Matthew wanted to sleep. He did not want to lie there alone in the darkness of his room, tense and miserable, dwelling on the chasm that had developed between him and Noah. Yet no matter how he turned and tossed, the peace and forgetfulness of rest would not come.
It was very late, nearly three in the morning, when he finally gave up the struggle. He found his rented quarters stifling and knew a need to get away from the confining closeness. Rising, he pulled on his clothing, took up his tricorn, and strode impatiently from the room.
The taproom below was empty, and only the soft glow of a single lamp lit Matt’s passage as he left behind the safety of the inn. Outside, the city seemed quiet, and the narrow, deeply shadowed streets were deserted. In the distance, a lone church bell hollowly rang out confirmation of the lateness of the hour.
Matt paused and drew a deep, invigorating breath of the fresh night air before starting off. He had no idea where he was bound. He only knew that he needed to walk to rid himself of the agitation that was disturbing him. Hands thrust deep in his pockets, dark head down, he strode briskly through the maze of winding thoroughfares, paying little attention to direction or purpose.
The scream, when it came, was blood-chilling. Matt stopped dead in his tracks, looking around himself with awareness for the first time since he’d left the inn. The deep, rumbling sound of drunken male voices came to him, and he glanced about trying to ascertain from which direction they’d come. Finally, pinning down the source of the ruckus, Matt sprinted quickly in that direction.
“Keep your hand over her mouth, Cecil, and hold her hands!” the red-coated soldier urged his companion as he lifted the woman’s skirts and tore at her underclothing. “The stupid wench probably woke the entire city!”
“Nobody’d care,” Cecil remarked with a sloppy grin as he pinned the struggling girl’s arms above her head with one hamlike hand and clamped the other more tightly over her mouth. “She’s only a damned colonial. Worst we’d get is a slap on the wrist, if anybody even found out. Now, hurry, Reggie! I been a long time without a woman, and this one looks real willing.” He glanced at the girl’s panic-stricken, pale features and laughed lasciviously.
The soft material of her undergarments ripped easily under Reggie’s avid pawing and he sought her femininity in a rough exploration. The girl started in complete surprise at the soldier’s brutal touch, and she tried to scream again, only to find the cry muffled behind the man’s suffocating hand. She squeezed her eyes shut against the sight of the lust on the two men’s faces and tried to kick out at the one who was savagely exploring her.
“Stupid wench!” Reggie snarled as he viciously slapped the soft flesh of her inner thigh. The shock of his blow stunned the young woman, and she went limp beneath him. “That’s better. Now, just lie still, and we’ll be done real fast now…”
“Come on, Reggie,” Cecil urged.
Reggie’s eyes glazed with desire as he ripped open the bodice of her gown. Excited to the edge by the sight of her naked bosom, he reached down to loosen his pants. He was alive with the need to take his ease in this woman’s body, and he was positioning himself between her thighs when the sound of a questioning call and heavy footsteps coming their way drew a raging curse from both men.
“Damn! I knew somebody heard her scream! Let’s get out of here!” Cecil was frightened.
“But what about her?” Reggie worried.
“What about her? She’s a no-good woman. If she wasn’t, she wouldn’t have been out on the streets at this time of night. She won’t tell… And besides, nothing happened! Let’s go!”
Still trying to fasten his breeches, Reggie got awkwardly to his feet and followed Cecil’s frantic flight from the scene, disappearing with his friend quickly into the darkness.
Matt could hear the drunks’ comments, and he had called out, hoping to frighten them as he’d hurried in the direction of the scream. Turning into an alley, Matt caught sight of two British soldiers racing into the night. He would have gone after them had he not seen the young woman lying lifelessly in the filth of the back street. He knew he should follow the soldiers, but the sight of the girl, her clothing torn, lying so still made his stomach lurch. She looked dead.
