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What a ridiculous thing to say. She didn’t seem to have a care for her own safety, but perhaps she’d care for Christian Hawke’s. “You’re not doing it again. Swear to me that you won’t, or I’ll whisper the man’s name to a Bow Street Runner I happen to know, and that will put a rather quick end to him and hisactivities.”
She sucked in a breath. Apparently, thiswassome sort of negotiation. Just not the one Rachel Benton hadbargainedfor.
“Perhaps your mother would let you visit him in Newgate,” Marc continued evenly. “Though I doubt she’d agree to that. What do youthink?”
“Please don’t turn him in,” shebreathedout.
“Do I have your word?” Marcpressed.
After a moment, Rachel nodded. It was begrudgingly, but it was stillanod.
“If you break your word, I’ll have no choice but to inform authorities,” Marc continued. “So his future rests in your hands.Rememberthat.”
“If you would just tell mehisname…”
“Not achance.”
She sagged a bit, which Marc took as her acquiescence, and for the first time in hours, he breathed a sigh ofrelief.
When the hack finally stopped in front of Staveley House, Rachel turned back to look at Marc once again. “I won’t go out again, but do you really have to tell her whereIwent?”
He scoffed. “What lie do you think she would believe, MissBenton?”
“I’m sureyoucould come up withsomething.”
Even Marc wasn’t that expert a liar. “I will make you a deal. If she doesn’t ask where I found you, I won’t tell her. How’s that?” Which would never in a million years happen. They’d be the first words out of Caroline’s mouth. “But if she asks me, I’ll not lie to her. I’ve never done that, and I’m not about tostartnow.”
Then he opened the door to the hack and gestured to thegirl’shome.
“Afteryou.”
Chapter14
Curled up on her settee,despair had long since swamped Caroline. Her heaving sobs had ended some time ago, but a trail of tears still ran down her cheeks. She would give anything in the world for her daughter to walk through the door, safe and sound. But the longer she lay there by herself, the worse the fears and images in her mindbecame.
Simmons had covered her with a quilt and brought her chamomile tea to soothe her nerves, but her nerves couldn’t be soothed. How couldtheybe?
It seemed like such a bad dream that she could not wake from. Never in a million years would she have imagined that her daughter would run off in the dead of night. Had Felicity been right? Should Caroline have given her more freedom? Would that have prevented Rachel from doing something outrageously dangerous? Or had she not been strict enough? Perhaps they shouldn’t have come back to Town. Perhaps they should have stayed in Westmorland at the Park. Or perhaps they should have gone to Dorset to stay with Robert and Lydia for a few months. That would have been a change of scenery from Benton Park, and there wasn’t any sort of danger to be found atGoslingPark.
“Milady,” her butler said from the threshold. “A carriage just stopped outfront.”
Caroline bolted from the settee and brushed past the servant, racing to the front foyer. She pulled open the door and a sob of relief escaped her as she spotted Rachel starting up the stoop. Oh,thankGod.
She pulled her daughter into her arms and squeezed her tight, so relieved that she looked whole and hale. Marc was paying the driver of a hack, but his gaze landed squarely on Caroline, where she and Rachel stood just inside the threshold. Thank God and thank Marc. She could never repay him for this, not if she tried every day for the rest ofherdays.
“Mama,” Rachel complained. “Youarehurtingme.”
Reluctantly, Caroline released her hold on her daughter and took a slight step back. “I should send you to spend the rest of the season with your UncleRobert.”
“I know a nice convent in France,” Marc suggested, as he started up the stoop toward them. He looked exhausted, more so than she’d ever seen him. And he’d never been more devastatingly handsome in his life. Her hero. Her knight in tarnishedarmor.
Caroline tugged Rachel into the foyer and held the door open for Marc who followed theminside.
“Where did you go?” she demanded of her daughter as soon as the door shutbehindthem.
“I was careful, Mama. I just had toseeif—”
“Youhadto run off in the dead of night?” Caroline sounded shrill to her own ears. “Have you lost your mind? You could have been hurt. You could have beenkilled.”
