Scoundrel With A Noble Heart (sequel of Disgraceful)

Chapter 45

Matthew halfheartedly followed Arabella as she continued to flaunt him in a way that made him feel more like one of the furry, neatly-groomed pets in the hands of their proud owner than a male companion. As a result, they raised more than a few eyebrows along the way. Much to his dismay, every other minute Arabella greeted somebody and stopped for a brief exchange, and he had to endure the awkward moment of introduction time and again. It had been a long time since the last time he suffered such hostility, now he felt like he couldn't bear it for another minute. The experience brought on a new realization that all this time, the club had been his little empire, the only place he and his skills were
held in high regard. The only place where he truly belonged.

Unaware of his irritation, Arabella moved to her next target.
"Lady Highwood. How delightful to see you." She waved at a handsome mature lady who'd just appeared in the opposite direction. The woman's eyes widened at the sight of Arabella clinging to an unknown man, then she looked another way and pretended not to see her.

"Well, how rude is that!" exclaimed Arabella, loud enough to make herself heard. Utterly ignoring her, the woman kept walking at a steady pace, and though Matthew didn't mean to enjoy himself at her expense, secretly he felt truly relieved. Refraining from making any comments, Matthew prepared himself for her complaints, but when she turned towards him, her face lit up with excitement.
"See? This works great. They are giving me a cold shoulder for associating with the likes of you. Before long, words about my unacceptable behavior will spread among the ton."

Matthew made no reply. Right from the start, he wasn't convinced this whole pretense was the wisest thing to do, but he knew there was no use arguing with her at the moment, so he simply said,
"Bella, it's getting dark. I think it's time to go home."

The smile slid off her face.
"Should we? I still want to be with you."

He'd been more than slightly irritated with her insensitivity, yet the way she said the words with a childlike frankness made him smile.
"Me too, but it's getting late. Your parents will be worried if they find out you are not home."

Arabella pouted at the mention of her parents.
"Like they will. I can disappear for a week and they won't even realize that I'm not there."
She paused, then a wild spark flashed in her eyes.
"Matthew, I have a better idea. Why don't you take me to dinner?"

His eyes widened at the outrageous suggestion.
"Bella, it would be unseemly for a respectable lady like you to be seen with me in public places! That would be scandalous!"

"That's exactly what I aim for. Do you forget what I just said to you? My plan is to render myself unmarriageable. And what do you think we're doing now?"

"But, taking a stroll in an open park in the daylight is completely different from going out to dinner with me. It's going to stir a commotion, and you'll get yourself into serious trouble!"

"Whatever trouble I'll find myself in, it's certainly much better than being forced into marriage with a stranger. Where's your carriage?"

"You can't ride with me! What about your driver? The poor man will get fired if he comes back without you."

"Do you think my parents will let me go out without an escort? I snuck out of the house and hired a hackney to get here. Now where's your carriage?"

Matthew stopped short,
"You snuck out?!"

Arabella rolled her eyes.
"No need to be so dramatic. I've done worse than sneaking out for a couple hours' walk in the park."

Well, nobody could argue with that. Throwing his hands in a gesture of surrender, Matthew gestured towards his hackney coach in the distance. Without hesitation, she preceded him to make towards the carriage. Upon hearing her brisk footsteps, the driver turned towards them. Quite taken aback by the beautiful stranger coming with his master, he threw a quizzical look at Matthew before jumping from his perch on the front seat to open the door.