Matt knelt beside her and carefully lifted one delicate wrist, seeking a pulse. He was vastly relieved to discover that the woman was not dead, and he looked down at her for a moment, wondering if she’d just fainted or if the men had beaten her into unconsciousness. In the softness of the moonlight, Matt could see a dark bruise forming on her forehead, and he felt a surge of fury at the men who had so badly abused her. She was such a tiny thing, he realized as he held her small hand in his, and she looked so fragile… Matt hadn’t intended to stare at her, but his gaze drifted down her body, noting the smallness of her perfect breasts revealed beneath the torn bodice, and the sleekness of her bared legs.
Realizing what he was doing, Matt muttered a violent curse at his own depraved behavior and quickly stripped off his coat. As gently as he could, he wrapped his garment about her and then lifted her protectively into his arms. The girl groaned faintly as he stood and started back toward the inn, but other than that, she did not stir. He reached the Red Lion in short order and pounded on the door, rousing Waddington, the innkeeper, from a deep sleep.
“What is it?” the rotund old man complained as he stumbled through the semidarkness of the taproom in his nightgown, rubbing sleepily at his bleary eyes.
“Waddington! Open the door! I’ve an injured woman here!” Matt ordered in his most imperious tone, and he was rewarded to see the man snap to action.
“Lord Kincade!” Waddington stepped back, his mouth open in stunned surprise as the younger of the two English noblemen strode into the room carrying an unconscious woman.
“Yes, damn it! Now summon a doctor, and be fast about it!” he snapped, not hesitating on his way up the stairs. “Call the authorities, too! This woman’s been assaulted, and I want the men who did it arrested!”
“Yes, sir, my lord!” Waddington hopped to do his bidding as Matt hurried down the hall to his room.
With some difficulty, Matt finally managed to get the door to his room open, and then crossed the room to lay his lovely burden upon the softness of his bed. Matt carefully removed his coat from about her slim body and then covered her with a blanket to save her any embarrassment should she awaken. He lit his lamp and drew a chair up to the bedside to await the doctor’s arrival. It seemed an eternity before a knock came at his door.
“I’ve sent one of the kitchen boys for the doctor,” the innkeeper informed Matt when he answered.
“And the authorities?” Matt demanded sharply, blocking the innkeeper’s entrance into his room. For some reason, he felt the need to protect the woman from prying eyes.
“He’ll be getting them, too, on the way back,” the innkeeper assured him, trying to catch a glimpse of the female the nobleman had tucked into his bed. All he had seen when Matt had carried her through the dimly lighted taproom had been a tumble of raven hair. “What happened?”
“I had gone out for a walk…couldn’t sleep…and I heard her scream. There were two regulars…”
“Did you see them up close?” he asked with great interest.
“No, I only caught a glimpse of the backs of their uniforms as they ran off.” Matt glanced back toward the girl. “We’ll know more once she comes around. Send the doctor up as soon as he arrives.”
“Will you be needing anything else?”
“Bring some hot water and whatever else you think the physician will require,” he directed.
“I’ll be back.” Waddington tried to get one last look at the woman before scurrying away.
Matt returned to his seat beside the bed, taking the time now to study the woman he’d rescued. Her hair was a rich, lustrous ebony and it curled softly about her face and her exquisite features. Her nose was small, her mouth soft and inviting. He wondered what color her eyes were as he noted the long, dark lashes that fanned out across her pale cheeks. Only the ugly contusion on her forehead marred the perfection of her loveliness.
What circumstances had led her to be in such dire straits? What had she been doing out on the streets of Boston during the middle of the night? Was she a barmaid on her way home from work or a strumpet out looking for business? Matt found himself frowning as he considered both possibilities, and he took up her hand in his, finding with some satisfaction that it was soft and uncallused. Whatever she was, this woman was not a barmaid, for the hands of women employed in that line of work were invariably chapped and work-reddened. The possibility that she was a strumpet occurred to him again, and he dismissed it as ridiculous. Had she been plying her trade, she certainly wouldn’t have screamed at the soldier’s advances; more than likely she would have encouraged them. No, he decided. Her reasons for being out in the night alone were a mystery, and they would remain a mystery until she could explain herself.
