Читать книгу Secrets Behind Locked Doors - Laura Martin - Страница 13

Chapter Five

Louisa struggled against the hand that was pressed against her mouth, sinking her teeth into the fleshy palm. Her attacker pulled away from her for an instant and she took the opportunity to let out another scream.

‘Shut up,’ the man growled, slapping her across the face with such force her neck snapped back and her head hit the wall.

For an instant Louisa’s world went black. She fought the urge to let the darkness take over her, knowing she wouldn’t have a chance of escape if she lost consciousness.

As the world came back into focus Louisa opened her mouth to scream again, but quickly clamped her lips together as she saw the glint of light reflected off her attacker’s knife blade.

‘Good girl,’ the man murmured. ‘Just keep quiet and I won’t hurt you too much.’

Louisa very much doubted that. She didn’t know if this man planned to rob her or do something much, much worse, but she hoped she wouldn’t be around to find out.

She was just assessing whether she could outrun her attacker when a figure pounced from the shadows.

‘Oof,’ her attacker groaned as he received a fist to his abdomen.

Louisa backed away, glancing behind her and wondering if she should run. There was no guarantee her saviour was any nobler than the man he was now punching in the face.

She had just decided to make a run for it when a familiar voice growled, ‘Don’t even think of moving a muscle, Miss Turnhill.’

Her eyes widened with surprise. Her mysterious saviour, the man beating her attacker, was none other than Robert Fleetwood.

She didn’t disobey him.

The man who’d been attacking her managed to wriggle free from Robert’s grasp and without a backward glance scuttled off into the night.

Louisa was left alone in the alleyway with Robert.

Even in the darkness she could tell he was fuming.

‘I am going to escort you home,’ he said.

Louisa allowed him to tuck her hand into the crook of his elbow and pull her along beside him. He walked fast, his long legs eating up the distance in no time. Louisa nearly had to run to keep up with him, taking two steps for his every one.

She glanced up at him as they walked. His jaw was clenched and his eyes focused straight ahead. He didn’t once look down at her.

Louisa opened her mouth to say something but immediately decided against it. She’d been scared in the alleyway, more scared than she’d ever been in her life. If she thought about it too much, she knew her legs would start to shake and give way beneath her. So instead she concentrated on keeping up with Lord Fleetwood.

* * *

It took only ten minutes to reach his house and within another thirty seconds they were behind a locked front door. Louisa was marched into Robert’s study and deposited unceremoniously on a comfortable leather sofa.

Still Robert did not speak. He crossed over to a decanter and poured himself a generous glass of whisky, which he downed in one gulp.

Then he turned to face her.

Louisa felt herself shrinking back in her chair. He was angry, furious even. She knew she was in trouble, but strangely she didn’t feel scared. At least not scared of him. Although she’d known Robert only a short time she somehow knew he wasn’t going to hurt her. He might shout and berate her for putting herself in such danger, but he wouldn’t actually physically hurt her.

‘Miss Turnhill,’ he started, ‘why don’t you talk me through your thought process when you decided it was a good idea to wander the streets of London in the middle of the night?’

Louisa swallowed. When he put it like that it did sound rather foolish. She’d been so preoccupied with leaving, with standing on her own two feet, she hadn’t thought through the consequences of her actions.

She cleared her throat and moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue.

‘I thought the exercise would do me good before bed,’ she tried to joke weakly.

The stony silence that met her comment was enough to tell her he wasn’t amused.

‘No more jokes, please. Tell me what possessed you to leave in the middle of the night?’

Louisa swallowed. ‘I don’t want to have to rely on anyone else,’ she said eventually.

He looked at her as though she’d grown an extra head.

‘So you thought you would take off in the middle of the night with no money and no means of supporting yourself.’

She had to agree it did sound a little foolish.

‘London is a dangerous city,’ Robert said in a low voice. ‘What do you think would have happened if I hadn’t followed you?’

Louisa felt her hands start to shake. She knew what would have happened. She doubted she would be alive now, or if she was she would probably be wishing she was dead. It was only luck that Robert had seen her leave and had followed her, and reached her in time to save her from her attacker.

She felt the tears building in her eyes and tried to hold then back.

‘I know what would have happened,’ Louisa said, her voice cracking as the tears started to roll down her cheeks.

Robert looked at her for a couple of seconds, but as the sobs started to rack her body Louisa felt him sit down beside her and suddenly she was in his arms.

Her body instinctively stiffened at the contact, but gradually she relaxed as he held her, glad of the comfort he provided. He made her feel safe, Louisa realised. In this world where it seemed everyone was out to hurt, her he protected her time and time again.

‘It’s okay,’ he said soothingly. ‘You’re safe now.’

