The Artist and the Rake (The Merry Misfits of Bath 4)

5

Because I care.

His words sat between them. A promise, a determination to do the right thing. He didn’t mean to speak them out loud. Not yet, anyway. This beautiful, very sad, very angry woman had touched something deep inside him. She was broken, and he wanted to help put her back together again.

“Might I suggest we go to the police station soon? I had hoped we could leave for my sister’s house tomorrow.”

“We can go now.” Lizbeth stood and shook out her skirts. “As I’ve said before, I want to leave this blasted city as quickly as possible.”

The next morning Lady Pamela arrived at Mallory Townhouse in the Montrose carriage, along with a footman and Lizbeth. She would see them off and then return to prepare for her trip back to Bath with Nick.

Nick had confided in him that once the matter of rescuing Lizbeth from the brothel had been finished, he intended to propose to Lady Pamela. Marcus was quite happy for him. Lady Pamela was a sweet woman and Nick Smith was the right man to take care of her.

Very much like the idea of him taking care of Lizbeth was beginning to form in his mind. Aside from the physical draw he felt toward her, she was intelligent, strong and determined. Although, given her current frame of mind, it might take a long time before she would accept him if that was where his feelings led him.

“Please t-try your b-best to p-put all of this b-behind you.” Lady Pamela hugged Lizbeth as they were getting ready to board the train.

“I will,” Lizbeth said. Then she turned and took Marcus’s hand to help her up the steps. She quickly withdrew her hand once she entered the train.

They settled next to each other, although Lizbeth tried her best to hug the window so as not to touch him. He honored her unspoken request and kept his distance.

As the train began its journey from London to Bath, Lizbeth turned to him. “Tell me about your sister. From what Pamela said, Lady Berkshire, Pamela and Lottie have been close friends for a couple of years.”

Grateful to have something to talk about that might distract Lizbeth from her ordeal, he said, “My sister had been Adeline all the years of her life until she rejected all things ton and coerced my parents into releasing her dowry so she could move to Bath and buy a bookstore. There she became a successful business owner, shortened her name to Addie, and eventually met and married Lord Berkshire.”

“Oh, my. Whatever made her decide to do all that? Isn’t that somewhat unusual in your world?”

He nodded. “She’d been miserable in the social whirl that is called the marriage mart. Her problem had been no more than a bit of clumsiness, and possibly a bit more weight than most girls. That had led to her shyness and then being singled out by some of the less charming young ladies as a target for ridicule.”

“That’s terrible. Why would they do that?”

Marcus shifted in his seat so he could look directly at her. And what a sight it was. Today Lizbeth wore a blue and white striped dress under a royal blue wool cloak with a matching hat that brought out the deep blue of her eyes. He imagined the clothing had been either lent to her by Pamela, or hurriedly purchased.

Her hairdo had been softened since the night they picked her up from the brothel, no longer slicked back, but soft waves around her face with the hair caught into a chignon at the back of her neck.

He brought himself back to the conversation and answered her question. “I’ve found that some women with their sweet smiles, downcast eyes, and delicate demeanors could be downright vicious to those they deemed not favorable.”

“And your sister was not considered favorable?”

Marcus shrugged. “No. We attended a ball together and I watched her misery from afar. When I returned home that evening, I threw in my support for her idea of buying a bookstore.”

“You’re a good brother.” She smiled, warming his heart.

After several minutes of silence, Lizbeth said, “I have never been an I told you so person, but I will allow myself the indulgence of saying it now. I was not surprised that the Metropolitan Police did not scurry from their station and immediately arrest the people at the Naughty Nest when we visited with them yesterday.”

Marcus nodded. “Unfortunately, I agree. They weren’t very helpful, but they did say they’ve been watching the place for a while. You have added to their information they hope to use one day to close it down and arrest the owner, managers, and suppliers. Remember, the police have rules they have to follow.”

Lizbeth scowled at him and turned to look out the window at the passing scenery. Thinking she was finished with the conversation, he was surprised when she added, “They may do what they want in London, but I intend to deal with the culprits in Bath.”

Her words raised an alarm. He didn’t like what she said or how she said it “Now, Lizbeth, the Metropolitan Police told you they would contact the authorities in Bath, and they would, in turn, contact you.”

“And you believe that?” She looked over her shoulder at him and smirked.

After a few moments, he smiled softly. “No.”

“As I said before. You are a smart man.”

The rest of the ride was quiet with them commenting on Bath compared to London, the Queen’s birthday, the weather, and the condition of the roads. All innocuous subjects that most Englishmen were adept at discussing.