Matt leaned forward, almost willing her to awaken, as he whispered in a husky voice, “Who are you?”
But there was no answer to his question as the beauty’s eyes remained closed and her hand remained unmoving in his. Without conscious thought, Matt lifted it to his lips and pressed a soft kiss in her palm.
“Whoever you are,” he swore quietly to himself, “you’re mine from now on, and I swear no one will ever hurt you again.”
He remained vigilant, not leaving her side until he heard the doctor and Waddington approaching. Then he rushed from the bedside to open the door. “She’s in here, Doctor.”
The physician, a short, balding man, bustled into the room. “I’m Dr. Spalding,” he introduced himself.
Matt again blocked the innkeeper’s entrance. “I’ll call you if we need you.”
Spalding was frowning as he looked from the young Englishman to the prone form of a girl. “What happened, young man?”
“She was attacked on the street by two British regulars. My arrival frightened the two men off. I don’t know how badly she’s injured. I brought her directly back here and then had Waddington send for you.”
“Has she regained consciousness at all?”
“No. She’s been like this since I found her.”
The doctor nodded as he approached the bed.
“Do you recognize her, Dr. Spalding?”
“No, can’t say as I do.” The doctor took her pulse and then examined her forehead. “I’ll need to do a more extensive examination, and I’d like you to step from the room, please.”
Matt hesitated, not wanting to leave her alone, but common sense won out. “I’ll be right out in the hall.”
“Fine.”
As Matt went outside, he found two serving girls coming down the hall with heated water and supplies for the physician, and he admitted them to the room.
Noah, roused by all the commotion, emerged from his room just as the servants headed back downstairs. “Matthew?” The graveness of the younger man’s expression troubled him.
Matt glanced up as Noah came to join him. “Noah…”
“What is it? What happened?” He looked worriedly toward the closed door to his room.
“After I left you earlier, I couldn’t sleep, so I went out for a walk.”
“Yes…so?” he prodded impatiently.
“There were two soldiers abusing a girl in one of the back alleys. I managed to frighten them off, but the girl was injured. I brought her back here and had Waddington summon the doctor. He’s with her now…” Matt glanced solemnly at the portal.
“How badly was she injured?” Noah wondered at Matt’s foolhardiness in charging into an unknown, dangerous situation unarmed, but he knew, as a gentleman of honor, he could have done no less. He was proud of him
“I don’t know. She’s unconscious. She has a bad bruise on her brow, and they’d…” Revulsion raged through him at the thought of the vile men tearing her clothing from her and assaulting her while she lay helpless beneath them. He said a silent prayer, hoping that he had arrived in time to save her virtue. Noah’s hand on his shoulder comforted him as he imagined her terror, and Matt knew a sudden, driving need to be back by her side.
“Lord Kincade?” Waddington called from the foot of the stairs.
Matt and Noah exchanged glances as they hurried to see what the innkeeper wanted. “Yes?”
“The constable has arrived…”
Matt nodded and went down to meet him. “I’m Lord Matthew Kincade.”
“Jeremy Roberts.” The constable, a tall, thin, harried-looking man, introduced himself. “Waddington here tells me that you had some trouble tonight?”
“I was out for a late walk and came across a young woman being assaulted by two British regulars. The soldiers fled, but not before they’d injured the girl. I brought her back here. She’s in my room, and the doctor is with her now.”
“I see. Would you be able to identify the soldiers were you to see them again?” he questioned.
“No,” he replied, his tone deadly. “The cowards ran when they heard me coming, and I only got a look at their backs.”
“I’m afraid there’s not much for me to do then, other than to notify the young woman’s family. Do you know her name?”
