Prince Charming

She smiled back. She assumed her tardiness was the reason behind his irritation. She apologized for making him wait, all the while looking around the deck for Victoria. Her friend was nowhere to be found. Since most of the passengers had already left the ship, Taylor decided Victoria must be waiting for them wherever the luggage had been deposited. She’d already gone to Victoria’s cabin to make certain she wasn’t waiting for her there, but the cabin was empty.

“I’m very anxious to step on American ground,” she remarked.

“Could have fooled me,” he replied. He latched onto her arm and turned to leave.

The remark he’d just made was an obvious jab because she’d made him wait. Taylor ignored his sarcasm and turned her attention to the harbor.

At first glance, the city skyline reminded her of London, though on a larger scale. She noticed almost immediately one primary difference between the two cities, however. London always had a gray film looming over her buildings. The sky above Boston was pristine clean, or so it seemed to her.

Taylor didn’t say another word to Lucas until they reached the luggage carts. She was so overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of her new homeland, she could barely form a coherent thought. She wanted to close her eyes and listen to all the vastly different accents and try to guess the name of the country each had come from. So many different foreign languages soon blended together, however, and she gave up her game. She tried then to look everywhere at once. There was so much to see and to explore, so much . . .

“Taylor, will you pay attention to what I’m telling you?”

She finally looked up at him. “Isn’t it wonderful, Lucas?”

The wonder in her voice made him smile. “Boston?”

“America,” she qualified.

He nodded. “You’ve yet to see America,” he told her. “But you’ll like living in Boston. It’s very cosmopolitan,” he added. “Very much like London.”

“I already like Boston, but I don’t want it to be anything like London.”

After making that statement, she turned her attention to the chaos surrounding her. Lucas stared down at her for several minutes. When he realized what he was doing, he became disgusted with himself. He was acting like a besotted farm boy, but damn it all, it was her fault.

She was an enchantress all right. He was certain she was deliberately enticing him with that come-and-kiss-me smile of hers. The way she brushed her fingers through her hair and tossed her head back was a definite provocation meant to attract him. Even the way she looked up at him with those magical blue eyes and that trusting look on her face was meant to capture his full attention.

“Shouldn’t we collect our luggage?”

Her question interrupted his thoughts. Lucas forced himself back to the business at hand.

“Stay right here,” he ordered. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Taylor only had enough time to nod before he walked away. She had the luggage tickets clutched in her hand. Lucas had secured reservations at the Hamilton House just outside of Boston proper, per Madam’s explicit instructions. It was one of the best hotels in America, certainly on a par with the States Hotel, though on a smaller scale. Madam had read all the literature on both establishments and had declared that Hamilton House was a bit more exclusive. She told Lucas the States Hotel catered to too many businessmen, and she didn’t want her granddaughter mingling with what she called the ordinary working man. Lucas didn’t argue. He would deposit Taylor wherever her grandmother wanted her deposited, spend one or two more nights in the city, depending upon the bankers’ meetings, and then head for home.

He returned to Taylor with a clerk from Hamilton House a few minutes later. He was in the nick of time. Taylor was in the process of handing over their luggage tickets to a man who had convinced her he was a representative of the hotel and would take care of the baggage.

Lucas snatched the tickets out of the thief’s hands and sent him running. Taylor was appalled by what she deemed rude and certainly improper conduct. When she noticed the man Lucas handed the tickets to was wearing a hotel badge on his hat and the man she’d almost given her possessions to hadn’t been wearing any such credentials, she became horrified by her own naïveté.

“He would have stolen our luggage.”

Lucas nodded. Taylor wasn’t about to let the matter drop. She lifted the hem of her skirt and went running after the thief. Lucas grabbed her before she got lost in the crowd.

“Where in God’s name do you think you’re going?”

“To catch the scoundrel,” she explained in a near shout. “Someone should alert the authorities.”

