Chapter 10

 

Having had a moment to collect her thoughts, Gwen took a deep breath and quickly followed Crispin’s lead off the train. She sighed with relief at having arrived at their final stop. But seconds later, her relief was overshadowed by the very real prospect of what lay ahead of her next. For starters, Victoria Station was huge! Along with the crowds of people, the place was bustling with sounds and activity of the likes she had never known. She wasn’t quite sure what she had been expecting but this was not it. The closest comparison she had ever known to a place like this was Toronto’s Union Station and that was no way near as overwhelming as London’s Victoria Station.

“Okay, young miss, where do we go from here?” Crispin asked when they arrived at street level. “Which exit?” He looked around at all the people, the shops, the signs before looking at Gwen. When she only stared blankly at him, he frowned and called her name a few times until she snapped out of her trance.

“Yes, of course, sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, just tell me where to go next.”

Once again, she reined in her building anxiety and focused on the task at hand. “Umm... my itinerary.” She searched her pocket for her scribbled note. She was trying very hard to hide her confusion from Crispin. She felt awful already for messing up the start of their journey. He was waiting for her instruction as was part of their deal and all she could do was stare at the little piece of paper.

“Well?”

Gwen robotically read out her writing. “We... um... we have to exit onto Buckingham Palace Road and cross at the pedestrian crossing, turn to the left and then take a right onto Lower Belgrave Street. Turn left at the traffic lights onto Ebury Street and follow the road for approximately 200 metres until you reach the Lemon Tree Inn on your left.”

Again, Crispin frowned. He hadn’t heard a word she’d said, her voice was so low. Plus the noise all around them was not helping. Frustrated, he gestured for her to follow him as he strode toward a quieter area. When he turned his attention back to Gwen, he could tell by the look on her face that she was seconds away from falling apart. She must be exhausted, he surmised. One cross word from him at that moment and she would be in tears. Of this, he was sure, and once again, he reined in his temper. Resting the suitcases to the side, he placed his hands on her shoulders, leaned in and waited while she recited the instructions in the shakiest of voices. This was not getting them anywhere.

He then very gently took the little note from her hands and read it himself. He glanced around the station and checked for signs. Tucking it into his pocket, he looked back at Gwen. At the sight of her uncertainty, he couldn’t resist the urge to slide his hand onto her shoulder, near to her neck, his thumb gently stroking her cheek. At her deep intake of breath, Crispin quirked an eyebrow and asked, “What can I do for you?”

At his unexpected kind words, Gwen bit her bottom lip and leaned her face into his hand. How had he known to say that? More beautiful words, he couldn’t have spoken at that moment in time. When she couldn’t find a way to respond without giving into tears, he gave her cheek the slightest tweak and took charge of the situation.

At the stab of unexpected emotion in his chest, Crispin gave his head a quick shake. Rather than admit he was falling for her helpless little act, he blamed it on exhaustion.

“Right then, let’s do this.” He grabbed up their suitcases and started off in any old direction looking for a sign pointing them toward Buckingham Palace Road. After a few steps, he paused, looking over his shoulder, concern all over his face. The girl was whiter than a sheet. Clearly, she would not last much longer.

“Come, I believe a drink is in order.” This arrangement, whatever it was, was not working out. He had now lost all his patience with the entire situation and she was not helping her cause one bit. Luckily, there was a bar in the station where Crispin ordered himself a beer and her a bottle of sparkling water.

He next approached a stand-up table and placed their suitcases underneath it. Leaning against the wall, he watched her twist off the bottle cap and take a soothing sip of water.

“So, tell me,” he said when she’d safely swallowed. “What happened back there?”

“Where? What do you mean?” Caught off guard, she stalled to answer.

“You know exactly what I mean. I nearly lost you. You were right behind me and you just froze. Then what? What if you had gotten left behind? How would I ever find you?” He chuckled as he spoke, purposely ignoring the stab of guilt at such a thing. For some reason, her quirky vulnerability had him by the balls and the realization of it irked him to no end. It would have been so easy to simply leave her there and be done with her, yet at the time, it was the last thing he had wanted to do. Seconds before the train doors could shut in her face, he hadn’t even thought twice about it. He had simply reacted and dragged her in with him at the last second.