“She hasn’t regained consciousness yet. I’m sure when she does, she’ll be able to give you a full accounting of the incident.”
“I see,” Roberts nodded. “Then I shall check back with you first thing in the morning. Perhaps by then we’ll have more information to go on.”
“Indeed.”
After the constable had gone, Matt and Noah sat together in the empty taproom. Though Noah tried to initiate a conversation, Matt was too concerned about his mysterious lady’s condition to carry on a decent discussion. He responded in distracted, monosyllabic answers to all of his brother’s questions. Noah finally gave up the attempt, and they remained in silent vigil, awaiting the physician’s reappearance and his prognosis for the injured girl’s recovery.
It was a long while before the doctor appeared at the top of the staircase. “Lord Kincade?”
Both Matt and Noah came to their feet at the sound of his voice.
“Yes, Doctor? How is she?” Matt went hastily to meet him at the foot of the steps.
The physician’s mood was somber. “She still hasn’t recovered consciousness yet, I’m afraid, but her general health seems good enough.”
Matt breathed a deep sigh of relief. Her condition was not life-threatening.
“As you know, she’s had a bad bump on the head, and has a few other bruises from their obvious mistreatment of her, but she should be fine.”
Matt’s throat tightened as he forced himself to ask, “Did they…”
“No,” Spalding answered firmly.
“Thank God…I got there in time…” He spoke softly, his distress greatly eased by the doctor’s pronouncement.
“Indeed you did, and I’m sure the young lady will be very grateful to you for your rescue.” He clapped Matt on the back. “Her clothing was filthy and in shreds, so I took the liberty of doing away with it.”
“Yes, I know,” Matt ground out. “The damned savages…”
“She’s going to be just fine,” Dr. Spalding quietly assured him again, “and I’m sure Waddington can help find something suitable for her to wear. Perhaps one of his servants…?”
Matt nodded.
“Someone should stay with her through the night, just in case she should awaken and be frightened by her unfamiliar surroundings.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Matt declared quickly.
“I’m sure Waddington employs a female servant who could-”
“I said, I’ll sit with her,” he stated with regal authority. “I have no designs on her person. I only want to see that she makes a full recovery.”
“Well…” he hedged.
“It’s done. Say no more. How much do I owe you for your services?”
The doctor quoted a price.
“Does that include a return visit tomorrow to make sure she’s well?”
“Of course, my lord. I’ll check back with you shortly before noon, if that suits you.”
“It does.” Matt was firm. “You’ll be compensated for your help tomorrow when I’m certain she’s recovering. Until then, Doctor, good night.”
Noah listened to the conversation with nothing short of amazement. This was his little brother issuing orders as if he were born to it? The thought amused him. Matt had indeed grown up.
“You handled that very well, Matt, but are you certain you want to sit up the night with the girl? Surely there’s a serving wench qualified-”
“No. This is something I’ve got to do myself,” Matt told him seriously as he headed upstairs.
“Shall I sit with you?” Noah asked as they came to Matt’s room.
“There’s really no need for the both of us to lose a night’s sleep. You can go to bed, and if there’s been no change by midmorning, you can relieve me then,” he responded. Matt led the way into the room and they found the lovely girl lying unmoving on the vast white expanse of his bed, the blankets discreetly covering her.
“She’s beautiful, Matt…” Noah was surprised. He had not expected a woman rescued from the streets to be so comely.
“I know.” Matt glanced up at Noah quickly, his troubled gaze showing how deeply he’d been affected by the unknown woman’s plight. There was a long pause before he added, “You may as well go on back to bed. I’ll be right here for the rest of the night.”
“All right. If you need anything…”
“I’ll be fine,” he insisted. “I just hope she is.”
Matt turned his attention back to the young woman as Noah let himself from the room.
