“That it is dangerous to make assumptions.”
Valentine closed the gap between them until the muzzle of her pistol pressed into the fine silk of his waistcoat. From such close quarters, the ball would rip a hole right through his heart. Their gazes locked. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to throttle her or kiss the smirk off her face, such was the nature of these new and confounding emotions.
“Assumptions about what?”
Her hand never faltered despite the fact it took strength to point a pistol straight for so long. “Assumptions based on my sex. You should not presume, that because I am a woman, I lack the skill to compete with you. Remember the lesson should you ever find yourself in a similar predicament.”
Valentine snorted. “I am unlikely to forget.” No woman alive possessed Miss Kendall’s courage and audacity.
Miss Kendall raised her arm aloft and fired. Despite the deafening sound, she did not flinch. Instead, she waited for the air to settle before stepping away and bending down to gather her greatcoat and top hat.
“I trust the matter is resolved.” Valentine could not tear his gaze away from the soft curves imprisoned within those damn breeches.
“Indeed.” She straightened. “Though in future, I beg you to disregard my brother’s childish tantrums.”
“You expect me to ignore his slanderous remarks? Honour is everything to a gentleman.”
“I expect you to be a man, my lord, and rise above the foolish antics of a boy.”
Valentine wasn’t sure if he should be flattered or offended. Either way, Mr Kendall was hardly a boy.
“Well, my hackney is waiting. The driver has already added three shillings to the fare. Apparently, it is the price one must pay for leaving a man waiting in the cold.” She turned to him and offered her hand.
With a sudden eagerness to touch her, Valentine took it without hesitation. The essence of this beguiling creature penetrated his gloves to infuse his body with a warm glow. “Am I to press a kiss to your knuckles, Miss Kendall, or shake your hand in a gentlemanly fashion?”
She shrugged. “I am told you’re a man who follows his instincts.”
His instincts told him to run, told him to put a hundred miles between them lest she bring turmoil and mayhem to his ordered and structured world.
“Then I shall kiss you, Miss Kendall, and bid you good day.” He bent his head and kissed her gloved
hand, resisted the urge to linger there for longer than necessary.
“Good day, my lord.”
They walked to the road in companionable silence.
The hackney was parked a little further along from Valentine’s carriage. Dariell bowed to Miss Kendall, strode off along the lane and climbed into Valentine’s conveyance.
Valentine stood rooted to the spot and watched Miss Kendall walk away. He could not resist one last look at the woman who defied all expectations, who broke down and reconstructed what it meant to be a lady.
Chapter Two
Once nestled safely inside the hackney cab, a relieved sigh burst from Ava’s lips. Only now could she release the anxiety she had kept at bay. Her heart pounded in her chest, wild and erratic. With trembling fingers, she tugged down the blinds for she did not wish to glimpse Lord Valentine’s carriage.
How she had held her nerve, she would never know.
And yet the worst was far from over.
With luck, she would make it home before Jonathan woke from his drug-induced slumber. Lord knows what he would do then. Ava would have to justify her actions, face the hurling accusations of a man who had lost his mind to his addiction.
But laudanum did not feed the hunger crawling through her brother’s veins. Gambling was his new love, the thing that gave him purpose, the thing that destroyed every aspect of the man she knew and loved.
Still, she had saved his life this morning, and that brought some comfort.
Gathering her composure, Ava sat forward and was about to instruct the driver to depart when a loud rap on the window sent her heart racing. Drat. On this lonely country lane, one did not need a high level of perception to know who demanded her attention.
“Miss Kendall?” Lord Valentine’s rich voice reached her ears.