Sick dread filled her stomach as she attempted to get her hands between them to push at his chest. But he started dragging her deeper into the garden and suddenly her back slammed into the thick trunk of a tree, bark scraping her bare shoulders.
She cried out but he only laughed louder, the sound both excited and triumphant. Her stomach rolled and vomit threatened to rise from her gut.
He used his body to press her tighter to the trunk as he dragged up her skirts. She tried to push his hands back down but she could barely breathe and then…
Just like that, a loud thud filled her ears and Mr. Taber was gone. He slid to the ground in a heap, her eyes following his descent as she continued to lean against the tree for support. She could barely catch her breath as she stared.
“Eliza.”
Her name snapped her out of the trance, and she looked up to see Dylan in front of her.
She threw herself at him, nearly tripping over Mr. Taber but Dylan’s strong arms lifted her up and with a speed she thought impossible, especially in the dark, he carried her back down the path. But he didn’t take her inside. Instead, they went through the garden gate and out into the alley where a line of carriages waited.
“What are we doing?”
“You can’t go back into the party, love,” he whispered in her ear, still carrying her.
“I can’t?” She blinked, looking up at him.
He stopped for a minute and gently pulled a twig from her hair. “I don’t even want to know what your back looks like.”
She gasped in a surprised breath. He was right. She must look frightful. And she was so grateful he held her in his arms, once again providing a strength she desperately needed.
Finding his carriage, he yanked open the door as he called to the driver. “Find the Duke of Devonhall and bring him here. Quickly.” He slid into the carriage, still holding her against his front. Sitting on the bench, he settled her on his lap. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, burying her head into his shoulder. “I am now.” Then she curled into him. “I have tried to tell you that I am independent and able to take care of myself, but you keep proving me wrong.”
He gave a small chuckle, wrapping his arms tighter about her. “I saw you leave. I wasn’t actually attempting to follow you. I just wished to talk.”
She nodded against his front. “I don’t care in this moment if you were following me. I’m just glad you came.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Me too.”
She lifted her head. “Besides. I’m beginning to realize I was never as independent as I believed. My sisters. They bolster me regularly.”
His eyebrows rose at that. “I find that admission…surprising.”
“That I said it or that I think it?”
“Both,” he answered.
She shrugged. “Then prepare yourself to be amazed. I’ve got a great deal more to say.”
Dylan looked down at her, his chest tight. He wanted to hold her. Kiss her in comfort. Hell, he couldn’t wait to hear what she had to say. “I await your words with bated breath.”
She smiled then, slipping her arms about his waist. “May I ask you a question first?”
“Yes.”
“Did you ever once feel supported by your family? Did they validate any of your decisions?”
That made him tense. “No.”
She shook her head. “No wonder.”
“No wonder what?”
“You don’t trust yourself.” She tipped her head back further. “How could you when no one ever trusted you.”