The late-night hours passed. The black velvet canopy of night lightened to deep purple and then to red-streaked gold as the sun struggled to reclaim the land. Matt grew increasingly restless and worried as he sat beside the bed wondering why she hadn’t come around yet. Had the doctor been wrong? Was there some injury he’d missed? Finally, unable to sit in silent restraint any longer, he stood up and moved to stare out the window.
Within the confines of the room at the inn, Faith Hammond stirred and opened her eyes. Everything was blurred for a moment, and she blinked in tired confusion as her surroundings slowly came into focus. It came as quite a jolt to find that she was in a strange room, and with that revelation came the terrible remembrance of the two soldiers and their assault. Terror seized her and she looked quickly about, spotting for the first time the tall, dark-haired man standing at the window, his back to her.
Horror-filled, Faith wondered what to do. If she remained quiet, she knew she might be able to effect an escape later if he left her alone in the room, but the memory of the attack drove her to try to flee now. She started to slip from the bed in the hope of making a dash for the door when she discovered her state of dishabille. What had they done to her? And where were her clothes? Desperate and more frightened than ever, Faith clutched the blanket to her and tried to get to her feet. Waves of dizziness washed through her and she couldn’t stifle a moan of pure agony as she swayed unsteadily, one hand going to her throbbing brow.
Matt heard her groan and turned. The sight of her out of bed and standing truly surprised him. “Please…” Seeing her very real physical distress, Matt spoke quickly and took a step toward her. “You must lie down.”
His gaze met hers across the width of the room, and he stopped. There, in the turquoise depths of her eyes, was all the fear and loathing she was experiencing, and it was directed at him. The thought that she believed him to be one of her attackers hurt, and he tried to explain, moving toward her again with his arms spread wide in protestation of his innocence. But the girl only backed toward the door as he came in her direction, her eyes rounding in terror.
“Wait…please… My name is Matthew Kincade. You’re safe…” He crossed the distance between them slowly, hoping to keep her from panicking, but it didn’t work.
Her head spinning, her nerves taut, Faith spun on her heel and raced as quickly as her unsteady legs would carry her to the door. She was fleeing for her very life, and she knew she had to get away. The blanket seemed her enemy as she made her attempt, tangling between her legs and causing her to stumble. The missed step gave Matt the time he needed to reach her.
“No!” Matt hadn’t meant to speak so forcefully, but he knew he had to stop her from dashing out into the hall with only the blanket for protection. The fact that she tripped aided him in his efforts, and he quickly ensnared her in his grip. The moment he held her, he knew he’d made a big mistake.
The horror of the dark, dank alley and the grossness of the attempted rape assailed Faith then, and she began to cry, desperately beating at Matt with her fists and trying to strike him wherever she could land a blow.
Matt knew a moment of total disconcertion. He knew she was hysterical and that he should calm her, but he had no idea how to go about it.
“Miss…please…” he tried to explain in a soothing tone, but his efforts were fruitless in the face of her very real fears. “You’re safe from the soldiers… Please…” When at last he managed to trap both of her fists in his, he pinioned her to his chest, holding her with quiet, steady force, until she ceased fighting him.
“Don’t hurt me anymore… Please, don’t hurt me.” Sobs wracked Faith as she stood weakly in his restrictive embrace. She knew it was useless. Her struggles seemed so feeble against this man’s overpowering strength. Perhaps, she reasoned wildly, if she submitted quietly and stopped trying to escape, he would at least let her go when he had finished with her…
Her plea pierced Matt’s very soul, and he loosened his grip, lifting one hand to cup her cheek and tilt her face to his. “I have no intention of hurting you, little one.”
A spark of sanity penetrated Faith’s embattled senses. The man was talking to her, not attacking her. He was holding her loosely, not beating her or hitting her, and he had the clearest blue eyes. She stared up at him for a long, motionless moment… And his face…had he been one of her attackers? Certainly his accent was English, but she didn’t remember him as one of those who had loomed above her in the frightening darkness of the alley.
