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

“Because I don’t want to return to Berkshire’s house just yet. I feel as though we both have a lot to say. And I prefer to not upset Addie.”

Marcus studied Lizbeth as they rode away from the police station. Her face was flushed and there was definite fury coming from her eyes. She looked beautiful, like Erinyes, the Goddesses of Vengeance.

He wanted to pull her to him to take all that fury and turn it into passion.

For him.

He wanted to see the desire in her eyes as he wrapped her in his arms and took her mouth in a searing kiss. To feel her response, the innocent reaction he knew she would have, despite her experience in the brothel. She was a novice, and he would love to be the man who showed her how wonderful it could be between a man and woman when there was genuine desire and caring between them.

She had no doubt been left with a feeling that it was all painful and dirty. He wanted to erase that from her mind. He would let her know that she was beautiful, desirable, and what happened to her made no difference to him because it could not change who she was.

He surprised himself with those thoughts. It sounded close to something he had always banished from his mind before the idea settled in. Since he’d met Lizbeth, he found himself wandering in the direction he’d eschewed for years.

Due to the time of day, the Pump Room was crowded. In some ways good since they would most likely go unnoticed, and bad because Marcus felt as though he wanted to lash out at someone. However, the someone he wanted to hit was still back at the police station.

He took Lizbeth’s arm and they began to walk around the outside of the Roman Baths, in the area in front of the Bath Abbey. “Are you warm enough?”

“Yes. My anger is so strong that it is heating up my blood quite nicely, actually,” Lizbeth said.

“Let’s take the seats over there.” Marcus pointed to an unoccupied bench in a quiet section of the spacious area surrounding the Abbey.

She turned toward him once they sat. “Will you please enlighten me as to what just happened back there? Why do I feel as though they were looking for something to charge me with?”

Marcus ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ve been giving it some thought. Although I’ve never sat through a police interview before, I fail to see the benefit of how they conducted themselves. It was almost as if they wanted to antagonize you.”

“Why? I’m confused.”

“I think one of two things. Either they don’t want us involved in their investigation, or they are hiding something.”

“If their intention was to keep us away from the matter, they made a major mistake because their attitude only makes me want to delve into it more. If they aren’t going to do anything about what happened to me, then I will.”

“Wait a minute.” Marcus took her hands in his. “This is not a game, Lizbeth, you can’t just blithely involve yourself in this. There are dangerous people involved. From the research I’ve done it’s a tight group who do not want their nice little money-maker disrupted. And if the police—at least the two we met with—are not anxious to close it down, for whatever reason, it becomes a very dangerous situation. I almost think that they were warning us off.”

“Why?”

He looked off into the distance. “I’m not sure. As I said it could be one of two reasons.”

“I will not sit still like a well-behaved child with my head down and my hands folded in my lap and obey the police. These horrible people took something very precious from me. And I’m not referring to my virginity—which does bother me—but more so my trust in people.” She shook her head and hugged her middle. “I am going to pursue this even if it kills me.”

“Don’t say that!” Marcus shouted. He took in a deep breath. It would be best if he stayed calm. “If you agree to abide by my rules, I will help you. If I can’t get my bill passed, then at the very least I bring these people down.”

Lizbeth glanced at him sideways. “What sort of abiding by your rules are you alluding to?”

“The only thing I will ask of you is to not put yourself in harm’s way. And you will not do anything without telling me first.”

Lizbeth nodded. “That sounds fair enough. Along those lines, I will tell you that my next step is to break into Mrs. O’Leary’s boarding house and steal back my belongings. Especially my paintings.” She had the nerve to smile at him as if it was all a game.

Marcus dropped his head in his hands and groaned.

9

The tinkling of the bell over the door of Once Upon a Book, the bookstore Addie once owned, drew Lizbeth’s attention from the book she was reading. Her eyes grew wide and she jumped up and ran to the front of the store. “Pamela!”

She hadn’t seen her in the two weeks since Pamela had seen Lizbeth and Marcus off on the train to Bath. “I thought you moved in with your brother in London?”

Pamela hugged Lizbeth, then joined their arms together and walked her to the back of the store. “I will t-tell you all about i-it. D-does the n-new owner still k-k-keep tea back here?”

“Yes, and he is very generous about sharing.”