Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

P ercy raced through the dark of evening as fast as he could ride toward the Gillett townhouse. He prayed that he would arrive before Herbert Mowbray convinced Madeleine to run away with him to Gretna Green. He prayed to God and all the saints that he had not lost her forever.

When he arrived at the townhouse, Cecil met him in the foyer. “What are you doing here?”

“I need to speak with Madeleine.”

Cecil shook his head. “Haven’t you done enough harm?”

“Please, Cecil. I must speak with her. Her life and reputation are in danger.”

“What do you mean?” Cecil demanded to know, fear entering his eyes.

“Laura Knight killed Francis. It was not a curse. Now, she has every intention of harming Madeleine. She has sent Herbert Mowbray to take Madeleine away to Gretna Green.”

Cecil’s brows shot up into his hair. “Scotland? My sister would never do such a thing.”

“She would if she thought that she was saving you and your family from a worse scandal.”

“What did you do?” Cecil’s jaw tightened in anger, his eyes shooting glares of accusation at Percy. He took a threatening step forward.

Percy raised his hand to signal a halt. “I did not dishonor her, but there is a witness to more than there should have been passing between us.”

Cecil’s fist shot out, and Percy just managed to dodge it. “How could you? She is my sister!”

“I love her, Cecil,” Percy admitted, his heart aching with the intensity of his feelings. “I love her more than life itself.”

Cecil snorted in disbelief. “Then you should have left her alone. It is you and you alone who have placed her in danger.”

Percy knew that he was right, but it was an irrelevant point. “We do not have time for this. She could already be gone.”

Cecil turned to Mr. Greeves. “Find Lady Madeleine and bring her to me with all haste.”

“Yes, My Lord.” Mr. Greeves bowed then went in search of Madeleine. He returned shortly with a concerned look on his face. “I cannot find Lady Madeleine, My Lord. She was last seen in the garden, but she is not there now.”

“They are already gone,” Percy breathed the thing that his heart feared the most. “She cannot be lost to me. Not now that I know the truth. Not now that I know that I am not cursed.”

“Perhaps we can still catch them. Perhaps it is not too late.” Cecil grabbed Percy’s arm firmly. “We will ride for Scotland and hopefully intercept them on the road.” Cecil turned to Mr. Greeves. “Speak of this to no one.”

“My Lord.” Mr. Greeves nodded. “You have my silence. Bring our lady back home to us safely.”

“We will, Mr. Greeves. Thank you.”

“Is there anything that I can do?”

“Pray,” Cecil answered then he and Percy ran out of the door and leapt onto the back of the two nearest horses. They might have to explain why Cecil had taken a horse that was not his own, but they would come up with something upon their return.

They rode through London and out onto the main road leading north. They rode hard, not sparing the horses and hoping against hope that they could gain on Mowbray and Madeleine’s progress. When the horses were tired, they stopped at an inn to trade them for new ones. Percy paid the innkeeper well to tend to the horses for the hard work that they had done, but he and Cecil did not pause for rest.

They continued on, changing out horses as needed but without stopping. The ride to Gretna Green seemed interminable. All of Percy’s worst fears ran through his mind, over and over again. The thought of Mowbray’s hands on Madeleine’s body made him feel ill. His heart raced making it feel as if it might explode. I will not lose her now!

Madeleine and Mowbray rode through the night. Madeleine’s heart and thoughts were racing. She could not believe that she was speeding towards the very thing that she had spent so much time and energy trying to avoid and with the person that she had fought against the most. The carriage bumped along the road, jostling Madeleine from one side of the carriage seat to the other. Mowbray sat across from her, using his feet against the opposite side to brace himself.

“It might have been better to ride horses,” Madeleine remarked as she once again bounced off of the side of the carriage.

“I was not certain that a lady of your quality could withstand such a ride on horseback.” He took a drink from the flask that he kept in his inside breast pocket. The carriage hit yet another bump, sending the brandy within splashing out onto his shirt and breeches.

