His Improper Lady--A Historical Romance by Candace Camp

Author:Candace Camp
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 2021-04-19T15:56:37+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

DESIREE’S HEART THUDDED wildly in her chest. She’d hoped, but she hadn’t dared to really believe they would find anything. She clutched the box in both hands, emotions whirling through her, paralyzing her in an uncharacteristic way.

Tom slid the brick back in place and picked up the lantern, then took her arm and started toward the door. Desiree went with him, happy to let him take the lead. Tom peered out the long, narrow window beside the door, looking up and down the street, then quietly unlocked the door and opened it. He followed Desiree out, easing the door closed behind him.

Desiree had recovered her senses enough that she was already hurrying down the steps. It had made sense for Tom to choose to go out the front door even though they would be in the light of the streetlamp for a moment; that bit of exposure to an empty street was less dangerous than traveling back down through the servants’ hall, where someone might wake up and see them. But it was prudent to move out of the circle of lamplight as quickly as she could.

Tom was right on her heels, both of them stopping to cast a look all around after they stepped beyond the light. Desiree had a vague sense of uneasiness, but she could see no movement on the street in either direction. She was just jumpy from the storm of excitement, hope and fear that the sight of the box had engendered in her.

They started up the street. Desiree clutched the box tightly to her chest, her arms wrapped around it as if it were a baby. Neither of them spoke as they crossed the road and turned right onto Sussex Street. They were moving in the direction of Victoria Station, where they were more likely to find a cab even at this time of night. They crossed George Road, as darkly silent as the other streets they passed.

Suddenly a shock of alarm ran through Desiree, a dark tangle of tension knotting her stomach. She whirled around, just as a dark shape hurtled out of the night, straight at her. Tom jumped to the side, pulling her with him, but the man grabbed the box from Desiree’s grasp and charged past them down the street.

“No!” Desiree shrieked and ran after him, but Tom quickly passed her, gaining on the man. His quarry threw an anxious glance behind him and turned toward Warwick Square. Tom ran across the street at an angle that cut off more of the man’s lead, recklessly ignoring the carriage rolling toward him. He caught the thief as he reached Warwick Square, leaping forward to take him down to the ground. The box flew out of the man’s hand and skidded into the street.

As the two men grappled on the ground, Desiree ran for the box. It didn’t break as it tumbled across the pavement, and she grabbed it up, coming back to Tom, who had hauled the other man to his feet.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.