Page 113 of From Rakes to Riches

She hurried downstairs and unlocked the door, anxious to avoid Sofia’s brothers in case they’d noticed Theodore’s arrival.He tied off his horse at the side of the house and Lola scowled. If Theodore stayed awhile, it would be a miracle if the animal was still there.

He paused on the pavement before the front stoop.

“I wanted to see that you are well.”

His voice was a low rumble that resonated within her.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked, taking him in, his handsome profile limned in the glow of moonlight, his eyes holding her captive.

“I was here this morning. Sofia and I spoke about the incident last night. Will you tell me what happened?”

Her smile fell away. Sofia hadn’t mentioned talking to Theodore. “Yes, but you should come upstairs. I can’t talk to you here like this.”

He followed her inside and when they reached her room, she purposedly walked to the other side of the space, wanting distance so she could think clearly.

She watched as he removed his gloves and took in the modest interior. A small table and two wooden chairs. A single bed. A narrow chest of drawers. Her life wasn’t at all like the fancy window displays in the shop on Bond Street. He placed his gloves on the table. The act struck her as intimate and domestic.

“Are you all right?” He closed the space between them in a handful of strides.

So much for keeping her distance.

“Yes,” she said without pause. “I was frightened and I guess that was the whole purpose of his threat.”

“Sofia said this man approached you from behind and held your neck.” He collected her hair and moved it over her shoulder, his fingertips inspecting the skin at her nape with the gentlest of touches. “And that he shoved you into the crowd afterward. Were you hurt?”

“No.” She breathed deep, not wanting him to sense how the incident still upset her. “He pressed something to my side. A knife, I suppose. But I am fine.”

He watched her closely, searching for truth in her eyes, or maybe searching for lies. “Where?”

She huffed again, feeling flustered by his nearness and intense show of concern. “Here.”

She lifted the hem of her blouse just far enough to reveal the patch of skin in question. She watched his expression change. A muscle ticked in the side of his jaw and his dark brows drew together.

“It’s just a small bruise,” she said to mollify him. “And it doesn’t matter anyway because there’s no way for me to know who did this. I didn’t see him.”

“Is there anything else you noticed about him?”

“When he spoke into my ear, he seemed similar to my size, so he wasn’t very tall.” She fluttered her lashes. “Not tall and broad like you.”

The compliment might have amused him. His mouth quirked the slightest.

“And he smelled of cigar smoke and some cedar scented cologne water. Nothing at all like yours. Yours is quite inviting,” she said the latter sentence softly, hoping to diffuse his tense expression further.

“I’m not so easily distracted, Lola.” He cradled her face in his palms. “Until this matter with Fremont’s murder is resolved, you need protection.”

It would be easy to agree. To go up on her toes and fall under the spell of his kiss. But something stopped her.

“I can take care of myself,” she assured him. “I’ve been on my own for over two years.”

He smoothed his thumb over her cheek before he took his hands away. She immediately felt the loss of his touch.

“Why? Did your family force you to leave?”

“No.” She almost laughed for knowing the truth of it. “Nothing like that.”

“Then why not return to Ipswich? Leave Vauxhall for a few weeks and spend time with your family. I’m sure they would be happy to see you and it will also keep you safe. As much as I’d like to be your protector day and night, we both know that’s impossible. I have other responsibilities that prevent me from?—”

“You don’t have to say it.” Her voice came out in a harsh whisper, her emotions all over the place now from the sincerity of his concern and mention of her family.

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