Madeleine shot him a reproving look. “I am an accomplished rider.”

Herbert shrugged, brushing the brandy from his clothes. “I did not know of your abilities, and we needed to arrive at Gretna Green with all haste. Even if I had known, we did not have time to change out horses. We cannot stop for sleep or slow our progress. We must make haste. You can sleep in a carriage. You cannot sleep on horseback.”

Madeleine snorted in disagreement. “No one can sleep in this carriage. Not that I could have slept to begin with.” Everything within her being was telling her that this was going to be the greatest mistake of her life, but Laura Knight had not given her any other choice. “What kind of a person threatens to ruin another person and their entire family?” Madeleine had not intended to ask the question aloud, but it had slipped out.

“Lady Laura is not a kind person. I was given the distinct impression that if you did not follow through with marrying me, she meant you grave harm. I was not at all convinced that she would have stopped at simply ruining your reputation. There was something in her eyes that I found to be most unnerving.”

A chill ran down Madeleine’s spine, but she shook it off. “How so?” she asked, desiring clarification. “Should I fear for my family’s wellbeing past their reputations?”

Herbert shook his head in uncertainty, sighing. He rubbed his face, the stress of what they were doing lining his forehead with worry. “She had this look about her. It reminded me of looking into the eyes of a predator. It was not a look that I am accustomed to seeing in the eyes of a young lady of her breeding. As long as we do what she asks, all should be well, but I pray that we never encounter her again after this is over.”

Madeleine frowned. She thought back to all of the times that she and Laura had conversed. She had seemed like a perfectly normal young noble woman with the exception of her disappearing every time that they had spoken without bothering to say a proper farewell. It had been the only peculiarity that Madeleine had noticed, but they had not spent very much time together.

She shook her head in confusion. “I have done nothing to deserve her ire.”

Herbert raised an eyebrow in censure. “I believe it had more to do with the Duke of Greyhall than it did with you personally. She seemed to believe that there was a romantic understanding between them. You were simply in the way.”

“A romantic understanding between Percival Hardy and Laura Knight? That cannot be so.” Madeleine shook her head in denial. Percy had not seemed fond of Lady Laura at all the few times that they had spoken of her together.

Herbert shrugged. “She seemed to believe that she was to be the next Duchess of Greyhall.”

Madeleine frowned in disagreement. “That does not make any sense. The Duke was leaving England for the continent.”

Mowbray shrugged his shoulders again. “A honeymoon, perhaps,” he offered by means of explanation.

She shook her head emphatically. “I do not believe it.”

Herbert sighed. She was not sure if it was in exasperation with her or if he was simply too tired to deal with anything anymore. “The Duke of Greyhall used you badly, my dear. It is time that you accepted that and the situation as it is. If you had not allowed the Duke liberties with your person, you would not be in need of my aid now. You and your family would not be at risk had you simply refused his attentions upon your person.”

Madeleine wanted to slap him across the face for his seemingly smug tone, but his honest attempt to save her from ruin stayed her hand. “As I explained before, I did not allow the Duke of Greyhall to deflower me.”

Mowbray gave her a doubtful look. No matter how many times that she told him, he did not believe her. It did not make any difference to her situation whether he believed her. Whatever Laura had seen, whether it was Percy’s head or his hand up her dress, it was enough to ruin them all. Mowbray was her only salvation.

Another bump threw her so hard against the side of the carriage that it made her teeth rattle. A sickening cracking sound filled the air, and the carriage jerked harshly, then came to a complete stop. It tottered for a moment then landed hard on the road. The lantern that had been providing them with some light sputtered out, plunging the carriage into complete darkness.

“Are you injured?” Mowbray asked. It was difficult to see anything inside the darkened carriage.

“No.” Madeleine was sore but not actually injured. “You?”

“I am fine,” he reassured her then poked his outside of the carriage window. “Driver,” Mowbray called up for an explanation. “What has happened?”

“The wheel is broken, My Lord,” the driver called back in answer.

