Chapter 15 #2
While she walked along, a couple of young boys darted past her, bumping her and knocking her off-balance.
She’d been reaching into her reticule for her handkerchief when she stumbled.
“Oh no,” she whispered as she watched the handkerchief float to the ground.
She had to retrieve it before it was trampled on.
It was very special to her because it was the one her sister Grace had given her last Christmas.
She couldn’t lose it, and when she bent to retrieve it, more people bumped into her, and she ended up sitting in the dirt. No one in her group had seen her fall.
“Well, I never…” she started to say.
A hand reached down. “May I help you, miss?”
Mia grabbed the handkerchief before taking her rescuer’s hand. “Thank you. The crowd is quite boisterous tonight, don’t you agree?” she asked, looking up into a pair of startling blue eyes.
“It is indeed,” the well-dressed gentleman said.
“Thank you for helping me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must find my family. They’ll wonder what happened to me.”
“Of course. Let me escort you,” he said.
“They’re heading to the tightrope area,” Mia said as the gentleman offered his arm. “I’ll never find them in this crush.”
“Come. I know a shortcut to that area. It will save us from fighting through the crowd.”
Mia hesitated. She didn’t want to go with the stranger, but as she looked over all the people now converging on the area, she was afraid that she’d never find her party again. In a split-second decision, she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, and they headed away from the crowd.
As they walked farther from the crush, Mia couldn’t help but notice all the lanterns that lit up the paths. “The colors are so beautiful, don’t you agree?”
“Indeed, but if I may be so bold, they’re not as beautiful as you.”
Mia felt unease snake up her spine, and she looked around, noticing how far they’d gone from the crowd. “I think I can find my way from here. Thank you for your assistance,” she said, pulling her hand free.
Quick as a viper, he grabbed her elbow, holding it in a vice grip. “I don’t think so. Let’s have a little fun, shall we?”
“Sir, you are no gentleman. Unhand me at once,” she ordered, trying to pull free, panic clawing up her throat.
“Silly girl. You think you’re in charge here? I don’t think so. You can leave when I say you can,” he said, yanking her against him.
Mia could hardly breathe. She was enraged at his treatment and terrified at the same time . She struggled in his arms, but he only held her tighter. When he bent his head toward her, a story that Lord Berkeley had told her surfaced in her mind. Men had a fragile spot that could lay them out flat.
Please let that be true.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and rammed her knee up between his legs.
The man’s grip on her immediately faltered, and he fell to the ground, moaning in agony.
Mia wasted no time delaying to see what would happen next—she ran. She wasn’t sure if she was running in the correct direction that would lead her back to the tightrope area, but she had to put as much distance between herself and her attacker as she could.
She dared a look behind her to make sure she wasn’t being followed, and that’s when she ran into a rock-hard chest. Arms immediately embraced her to keep her from falling to the ground.
Had she just escaped one bad situation only to land in another?
It was too much, and she began pummeling the man. “Let me go!” she screamed.
“Miss Parker, you’re safe. It’s Easton.”
It took Mia a moment to realize who’d spoken. “Easton?”
“Yes. I’m here.”
The trauma of the last few minutes was too much for her, and she burst into tears. “I got away. He was going to—” she tried to say in between sobs.
“Shh…you’re safe now. I’ve got you.”
Easton held her in such a tender embrace that soon her sobs subsided, and she began to calm down. “I’m so sorry.”
“My dear Miss Parker, you have nothing to be sorry about. Know that I will always find and protect you. Can you tell me what happened?”
Mia told him about dropping her handkerchief and how the gentleman offered to help her find their group. “I know I’m not supposed to go off with a man alone, but I was desperate to find everyone.”
“I know. Did he hurt you?”
“He tried to kiss me. I kicked him in…” She blushed. “…a delicate area…and when he fell to the ground, I ran.”
Easton nodded. “That was smart. Now, take a deep breath and dry your eyes. Then we can head back to the group. Fletcher and Chandler were also looking for you, so we must let them know you’re safe. Come, it’s this way.”
“You won’t tell Fletcher, will you? He’ll be so disappointed in me. I promised him I would never go off alone with a gentleman.”
“No, I won’t say anything. I think you’ve endured enough trauma for one evening. Come now.”
Easton held out his arm, and as Mia took it, she had never felt so protected. There was no condescension in his eyes, only warmth. He was the best of men, and her heart swelled with emotion at the thought that he would always find her, no matter the circumstances.
They’d made it to the outskirts of the crowd watching the tightrope walkers when Fletcher and Chandler found them.
“Where have you been?” Fletcher asked with a scowl.
Before Mia had a chance to respond, Easton answered. “I found her sitting in the dirt just past the supper boxes. She’d dropped her handkerchief and gotten knocked down when she tried to retrieve it.”
Fletcher’s face relaxed. “Oh no, are you hurt, my dear?”
“No. I’m fine, but I had to retrieve it. It was the one that Grace gave me for Christmas.”
“I understand. I’m relieved to know you’re not hurt. Come, let’s rejoin our party. Your sister is worried about you,” Fletcher said, holding out his arm.
As Mia let go of Easton and slipped her hand into the crook of Fletcher’s elbow, she looked back at him and mouthed thank you.
Easton watched as Fletcher walked away with the woman he loved.
He’d never been so scared in his life when he couldn’t find her in the crowd.
He thought of every possible scenario, and none of them were good.
Thankfully, none of those things had happened.
When she told him what had transpired, he wanted to plant that man a facer, but he didn’t want to leave Miss Parker’s side for even a moment.
He had to smile, though—the girl had guts, that’s for sure.
He wondered how she knew that a knee to the groin would take down even the strongest of men.
“You want to tell me what really happened?” Chandler asked as they followed a safe distance behind Fletcher and Miss Parker.
“It’s entirely true that she dropped her handkerchief and was knocked down. However, we left out what happened after that.”
“That doesn’t sound good. Care to elaborate?”
“It could have ended very badly for her, but Miss Parker is no one to trifle with, I can tell you that.”
“Oh, what do you mean?”
Easton explained the rest of the ordeal to his friend.
Chandler’s eyes widened. “She did that?”
“She did indeed.”
“So, have you declared yourself to her yet? Seemed like the perfect moment—the hero rescuing the damsel in distress and all.”
“Really, Chandler? The young woman just went through a traumatic experience. I doubt seriously if she would have reacted favorably to my declaring myself.”
“I would advise you not to take too much more time to tell her you love her. Otherwise, if the next time something happens, you may not be in a position to protect her.”
“I know. You’re right.”
They rejoined the group watching the tightrope walkers, then watched as the fireworks began. Easton could only stare at the woman he loved. Even after living through such a horrific encounter with an unscrupulous gentleman, her face held such joy as the colors lit up the night sky.
He was done pining for her. Chandler was right. He would confess his love soon.