was maddening. Completely and utterly maddening. Why did I have to find her pluck so deucedly attractive?
“Go home, Annette. Please.”
She took a step forward instead. “No.”
That defiance was going to get her into trouble.
Her blue eyes sparkled with challenge, daring me to do more than order her away with my words.
My eyes roamed her face, my chest rising and falling in quick succession.
I needed her gone, yet I itched to pull her against me, to hold her.
My gaze fell to her lips. I had kissed them once before, and the memory struck me with desire to do it again.
I stepped back, releasing a pent-up breath.
She would not listen to me without some kind of concession.
I did not like the idea of giving her more information, but doing so would be the only way to convince her to let the matter go.
The last thing I wanted was her wandering around Hollinsby’s lands in order to discover my secrets.
She might accidentally inform him of my presence.
I grabbed her hand. “Come with me.”
She jerked out of my grasp, that fury igniting in her glare once more.
“Please,” I said through gritted teeth. “I will explain what I’m doing, but not here. It’s too dangerous.”
“How do I know you are in earnest?” She lifted a brow. “How can I know you are not manipulating me—attempting to control the situation? I’ve no guarantee you shall keep your word.”
“Believe me, when it comes to you, control is a regular challenge for me,” I muttered.
“What do you mean?”
“Never mind. Just know that controlling you is not my intention. It wouldn’t be even if I foolishly thought I could succeed.” Instead of reaching for her again, I simply offered my hand. “Please, come with me. We will talk; I promise. Just not here.”
Her shoulders relaxed, and while she hesitated to take my hand for a pregnant moment, she placed her fingers within mine. I ignored the sensation of having them there as I guided her through the woods. When we reached the path, I found her horse grazing next to mine.
So, that was how she’d discovered me. I would need to be more discreet in the future.
Annette tugged her hand away, and I released her.
“Alright, you promised. No one shall overhear us here.”
“I do intend to keep my promise,” I said. “But I must ask that you not demand it all from me today.”
All? What was I saying? I hadn’t meant to tell her everything, only enough to satisfy her curiosity. But then, Annette was not one to be so easily satisfied. She would want more. No, she would want every detail. I should deny her, but…
But if she were to become my wife, at some point, I would need to inform her.
I would need to trust her with the information.
Staring at her now, I realized that trust already existed.
Annette valued independence. She valued freedom.
I suspected not only would she support my desire to rescue Adda, but also encourage it.
Lord Paxton had been my only confidant on the matter for so long.
Not even my parents were aware of Adda or the situation that had led to our friendship.
Speaking with the viscount had often eased my burdens, lifted some of the weight that pressed so heavily upon me.
What would I do when he had passed on? Who would I confide in?
Confide in her, something deep in my soul whispered, as if the answer were so simple. So plain. Perhaps it was, but would Annette wish to be that confidant? Now, and as my wife?
I would not know if I never allowed her in—if I kept part of my life hidden from her—but now was also not the time for a full explanation.
“It’s imperative that I speak with your father right away, but I will offer enough to satiate your demands for the time being.
You remember I have a friend who is missing, yes? ”
She nodded. “Have you found them?”
“I’ve suspected your new neighbor, a man by the name of Captain Darius Hollinsby, was involved in her disappearance. Until moments before you arrived, I’d not managed a confirmation. But she is there, and—”
“She?”
“Yes. Her name is Adda. She is like family.” The image of Hollinsby’s rough-handling penetrated my thoughts.
How much abuse had she suffered since being brought here?
I shook my head. “I beg you will leave the rest of your questions for later. I must speak with your father now that I know for certain she is here in Kent. I worry for her safety, and it is imperative that I plan my next move to save her.”
Annette’s expression twisted with concern, all evidence of her previous ire gone. “Of course. You should go.”
“May I escort you home?”
“No, I mean to spend some time at the ruins. I often go there when I need to think.” She paused. “Might we meet there tomorrow? The place will lend us the privacy needed to finish this conversation.”
“Very well. Tomorrow, then.” I mounted my horse, but before I could leave, another concern stalled my departure. “You will promise not to trespass on Hollinsby’s land, will you not? He is not the sort of man who can be trusted, and I’ve no wish for you to get hurt.”
“You think I would run into danger?” Her lips lifted in a lopsided smirk. “You do not know me at all, Edward.”
The way she said my name spread warmth through my chest. Perhaps allowing such familiarity between us was unwise, given my determination to keep our relationship strictly platonic, whether as friends or should we wed, but I could not find it in me to regret it.
I grinned despite myself. “On the contrary, your propensity for disregarding the rules of propriety informed me you lacked an aversion to risk in London. Since coming to Kenwick, I’ve only realized just how deep that disregard runs.”
She pinked but hid her embarrassment with a rebuttal. “I do not care what your opinion is of me. Or anyone’s opinion. Regardless, meeting with you once in London, alone, is hardly a blight against me.”
I could not decide whether I believed her insistence that she did not care.
After all, while in Town, I had only glimpsed moments of her spirited nature.
She rarely hid her disdain for me, true, but she always presented her opinion of me with cunning yet elegant remarks.
She never left me questioning her behavior as anything but lady-like.
Her grace and sophistication were respected by the ton.
Why would she go to such lengths to put on airs if she did not care?
I wanted to riddle it all out, especially since she was so different at Kenwick. Here, I had learned that there was far more to Annette Apsley, and I yearned to know the carefree, spirited woman who had been absent in London.
Perhaps tomorrow she would permit my questions as well.
“Will you not promise me?” I asked again. “It will set me at ease about leaving you.”
Her cheeks darkened again. “If you insist. I promise to avoid the neighboring estate.”
“Thank you.” I bowed from atop Lightning. “I shall see you tonight. Goodbye, Annette.”
My name, whispered on her lips with a goodbye as I rode away, made my anticipation for tomorrow grow all the more.