“Can you mend it?”

“Not in a timely manner, My Lord.”

Mowbray looked at Madeleine, sighed, then stepped out of the carriage onto the road. “Remain here. I will return,” he instructed, his tone firm. He disappeared from her view, and she could hear him conversing with the driver but could not make out the words that they spoke.

When he returned, he stood in the open doorway, his form outlined by the moon, the carriage shadowing his face. “The driver is unable to fix the wheel in time for us to make it to Gretna Green before the light of dawn crests the horizon. Our only recourse is to take the horses and continue on horseback to the nearest inn.”

“As I said before, I can ride,” she reassured him.

“We do not have saddles,” he pointed out, his tone held great doubt in her ability to do what was needed.

He had a point in that the dress that Madeleine was wearing was not at all suited to riding bareback. As accomplished a rider as she was, she had no notion as to how she was going to manage it. For her family’s sake, she knew she would have to find a way. “Do you have any clothes with you?”

“I packed a valise. Why?” His tone held confusion.

Madeleine nodded, pleased with his answer. “I am going to need to borrow your clothes.”

“You intend to wear men’s breeches?” His voice clearly stated his shock and disapproval.

“I do,” Madeleine answered in the affirmative. “I cannot ride without a saddle in this dress. There is no other option.”

She saw the darkened outline of his head move back and forth in rejection of her idea. “I cannot allow you to bring further detriment to your reputation and your dignity.”

Sighing, Madeleine attempted to be patient with him. “If I do not do this, my family’s reputation will be destroyed. Wearing men’s breeches will not rob me of my dignity.”

“I must protest.” His voice held doubt, but she could tell by his tone that he was wavering in his refusal.

She gritted her teeth in determination. She could not believe that she found herself in the position that she was in, but once she had set out on a course to save her family, nothing and no one would stop her. “Your protest has been noted, but it is of little import given our situation. If you would be so kind as to bring me your valise, I will change clothes within the privacy of the carriage.”

Mowbray sighed in disapproval but did as she asked. He recovered his valise from the wreckage, handing it to her through the carriage window. “I do not approve of this, Lady Madeleine.”

“I suspect that there will be a great many things about me of which you will not approve in the years to come,” she retorted with almost equal amounts of irritation and amusement. She almost felt sorry for him. It was clear that he had no idea what he was getting himself into in choosing to marry her. A docile lady she was not. “It is best that you know now the woman to whom you will be married. Are you certain that you wish to wed me in order to save my family?”

“I have great respect for your father. I would never wish to see his destruction. I have even greater affection for you and would not wish you to be brought to ruin, even if I do find your behavior at times to be foolish. It does not change how I feel about you. For better or for worse, my heart is yours.”

Madeleine felt pity for him. To love someone and not have that love returned was an emotional state with which she was all too familiar. She would not wish such pain on her worst enemy. In spite of her sympathy for him, she needed to make their relationship clear to him. “As flattering as your confession of affection is, you do understand that this is a marriage in name only. I do not love you, nor shall I ever. Of this, you should be absolutely clear.”

“I know,” he admitted, “but it is my hope that someday you will feel differently.” Not wishing to continue with the topic conversation, he moved away from the carriage door to give her some privacy.

As she changed her clothes, Madeleine could hear the driver unharnessing the team of horses. She had never ridden without a saddle before. It was not allowed for young ladies of her rank and family. This was going to be an uncomfortable ride. She prayed that she would be able to stay mounted long enough to get to Gretna Green. For all of her bluster, she was actually quite frightened.

I do not care what other people think of me, but I cannot allow my family to be destroyed because of my actions. That being said, I would not change the time that I had with Percy for anything. If all I ever have are the memories of his hands and mouth upon me, if that is all that will ever remain of us, then I cannot regret it.

She felt guilty for her selfish thoughts, but she could not help herself. Percy had become a part of her. He had changed her. Affected her in ways that she never knew were possible. He had awakened her to passion. He had lit a light in her that would never be extinguished, even if she never felt his hands upon her body again.

