One Week to Wed by Laurie Benson

Author:Laurie Benson [Benson, Laurie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-04-13T18:35:50+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

It was mid-morning and Andrew could have gone another round in the ring, but Jackson had convinced him that after three hours of exerting himself in some form or another, his body needed rest. Although Andrew would admit to being physically exhausted, his mind would not stop working as his thoughts continued to turn to Charlotte. It was only during the last few hours that he had found some peace in the concentration that was required to avoid getting knocked out by his opponent. Perhaps now he could get some rest.

Exiting Jackson’s saloon, he looked up at the thick grey clouds above Bond Street and adjusted the collar on his brown-linen coat. He was just about to turn down the street towards Piccadilly when a woman’s soft voice called out his name.

Standing in front of an unmarked black carriage parked at the curb was a well-dressed petite woman around his mother’s age. Past the brim of her red bonnet was a pair of keen assessing dark eyes. She obviously knew who he was—however, he could not recall ever having seen her before. Her right hand rested on a gold-tipped walking stick and he wondered if, like his, it served more than one purpose. She seemed harmless enough, but he knew from experience that one could never be too careful.

The footman that stood beside her in pale blue livery remained by the carriage as she took a few slow steps closer to Andrew. ‘You are Lord Andrew Pearce, are you not?’

He tipped the brim of his hat in a cautious greeting. ‘I am. However, you have the advantage, madam. I do not know who you are.’

‘I am Mrs Robert Sommersby. You and I have a mutual acquaintance.’

‘We do?’

Without elaborating, she nodded and looked up. ‘I notice the sky is rather grey. There is a strong possibility a storm is on the way.’

‘So it would seem.’

People walked between them, too busy with their own business to pay attention to their conversation.

‘May I interest you in a ride to your destination to save you the inconvenience?’ She was speaking in a pleasant enough manner, but threats could be hidden in sweet voices.

He eyed her walking stick again and his muscles tightened, preparing for the unexpected. ‘And if I decline your kind invitation?’

‘Then you risk getting caught in a downpour,’ she replied as if that would be an obvious conclusion. ‘My driver is quite adept at handling Town roads and I assure you my carriage is quite comfortable.’

Not one to shy away from intrigue, Andrew stepped closer. When he was about two feet from her, she glanced at her footman and lowered her head. He opened the carriage door.

The curtains inside were closed, so it was nearly impossible to see into the darkened interior. He sensed movement as one of the curtains was pushed aside. Through the now-dim light he spied Charlotte, looking a bit uncertain.

Who was Mrs Sommersby and how did she know that he knew Charlotte? He glanced down at Charlotte’s gloved hands and released a breath when he saw they were not bound.

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