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“Not at all.” Eleanor ran her hands down her gown. “I need to find her before Demeter returns to Town. We need to know if someone else is going to take this man’s place.”
“Agreed.”
“I’ll go now.” She twisted toward the door, but Oliver snatched her wrist, his leather gloves soft against her bare skin.
“Not without me, you are not?”
“It looks as though you have done enough.” She nodded toward his face.
“This person could be dangerous.”
Eleanor lifted her chin. “I’m not frightened.”
“I know.” He released her wrist. “But I am. For you.” His voice grew gravelly. “I cannot let anything happen to you, Ellie.”
She hesitated for a few moments, but they had so little time to waste. Being around Oliver made her heart ache, but Demeter’s safety was more important, and if Ruth was desperate enough to put together such an awful plan, she might be desperate enough to do something to Eleanor as well. Having Oliver at her side would be the wise move.
“Come then. We must make haste.” Eleanor fought with the tie of her apron for a few moments then gave up and gestured to the butler for her coat and hat.
Oliver untied the apron and lifted it over her head, pausing for a breath to meet her gaze as his fingers skimmed her cheek. Shaking herself, she took the apron, discarded it upon a hall table and stuffed her arms into her coat, then snatched her hat from the butler.
“Your carriage is here?” she asked.
“Yes, though should we not take your aunt or lady’s maid?” he suggested.
“You have your driver and footman?”
“Of course.”
“That will be fine,” she said with a shrug. So long as she did not give in to the desire to fling herself at him and repeat Tuesday’s kiss, her reputation would survive a quick journey across London with a family friend and she did not wish to waste time finding her maid.
“Where are we going?” he asked as she gave directions to the driver.
“A woman we know tried to trap a friend into marriage by pretending...” She gestured to her stomach as they climbed into the carriage. “Anyway, we discovered the truth and foiled her plans, but it seems she has returned to London.”
“And you think she wants revenge?”
“It is odd, is it not, that these problems started at the same time she returned to Town?”
Oliver settled next to her, his leg warm against hers even through the combined fabrics of their clothing, and tapped the roof of the carriage. “Odd indeed,” he agreed.
“I should have confronted her sooner.”
“You could not know she would sink to such depths.”
“I thought it was over and I made sure it was known we were aware of her presence in Town.” She closed her eyes briefly. She’d been so distracted, so enamored with Oliver, she hadn’t put her sister’s safety first.
“None of this was your fault, Ellie.”
He took her hand, looping his fingers through hers. She glanced at the contrast of her fingers against his fawn-colored gloves.
“I forgot my gloves,” she said vaguely as her throat tightened. Meeting his gaze, that familiar yet all too exciting sensation trilled through her, warming her blood, pooling in her stomach.
Unable to resist, she lifted her chin.
∞∞∞
How easy it would be to lean in and kiss away the worry. Have her melt in his arms and forget the urgency and her need to disparage herself for inaction. It had been his fault, anyway. If Oliver had remained at her side, they could have confronted this woman together.