“Who are you?” she asked tremulously, her limbs quaking from the exertion of her struggle.
“My name is Matthew Kincade.” Matt couldn’t tear his gaze away from hers, the turbulent depths of her aquamarine eyes mesmerizing him. “Are you all right?”
“I…I…” Weakness washed through her and her legs suddenly folded beneath her.
As she sagged against him, Matt scooped her up in the warm strength of his arms. He placed her gently back on the bed, tucking the blankets around her.
“Should I send for the doctor again?” he asked worriedly as he studied her pale, pinched features.
“No…yes…I need to get help…I need…”
“Shh…” he hushed her, sitting down beside her.
“No! I can’t be quiet. I need the doctor…my mother…”
Though the desperation in her voice was very real, Matt sensed this time that her upset had nothing to do with him. Holding her hand, he questioned, “Take it easy now and tell me everything. Who are you?”
Faith felt a bit of strength return as she lay quietly. “My name is Faith Hammond,” she told him tonelessly, wondering how she’d come to be in this man’s room. “How did I get here…in this room with you? The last thing I remember…” She trembled at the devastating memory of the two drunken soldiers, and the way they’d chased her and dragged her into the dark alley.
“Don’t think about it,” Matt commanded, his hold on her hand tightening unconsciously as he imagined all she’d been through.
As Faith looked up at him, an unidentified depth of emotion flickered in his eyes before he quickly shuttered his expression.
“It’s over and you’re safe, Faith,” he was saying. It was the first time Matt had spoken her name aloud, and he liked the soft and feminine sound of it.
Faith gave a curt nod, wondering suddenly just how safe she was, lying unclothed in a bed with him sitting so casually beside her. He was so strong and handsome. Her heart gave an odd jump as she looked at him calmly for the first time.
“The soldiers got away,” Matt said, knowing the questions she wanted answered, “but I interrupted them before they could harm you seriously, and that’s all that really matters.”
A flush stained her cheeks as she wondered if they’d had their way with her. Certainly she was sore all over…
Matt read her thoughts, and his gaze was warm, steady as he met her eyes. “No, Faith, they didn’t have time. I got there before they could…”
The tears came then, and she made no effort to hide them from him. “Thank you,” she murmured shakily.
His protective instincts aroused, Matt wanted to take her into his arms and comfort her, but he held himself in restraint, believing that any such move by himself would only traumatize her further. He forced the desire to hold her from him with some difficulty.
“You’re welcome,” he answered more stiffly than he’d intended. “We’re in my room at the Red Lion Inn. The doctor has already been here to check on you, but he’ll be back again later. I spoke with the constable, too, and he’ll be returning to speak with you sometime this morning also. Is there someone I should notify? Parents?” He started to ask if she had a husband, but stopped. He didn’t want to consider the chance that she could be married.
“Just my mother.” Her eyes appeared enormous in her pale face as she explained. “She was the reason why I was out so late last night… She’s ill…running a terribly high fever, and I was going for a doctor when the soldiers cornered me…”
Matt released her hand as he got quickly to his feet. “Where do you live? I’ll arrange for the doctor to attend her right away.”
Faith gave him the directions, and Matt strode to the door. “Stay in bed and rest,” he instructed. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can.”
Faith lay quietly, staring at the door he’d closed behind him. Who was this man? She knew only his name and nothing more. Matthew Kincade…She said it softly to herself, thinking that the name suited him quite well. It was so masculine…so vital…
Faith closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. She didn’t know why, but here with Matthew Kincade she felt safe and protected. There was something about the tall, attractive stranger that had won her trust. Matthew had rescued her; he had treated her with the utmost respect and consideration. He had been wonderful, and she wished…
Her eyes flew open as she blocked the last thought that had entered her mind, and she silently berated herself for her childish musings. It would not do to daydream about some strong, handsome man rescuing her from danger, falling in love with her, and taking her away from all her troubles. Faith had learned long ago that life was not like that.
