Page 41 of How the Earl Entices

“But there are guards here.” Her fingers tightened on his arm. Three soldiers with rifles slung over their shoulders stood on the opposite side of the inn yard, keeping their distance from the others. As if being wounded in service was contagious. Their bright red uniforms stood out boldly in the darkness of the foggy, rain-drizzled night.

“I see that.” Playing the part of the doting husband, he slipped his arm around her waist as he lowered his lips to her ear with a casual smile. “They’re taking the coach home, that’s all. They’ll be gone in a few hours and won’t bother us.”

Her fingers trembled against his sleeve, but she fought to make every inch of herself appear calm and composed. She forced a smile in case anyone was watching. “Are you certain?”

“Yes.” That was clearly a lie. But when she parted her lips to challenge him, he took her bag from her hand and nodded toward the wet ground to distract her. “Watch your step.”

As he led her toward the inn’s entrance, she lowered her head and pulled the hood of her cape further down over her face. She’d grown more self-conscious about hiding her scar the closer they drew to London. She didn’t dare tell Ross, knowing he would demand more information from her, but that afternoon, when they’d stopped at an inn to stretch their legs and buy food, she’d thought she’d seen Vincent among the crowd of other travelers. A mistake, of course, one that left her momentarily gripped by terror, then feeling like a fool for seeing ghosts when she realized that the man wasn’t her brother-in-law. But it was also a warning not to take any chances that she might be recognized.

A commotion rose behind them. The strike of horseshoes across cobblestones, shouts, the creak of wood and ping of metal—

A team of horses broke loose and scattered the grooms who were changing them out. The coach lurched forward out of control. The rattle and movement frightened the horses more as they scrambled to find footing on the slippery stones. The team charged forward, right toward a little boy who had toddled away from his mother.

Ross dropped the bag and sprinted into the path of the uncontrolled horses.

Grace’s scream pierced the clattering noise of onrushing hooves. But Ross didn’t hesitate as his arms went around the child, tackling him to the ground and rolling away, just inches from the horses’ hooves and crushing wheels.

They lay together on the wet ground for a long moment. Grace gaped at them, terrified they’d been hurt. Or worse. All of her flashed numb with fear.

Then Ross slowly sat up and drew the boy onto his lap. “It’s all right,” he assured the child as he quickly checked him over to make certain he hadn’t been hurt. “You’re fine.”

But the toddler looked at Ross with frightened horror, then let out a wail at the top of his little lungs. His face contorted with terrified cries, and he punched at Ross to move away from him, blaming this big stranger for frightening him by hurling him to the ground.

“John!” His mother ran to them. She fell to her knees on the wet cobblestones to grab the crying child to her bosom and poured out an endless stream of relieved tears and gratitude to Ross as he climbed to his feet.

With a grimace, he reached down for his hat that had fallen off when he’d tackled the boy. New fear stuck Grace— His face had been revealed for all to see, including all the drivers and hostlers in the courtyard, and now all the people in the inn who poured outside to see what the commotion was about.

Including the soldiers.

Knocking his hat against his leg to shake off the mud, he returned to Grace’s side. The faint smile of reassurance he gave her wasn’t enough to vanquish her worry.

“You saved his life,” she whispered. And in doing so, jeopardized his own.

As if reading her thoughts, his gaze darted past her to the soldiers, who were now staring openly at him and talking with one of the drivers, who gestured from Ross to the mail coach.

“Let’s go,” he said calmly, collecting her bag and taking her arm to lead her inside.

“But they—”

“Won’t bother us.”

Grace ignored that and glanced at the three soldiers, who were now walking straight toward them.

With a panicked gasp, she halted in mid-step and threw her arms around Ross’s neck. She leaned against him as she rose up onto tiptoes and brought her lips against his.

Ross froze, startled by the unexpected kiss. He took her arm to steady her as she slowly pulled back, forcing a brilliant smile onto her face that belied her increasing panic.

“Isn’t my husband just the most wonderful man in the world?” she called out over his shoulder as the soldiers approached, her beaming smile and the affectionate expression meant to throw off their suspicions. But it didn’t hide the true terror she’d felt when she saw him run in front of the horses, which still had her shaking. “He’s a store clerk, so he thinks he isn’t important,” she continued. “But he risked his own life to save that boy.”

She directed her proud smile at Ross and ran her fingers lovingly through the hair at his nape. Fingers which trembled harder as the soldiers drew nearer, their boots scuffling softly over the wet cobblestones.Dear God, please let them believe me!

With a trace of legitimate pride in her voice, she asked as the soldiers stopped just behind Ross, “Did you gentlemen see that?”

“Aye, ma’am, we did,” one of the men answered.

Ross forced his own smile and shook his head. “My wife is exaggerating. It was nothing.”

The soldier stepped up to his side, and a small smile tugged at his mustached lips. “’Fraid I have to agree wi’ yer wife, sir.” A touch of a northern accent colored his voice. “Ye hit the ground a bit hard. We wanted t’ make certain ye were all right.” His eyes glinted as they slid over Grace. “An’ yer wife.”