The Heiress - Lynsay Sands [35]
“Where to, my lord?” his driver called out suddenly, apparently stirred awake by the violent movement of the carriage.
“Brilliant,” Daniel muttered. The man apparently hadn’t awakened to any of the earlier movements of the carriage, but chose now to rouse from his slumber. Exactly when Daniel would have preferred he remain asleep.
“Aren’t you going to tell him?” Suzette asked, trying to raise her head.
“Tell him what?” Daniel asked, tightening his hold to keep her from being able to look around.
“To head for Gretna Green.” Suzette’s answer came muffled by his chest.
Daniel glanced down at her sharply, but the hold he had on her allowed him to see only the top of her head.
“Is that not what you planned when you hustled me into the carriage?” she asked when he didn’t immediately answer.
Daniel closed his eyes on a sigh as he recalled her happy, “There is nothing to be sorry for, my lord. I too am eager and can’t wait,” as she’d peppered his face with kisses. She’d thought he was rushing them off to Gretna, he realized and muttered another, “Brilliant.”
“Daniel?” Suzette asked, trying to raise her head again and this time nearly managing it.
“My lord?” his driver asked at almost the same moment.
Growling under his breath, Daniel turned to the door. He risked removing the hand from her back and quickly worked the handle to open the door, he then pressed her head close to his chest again and leapt out of the carriage with her clinging to him like a monkey on a tree. By some grace of God he managed to get them out without banging either her head or legs on the way. Daniel then moved his hand from her head to her back to press her chest tightly against his to hide her bare breasts and started for the house at a quick clip.
Much to Daniel’s relief the earlier carriage had passed and there didn’t appear to be any others on the road. There was nothing he could do about the driver, however . . . except perhaps increase his wages to encourage him to keep his trap shut, he thought on a sigh.
“What are we doing?” Suzette asked uncertainly, lifting her head to peer around as he strode up the walk to the house.
Daniel didn’t answer at once. He simply continued to walk, his jaw tight.
The door still stood open from when Suzette had come out after him earlier, and he strode inside with her and then continued on into the nearest room, a parlor. Pausing just outside the patch of light cast through the door from the candles in the hall, he set Suzette on her feet, and then quickly began to straighten her gown.
“Daniel?” she asked uncertainly, not helping him, merely standing still and peering at him with wide uncertain eyes as he slid her arms into her gown and pulled it up into place to cover her breasts.
“We aren’t going to Gretna Green tonight,” he said quietly.
“Why not? I thought—”
He interrupted her by asking abruptly, “What if we found another way to pay off your father’s debts?”
Suzette blinked in surprise at the question and then shrugged. “Then I wouldn’t marry and Lisa and I would return to the country.”
Daniel frowned. “Surely you wouldn’t return to the country? You shall have to marry someday and should have your season. I thought all young women dream of their season.”
Suzette sighed, but admitted, “I suppose I used to, but after seeing and hearing how Dicky treats Christiana, I’m not as eager to marry. If I didn’t have to claim my dower to avoid this scandal, I think I’d just never marry.”
“Not every man is like Dicky,” Daniel argued at once.
“Even Dicky was not like Dicky