Still, she couldn’t deny that Matthew was handsome. His dark good looks and piercing blue eyes were almost breathtaking in their potency. Nor could she deny that he had saved her from a terrible fate, but, she told herself rigidly, he was not for her. He was simply a stranger who had not turned his back on her plight. He was being kind. That was all.
Faith knew she had been exceedingly foolish to allow herself to even imagine that there could be anything more. She was poor, while Matthew, obviously, was rich. How else could he afford to stay at this fine inn? No, she decided. She would leave here just as soon as she could, and when she did, her association with Matthew Kincade would be at an end. The thought distressed her, but she accepted it resignedly. A great weariness stole over her again, and she took a deep breath as she settled back against the pillows and closed her eyes.
When Matt returned to the room long minutes later, he found Faith seemingly asleep, and he entered quietly lest he disturb her rest. If anything, he knew she needed sleep most of all, for it would ease the sharpness of her dreaded memories and soften the impact of all that had happened.
Though his tread was soundless as he moved into the room, Faith seemed to instinctively sense that he’d returned. Her gaze followed him, her smile soft as she greeted him.
“You’re back…”
Matt was a bit startled to find that she was awake, and he smiled brightly in response. “Yes. The doctor is being summoned and will be on his way to your home with all due dispatch.”
Faith hadn’t believed before that moment that it was possible, but when Matt smiled, he appeared even more handsome. His infectious grin added warmth to his already classic features.
“Thank you.” Her heart was pounding as she watched him. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you…”
“There’s no need to even consider repayment,” he insisted. “I don’t want you to give it another thought. My reward is seeing you well again.”
“I’m feeling much better now,” Faith told him.
“Good. Waddington managed to come up with these garments. I hope you’ll find them suitable.” He spread out an assortment of feminine attire on the bed next to her. Though clean, the quality of the servant’s clothing had been less than he’d hoped to find for Faith, but at this hour of the morning he’d had to settle for what was available. He’d paid the price quoted without dickering.
“But where are my things?” She was embarrassed to think that he had seen her unclothed, but there was no telltale flicker of acknowledgment in his expression.
“The soldiers had torn them beyond repair and the doctor decided it would be best just to discard them.”
“Oh.” Faith mourned the loss of one of her two better day gowns, for her wardrobe was meager.
Matt wondered at the sadness that had been reflected in her face for just the briefest of instants, but before he could inquire, someone knocked at the door.
“G’morning, Lord Kincade.” Mary, a plump, buxom serving wench, bustled into the room carrying a tray heavily laden with steaming food as soon as he opened the door. Beatrice, a skinny girl with a beaklike nose and squinty eyes, trailed behind her toting a small table.
Faith blinked at the maid’s greeting. “Lord” Kincade? Had the girl greeted Matthew as “Lord”?
“Thank you,” Matthew was saying politely as the two servants set the table for them.
“You’re welcome, m’lord,” they both cooed. They thought Matthew Kincade irresistible and wished that the handsome nobleman would take notice of them. They had heard talk in the kitchen of the girl’s misfortune and subsequent rescue by him and thought her a most lucky woman. Oh! To be saved by Lord Kincade! How romantic!
Matt, however, was unaware of their interest as he directed, “Miss Hammond needs your help to dress before we breakfast. I’ll wait outside while you assist her.”
Before Faith could say anything, Matt had gone from the room, leaving the two maids to attend her. Maids? she thought quizzically. She had dressed herself for her entire life, and yet Matt had assumed that she would need help.
“Is something wrong, ma’am?” Mary asked as she sorted through the garments.
“Did you call him ‘Lord Kincade’?”
“Yes, ma’am. He and his brother are newly arrived from England this week,” Mary told her, surprised that she didn’t know he was an aristocrat. “Didn’t he tell you?”
“No. I had no idea that he was a nobleman.” Faith was astounded.
