"Shouldn't we collect our luggage?"
Her question interrupted his thoughts. Lucas forced himself back to the business at hand.
"Stay right here," he ordered. "I'll be back in a minute."
Taylor only had enough time to nod before he walked away. She had the luggage tickets clutched in her hand. Lucas had secured reservations at the Hamilton House just outside of Boston proper, per Madam's explicit instructions. It was one of the best hotels in America, certainly on a par with the States Hotel, though on a smaller scale. Madam had read all the literature on both establishments and had declared that Hamilton House was a bit more exclusive. She told Lucas the States Hotel catered to too many businessmen, and she didn't want her granddaughter mingling with what she called the ordinary working man. Lucas didn't argue. He would deposit Taylor wherever her grandmother wanted her deposited, spend one or two more nights in the city, depending upon the bankers' meetings, and then head for home.
He returned to Taylor with a clerk from Hamilton House a few minutes later. He was in the nick of time. Taylor was in the process of handing over their luggage tickets to a man who had convinced her he was a representative of the hotel and would take care of the baggage.
Lucas snatched the tickets out of the thief's hands and sent him running. Taylor was appalled by what she deemed rude and certainly improper conduct. When she noticed the man Lucas handed the tickets to was wearing a hotel badge on his hat and the man she'd almost given her possessions to hadn't been wearing any such credentials, she became horrified by her own naivete.
"He would have stolen our luggage."
Lucas nodded. Taylor wasn't about to let the matter drop. She lifted the hem of her skirt and went running after the thief. Lucas grabbed her before she got lost in the crowd.
"Where in God's name do you think you're going?"
"To catch the scoundrel," she explained in a near shout. "Someone should alert the authorities."
Lucas let her see his exasperation. He anchored her to his side and turned toward the line of public vehicles.
"Aren't you going to do something?" she demanded.
"He's gone, Taylor. We'd never find him in this crowd."
"I remember his face," she boasted.
Lucas didn't laugh. She sounded so damned earnest. "What would you do if you caught up with him?"
She hadn't thought that far ahead. She considered the matter for a minute or two, then shrugged. "I would hold onto him while I shouted for assistance."
He rolled his eyes heavenward. She was beginning to see the folly in her plan but would go to her grave before admitting her foolishness.
"What would happen if he didn't stand there peacefully while you did your shouting, Taylor?"
"I suppose I'd have to pound him."
It was an empty boast, and they both knew it. "I think you should begin to think about consequences," Lucas remarked.
He was barely paying her any attention now. They reached the vehicles. He stopped to give their destination to the driver.
Taylor was trying to get him to unhand her. He finally noticed what she was doing when he turned to open the door to the conveyance for her.
"Get in."
"We can't leave just yet. I'm waiting for my friend. She's going to ride to the hotel with us. You'll have to be patient, Lucas. I was supposed to meet her by the luggage. Excuse me for one minute while I go look for her."
"You'll never find her in this crush."
"There she is," Taylor cried out. She called Victoria's name, but her friend didn't hear her. Taylor couldn't get Lucas to unhand her long enough to go after her friend, and so she gave the errand to him. "Do go and fetch Victoria." Lucas let go of her. He turned to look at the crowd. "Who is Victoria?"
He was talking to air. The second he unhanded her, she took off. Lucas muttered an expletive and went chasing after her. Because he was so much bigger than she was, he couldn't slip through the crowd as easily as she could. He resorted to shoving several men out of his path. He caught up with Taylor just as she came to a stop behind a red-headed woman. "Victoria, do turn around," Taylor requested. Her friend was obviously taken by surprise. She jumped a good foot and then whirled around. The relief on her face was pronounced, and there were tears in her eyes.
"Oh, I'm so happy to see you, Taylor. I thought you'd left me behind. I couldn't remember where we had agreed to meet," she added in a rush.
Victoria tried to hide her panic. In truth, she'd been terrified. She felt ill now. Her stomach was queasy, and she thought she was going to be sick. Dear God, she didn't know what she was going to do. She wanted to weep with relief because Taylor hadn't left her behind but knew such undignified behavior wouldn't be at all appropriate.
Taylor could see how distressed her friend was. She hurried to soothe her. "I also became confused about our meeting place," she said. "I thought we were supposed to meet on deck where the luggage was being stacked for transfer. It doesn't matter," she hastily added. "I would never have left you. Besides, if something had happened and we hadn't found each other, you knew the name of the hotel. You could have gotten there on your own."
Victoria nodded. She was too embarrassed to admit she didn't even have sufficient funds to pay the driver. She would have had to walk to Hamilton House. Still, Taylor was right. Victoria felt she was resourceful enough to find a way. She just wished she wasn't so emotional. The past week had been a test of endurance for her, what with all the changes in her life and her body, and she seemed to cry almost hourly.
"I'm not usually so emotional, milady," she announced.
And then she burst into tears. Taylor pulled a lacy handkerchief out of the cuff of her sleeve, handed it to Victoria, and then took hold of her hand. She turned to Lucas and quickly made the introductions.
"Victoria is a dear friend of mine," she informed him.
"Why is she crying?"
Taylor frowned at Lucas for bringing up the topic. Victoria was valiantly trying to control herself. "She's had a difficult time of it," she explained. "She's in mourning."
"I am?" Victoria asked in a whisper.
Taylor nodded. "Yes, you are."
She turned back to Lucas. "She's mourning the death of her beloved husband."
He didn't ask any questions. He knew very well who she was. He still remembered well every word the two women had exchanged the night Taylor had come to Victoria's assistance. He'd been about to haul the crazy woman down off that warped crate and ask her what the hell was the matter with her when Taylor intervened. And so he'd stayed in the shadows. He wasn't deliberately eavesdropping. He was simply making certain Taylor stayed safe. He was keeping his part of the bargain he'd made with her grandmother. Hearing that Victoria was pregnant and unmarried had struck a chord with him. He felt pity for her, of course, as well as a little compassion. She wasn't going to have an easy time of it. His own mother hadn't.
Lucas couldn't help but admire Taylor because she was looking out for the woman. "Are you going to help Victoria get settled in Boston?" he asked. "That is my intention," she answered. He smiled. She didn't know what to make of that reaction. And so she simply smiled back.
"Shouldn't we get going? All the vehicles will be taken up, sir."
He was in full agreement. He suddenly wanted to get to their destination, too. He grabbed hold of Taylor's left hand and Victoria's right hand and strode toward the vehicles. Victoria's flower-laden bonnet was in jeopardy of flying off her head, so fast was his pace. She put her left hand on top of her head to anchor her hat in place.
Taylor was trying not to trip on her skirt. "We aren't running from a fire, Mr. Ross," she called out.
He slowed down. He gave the driver their destination, then opened the door and turned to Victoria. "Has your luggage been sent on?"