Hidden No More by Christina McKnight

Author:Christina McKnight
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: La Loma Elite Publishing
Published: 2016-03-20T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

“Because…” Lady Ellington paused, her words laced with hesitancy. He couldn’t think of anything she could say that would garner this much reserve from her.

Alex expected her to declare her support for him, speaking to his honesty and integrity—he’d shown her nothing else during their short acquaintance, going so far as to pose as a marquis, despite the risks.

“I am the responsible person.”

Such simple words, leading to a hundred more questions and the pit of his stomach falling. If he could think past the pain, he’d find his legs shook.

“Why would you steal from your own stables?” Alex asked, puzzled. “You can take anything—and everything—and no one would dare deny you.”

“It is not so easy.” She avoided his stare.

“It is possibly the simplest thing.” A far easier thing would have been to step forward—before the dressage whip had hit him the first time. Damn it, but he would have accepted her intervention after the second blow.

Ellie continued to stare at the ground as her hand cupped her torn sleeve. “Be that as it may, why were you willing to take the whip for something you did not do?”

“Because that is my lot in life.” How to explain the life of a parentless, crippled, stable hand without a farthing to his name—to her, a girl brought up in one of the wealthiest homes in all of London, used to fancy dresses, well-hung bedsprings in rooms with blazing fires, and food, every meal of every day. But he would give her an answer in the hopes that she’d give him something in return—anything, let her guard down for only a moment. “Taking that whip was my duty, just as stepping in when you were in danger was my role as a man.” But there was that one night, not long after he’d come to London, when he’d heard Drake and Lady Ellington arguing and he hadn’t stepped in, but instead allowed the man to curse her over and over.

“But Eckles is my servant,” she said, lifting her gaze to his. “I can protect myself.”

“You should not have to when I am with you.” Had she never had someone look after her? Protect her from the world—and herself?

She only looked on questioningly.

“As your servant, I cannot allow any harm to come to you.” He hoped she took his words for their most basic meaning—the repercussions to him if she’d been seriously injured while he was present would have him remanded to Newgate—and not the deeper meaning they actually held.

“Did you say that Cook has a salve?” He noticed her sudden change in conversation; his answer satisfying her at last, and he breathed a sigh of relief. “Do come inside so we may cleanse your back. You must be in a great deal of pain.”

Surprisingly, he’d pushed his agony to the back of his mind the second the whip had licked at her arm. Even now, the throbbing, while excruciating, was kept at bay by the blood pumping through his veins. The pain was muted—surely to return with vigor the moment he knew Ellie was indeed out of harm’s way.

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