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"See who, Bess?"

Never had she experienced joy and dread si splendid in a black jacket and silvery gray waistcoat Her heart beat wildly in her chest He was nificent More so than she remembered Her face flushed Dread reasserted itself She was sure to receive a tongue-lashing as only he kne to deliver for venturing out unescorted

Hovering there, waiting for him to notice her, she realized how foolhardy her actions Good Lord, look what nearly happened to her Her breath trapped in her chest as she braced herself for theour guests," Bess informed Nick

"That’s Mr Fairbanks to you" Skelly patted his bloodied nose, his voice muffled by the handkerchief "And I didn’t accost anyone That bitch hit ht

Nick finally looked at her The concern and sympathy ready for one of his patrons immediately vanished frorowled, taking a threatening step toward her

"You know her?" Bess asked sharply, the ar to her sides

Nick ignored her question, either unaware of it or indifferent "What are you doing here?" he repeated

Meredith darted a wary glance to Bess’s and Skelly’s rapt faces Skelly held his handkerchiefhis bloody nose Bess scowled darkly

"I needed to speak with you" She hated the telling trerabbed hold of her shoulder and gave it a shake "This is no place for you What were you thinking?"

"Why is this no place for her?" Bess de forward to stand side by side with Nick

Meredith held her hands up in supplication "I needed to speak with you privately This seemed the best way I realize now that I should have sent word that I was colared at her with equal expressions of hostility, and Meredith was unsure which one posed the greatest threat to her at the moment

"You should not have co what had happened to her, he abruptly released her shoulder and wheeled around, grabbing Skelly by the throat "You touched her?"

"She was alone!" Skelly scratched at Nick’s fingers with an ani, "I didn’t know she was yours I didn’t hurt her She "

"And I can iine just what you did to warrant that" Nick’s knuckles hite around Skelly’s throat, and Meredith placed a restraining hand on his bicep The ers

"Nick" She spoke his naer He looked down at her hand on his arainst his hold Her voice beseeched hio

He’s not worth it"

"Nick," Bess interrupted, her angry gaze scouring Meredith "People are watching" Her eyes swept Meredith and Skelly in ather around the up the steps to the dais Meredith dropped her hand and tried to disappear even farther into the confines of her cloak

Nick hesitated for the briefestover his face--his desire to continue choking the life out Skelly the most apparent At last he shoved the man away "I warned you to stay out of here There won’t be a next tiry red flesh of his throat "I hear you" He spared one last veno out the front doors

Nick looked back at her, fists closing and opening at his sides, his expression as dark and forbidding as when he had looked at Skelly Did he want to choke her too? If possible, she shrank even farther into her cloak He tore his eyes fro, just as she did, that they hovered on the brink of scandal His jaw tensed in gri ever closer

Bess stepped in front of Meredith "It’s tih trouble"

Meredith tried to peer around the wolih time for him to stop her if he were inclined With a curt nod of acceptance, she veered for the door

Meredith rabbed hold of her wrist and walked her straight out the door with swift, purposeful strides

"Nick!" Bess cried behind theh Meredith For whatever reason, he had not let her walk out the door alone She tried to look over her shoulder to see if Bess’s expression matched the fury in her voice, but Nick moved too quickly

His voice reached her ears in a fast and furious growl "I’ll see you hoest you shut yourwe’ll both regret I used up all o I don’t have much left over for you"

She nodded du, her smaller strides three for every one of his He hailed a hack Barking the address, he yanked the door open with such violence she cringed She tried to get in without his assistance, but he had no patience for that With an angry snarl, he grabbed her by the waist and tossed her up before him She scurried to the far corner of her seat, away fro fraan its crawl to Berkeley Square