A Chance Encounter

She felt the coach sway again and heard voices outside. The coachman was apparently climbing into his seat. The door opened again and the footman's face appeared momentarily. Elizabeth leaned a shoulder against the side of the coach and set her face into what she hoped was a polite but chilly smile.

"Good morning, my lady," the Marquess of Hether-ington said with his wide white grin as he vaulted into the coach and took a seat next to her. The door closed quietly.

"What are you doing here?" Elizabeth demanded, sitting bolt-upright. She staggered forward at the same moment as the coach was set into motion.

Hetherington put out a steadying arm, but she shook it off.

"What is happening?" she asked. "Where is Mr. Chatsworth? And what are you doing in his coach?"

"To answer your questions in order, love," he said, begi

She stared back, wide-eyed. "I have a position with him," she said frostily. "I demand you let me down, my lord."

He crossed his arms on his chest and placed one booted foot against the seat opposite. "My apologies," he said, still gri

"Not safe with him!" she sputtered. "You are the one abducting me! Stop immediately, or I shall, I shall…"

"Shall what?" he asked, chuckling. "Throw yourself out of the coach? The doors are locked, love. Scream? The horses may be alarmed, but my men are more than capable of handling them."

Elizabeth sank back into her seat again and glowered at her tormentor. "What do you want?" she asked.

He gri

"I am here against my will," she said, "and yesterday I said no. How can you expect to achieve anything from such a situation?"

He settled his shoulders against his corner of the coach and looked at her. The grin had faded, though he still smiled. "I have excellent hopes," he said. "I have ached for you for six years, and you have suffered too, I know. I love you now as I have from the begi

"What makes you believe that I love you?" she asked frostily.

"I have it on excellent authority," he replied. "William Mainwaring, Mr. Rowe, your brother and sister-in-law."

She looked sharply across at him. "Mr. Rowe?" she asked, frowning.

"He told me so at Bath a few days ago," he replied.

"At Bath?"

"How do you think I knew you were here?" he asked with a sigh. "When I found my uncle in Paris, I thought that my wanderings were over. But when I arrived in Granby to claim you, I was told the Rowes were in Bath. I found them there, but not you, love."

Elizabeth turned to stare out the window. "Robert, take me back," she said, "or let me down here. Please."

"No, I ca

She sat stiffly in her place, staring sightlessly at the passing scenery. Several minutes passed in silence.

"Robert," she said at last, "you ca

He chuckled. "A very strange kind of doxy dressed like that," he said. "You do look a perfect fright, you know, Elizabeth. Did you hope to hold Chatsworth off with such a costume? You would not have succeeded. Your charms show through quite shockingly." He reached out a hand and flicked a chestnut curl on her neck.

Elizabeth turned to him with pleading eyes. "I ca

He smiled into her eyes, and the hand that had touched her hair moved to cup her chin. "We are not going home yet, love," he said. "We are going to Devon."

"To Devon?" she echoed.

"My grandmother's house passed to me on her death," he said, "though I have not been there since then. But now is the right time. We have a honeymoon to complete."

"No," she said breathlessly. "No, don't take me there, Robert."

He still held her chin. "Do you remember the salt smell of the air, love?" he asked, holding her eyes with his. "Do you remember that wide golden beach, the sand, the waves, the cliff path, the gulls, the view from our window? We were standing there when our honeymoon was interrupted, although at the time we did not know how long that interruption would be. I had just finished unbuttoning your dress, I believe?"

As he spoke, Hetherington had untied the ribbons of her bo

"I can't," she whispered. "I am so afraid, Robert. I am afraid to love again."

"I know," he said, "but I am afraid not to. Look ahead, Elizabeth. Ten years. Twenty years. Thirty. Can you bear to think of the emptiness? I ca

Elizabeth felt the tears springing to her eyes. She moved forward to hide her face against his coat, and his arms came around her to hold her to him.

"Will it be the same?" she asked. "Will the magic be gone, Robert? I am afraid to go back."

He laughed. "Have you grown so fearful, love?" he asked. "I remember the time when you defied the world to run away with me, although I was a pe

"Yes," she admitted hesitantly against his coat, "I always have."

"Well," he said, chuckling against her hair, "you have sealed your doom now, love. You ca

"Would you have let me go had I not said so?" she asked, her voice muffled by his coat.

"No," he admitted.

"You see?" she said, raising her head, her eyes flashing, her cheeks flushed. "You do not play fair, Robert De

"No," he said, "I don't, do I? And are you not glad of it?"

She glared at him, until her face dimpled suddenly. "I promise you, you will not win all our arguments so easily, my lord," she assured him severely.

"Have I won this one?" he asked meekly.

"Oh, Robert, please kiss me," she begged suddenly. "Make me forget all my fears. John and Louise are very much in love with each other and they are perfectly happy. There is not any reason why we should not be, is there? If we really try…"

"Elizabeth," he said, pulling her close against his chest again, "you asked me to do something. Now would you have the kindness to allow me to do it?"

"Oh," she said, "is it advisable to kiss on an open highway, Robert?"

He clucked his tongue in mock a

"The answer to your question is yes," he said, gri

"Oh," she said. "Should we not wait, Robert? The servants mmmm-"

"Thank goodness I have a wife who knows when to stop prattling," the Marquess of Hetherington said with a self-satisfied smile several minutes later. "Now, if I could just train you not to wear these gowns that have a few score of buttons down the back, love!"