A Daring Passion

No. She had saved her father from the gallows. She had ridden through the dark roads as the Knave of Knightsbridge without a qualm.

She was a woman who was perfectly capable of saving herself.

Of course, saving herself would be considerably easier if her head was not pounding and her stomach threatening an open revolt, she acknowledged wryly.

With a tentative motion she struggled to sit upright, clutching the ragged blanket that had been draped over her as if it might ease the shivers racking her body.

It was not a great feat, but she felt decidedly drained as her head fell on the back cushion of the sofa. So drained she could not even muster the appropriate fear when Seurat abruptly entered the room from the side chamber.

Perhaps it was because he appeared so remarkably harmless. On this morning his thin body was covered by a shabby gray coat and loose breeches. Without the hat and muffler she could see his face was painfully thin with a scar that marred one cheek and a thinning thatch of gray hair. His nose was long, his lips thin and his jaw a weak line.

There was something very ferretlike about the countenance, and a disturbing glitter in the pale eyes. But astonishingly, Raine realized there was also something rather pathetic. As if he were shrouded in a darkness that imprisoned him.

“So you are awake,” he muttered as he crossed to stand directly before her. He shoved out a hand holding a teacup. “Drink this.”

Pain or no pain, Raine managed to sink back in the cushions with an expression of horror.

“No, get it away from me.”

Her captor slowly blinked, as if offended by her distrust. “If I wanted to poison you I would not have waited until you woke up. This is water with feverfew leaves. It will help your headache.”

“Considering you are the one who gave me the headache to begin with, I do not know why you would be concerned now.”

Expecting an angry retort, Raine was caught off guard when his hollow cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“I…regret having hit you. I am not a man who is violent toward women.”

Raine gently touched her chin, which was still raw and aching. “Rather late now, is it not?”

“You did not give me a choice,” he protested, his expression tightening. “I asked that you come with me. If you had obeyed I would never have been forced to hurt you. Now, drink.”

With reluctance Raine accepted the glass that he thrust into her hands and took a sip. The water had a bitter taste from the herbs, but it did help to ease the pounding in her temple.

Lowering her gaze as she sipped the medicine, she considered her various options. Although Seurat was not a large man, she doubted she could manage to overpower him. And he was jittery enough that if she were to try screaming he might very well knock her senseless again.

Her best means of escape seemed to be luring him into a false sense of ease. If she could distract him, perhaps even charm him, he might lower his guard enough to allow her a moment to escape.

Now, she just needed to discover precisely how a woman set about charming a lunatic.

CHAPTER TWENTY

FORCING HERSELF TO DRINK the last of the water, Raine deliberately glanced around the barren chamber with what she hoped was casual interest.

“Where are we?”

“In my rooms.” Seurat grimaced sourly. “I apologize that they are not more comfortable, but under my present circumstances they are all that I can afford.”

She offered a faint smile, surprised to discover it was not as difficult as it should be. There was no doubt the man was dangerous and capable of striking out without warning, but he seemed determined to be polite to his captive.

“They are simple, but quite nice.”

Taking her empty glass, Seurat deposited it on the low table. His movements were quick but jerky, revealing one leg was partially lame.

“They are fit for nothing more than the peasants who infest this neighborhood. I am a gentleman.”

“Yes, yes, of course you are,” she was swift to agree.

He turned back to regard her with a remarkably shrewd gaze. “You do not believe me, and why should you? No one else does. But I tell you, I have done great things in my life.”