Gwen averted her eyes in shame. She had messed up. She had looked the fool in front of him. As grateful as she was that he hadn’t gotten angry, she still felt like she had failed her part of the deal. Some tour guide she was turning out to be. “I um... I don’t know. I was overwhelmed. I wasn’t expecting all the people, so many people, and trains. It should have been a simple connection. Suddenly, it turned into a nightmare.”

“A nightmare?” Crispin’s voice rose an octave. “Come on, Gwen, shit happens. Train schedules get thrown off all the time. I wouldn’t exactly call it a nightmare, merely an unfortunate occurrence.”

“I’m sorry but stuff like that scares me,” she whispered more to herself but loud enough for him to hear. “Doesn’t it bother you, when things don’t go as planned?”

At her question, he all but laughed. Hadn’t she just hijacked his trip? Yet at the sincerity of her question, once again, he reined in the spiteful comment that was on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he said, “Not at all.” He took another swig of his beer. “Situations, locations, I can handle. If I were to be suddenly whisked away to land in another place, I know I’d figure it out, I always have.” He paused for another drink then added, “People, on the other hand, are fickle and unpredictable, and that, I can’t handle.”

Gwen stayed quiet and reflected on his words. If by people, he meant her, she couldn’t quite blame him for feeling that way. Unable to address it just yet she turned her attention to his curious drink.

“What is that?” Gwen asked, watching him take a gulp of the dark liquid into his mouth.

“Guinness,” he explained, holding it out for her to try. “I was in the mood for something dark.”

Gwen hesitated. “I… I don’t know.” She wasn’t quite sure she should have any alcohol at that point. She wasn’t much of a drinker and beer wasn’t her beverage of choice but the frothy bit at the top of his drink had her more than intrigued.

“Well, it definitely can’t hurt. You’ll need it. It’ll give you strength for the next part of our journey.” He flashed her a devilish smile. When she only stared at the glass, he took charge and made the decision for her. “Just drink it. It’ll make you feel better.” He couldn’t say exactly what compelled him to do it but something about this little lady called to him. When she didn’t say yes or no, he snaked his arm around her waist, drew her into him and held the cup to her lips. When she automatically opened her mouth, he tipped the drink into her parted pink lips and watched her. Without resistance, she met his gaze with trusting eyes and drank, swallowing a mouthful before he rested the cup back on the table. Expecting her to be a little upset at his use of force, she surprised him instead, by relaxing into him. She sighed as if the weight of the world were lifted from her shoulders.

“More?” he asked, his body reacting quite readily to her compliance.

“Yes, please,” she whispered, looking from him to the glass already poised in his hand.

“Well, isn’t this a pleasant turn of events,” Crispin purred low in his chest, watching as she easily complied with his ministrations.

“It’s nice. Bitter but nice,” Gwen said it about the beer, but she meant it for him as well. Whether he understood, didn’t matter so much. All she knew was after the turmoil she’d just experienced, his steely warmth pressed against her was like a salve to her weary mind. Let him be bitter as long as he holds me this way at the end of the day.

Very intently, Crispin watched her as he methodically fed her mouthfuls of his drink, taking one for himself in between, until the glass was empty. He couldn’t say what had him more excited, the sight of her swallowing, or her eyes on him as she did so. Her pink tongue now tracing her glistening lips was the last straw, though. Unable to resist, he traced his thumb over her upper lip, wiping away the remnants of the froth. Before he could stop himself, he dipped its tip into her warm wet mouth. He sucked in a breath when she closed her eyes and gave it a tentative lick.

“Watch yourself, young miss.” He grabbed her by the back of the head, tangling his fingers in her hair. He drew her ear to his mouth and growled. “You don’t know who you are dealing with.”