Chapter 13
They’d been traveling for four hours following lunch as well as that surprising interlude, and Lucy was still in a bit of a temper with Colin.
Once he’d dumped her off his lap, he’d left her alone in the private dining room.
Without any recourse, she’d resumed her meal and fumed at him.
He hadn’t changed from the spoiled, selfish young man he’d been, still living for himself and the pleasure he could take.
Her heart ached even now as she replayed their last conversation in her mind, for they hadn’t spoken of anything of import since they set out.
Sunset loomed, but with the low, thick, gray clouds, no one would see it.
In fact, as the hours had ticked by, the snow had worsened and it now fell so heavily, when she looked out the window, she couldn’t discern the countryside after a few feet.
As the coach struggled over the snow-covered road, the pace had slowed considerably from when they’d first started out.
The prospect of reaching Lancaster Hall by midnight seemed an impossible task.
“It is pointless to continue,” she mentioned, but didn’t take her gaze away from the window. “You know this.”
He grunted and ruffled the pages of The Times he’d taken from the posting inn. “We’ll keep traveling until we cannot. We have but three or so miles to go.”
So close but so far away from the moment in time when their paths would no longer run together.
“In this weather, even that slight difference could take hours.” Lucy rolled her eyes.
Finally, she glanced at him. He wore a mysterious grin that she wished she could smack off his face.
Arrogant bastard. “You’d risk everything for a foolish wager. ”
“As a matter of fact, I’m not risking anything. At least not at present.” And he continued that maddening grin while settling behind his paper once more. “I hope to gain much more soon.”
Of course he did, for he thought of no one except himself.
“I cannot believe I let myself appear so vulnerable in front of you.” She narrowed her gaze and concentrated on the furious snowflakes.
“I shared the contents of my heart with you, let you kiss me, and now this.” She fluttered a hand to encompass him, the whole situation.
“Yes. And now this. It is quite a delicious end to what has amounted to a rather long journey. I enjoyed what we shared. It’s a shame to discover you did not.” He lifted an eyebrow but didn’t say anything further.
Of course I enjoyed it. Kissing Colin, being back in his arms had felt like coming home, but not to any home she’d ever known.
It was easy and right and just what a romance should be.
Except… Lucy sighed, crossed her arms at her chest and brooded.
How had she been so stupid as to let herself be charmed by him again?
Her heart ached. At least she knew that if that organ broke a second time, she’d survive that too.
Damn you, Colin. This wasn’t the way she’d hoped to spend any portion of Christmas Eve, and she certainly didn’t wish to have more memories of Colin that centered around the holiday, yet here she was, her body fairly throbbing with unfulfilled need from his touch and her heart thrumming with an ache she couldn’t heal.
Not as long as he was still in her life. This must end before I’m broken apart.
Another excruciatingly slow ten minutes slid by while tension brewed about them. Then there was the unmistakable snap of a wheel breaking. Followed by the ominous leaning to the left of the coach. With a soft cry, Lucy slid across her bench to crash into the opposite side of the vehicle.
“Hell’s bells,” Colin muttered. He tossed his paper aside.
“This cannot be a good thing.” When he fumbled at the door latch, the panel swung open.
Apparently not expecting such swift reaction, the momentum swept him out and he fell from the disabled coach to land into a fluffy snow drift face first.
Lucy couldn’t contain her laughter, but she did lift a hand to cover her mouth as he struggled to right himself in the knee-deep snow.
“Serves you right, you great nodcock.” Perhaps Ellen had been correct those few days ago when she’d ascertained Colin was bent on showing the whole of England what an arse he was.
“Do shut up, Lucy,” Colin tossed backward over his shoulder as he brushed at the snow that clung to his black clothing. “It’s not funny.”
“Oh, but it is.” For one second, she forgot her ire and continued to laugh.
“Reminds me of that time when your brother chased you over the grounds for some prank you pulled on him. When he shoved you into that snow drift and then proceeded to pelt you with snowballs, the only way we could halt him was to group tackle him.”