Lucas let her see his exasperation. He anchored her to his side and turned toward the line of public vehicles.

“Aren’t you going to do something?” she demanded.

“He’s gone, Taylor. We’d never find him in this crowd.”

“I remember his face,” she boasted.

Lucas didn’t laugh. She sounded so damned earnest. “What would you do if you caught up with him?”

She hadn’t thought that far ahead. She considered the matter for a minute or two, then shrugged. “I would hold onto him while I shouted for assistance.”

He rolled his eyes heavenward. She was beginning to see the folly in her plan but would go to her grave before admitting her foolishness.

“What would happen if he didn’t stand there peacefully while you did your shouting, Taylor?”

“I suppose I’d have to pound him.”

It was an empty boast, and they both knew it. “I think you should begin to think about consequences,” Lucas remarked.

He was barely paying her any attention now. They reached the vehicles. He stopped to give their destination to the driver.

Taylor was trying to get him to unhand her. He finally noticed what she was doing when he turned to open the door to the conveyance for her.

“Get in.”

“We can’t leave just yet. I’m waiting for my friend. She’s going to ride to the hotel with us. You’ll have to be patient, Lucas. I was supposed to meet her by the luggage. Excuse me for one minute while I go look for her.”

“You’ll never find her in this crush.”

“There she is,” Taylor cried out. She called Victoria’s name, but her friend didn’t hear her. Taylor couldn’t get Lucas to unhand her long enough to go after her friend, and so she gave the errand to him.

“Do go and fetch Victoria.”

Lucas let go of her. He turned to look at the crowd. “Who is Victoria?”

He was talking to air. The second he unhanded her, she took off. Lucas muttered an expletive and went chasing after her. Because he was so much bigger than she was, he couldn’t slip through the crowd as easily as she could. He resorted to shoving several men out of his path. He caught up with Taylor just as she came to a stop behind a red-headed woman.

“Victoria, do turn around,” Taylor requested.

Her friend was obviously taken by surprise. She jumped a good foot and then whirled around. The relief on her face was pronounced, and there were tears in her eyes.

“Oh, I’m so happy to see you, Taylor. I thought you’d left me behind. I couldn’t remember where we had agreed to meet,” she added in a rush.

Victoria tried to hide her panic. In truth, she’d been terrified. She felt ill now. Her stomach was queasy, and she thought she was going to be sick. Dear God, she didn’t know what she was going to do. She wanted to weep with relief because Taylor hadn’t left her behind but knew such undignified behavior wouldn’t be at all appropriate.

Taylor could see how distressed her friend was. She hurried to soothe her. “I also became confused about our meeting place,” she said. “I thought we were supposed to meet on deck where the luggage was being stacked for transfer. It doesn’t matter,” she hastily added. “I would never have left you. Besides, if something,had happened and we hadn’t found each other, you knew the name of the hotel. You could have gotten there on your

own.”

Victoria nodded. She was too embarrassed to admit she didn’t even have sufficient funds to pay the driver. She would have had to walk to Hamilton House. Still, Taylor was right. Victoria felt she was resourceful enough to find a way. She just wished she wasn’t so emotional. The past week had been a test of endurance for her, what with all the changes in her life and her body, and she seemed to cry almost hourly.

“I’m not usually so emotional, milady,” she announced.

And then she burst into tears. Taylor pulled a lacy handkerchief out of the cuff of her sleeve, handed it to Victoria, and then took hold of her hand. She turned to Lucas and quickly made the introductions.

“Victoria is a dear friend of mine,” she informed him.

“Why is she crying?”

Taylor frowned at Lucas for bringing up the topic. Victoria was valiantly trying to control herself. “she’s had a difficult time of it,” she explained. “She’s in mourning.”

“I am?” Victoria asked in a whisper.

Taylor nodded. “Yes, you are.”

She turned back to Lucas. “She’s mourning the death of her beloved husband.”

