Page 56 of A Christmas Temptation for the Duke
“I was thinking the same.”
“You may try,” Daniel said. “And I wish you well.”
Alison stared at Daniel with a gaping mouth and wide eyes. How calm he was. How in control. He faced down the two men like a wolf might two sheep, no sense at all that he was in danger or would be.
It reminded Alison much of that first night she had fled to his home. How safe and protected he made her feel. More than that, how determined he was to ensure that nothing happened to her.
Perhaps I was wrong about him…
What happened next happened quickly.
Hobbs hefted up the sack and launched it at Daniel. It caught the Earl by surprise, forcing him to catch it. That was when Pike tossed his own sack, sending Daniel backwards. This gave the two men enough time to charge the window, at which point Hobbs grabbed a chair and threw it through the glass.
Glass shattered. Alison screamed. Pickle barked. And the two men leapt to safety without once looking back.
Strangely, Daniel did not go after them.
Rather, he turned and went immediately to Alison. He took her by the arm and pulled her away from the cold, his eyes searching her, his face scrunched with worry.
“Are you hurt?” he asked. “Did they do anything to you?”
“What? No,” she said, surprised by the concern etched in his voice. “Nothing. I am fine – they are getting away.”
“As I told you the first night, I do not care about that.” He looked at her with such seriousness that she might have thought him to be furious, but she knew better. He was terrified, she saw. And she could feel the worry pouring from him. “You are what matters. Now, you are certain that they did not hurt you?”
Alison smiled softly, reaching out and touching his arm. “I am sure. You came just in time. You… you saved me.”
“I’m fine too, ya know,” Tommy added from behind. “Not that you care none.”
To that, Alison laughed. She could not help it, but the emotions burst from her before she could stop them. She laughed and laughed and did not care. The danger was gone, she was safe again, and it was all thanks to Daniel. Her protector.
Chapter Eighteen
“Inever been on one before,” Tommy was explaining excitedly as he shoved eggs and sausages into his mouth. “Never thought I would do.”
“Never?” Alison said, laughing at the way he was eating. It was as if he had never seen food before, as if he worried it might be the last time that he did.
“Course not!” Tommy scowled. “When would I?”
Alison shrugged. “Knowing you, I thought you might have sneaked onto one. You do seem the type.”
He grinned. “Maybe this is the year. I’ve been good, after all. Bout time it pays off.”
It was the morning following the events at Alison’s manor, and she and Tommy were breaking their fast. Seeing how rattled theboy was, and feeling guilty for putting him in such a situation, she had suggested to Daniel that he stay the night.
Daniel had very nearly denied the request, until Alison pointed out that it was thanks to Tommy that Daniel was able to rescue her.
“He did come and find you, did he not?” she said rightly. “Without Tommy, who knows what might have happened?”
She regretted saying those words almost immediately, as Daniel had looked away in shame. The words were true, because indeed Tommy had raced to find Daniel. But that he had needed to at all, clearly upset Daniel beyond words.
He ended up agreeing to allow Tommy to stay the evening, and Alison had not seen him since.
Once he had taken her back to his manor, he made sure once again that she was not too shaken and then left them to visit the mayor and tell of what happened. He was furious that such an occurrence should be allowed to occur in the first place, and so close to his own estate, insisting that the mayor needed to be told so punishments could be doled out once the criminals were caught.
In truth, Alison had wondered if he would see her when he returned. In fact, she had hoped he would. She lay awake most of the night, listening for the sound of his return, her body shaking with nerves as she pictured him coming into her room and…
No. I should not have expected him to come. That he saved me was one thing. But to want more than that, I need to be realistic about what this is.