“Yes, ma’am,” Beatrice said, “and he’s such a fine good-looker, too.”
“That he is,” Mary agreed quickly, glancing toward the door. “Come now. Let us help you with these clothes. We don’t want to keep him waiting long.”
For the first time in her life, Faith allowed herself the luxury of attendants, but only because it would hasten her exit. She had to leave…had to get away. Lord Matthew Kincade was too dangerous for her peace of mind. Besides, she knew how little the aristocrats thought of colonials. Hadn’t she heard the soldiers’ mocking, degrading statements? She stood quietly as they helped her into the garments and then brushed out her long, dark hair. Though the dress and underthings were made for another, they fit reasonably well. Faith was feeling much more herself when she finally stood before them fully clothed.
“Now you look fine for His Lordship,” Mary remarked, taking care to hide her envy. “We’ll be going now.”
The words screamed inside her as they hurried from the room. You look fine for His Lordship. Lord Matthew Kincade was the stuff of which fantasies were made, and she could not allow herself that dream. There was no point in remaining. She was fully recovered, except for a few bruises and aches, and her mother needed her. Self-preservation dictated that she go, now. She would not share the meal with him. She would not stay with him a moment longer.
The maids admitted Matthew on their way out and he thanked them warmly for their help before facing Faith.
“You look lovely,” Matt complimented as he stood before her, his eyes glowing as his gaze skimmed over her. She was beautiful, despite the secondhand clothes. Her hair was glorious, tumbling unconfined down her back in shining splendor. Though the bruise on her forehead was more pronounced, the healthy rosy color in her cheeks seemed to assert that she was feeling better, and he felt a quickening deep within the heart of him. She was going to be fine. Without thought, guided only by his feelings, Matt bent toward her then, his lips brushing ever so lightly against hers.
It was a soft kiss, a gentle exchange, nothing like the disgusting advances of the soldiers. It sent a thrill of physical awareness through Faith unlike anything she’d ever felt before and made her all the more determined to flee. Breaking the contact, she darted toward the door, throwing it wide in her need to escape.
“Faith…” Matt was caught off guard by her action. Only when his startled eyes met hers and witnessed the wariness there did he think he understood his mistake. He shouldn’t have touched her…shouldn’t have taken advantage of her trust. She had been so abused, and he had frightened her away. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…please stay…”
“No…I can’t…” Faith had to get away from his overwhelming presence. The kiss had only emphasized the need. She was vulnerable, her defenses were down, and he was perfect, everything she’d ever wanted in a man, but he was beyond her reach. “I have to go…”
With that she disappeared into the hall, dashing for the stairs. Matt stood perfectly still, stunned by all that had happened. She was gone. He hesitated only an instant before running after her, but as he started from the room, he ran headlong into Noah. The jolt of the impact jarred them both.
“Matt? What the hell…?” Noah grasped him by the shoulders to steady them both.
“It’s Faith…”
“Faith?” he frowned.
“The girl. She just ran out, and I was trying to catch up to her.” Matt shifted free of Noah’s grip and hurried to the top of the staircase, only to find to his dismay that she’d already gone from sight.
“What happened?” Noah asked as he came up behind him.
Matt did not want to answer, for he believed that the blunder he’d made in kissing her had frightened her away, and he felt more than a little ashamed.
“Nothing,” he answered curtly.
“Nothing? Then why were you chasing her down the hall?”
“I wasn’t chasing her down the hall,” he denied. “I just didn’t think she should be up and about yet, that’s all.”
“Oh.” Noah knew that there was more to the moment than his brother was ready to confess, but he let it drop. “Join me for breakfast, then?”
Matt wanted to race after her. He knew her address. He knew he could hire a conveyance and reach her home before she did, but he did not. He was certain that he was the last person in the world she would want to see.
“I’ve got a better idea,” Matt remarked. “Why don’t you join me?” And he led the way back to his room.