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But now that other va their undeadness to her sensitivities, as nothing happening? Sara and George--and whoever else--certainly would know she are of the presence of vae e and Sara Victoria heard a fahone that sent horrible shivers down her spine What endolyn doing here?

Indeed, the tableau played out with all of the societal niceties one ht have expected, if one were unaware that at least so blood

"Isister and her betrothed insisted upon joining us for tonight’s excursion," explained George, e so that the third one could pull forward

"Victoria!" Gwendolyn cried, lurching forward in her vehicle to wave The ht slivered over her blond hair and outlined round cheeks curved in a delighted s? A ride in the park at night?"

"It isto keep the trepidation froe had sent his sister safely away froo; why had he allowed her to coht?

"It was a last- explanations were in order "I do hope you don’t feel that Brodebaugh and I are intruding George didn’t think I should be out in the cool night air, but I convinced Brodebaugh that it was no worse than sitting in the dinner rooe and Sara simply couldn’t be out without a chaperone" Gwen couldn’t seeloith happiness as she leaned coainst her fiancé, who looked down at her with his own indulgent smile

"Indeed," Victoria replied faintly She was still waiting for soh what, she wasn’t certain

"So where is this co

Instead of looking up, as the others autolowing eyes, floating like red lightning bugs in the depths of brush and shrubbery, watched theh, inside the hidden pocket Verbena had sewn into her gown She shifted to adjust it, and to ers itched to close around the small wooden pike and sla them

Prudence held her back; prudence and discretion Not until she had to Gwendolyn and her earl didn’t need to be frightened, or exposed to the violence that would occur

But though she waited, nothing untoward happened The drive through the park went on as though it were nothing other than what it had been put out to be: an opportunity for several young couples to have a romantic interlude

It wasn’t until nearly a half hour later, after George had pointed out si with the Coed

She sensed an expectation building, a feeling of anticipation Victoria remained alert, but other than the insistent chill on her neck and the sense of waiting, she felt and saw nothing

She needed to do soet Gwendolyn and her earl away before whatever was going to happen happened

They were trotting along the easy, curving path lit by the moon’s skirt The odd lus of trees and brush, and piles of paving stones that bespoke John Nash’s ongoing redesign of the park reared up in the dark, sending aard shadows over the road

The three carriages were le file, but staggered across the path George and Sara were in the lead, Victoria and Jahtly to the left behind theh in the rear directly behind her brother, almost next to Victoria

She turned in her seat to call back to Gwendolyn, planning to --so that her friend would accompany her horeat lurch and all at once, everything was falling The horses shrieked and Ja as if in slow motion Then, as she hit her head, a moment of darkness and pain

When she opened her eyes, only seconds later, she heard Gwendolyn screa was dark and aard It took her only an instant to realize that soe had tipped or fallen, and that she was trapped beneath Ja concentrated on her corner of the conveyance

She had the ithal to grip her stake, and even though she felt discomfort from the fall, Victoria wasn’t injured But she was fully aware that this could not have been an accident

And when she heard the screa into the curricle above her, she knew she was right