Noel had taken the first available hackney carriage waiting outside the restaurant. The driver, a short, stocky man in a frayed brown coat and flat cap who had barely glanced at him before nodding and cracking the reins. Noel climbed in, shut the door, and sank against the cracked leather seat.
His borrowed black morning coat was dusty now from the street and the white shirt beneath was faintly damp with sweat.
He leaned his head back against the squabs and closed his eyes for a moment.
The carriage rocked gently as it pulled away.
He tried to breathe slowly but every inhale brought Arthur's voice back.
'You'll do anything I want.'
Noel's face flushed and warmed.
He remembered the pressure under the table, thanks to Arthur's leg. The way Arthur had smirked when Noel tried to push him off. The way his body had betrayed him, heat pooling low despite the disgust curling in his gut.
