Free The Earl's Daughter by Cassie Lyons

I

    When bedraggled Sylvie Stafford ripped her bonnet from her head, the wet garment persistently clung to one of her sodden brown ringlets. Grimacing, she wrested it from the snagged curl and tossed it onto the muddy road beside her. She had been standing in the rain for nearly an hour now, hopelessly searching the silent streets of Stamford for a friendly face or passing carriage. She needed to find a kind soul—someone, anyone —to rescue her from her hopeless situation.
    The biting wind made her face so cold and numb, she could no longer tell her tears apart from the raindrops. Sylvie could hardly blame herself for crying about the wretchedness of her current predicament. She had abandoned her family, and her father would most likely disown her once her absence was discovered. In Sylvie's mind, her escape was as necessary as it was life-altering. Her foolish flight of fancy was as reckless as it was brave.
    As the rain pounded Sylvie's forehead, she closed her eyes and tried to imagine herself elsewhere. She wanted nothing more than to be in his arms. He would keep her safe. He would give her the protection and love she so desperately needed. If only he was not so very far away!
    The rain finally subsided, but the damage was already done. Sylvie was completely and utterly soaked. Her soggy slippers squished against the cobbled stone beneath her feet. She hugged herself as she walked, though she had no destination in mind. A billow of white breath swirled from her mouth as she breathed, and she tightened her throat to stifle a sob that threatened to explode from her lips. What was she doing? It was madness!
    Sylvie squinted, trying to see through the fog that blanketed the road ahead. She thought she saw a carriage trundling toward her, and if she was correct, it was a miracle indeed. She did not care who the driver was— anyone would serve her purpose. She would hire him to take her away!
    “Hello!” Sylvie shouted as loudly as she could, desperate to get his attention. “Hello? Please! I need you to take me somewhere!”
    When the driver came closer, he halted his horse and alighted from the driver's seat. He was every bit as drenched as she was, and a bit younger than she expected. He was possibly a bit older than her five and twenty years, but it was impossible to know for certain. He put her in mind of a rogue or highwayman, which made her a bit hesitant to speak to him. But it wasn't as if she had another option.
    The driver swept his dingy wet hat from his head and wrung it out. As he returned his hat to his head, he asked, “You need to me take you somewhere, Miss?”
    “I...well... yes.” A small gap between the young man's front teeth had her momentarily distracted. “I need to get to Nottingham.”
    “Is that so? Nottingham?” The driver put his hands on his hips and raked his eyes across her body. He was hardly subtle in his observation of her, which made her very conscious of the way her wet skirts were clinging to her legs. “Are you off to search for Robin Hood and his Merry Men?”
    “No.” An exasperated sigh followed her answer. “I was hoping to reunite with my beau. He has an estate in Nottingham.”
    “A beau.” The driver repeated her words with a raised eyebrow.
    “Yes. I have no idea where you are headed, or what your usual route might be, but I will pay you for your services. Handsomely, of course.”
    “A... beau.” He repeated the words yet again. “Is this job going to get me in trouble with a wrathful husband or father? One who won't rest 'til he sees me swing for this?”
    “I don't believe anything so dramatic would happen.” Her hands shivered from the cold as she dipped into her reticule. “But if the worst came to pass, you would have a father to fear. Not a husband.”
    Her answer made him grin. “Good to know.”
    Sylvie pulled a few coins from her reticule and held them out to him. When his grin dissipated into a frown, she said, “I... I'm afraid I cannot