Wicked Widow by Amanda Quick

Author:Amanda Quick
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Mystery, Romance, Paranormal, Regency, Fantasy, Adult, Historical
ISBN: 9780749939304
Publisher: Bantam
Published: 2000-04-03T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

He was being followed.

Artemas came to a halt in a doorway and listened. The footsteps were light and muffled in the swirling fog, but he caught the pattern.

They stopped.

He moved out of the doorway and continued down the street. After a few seconds he heard the occasional brush of a shoe on the pavement behind him. The footsteps did not move closer or fall too far behind. He knew that if he turned his head he would see nothing except an indistinct shape because of the thick gray mist.

For most of the distance from his house, there had been enough street clatter to conceal the quiet steps.

But even then he had sensed that he was being followed.

He turned left at the corner. There was a large park across the street. The trees were only vague skeletons looming in the fog. A carriage went past cautiously, as though feeling its way in the murk. The horse’s hooves rang with an eerie, hollow sound. He took advantage of the covering noise of the wheels to move into another doorway.

He waited.

The carriage rattled off into the distance, and then he heard the footsteps again. Slower now. Very hesitant. The follower had no doubt sensed that the quarry had gone to ground.

After a few seconds of uncertain silence, the footsteps abruptly picked up speed. The follower was moving quickly now. All attempt at stealth had been abandoned.

From the doorway Artemas watched a cloaked and hooded figure move through the mists directly in front of him. The hem of the garment whipped out as the follower hurried down the street.

Artemas glided out of the doorway and fell into step beside his pursuer.

“Lovely afternoon for a stroll, is it not?” he said politely.

“Artemas.” Madeline’s voice rose on a tiny shriek. She whirled around and came to a halt. Beneath the hood of her cloak, her eyes were very large. “Good God, sir, kindly do not startle me like that again. It is very hard on the nerves.”

“What are you doing here? I told you that I would handle this business of searching Pitney’s house on my own.”

“And I made it equally clear to you that I had no intention of allowing you to do so. Searching Pitney’s home was my plan, if you will recall.”

He studied her out of the corner of his eyes. She was thoroughly annoyed, but he wondered if some of the anger was merely an attempt to cover up deeper, more disturbing emotions. He reminded himself that although she was a widow and quite possibly a murderess into the bargain, until last night she had also been an innocent. He thought about how she had blushed at breakfast.

“How are you feeling this morning? ” he asked gently.

“I am in excellent health, sir, as usual,” she said impatiently. “Yourself?”

“Wracked with guilt. But thank you for asking.”

“Guilt?” She halted again and swung around to confront him. “What on earth have you to feel guilty about, sir? ”

He stopped, too. “Have you forgotten last night so soon? I am devastated to learn that I made such a tepid impression.

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