Instead of a prince, he’d peddled her off to a pauper, perhaps not in terms of actual wealth but certainly in terms of character and feeling, falling short in all ways that mattered to Harriet.
And what of her dream dress? They hadn’t even given her that.
She sighed.
The only thing she could hold onto now was the promise she had made to her mother, that she would marry a man who would at the very least valued her enough to fight to be with her. Her current predicament was, however, rather alarming. Leedswould surely chase her down to Charleston—there could be no doubt about it. But...
Was that enough?
His insistence on the docks, his determination, and his chasing her down. Could this be considered fighting for her? Or did it just demonstrate a sense of entitlement and desire to win?
Already, her mind spun with all the ways she could provoke Leeds into showing his true motivations once he caught up with her. Luckily, she had more than enough time to come up with all sorts of ways to test the man.
A gentle rap prompted Harriet to divert her gaze from the window. It must be the tea she’d requested. However, the moment she opened the door, Harriet was pushed back by a large man who didn’t hesitate to step into her cabin.
“What are you...” The words died on her lips as she stared into the depth of two glowing embers. Her eyes widened.
Leeds.
Harriet shook her head, certain she was hallucinating the man before her. She looked at him again and blinked. He didn’t disappear.
A resounding thud signaled her only exit had been sealed.
“Harriet.”
For a moment, all words lodged in the back of her throat, refusing to pass. “How... how are you here?”
“There is one thing about me you should know, love: I will always find you. Do you know how dangerous it is for a woman to travel the seas alone? Be thankful I got onto the ship before you were irrevocably out of my reach.”
Thankful my derriere.How had he even got onto the ship? Harriet gave the man a thorough look. He wore simple clothes. Brown breeches with a white shirt. No shoes. Strands of wet hair fell over his forehead. Had he swum here?
“Do not tell me—did you jump into the Thames?”
“Dive would be the more correct term.” His gaze bore into her. “You left me no other choice.”
“Are you mad?” She goggled at him. “I won’t even mention the filthy water, but what if the captain hadn’t pulled you out? Or are you telling me you scaled the side of the ship?”
The corner of his lips itched upward. “Why? Are you worried about me?”
She snorted. “I’d rather not have your death on my conscience.”
A glint of humor entered his gaze. “How heartwarming of you, love,” he murmured the final word in that deep voice that made her body tingle all over.
She could not deny that him leaping into the River Thames after her did cause a thrill to skitter down her spine, but she needed to stay focused. She folded her arms across her breasts and regarded the beast with all the contempt she could muster. It mattered not that he was here. It would make her task harder, true, but as long as she could get word to Rohan once they reached Charleston, all would be well.
“What do you hope to accomplish?” Harriet asked. “Do you wish to marry me so badly that you would risk your life for my hand?”
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.”
“Go on, let’s see,” Harriet challenged.
“I find you captivating.”
“Captivating? Me?” She blinked before she threw her head back and laughed. Unbelievable. “You are right, I rather think I don’t believe you.”
He might as well have confessed his love for all the hogwash in those four words! How could he find her captivating when they had only met today? The man didn’t know her at all. If he did, he wouldknowshe was the least captivating person on thisplanet! At least, in comparison to all the diamonds of the first water gracing theton.
Leeds stared at her for a long moment before rubbing his temples with the fingers and thumb of one hand. He nodded to her travel bag. “Is that all you brought?”
