The Lady Plays Her Ace (The Langley Sisters) Read Online Free
Author: Wendy Vella
Tags: Regency Romance
free. Turning, he saw Lady Althea trip, as Ted stumbled into her. Two men were wrestling and had bumped the footman, causing him to fall, taking his mistress with him.
"My lady!" Ted reached for her, but she still hit the ground, landing hard on her shoulder.
Ace reached her seconds later, lifting her into his arms. "It's all right. I have you," He pulled her into the safety of his chest. He felt her arms wrap around his neck and hold him tight, as he started moving once more. Her heart thumped hard and Ace was sure his did the same. The thought of her being hurt enraged him. She could have been trampled by men who saw nothing but the need to swing a fist. Most had consumed a tankard or two, enough to make them irrational, and he would have never forgiven himself had anything happened to her.
"Are you there, Ted?" Ace heard a curse and then confirmation that the footman was once again at his back.
Ace held Lady Althea with one arm while he forced his way towards the door, and managed a smile when she kicked out with one of her dainty feet and got a man in the nose, making him howl in pain. When they reached the doorway, he hurried through and continued walking until they were clear of any men. Only then did he release her, lowering her slowly to the ground, his hands holding her waist until she felt steady. He then watched as she lifted her face to the sky and inhaled deeply.
"Are you all right, my lady?"
"Yes, Ted, thank you. I had just not expected it to be quite so…"
"Brutal?" Ace offered.
"Yes." She lowered her head and looked at him.
"Is the lady all right, Sir?"
Ace nodded to his driver as he appeared. "She is."
"Shall I get the carriage, Sir?"
"Yes, thank you, Riff."
"Where is your carriage, my lady?" Ace touched her elbow.
"W-we hired transportation." Her voice was unsteady and she was pale. Ace suspected her hands shook also; however, those she had tucked behind her back.
"Then I shall drive you home," he added, taking her arm." She did not argue, which told Ace more than any words could.
They stood in silence until his carriage appeared, and Ace noted that one of the satin ribbons that held her bonnet in place was torn and her skirts where dirty as were the fingers of her pale leather gloves.
"Are you sure you are unhurt, my lady?"
"Yes, thank you, Mr. Dillinger." Her words were precise and indicated she did not wish to discuss the matter further, so Ace kept quiet…for now.
Riff arrived with the carriage. Ted climbed up to sit beside his driver, and Ace opened the door and helped Lady Althea inside.
CHAPTER TWO
He took the seat opposite and studied her. She was looking out the window with her lower lip trapped between her teeth. She worried it and Ace saw the emotions chase across her face as she thought about what she had seen. Lady Althea had probably just endured one of the most frightening moments of her life, yet she had not fallen into hysterics. Instead, she had chosen to remain silent and controlled, when he was sure inside she was in turmoil.
"The thing is, Mr. Dillinger, I have always thought of myself as a rational person, not some simple minded, fluffy headed girl who makes silly statements, rash decisions and faints at the sight of violence," she said, still looking out the window, although her voice was steadier now. "My brother told me something that unsettled me on the journey here, and when I saw the advertisement I thought that it would be the very thing to take my mind off this news."
"Nothing serious, I hope?" Ace said.
"For no one but I, Mr. Dillinger, and something that I hope to find a resolution for shortly," she added and Ace wondered what she was referring to but did not push the matter, as he had no right to do so.
"Believe it or not, I thought through my attendance here today quite extensively, I assure you. I worked through the pros and cons, and even though Ted tried to dissuade me from attending, I refused to consider his words, believing I knew what I was
"My lady!" Ted reached for her, but she still hit the ground, landing hard on her shoulder.
Ace reached her seconds later, lifting her into his arms. "It's all right. I have you," He pulled her into the safety of his chest. He felt her arms wrap around his neck and hold him tight, as he started moving once more. Her heart thumped hard and Ace was sure his did the same. The thought of her being hurt enraged him. She could have been trampled by men who saw nothing but the need to swing a fist. Most had consumed a tankard or two, enough to make them irrational, and he would have never forgiven himself had anything happened to her.
"Are you there, Ted?" Ace heard a curse and then confirmation that the footman was once again at his back.
Ace held Lady Althea with one arm while he forced his way towards the door, and managed a smile when she kicked out with one of her dainty feet and got a man in the nose, making him howl in pain. When they reached the doorway, he hurried through and continued walking until they were clear of any men. Only then did he release her, lowering her slowly to the ground, his hands holding her waist until she felt steady. He then watched as she lifted her face to the sky and inhaled deeply.
"Are you all right, my lady?"
"Yes, Ted, thank you. I had just not expected it to be quite so…"
"Brutal?" Ace offered.
"Yes." She lowered her head and looked at him.
"Is the lady all right, Sir?"
Ace nodded to his driver as he appeared. "She is."
"Shall I get the carriage, Sir?"
"Yes, thank you, Riff."
"Where is your carriage, my lady?" Ace touched her elbow.
"W-we hired transportation." Her voice was unsteady and she was pale. Ace suspected her hands shook also; however, those she had tucked behind her back.
"Then I shall drive you home," he added, taking her arm." She did not argue, which told Ace more than any words could.
They stood in silence until his carriage appeared, and Ace noted that one of the satin ribbons that held her bonnet in place was torn and her skirts where dirty as were the fingers of her pale leather gloves.
"Are you sure you are unhurt, my lady?"
"Yes, thank you, Mr. Dillinger." Her words were precise and indicated she did not wish to discuss the matter further, so Ace kept quiet…for now.
Riff arrived with the carriage. Ted climbed up to sit beside his driver, and Ace opened the door and helped Lady Althea inside.
CHAPTER TWO
He took the seat opposite and studied her. She was looking out the window with her lower lip trapped between her teeth. She worried it and Ace saw the emotions chase across her face as she thought about what she had seen. Lady Althea had probably just endured one of the most frightening moments of her life, yet she had not fallen into hysterics. Instead, she had chosen to remain silent and controlled, when he was sure inside she was in turmoil.
"The thing is, Mr. Dillinger, I have always thought of myself as a rational person, not some simple minded, fluffy headed girl who makes silly statements, rash decisions and faints at the sight of violence," she said, still looking out the window, although her voice was steadier now. "My brother told me something that unsettled me on the journey here, and when I saw the advertisement I thought that it would be the very thing to take my mind off this news."
"Nothing serious, I hope?" Ace said.
"For no one but I, Mr. Dillinger, and something that I hope to find a resolution for shortly," she added and Ace wondered what she was referring to but did not push the matter, as he had no right to do so.
"Believe it or not, I thought through my attendance here today quite extensively, I assure you. I worked through the pros and cons, and even though Ted tried to dissuade me from attending, I refused to consider his words, believing I knew what I was
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