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Natalie hesitated. “Yes.” She sighed. “It turned outhebroke the engagement, not her. Since he allowed her to put out thatsheended their relationship, I don’t feel as though I should break his word to her that he would not do anything to besmirch her reputation.”
Rayne’s brows rose. “Well, then. I think from what you havenotsaid that St. John did the right thing.” She linked her arm into Natalie’s and moved them forward into the kitchen. “I think you should give careful consideration to what St. John seems to be leading you toward. I would love to see you happily settled with the chance to give Annalise a decent father and some siblings.”
“I am. Believe me, I am giving itverycareful consideration.”
* * *
“Gerard,we must find a better place to meet.” Mildred hugged her coat closer and tried to hold onto her umbrella, which was not an easy feat with the wind blowing as it was.
“I have come up with a perfect plan.” He took her elbow and moved them to a gazebo in the park which sheltered them a little bit more from where they were.
“I hope it is something my father approves of. He badgers me every day about St. John, and how close I am to having him change his mind.” She shook her head. “The man is not going to change his mind.”
“Yes. He is.” He smirked.
“You seem rather sure of yourself. I doubt very much what you can do that even my father, who offered him ten thousand pounds, couldn’t do.
Gerard’s eyes flew open. “Ten thousand pounds?”
“Yes. But he turned it down.”
He shook his head. “Foolish man. However, some things are more important than money.” He hesitated for a minute. “This is the plan. We kidnap Mrs. Shaw’s daughter.”
“She has a daughter?”
“Yes. Her mother states she is six years.”
Mildred moved to the side to avoid the wind that was blowing the rain into her face. “What does kidnapping Mrs. Shaw’s daughter have to do with my predicament?”
Gerard rolled his shoulders to ease the tension. If this woman wasn’t so willing to experiment in bed, and if she didn’t have the chance to offer him the life he wanted to live, he would dump her in a minute.
“Follow me, Mildred. We kidnap the little girl, we send a note to St. John that we have her, and, unless he shows up at a certain place and time to marry you, the girl will disappear. If he cares as much as I think he does for this Shaw woman and her child, he will cooperate.”
“Then what?”
“Easy. I, you, and the girl arrive at his place. In the missive to him, you will insist he get a special license—all these nobs can get them—and once the deed is done, there isn’t anything he can do about it.
“Then you do as I said before. You insist on moving to one of his country estates. Then you hire me—for a very easy job—and with St. John’s money, we can live a great life.”
Mildred frowned. “We won’t hurt the little girl, though?”
He shook his head. “But he won’t know that.”
Mildred nodded. “When can you kidnap her?”
“As soon as possible.”
CHAPTER13
Two weeks had passed since Natalie had returned from the five-day wedding. Alex continued to court her and had quite quickly won over her daughter, who was quite smitten with him.
She smiled, remembering their trips to the tasty ice shop, Sally Lunn’s Bunns, walks in the park, and a puppet show that Annalise hadn’t stopped talking about for days.
Tonight she was attending a dinner party at Alex’s house. He said it would include just a few friends he’d been overdue in entertaining. She had to admit she was a bit concerned about meeting Alex’s friends. He’d told her they were from his university days. Suppose they found her wanting? Perhaps Alex didn’t care, but she was not of their class.
Had her feelings about Alex and marriage changed so much that she worried about such things? She had to admit that if their kisses grew any more enthusiastic Sterling would be having a word with Alex. The last two times he’d escorted her home, her brother-by-marriage had frowned and mumbled under his breath when he’d met her in the entrance hall as she removed her cape.
Her hair had been messy, her lips swollen and red, and the bodice of her dress had been quickly refastened. And looked like it. She’d merely nodded at him, made her way up to her bedchamber, and took a deep breath as she closed the door.
