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“Were you able to get any information?”
“Yes.” He sat next to her and took the program she handed him. “His name is Joey Barton. He owns several businesses in town. I’m sure once we check his background some of those businesses will turn out to be criminal. But then, if he ordered your beating in a brothel he is obviously involved with kidnapping and forced prostitution.”
Marcus leaned close to her ear as the orchestra began the overture. “Are you all right? Would you prefer to return home?”
“No.” She tightened her lips, her muscles tense. “Those people stole enough from me. They will not steal the rest of my life, too. I love the theater.”
Marcus grinned. He reached out to take her hand, but she crossed her arms over her middle. Apparently undaunted by her rejection, he whispered, “Your bravery amazes me, Miss Davenport.”
Although she was honest enough to admit that she felt brave, most likely that bravery came from Marcus beside her. And far enough away from her that she didn’t feel boxed in.
However, her bravery did not extend to strolling the lobby during the intermission. Instead, Marcus fetched lemonade for them both.
As the play co
mmenced, she went over in her mind what had happened to her from the time she awoke in a strange bed with a major headache the day after the kidnapping. Casting a sideways glance at Marcus, she decided that on the ride home from the theater she would tell him the entire story.
She’d told him about how she ended up in Mrs. O’Leary’s boarding house but got distracted and never did finish the entire story. Since it appeared he was willing to help her in her quest to find the reprobates, he needed to hear the rest of it.
For the most part, she was able to enjoy the performance, and became aware of those in other boxes looking in their direction. Since Addie and Lord Berkshire were not with them, there was probably a great deal of interest in who they were. Of course, anyone who knew Addie would recognize her brother. She, on the other hand, was the mystery woman.
Once the play ended, they made their way to the front of the theater where the carriages were lined up. As they awaited their carriage, Lizbeth found herself studying the crowd, looking for Joey Barton. When Marcus told her his name, she remembered someone calling him Joey, but a lot of the details were lost since she tried her very best to ignore what was going on around her.
The rain had turned from a light drizzle to a downpour by the time they stepped out of the building. Even with the umbrella over them, her coat and lower part of her gown were wet. She shivered as the coach pulled away from the theater.
“You seem cold, however, I don’t want to distress you, so I will give you the choice of either allowing me to give you my coat or I can sit next to you and put my arm around you to warm you up. ‘Tis your decision.”
Her chin quivered with the cold. “Thank you so m-much, but you can’t g-give me your coat, then you’ll be c-cold.”
“No matter.” He began to shrug out of the garment.
“No. D-don’t do that. I will be all r-right if you sit n-next to me.” She held her breath, afraid of what her reaction would be to his nearness. He slowly moved across the way and after settling in, gingerly put his arm around her, pulling her against his warmth. She sighed with relief when her body had no adverse reaction.
The heat that came from him was enough to stop her shivers.
“Is this all right?” He looked down at her, studying her with concern. He was truly such a nice man. She’d yet to see the ‘rake’ in him that Pamela had told her was his reputation.
“Yes. It’s fine.” She thought for a minute, then said, “I…I want to tell you what happened to me.”
She obviously had surprised him because he turned from gazing out the window, his brows furrowed. “Are you referring to when you were kidnapped?”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes. I think if I tell someone I will start to feel better about myself. But I don’t want to burden your sister with it, and I learned today that Pamela will not be returning to Bath because she has decided to move back in with her brother in London.”
“How odd,” Marcus said. “I was under the impression that Nick Smith was going to offer her marriage.”
Lizbeth smiled, thinking of how nice it would be for her friend to find happiness. “How lovely. They would be perfect together. I wonder what happened?”
“I have no idea. However, since I am certain Addie and her husband will already be retired for the night when we return, I suggest we wait until we are home before you tell me your story.”
Lizbeth nodded and pulled her coat closer against her body, causing Marcus to hug her even tighter.
“Yes, I think I could use a sherry when we talk.” Now that she’d decided to tell Marcus every nasty detail of her ordeal she wondered if she’d made the correct decision. Maybe keeping it all inside would have been the better choice.
After they arrived home, they handed off their coats and made their way to the drawing room. Lizbeth took a seat, her heart pounding. She twisted her fingers in her lap and told herself she could do this.
Marcus walked up to her and handed her a sherry. He eyed the space alongside her on the settee with raised eyebrows.
She nodded, silently thanking him for being mindful of her concerns about closeness. “Yes.”