Louisa sniffed and tried to stem the flow of tears, but found now she had started she just couldn’t stop.

‘I’ve got you,’ he whispered. ‘I’m not going to let anything happen to you.’

In that instant Louisa was inclined to believe him. He’d saved her from the asylum and just now he’d saved her from her own foolishness.

With an effort she wiped the tears from her cheeks. She felt her fears slowly ebbing away as he held her, knowing somehow that with him she was safe, at least just for a while.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Robert seeming to understand she needed a little while to collect herself. As she dried the last of her tears, she felt him pull away slightly so she was still in his arms but could look up at his face.

‘We need to discuss what you’re afraid of,’ Robert said. ‘And this time I need you to be honest with me.’

Louisa nodded. She supposed she owed him that much at least.

‘I understand you haven’t been able to rely on anyone for a very long time and I know me asking you to trust me is an impossible task when you’ve known me for less than a day, but I do need you to at least be willing to see if I can earn your trust.’

She looked up into his sincere eyes and wondered for a second what would happen if she did just trust her life to this man. He seemed so genuine and caring, yet Louisa knew it would be a mistake to trust him. It would be a mistake to trust anyone, but maybe she could just give him a chance.

‘London is a very lonely city,’ he said with a sadness that made Louisa wonder again why he was quite so serious all the time. ‘And it is a dangerous city, especially for beautiful young women.’

She felt her pulse quicken at his description of her. Did he actually think she was beautiful or was he just being kind?

‘I would feel much happier if you would agree to stay here with me, under my protection,’ he said, ‘but I’m not going to force you to.’

She couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing.

‘So I can leave at any time?’

He grimaced.

‘Yes, you can leave at any time, although I’d prefer it if you didn’t choose the middle of the night.’

‘You wouldn’t stop me?’ Louisa needed the confirmation.

‘I’m not going to lock you in, Louisa. I would much prefer it if you choose to stay, but if you want to go I will not protest.’

Louisa looked at him, still not quite able to believe what he was saying.

‘I suppose you think with no money and no contacts I have no choice but to stay.’

‘If you choose to go, I will give you money,’ Robert said. ‘Good God, Louisa, do you think I could let you go out on to the cruel streets of London without any means of supporting yourself? I’m not a monster.’

It was the first time since the asylum he’d called her by her first name. Louisa rather liked the sound of it coming from his lips.

‘You’d give me money?’ she echoed.

‘Yes. And contacts. But I really hope you decide to stay, at least for a little while.’

She thought it over. Part of her wanted to grab the money and go, start a new life not having to rely on anyone but herself. The other part was still scared from her first experience of London on her own.

‘If you do decide to stay, you can of course change your mind at any time,’ Robert said.

‘So I could stay for a week, but you’d still help me if I decided to leave after that?’

He nodded. Louisa felt torn. She looked up at Robert and searched his face. How could she tell if he would hurt her, if he would betray her trust at some point in the future? Everything she knew of him so far pointed towards him being honest and trustworthy, but how could she judge a man on such a short acquaintance?

‘Maybe I could stay for a couple of days,’ she said, ‘at least until I get to know London a little better.’

The relief that flooded over Robert’s face was obvious and Louisa dared to wonder if she had found someone who actually cared for her. She suddenly had an overwhelming urge to lean forward and kiss him. His lips looked so inviting and the way he held her made her feel so safe and secure.

Stop it, she told herself, do something like that and he’ll march you out the door himself.

Still, Louisa couldn’t quite make herself look away.

She was suddenly very aware of every place his body was touching hers: the way their thighs were pressed up against one another, the bare skin of his arms looped around her back and how her body was cradled against his chest.

Louisa watched his face as he registered her desire for him and for an instant she thought he might lean in and kiss her. His eyelids seemed to grow heavy and Louisa thought she saw the flash of desire brighten in his eyes.

As quickly as the moment had come, it passed and Louisa was left wondering if she’d imagined it. Robert stood and paced to the window, a hand running through his hair.

Louisa felt suddenly bereft. She wasn’t used to such close contact, but it seemed she missed it when it was gone.

‘You should get some rest,’ Robert said, his voice thick and directed towards the window. ‘Just promise me you won’t leave again tonight.’

She owed him that much at least.

‘I promise,’ she said quietly. Standing from the sofa Louisa crossed to the window and waited until Robert turned to face her.

‘Thank you,’ she said, looking Robert directly in the eye. ‘You’ve saved me twice in the space of twenty-four hours.’

She stood on tiptoe and planted a light kiss on his cheek, her lips brushing momentarily against the fine stubble, the sensation sending a shiver down her spine.

Louisa didn’t wait to see his reaction, instead turned and walked from the room, knowing she would probably dream of this quiet, serious, chivalrous man when she eventually fell asleep.