Earl of Exile (Lords of Scandal 3)

“I trust you,” she answered, reaching up to touch his face. “You’ll keep me safe.”

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “And ye are worth ten of those other debutantes. There isn’t a finer woman in all of Britain.”

Diana pressed her lips together. Those words filled her heart. Tomorrow, she’d worry about the future. Tonight, she’d put her faith in him.

Chapter Fourteen

Diana sat next to Callum in the carriage, Sin across from them. He stared out the window, idling rubbing the lump on his head. A wave of pride washed over her. Apparently, she’d hit him quite hard.

Callum’s hand reached out and touched hers, his fingers lacing through her own. She rested her head on his shoulder and she closed her eyes. Inside, the knot of tension eased a bit. His touch making her draw in a deep breath.

“It’s all right, lass. We’re going to be fine,” he murmured against the top of her head.

“I know we are,” Diana said as she lifted her head. “We’ll get her back, Sin.”

The other man’s face spasmed in pain. “If anything has happened to her…”

Diana cringed. She understood. “Lady Abernath needs her so I’m sure your little Anne is fine. Try not to worry.”

He gave a tight nod. “Exile, you won’t count on me to protect Diana, correct? My first objective is—”

“Diana can protect herself.” Then he nodded toward the goose egg bump on Sin’s head. “But ye go straight for yer daughter. Dinnae worry about us.”

Diana looked at Callum. Now that Sin had revealed his interest in Diana was only to see his daughter safely returned, Callum was far kinder to the man. She supposed she couldn’t blame Callum for being upset. If a woman started sniffing around him…. She sat straighter. Diana might pull out all her hair.

The streets outside grew louder as they entered the Docklands. People called loudly to one another as they made their way from ships to taverns or back again. Their progress slowed. “Remember,” Sin said as he looked out the window. “I am going to demand that she give me Anne before I hand you over.”

“I remember,” Diana held out her wrists so that Sin could loosely tie them. She’d have Callum do it, but Sin’s knots had already proven terrible. “Keep the ties loose so I can escape.”

He shook his head a ghost of a smile touching his lips. “Not something we need worry about.”

Callum crouched in a shadow. “Do you think she’ll know Vice isn’t her driver?”

Diana’s stomach churned with apprehension when she considered all the possible events that could go wrong. “I’m more worried the driver found his way to her first.”

Sin rubbed his head. “If he feels anything like me, he didn’t.”

Callum patted her hand. “Besides, Daring and Bad are just behind us. They’ll sneak in to help too. Don’t forget that.”

The carriage rolled to a stop and Vice came to open the door. “I don’t see her,” he mumbled as he pulled the hat down lower.

Sin took her arm and pulled her cloak tighter about her shoulders. “She’s just over there,” he whispered, just low enough so that only they could hear. “She has Anne,” his voice broke on the girl’s name as he gave Diana a decided tug toward Lady Abernath.

Several other people milled about but Diana caught sight of the pale blonde hair hidden in the shadow. Next to her was a small girl, no more than five, looking frightened but unharmed. She tugged toward Sin the moment she saw him. “Daddy,” she cried. Amazingly, Lady Abernath let the child go.

Sin pulled harder, reaching out his hand to the girl. But then, stopped.

The driver appeared next to Anne and grabbed her arm, pistol in hand. “What sort of funny business are you up to?” the man barked.

Sin stopped, his face going a shade of white, the pistol pointed at his daughter’s head as the little girl began to cry. Diana’s own knees weakened but Sin had frozen.

“Let me go or I’ll smack you again,” Diana called, pulling her arm from his grasp. He tightened his grip and looked at her. Her eyes widened as she attempted to wordlessly communicate her plan. “One egg wasn’t good enough for you? I said let me go.” Then she pulled again.

The other man’s eyes widened. “Hit you too, did she?” His eyes travelled to the large egg on Sin’s head. “For a woman, she’d good with a cane.” The gun lowered. “We’re gonna do this exchange nice and slow and then I?

?m going to give you your own lump.” The man leered at Diana.

“Now, now.” Lady Abernath stepped up next to him. “Diana is a strong woman and we admire her kind,” Lady Abernath said as she gave her a slow smile.