He didn’t ask any questions. He knew very well who she was. He still remembered well every word the two women had exchanged the night Taylor had come to Victoria’s assistance. He’d been about to haul the crazy woman down off that warped crate and ask her what the hell was the matter with her when Taylor intervened. And so he’d stayed in the shadows. He wasn’t deliberately eavesdropping. He was simply making certain Taylor stayed safe. He was keeping his part of the bargain he’d made with her grandmother. Hearing that Victoria was pregnant and unmarried had struck a chord with him. He felt pity for her, of course, as well as a little compassion. She wasn’t going to have an easy time of it. His own mother hadn’t.

Lucas couldn’t help but admire Taylor because she was looking out for the woman. “Are you going to help Victoria get settled in Boston?” he asked.

“That is my intention,” she answered.

He smiled. She didn’t know what to make of that reaction. And so she simply smiled back.

“Shouldn’t we get going? All the vehicles will be taken up, sir.”

He was in full agreement. He suddenly wanted to get to their destination, too. He grabbed hold of Taylor’s left hand and Victoria’s right hand and strode toward the vehicles. Victoria’s flower-laden bonnet was in jeopardy of flying off her head, so fast was his pace. She put her left hand on top of her head to anchor her hat in place.

Taylor was trying not to trip on her skirt. “We aren’t running from a fire, Mr. Ross,” she called out.

He slowed down. He gave the driver their destination, then opened the door and turned to Victoria.

“Has your luggage been sent on?”

“Taylor had my tickets,” Victoria answered.

She was talking to the ground. She kept her gaze downcast while she answered him. She was a timid thing, and he found himself wondering how in God’s name she was going to survive with only Taylor looking after her. He decided he would take the bankers aside and have a talk with them. Since the trust fund they held in their bank was quite substantial and they were certainly making a nice, tidy profit from the investments, Lucas felt certain they would be happy to look out for Taylor and Victoria. Also, Taylor supposedly had relatives living in Boston. Surely one or two of her family members would watch out for his wife and her friend.

His wife. Lucas shook his head in amazement. If someone had told him six months ago that he would be married, he would have had a good laugh. Then he probably would have punched the prophet in his face for suggesting the blasphemy.

“We’re ready, Mr. Ross.”

Taylor nudged Lucas in his side to get him moving. She wanted to tell him to wipe that frown off his face as well. Like it or not, Victoria was going with them. Taylor assumed the irritation was due to the addition of another passenger. Lucas obviously didn’t like to have his plans altered. She wondered how he was going to feel about having his future altered and immediately decided he wouldn’t like that much either. She knew he’d be difficult; she prayed he wouldn’t be impossible.

Lucas turned to Victoria and smiled at her. She felt it necessary to remove her bonnet before she got inside the carriage. He was being extremely patient with her friend, Taylor was quick to notice. He treated her like a piece of fine china that might shatter if he weren’t careful. Why, he was ridiculously gentle assisting her inside the vehicle. He even held her bonnet for her while she adjusted her skirts just so. When she was settled to her satisfaction, Lucas finally turned to Taylor. He all but tossed her inside.

She wanted to sit next to her friend. Lucas had other ideas. By the time she’d straightened up in the seat he’d thrown her in, he was sitting beside her, squeezing her with his bulk into the corner. She couldn’t go anywhere.

She gave him a good frown to let him know what she thought about his high-handed behavior, then realized she shouldn’t have bothered. Lucas wasn’t paying any attention to her. He was staring out the window, lost in thought.

Victoria drew her attention. “Look, Taylor. There’s Morrison’s Coffee House. We have one just like it in London.” Her voice was laced with excitement. “And there’s Tyler’s Bootery. Why, he’s famous in England.”

Taylor leaned forward to look out the window. “There seem to be many English stores here,” she remarked. “It’s disappointing, isn’t it?”

“Why is it disappointing?” Lucas asked, drawn into the conversation by Taylor’s odd remark.

