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“Hold your horses.” He pinched his brow, uncertain his mind could follow what was happening at this time. “I am not sure I understand what is truly happening here.”
“That is hardly a surprise after what you have been through.” She took his arm and drew him out of the street, heading a little way down the road to where there was a horse unattended. She released his arm when they reached the horse. “What I’m proposing is a marriage of convenience, Your Grace.”
“Convenience? Huh.” Elliot chuckled. “That kiss felt like something other thanconvenience.”
She eyed him as she climbed up into the saddle. “That, I can’t deny,” she admitted. “You are in no state to talk of this now. If you are truly interested in finding money, Your Grace, then meet me tomorrow to discuss this.”
“Where? What time?”
“There’s an archery event tomorrow in Hyde Park. Midday. Meet me then?” she asked as she turned on the horse.
“I…” Elliot hesitated, watching as the young woman before him easily took control of the horse. She was athletic, it was plain to see, not only in the fact she had been a strong enough swimmer to save him, but now commanding control of the horse.
“Will you be there, Your Grace?” she asked, impatient for his answer.
“I’ll be there.”
“Then I wish you a safe journey home. Be careful they don’t see you,” she warned, pointing in the direction of those searching the water.
By the time Elliot looked back at Miss Townsend, she was racing away down the street.
Chapter 8
“This is mad. Pure insanity, I am sure of it.” Elliot kept muttering to himself as he walked into Hyde Park, rubbing a sore spot on his temple thanks to his hangover.
After his extraordinary meeting with Miss Townsend the night before, he could have happily dismissed it as the work of his imagination. A woman diving into the water to save him from death and offering to marry him? No. It had to be a dream. He would have been convinced of it when he woke that morning at home, had it not been for the fact his clothes were still damp and there was definite bruising to his nose.
As he walked into the park, he pulled his top hat a little lower, hiding the bruising from passersby. The sun was strong today, casting bright light down onto the busy park as he walked. In the centre of the lawn, he found the archery event.
Lines of targets made of bound straw had been set up and queues of ladies and gentlemen waited to have their turn. Elliot searched the faces for a minute, trying to find if Miss Townsend was amongst them.
That morning, Elliot had not spoken of her to a soul, for he did not dare. If she came to her senses this morning and retracted her proposition, then he would have had hope of saving himself and Grace for nothing.
For now, Grace should not know of this.
“Miss Townsend? It is your turn.”
The words caught Elliot’s ear and he turned to see Miss Townsend standing at a distant target, collecting a bow and arrow. Elliot moved to her side without hesitation. He only waited for the man instructing her what to do to back away before he approached.
For a minute, Elliot grew distracted. He watched Miss Townsend and thought of her unusual beauty, not to mention the kiss they had shared the night before. There was attraction there, set deep in his gut. Even now it lingered, making the hairs on his arms stand on end as he approached her.
“So, you really are here to shoot?” Elliot asked as he moved to her side.
Miss Townsend lowered her bow and arrow a little, not taking the shot as she angled her head to him.
“You came?” she murmured in surprise, her voice pitching high.
“Did you think I would not?”
“I thought it possible, for many reasons.” She nodded. “You may have thought last night quite crazy, or you might have simply been in too much of a state to come.”
“Yes, I was in a state. For last night, I didn’t thank you properly.” Elliot made his tone serious for a minute. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome.” She smiled a little with the words. “It was hardly what I expected at that time of night, saving the life of a duke.” She gestured down to a bow and arrow beside her. “Care to take a shot? Just imagine the target is the man who bopped you on the nose last night.”
He chuckled as he lifted the bow and arrow, tipping his top hat back enough to give him a good aim. He fired, and the arrow landed a little to the left of the bullseye.
“Not bad,” Miss Townsend said with approval. “I take it as a duke you were given all the training for such things?”