Colin huffed. He shook snow from the brim of his hat before putting it back on.
“Rescued by girls. That’s one story I’ll never tell Ellen.
” Then he glanced at her, his eyes reflecting concern, his breath clouding about him in the cold.
“Stay here. I’m going to attempt to fix the wheel. We need to keep our pace.”
Her annoyance returned five-fold. “Of course. You must arrive at the Hall before Christmas morning. Otherwise, no payoff for you. Poor Colin.” The snippiness in her voice shocked her, but she didn’t apologize. “Whatever will you do without more material things?”
“As a matter of fact, yes, I do wish to arrive at the Hall as soon as possible.” He opened his mouth to say more but then apparently thought the better of it, for he whipped around and left her sight line, presumably to talk with the driver, who’d hopped down from his precarious perch during their exchange.
Giving in to the cold that seeped into the coach’s interior, Lucy wrapped her cloak tighter about her person, and when that didn’t help matters, she snagged the fur-lined lap blanket from the floorboards and burrowed beneath it.
Such folly to even consider traveling in the weather, and on deeply rutted roads at that, but then Colin had always been obstinate.
His father’s wager drove him, and he couldn’t resist such glitter.
I had higher hopes for him than this.
Perhaps people didn’t really change. Her chest tightened at the thought. Had he been paying her lip service this whole time and laughing up his sleeve at her concern?
The two men talked. Then Colin cursed. The driver laughed, which caused Colin to curse again.
Finally, he said, “Unhitch the horses. Ride one and tow the other. One you reach the Hall, either send someone back for us with a sleigh, or if the weather continues to worsen, perhaps first thing in the morning, when the sun comes out, they can make the trip.”
“My lord, you can’t survive a cold winter’s night in the coach,” the driver protested. “You’ll freeze to death.”
“The lady and I are made of stern stuff. We’ll manage,” Colin told him, and his tone brooked no argument.
He sounded every bit his father’s son in that moment.
“The most important thing is for you to reach the Hall and rest the horseflesh.” His tone softened.
“You’ve spent more than your fair share in the elements, and I’m heartily sorry I put you in such a bind. ”
From inside the tilting coach, Lucy clutched the blanket to her chin.
Was it possible he actually cared about someone or something over and above himself?
She gawked out the window but couldn’t see either man clearly due to the snow.
Then her thoughts swung in the opposite direction.
What was he thinking leaving them out here to succumb to the elements?
“Think nothing of it. Happy to be of service, Lord Hartsford. I’ll do my best to see you’re retrieved as soon as possible.”
“I know the area well, my friend. If rescue doesn’t come, I’ll throw myself on the mercy of someone’s doorstep.
Surely there’s a cottage nearby. It is Christmas Eve, after all.
Bound to be family gatherings and fires burning.
Anyone would consider it an honor to put up the duke’s son for the night, right?
” But there was a trace of anxiety in his voice.
Lucy peered out the window as panic clawed at her insides.
Nothing but farmland and woods met the eye for miles, even if she couldn’t see it because of the weather.
“You’ve gone insane, Colin.” Perhaps that had been his plan all along, to enact revenge on her by seeing her frozen. “No one lives close by.”
“Right. I wish you the best of luck then, my lord.” The driver cleared his throat. As the horses grew restless and pulled at their harnesses, the coach jerked. “I best be getting on.”
“Excellent. No doubt my father will reward you handsomely. Godspeed,” Colin said, but worry threaded through his tone. Was he even aware of it? “I’ll give you a hand with the horses.”
Minutes later, the viscount returned to the leaning coach. He threw himself awkwardly inside and slammed the door closed. “Well, that’s that.”
Lucy shook her head. “This is not acceptable.”
“What else would you have me do?” He sat in the corner of his bench, leaning against the tilted wall while rubbing his gloved hands together.
A wealth of snowflakes dotted the darkness of his greatcoat.
“The man’s nearly at the end of his endurance.
As are the horses. They can reach the Hall faster without pulling the weight of the coach. We shall be all right for a time.”