The Seduction of Madalyn by Cynthia Clement

Author:Cynthia Clement
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2013-11-16T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

AFTER DINNER THAT evening, Madalyn dismissed Annie and changed into a brown day dress. She threw a black hooded cape over her shoulders and blew out her candles before sneaking downstairs and out of the house.

She hid in the shadows of the side porch and waited for Nathan. He’d be angry if he found out that she was going to follow him, but she had to be certain that the men were freed. Besides, she’d be there in case something went wrong.

Time crept by and just when she despaired of him ever leaving the house, she heard a door creak open. The sound came from behind her and Madalyn pulled her cloak close to her body before tip toeing to the back of the house. The floorboards of the porch squeaked a couple of times. She held her breath as she waited to see if anyone had heard, but nothing happened.

When she rounded the back of the house, she saw the figure of a man dressed in black leaving through the rear gate of the garden. She picked up her gown and tailed him.

Madalyn found herself in the mews, and her heart sank. She hadn’t considered that Nathan would take a horse or carriage. She bit her fingernails and stood at the side of the stable. What were her options now? A slight shuffle further down the lane caught her attention. A man was hurrying away on foot. The man’s height, and the size and breadth of his shoulders gave him away.

It was Nathan.

He moved fast.

She followed in the shadows. The mews ended when they came to a crossroads. Nathan pulled his head down low in his coat and after a quick glance both ways, ran to the opposite side. She waited until he started to disappear into the far laneway before doing the same.

They had walked at least a mile before they reached Broad Street. Nathan took a sharp turn west. Why were they moving away from the Exchange?

When Nathan paused beside a group of low roofed wooden sheds, the reason became clear. They’d worked their way behind the Exchange. This had to be where Bertram housed the men in readiness for the auction the next day. Nathan tried the handle of one of the buildings.

He stopped, tilted his head in her direction.

Madalyn held her breath. She moved closer to the rough wooden shed that hid her. Seconds passed while the thumping of her heart was loud in her ears. The sound of cicadas and the voices of men on the wharfs filled the night. Finally, Nathan’s shoulders relaxed and he turned back to the shed handle.

Madalyn fought back the urge to laugh with relief. For the first time since leaving the house, she’d actually doubted her decision to shadow him. Nathan had warned her it was dangerous, but until this moment, she hadn’t considered that they might be caught.

He slipped into the shed and she followed a few minutes later. The door was partly ajar. She squeezed through the opening and scuttled along the edge of the building.

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