The thought of it made marrying a man so ill-suited to her, such as Herbert Mowbray, even more difficult. He would never be able to bring out the things in her that Percy had. She was certain that somewhere out there was a woman for Mowbray, but Madeleine knew, without a doubt, that it was not she. She felt a moment of pity for him that he would never get to experience the kind of passion that she had felt with Percy. Instead, he would be wed to a woman that would never be able to love him.

She changed her clothes in the dark, shoved her dress inside Mowbray’s valise, then stepped out of the carriage onto the road. She was sure that she made quite the sight, a woman of her form and figure in oversized men’s clothing. Her hair was still done up in the intricate Grecian style that Lucy had created with silver ribbon vines running through it.

Mowbray looked at her in the moon’s dim light and frowned. “It is not respectable.” His tone held reproach.

Madeleine stood her ground, her shoulders held back steady and firm. “It will have to do.”

The driver approached them with two horses. “There is an inn along this road, My Lord. If you continue on without deviating from the road, you should reach it in a brief time. They will be able to provide you with what you need.”

Mowbray nodded. “I will have them send someone to help you with the carriage.”

The driver bobbed his head in respect. “As you say, My Lord. Thank you, My Lord. Are you certain that the Lady should be traveling with you in such a manner?” The driver sounded concerned more than passing any form of judgement. “There can be brigands on the road.”

“We have no other choice,” Madeleine answered for herself. “The Lady will be fine.”

“As you say, Madam.” The driver bobbed his head once more then turned the horses so that she could get mounted.

Mowbray helped Madeleine get onto the back of one of the horses. She did not even attempt to ride in a more ladylike fashion and simply swung her leg over to ride astride. Mowbray frowned but said nothing further on the matter. The driver helped Mowbray to mount his own horse, and then they were off. Riding without a saddle was as different an experience as Madeleine had suspected it would be, but her prior years of training served her well, and she managed to keep her seat on the horse. They rode in silence, as fast as they were able, each with their own thoughts.

When they arrived at the inn, thankfully in one piece, Mowbray went to speak with the stablemaster.

“Stay here. Do not let anyone see you. We do not need more scandal,” Mowbray instructed firmly before disappearing into the stables.

Madeleine tried to do as he said and stay out of the sight of gawking eyes. A woman in men’s clothing would draw a lot of unwanted attention. She pressed herself into the shadows along the farthest wall of the stables and stood waiting in the dark for Mowbray to return. At one point, a man walked past her hiding place toward the privy, but much to Madeleine’s relief, he did not see her.

When Mowbray finally reemerged, he had two fresh horses with saddles and some food. “Here, eat. You need to keep your strength. It was the best that the innkeeper could manage under such short notice.”

Madeleine took the bread and cheese from him. “It will do.” She did not feel like eating, so she stuck the food in a bag that was hanging from her horse’s saddle.

“Did anyone see you?” he asked, looking around them to make certain that no one was watching them.

Madeleine shook her head. “No, I did as you said and hid in the shadows.”

“Good,” Mowbray nodded in approval then assisted her into the saddle of her new equine companion. He then mounted his own horse. “Ready?” he asked, his brows arched in question.

Madeleine nodded. “As ready as I will ever be,” she replied, settling herself into the saddle.

“Then let us quickly away from this place.” Mowbray urged his horse into motion, and they took off riding once more, Mowbray riding ahead of Madeleine for the sake of safety.

They hit the road at a fast pace and did not slow down for a good long clip. The closer they came to Gretna Green, the more that Madeleine’s heart broke. With every step of her horse’s hooves, she felt another piece of her spirit shrivel and die. Her entire being longed for Percy, but she would never have him. She would never know the feel of him, the taste of his kiss on her lips again. Under the privacy of darkness, she finally allowed the tears to come. They flowed down her cheeks and neck in rivulets, soaking into her clothes.

Percy… her heart whispered his name as if in prayer. I love you.