She didn’t want to tell him the truth, that she didn’t want anything in America to remind her of England. He wouldn’t understand. She gave him a half answer.

“I just want everything to be different.”

“Oh, most of the shops are different,” Victoria announced. “It’s going to take some getting used to, isn’t it? America seems so grand.”

Taylor nodded. She tried to pay attention to what Victoria was saying, but her mind kept wandering. Excitement was quick to build inside her. She could barely sit still in her seat. Her thoughts were on the babies. They were here . . . in this wonderful city, and just as soon as her business was concluded with the bankers and Lucas was on his way back to Redemption, she would go and collect the twins and their nanny, dear Mrs. Bartlesmith. They would all have to spend at least a week in Boston while Taylor hired the help she would need and bought whatever clothes the little ones needed for the coming season.

She wished she could see her nieces now. If she were clever, Lucas would never know she’d left. Just for an hour, she told herself. She would hire a vehicle and be back at the hotel before she was even missed.

Mrs. Bartlesmith would be happy for the company. Taylor would explain her plans and offer to hire someone to help with the packing. In her excitement, she reached over and grabbed hold of Lucas’s hand.

He was startled by the show of affection. He saw the look of joy on her face and found himself smiling over her enthusiasm.

“Boston certainly appeals to you.” he remarked.

“It appears to be quite nice.”

She didn’t sound overly enthusiastic about the city. Yet her expression told him she was excited about something. He was curious to find out what it was. Then he decided she was probably thinking about the coming reunion with her relatives and her friends, and perhaps she was considering where she was going to live. She would probably choose the Hill, where all the rich and influential resided. She’d fit right in. She’d like it, too. Lucas was sure of it.

Victoria kept up a steady stream of comments about the city. Taylor occasionally nodded, but it soon became evident she was preoccupied.

Lucas finally nudged her to get her attention. “Tell me what you’re thinking about.”

“My relatives,” she answered.

He smiled. “I thought so.”

“And . . .”

“Yes?”

She let out a sigh. ?

??I was also thinking about the greater good.”

He didn’t understand what she meant. Neither did Victoria. “Is Boston the greater good?” her friend asked.

Taylor shook her head. She started to say something more, but her attention was turned then, for she suddenly realized she was holding onto Lucas’s hand. She immediately let go.

“Pray forgive me for being forward,” she said.

He shook his head in exasperation. She turned to look out the window again before he could respond to the ridiculous apology. Victoria looked astonished by Taylor’s comment. She stared at her friend for a long minute, obviously waiting for her to say something, and when Taylor remained silent, she turned her attention to Lucas. He thought about giving her some sort of explanation, then changed his mind.

“The sun’s going down.”

Taylor made the announcement. She sounded disheartened. “It will be dark in another half hour,” Lucas guessed. “Does that bother you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to go and see my relatives,” she explained. “I’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

“People do go out at night,” Lucas said.

“They’ll be asleep.”

Taylor didn’t elaborate. She turned back to look out the window. Lucas assumed the relatives in question were old and feeble. Who else would go to bed so early in the evening.

Victoria’s attention went back and forth between Lucas and Taylor. She wanted to ask why they were both acting so formal with each other. She supposed that wouldn’t be very polite, however, and finally let the matter drop. They rode the rest of the way in silence and arrived at their destination a few minutes later.

At first glance, the Hamilton House was a severe disappointment. While Lucas paid the driver, Victoria and Taylor stood on the sidewalk and stared up at the huge, gray granite building. Victoria whispered it looked quite dreary. Taylor was more emphatic. She declared it was as ugly as sin.

For some reason, Lucas found her opinion amusing. He told her to lower her voice, but he gave the order with a grin. She didn’t know what to make of that. She noticed he was once again being very solicitous toward Victoria. She wasn’t jealous, however. She was pleased. Lucas was proving he could be a gentleman when he put his mind to the chore.