Page 66 of Any Rogue Will Do
“Which direction did they go? Did you see the passengers?”
The man stared, then spit on the ground. “How much is it worth to ya?”
Digging a coin from his pocket, Ethan slapped it into the man’s hand, not caring about the denomination. “Now talk. Tell me everything.”
Five minutes later he tore off down the road to catch up with Calvin. Cold wind whipped at his face. The hostler claimed to know nothing about a female passenger, but his description of Montague had been accurate, right down to his obnoxious habit of mentioning the Earl of Danby every ten seconds. Discreet, Montague was not.
The information wasn’t much to go on, but at least they were going in the right direction. Over the next rise the yellow of Agatha’s livery stood out against the dull colors of the road. If the outriders were there, Calvin might be too. Ethan pushed the horse harder, murmuring words of encouragement.
He prayed that Lottie’s remarkable brain was even now finding a way to stall her travel north. His strong, bullheaded love had a mind of her own and wouldn’t appreciate this situation. Hell, Montague might be in pieces by the time they arrived. The thought gave him his first smile in hours.
Calvin nodded a hello when Ethan caught up to the group, and they set off. “You’ve looked better, my friend.”
“I found a man who saw Montague, but he didn’ see Lottie. They have a decent lead on us and are making good time.”
“So they’re on their way to Gretna,” Calvin called over the wind.
“Aye. What if we’re wrong, though? Doesn’ his father have a hunting retreat up north? He may have taken her there.” Montague wasn’t the most patient of fellows, as this situation showed.
“There was mention of a hunting box one night at the gaming hells. Let me think on it,” Cal said. Several minutes passed with only the thunderous hoofbeats between them before he called out, “Peterborough—the hunting box is near Peterborough.”
“We’ll check there first. Lady Agatha should be close behind us.”
Peterborough. Please let them catch up to Montague that quickly. Exhaustion made Ethan sway in the saddle, but he somehow found the energy to stay seated. They had to find her.
By the time they arrived the last rays of sun cast amber and pink streaks across the rooftops of Peterborough. Lady Agatha’s carriage had caught up shortly before the turnoff for the small town.
At the Earl of Danby’s hunting lodge, all was quiet, dark, and closed up. The driveway’s unmarred fallen leaves created a colorful testimony to how long the house had sat undisturbed.
Ethan hung his head. Cursing each mile they’d driven off the Great North Road, he calculated how long it would take to recoup the time lost to this detour.
“Might as well be certain,” Calvin said, dismounting and tying his horse to a tree. They circled the house, looking for unlocked doors and signs of life. The dark windows and cold chimneys gave off a depressive feeling.
“Stable is empty. No livestock,” a footman reported.
“I shall secure lodging for the night. We will meet you at that inn we passed in town.” Lady Agatha knocked on the ceiling of the carriage to signal the driver. “My old bones are ready for a soft bed, and I imagine yours are too, gentlemen.”
Lady Agatha opted to dine in her room, while the rest of the group ate in the taproom of the least questionable lodging to be had. The inn sat like a squat mushroom in the shadow of a great Gothic cathedral. But as inns went, it was clean, and the service hadn’t given Ethan any reason to complain. Not that he’d be terribly picky in his current condition. Food, then a reasonably soft flat surface, and he’d be happily unconscious.
Unanswered questions rattled around his sleep-deprived brain. The dim room with its flickering lantern light only fed the exhaustion creeping through him. He ate without tasting the food.
Darling pulled out a chair and flopped into it. “Lady Agatha’s tucked in for the night. You wanted to see me, Lord Amesbury?”
“Aye. I’m hopin’ you can help fill in the blanks. There’s much we don’ know. Are you sure you’ve told us everything?”
Cal interrupted, “Before we get into this, have you eaten yet?”
Darling shook her head. “Maids don’t dine with quality.” Her incredulous expression cut through the tired fog, pulling a rusty laugh from Ethan.
“We’re in the middle of nowhere after a bloody awful day. Proprieties can hang. You need tae eat, lass, so eat.”
Waving a serving girl over, Ethan asked for one more plate.
Ethan turned back to Darling. “Now, back tae my question. Is there anything from the last few days that may help us? Lottie had promised tae bring a footman with her when going out. Where was he?”
“We didn’t bring a footman. I don’t think she thought of it. At least she never mentioned it. Milady spent the last few days upset. Crying a lot. She said she wrote to you, so I’m sure you know all this.” Darling smiled her thanks to the serving girl and dug into her meal.
“I don’t have the foggiest idea what’s happening right now. Care to clue me in?” Cal asked.
