Page 21 of The Lady Glass
Theresia’s lashes fluttered as if Lewis had complimented her. “I always leave when I am wanted, for how else shall I be missed? Besides, I cannot make our dear captain uncomfortable.” She pinned her gaze on Rolland. “Don’t worry. I will be back.”
She had better not be. “Just post the letter next time, please.”
“Rolland,” Lewis started while Theresia made her way to the door. “I did not think you were that kind of a man.”
Theresia spun around, her eyes simmering like molten gold, and skewered Lewis a stinging glare. “Mr. Lewis, I resent that. Just because I donned a disguise to deliver a veryimportantnote does not mean my moral standing is in question. I trust you will remember that, just likeIshall certainly not forget about this little spy mission of yours.”
She let herself out before the others could say a word.
What effective blackmail. All Rolland could do was stare after her. Had she really just done and said all that? He hadn’t thought a person could truly surprise him any longer, but every encounter with TheresiaSmithhad proved him wrong.
Marcus cleared his throat. “I think you have some explaining to do, Rolland.”
He wanted an explanation himself, but his compelling need to assure himself that Theresia got out of the house safely trumped all else, especially with the added guards patrolling the place. Taking care of her was beginning to be a bad habit of his. Sometimes being a naval officer with a soft spot for anyonevulnerable was exhausting. “Excuse me. I’ll be back.”
Chapter 11
Theresia was a better actressthan she had ever realized. She had passed herself off as a maid in front of several women and had managed to act collected after making a complete fool of herself in front of three men—one of them a duke! She gave the seminary’s library the credit for the last one. She had met some colorful characters in her hours of reading and had called upon that knowledge in her time of need.
Unfortunately, even the best of acting could not make up for her bumble of words. Had it really been necessary for her to pretend the captain was fond of her and that she was delivering a love note? Her first real introduction into Society, and she had presented herself thus?
Bad, Theresia! Bad, bad, bad!
It was a good thing she was leaving England once she found her vase. Her only comfort was that if returning to her homeland did not work out for her, she might have a future on the stage. Never mind. That was not comforting to her at all. She moaned and stepped away from the door. Not many feet down the corridor she froze. It was like she could hear a hum from her vase. She turned and stared behind her. It was close. She was certain of it. She couldn’t walk away. Without second-guessing herself, she turned away from the direction of the stairs toward the room just beyond the captain’s—the last in the corridor. When her hand connected with the handle, the captain’s door opened.
He stepped into the corridor alone and shut his door.
For heaven’s sake! Did he have to catch hereverytime?
He put one foot toward the stairs, oblivious to her presence, and she started to release the breath she’d been holding.
Then he paused suddenly. His shoulders dropped and a sigh emitted from him. He turned around and faced her.
She jumped. “B—but how? Do you have eyes in the back of yourhead?” She could see why he thought himself capable of catching a spy. He was incredible at catching her.
“Weren’t you supposed to be leaving?”
She gave a sheepish shrug. “I have to find what is mine.”
He shoved his hands onto his hips. “It wasn’t under my bed, then?”
“Shh!” She pointed to his parents’ bedroom. Was the man daft, or had he forgotten where his parents slept?
His eyes widened, and he pointed in the other direction. “You’re leaving —now! I will distract the man at the front door while you slip away. Avoid the trees and stay on the drive like you are merely taking your day off. Wait at the end of the drive just around the corner, and I will pick you up in my carriage. We need to talk.”
She squirmed. “Shouldn’t I go into this room and put some cinders on my face first? You know, to disguise myself better?”
His brow lowered as he narrowed his deep-set eyes, and his mouth pulled into a straight line.
“There isn’t time for that, is there?” she quickly amended. Dratted man. He probably employed the same intimidating expression to get his soldiers to obey. Then again, shemighthave pushed too hard with her attempt to create the appearance of a relationship between him and her. She was learning that in moments of duress, she could not predict her own behavior. She pointed toward the stairs. “After you.”
She gave him a wide berth and followed him, her feet whipping against her dress to keep up with his long stride. With no dirty face or handkerchief to hide behind, she kept her head down while Rolland called the footman at the door away. She took the front door the moment she was alone and did not stop until she was tucked behind an oak at the end of the drive. At least the weather was pleasant, with blue skies and blurs of white like a watercolor painting. She was rarely granted time to sit and thinkin the middle of the day, and she sorely needed it now.
A quarter of an hour later, a carriage came rumbling toward her from the direction of the stables. By then, she had prepared an eloquent apology even Mrs. Stone would approve of and practiced her plea for help at least a dozen times. She could only hope the formidable captain would soften his heart toward her once more.
The carriage stopped some feet around the bend, preventing anyone from the house from seeing them. The captain hopped down and offered her inside with his head. With shoulders lowered in the meekest fashion, she complied. Still, despite herself, she couldn’t resist mumbling when she came up beside him, “It is hardly proper for me to ride unchaperoned with you.”
He snorted. “When have you ever cared about what is proper?”
