Page 6 of Legacy of Thorns
“I was just dropping off some papers.” He gestured toward the desk. “And now I’ll be on my way to meet them.” He stepped toward the door before looking back over his shoulder with a perfectly calculated grin. “Are you coming?”
She looked back at him with a level gaze, her eyes hard to read. “Yes, I think I will.”
He faced forward again, hiding his look of triumph. It wouldn’t do to get overconfident. For a girl who didn’t look much over eighteen, Daphne was astonishingly cool and collected. He was going to have to work hard to keep her on the line.
She collected a pack from the hall near the back door and followed him outside. When he shut the back door behind her and strode toward the yard’s front gate, she didn’t follow. He paused and glanced back.
She was watching him with a frown. “Shouldn’t you lock the door? The housekeeper might not be back for weeks.”
“Oh, yes.” He walked back to the door. “Foolish of me. I’ve been so distracted.”
She seemed to accept the excuse, but she kept her eyes on him as he fumbled in his pocket and drew out a key. It wasn’t the key to the house, of course, but he angled his body so she couldn’t see the keyhole as he pretended to put it in.
When he turned back to her, his smile was perfectly calculated—relaxed but a little sheepish. She smiled back and finally followed him out of the yard.
Nisha stepped out of the lane to join them. “Who is that?” she asked in her usual blunt way.
“This is Daphne. Daphne, this is Nisha. She’s one of those associates of my grandfather’s that I told you about.”
Nisha turned a blank expression on him, and he directed his next words at her, trying to give her a significant look as he did so. “Daphne is Grandfather’s goddaughter and has just arrived to stay with him, not realizing he’s out of town. We ran into each other in the house. I’ve offered to be of assistance.”
Nisha’s brows shot up. “You mean she’s?—”
“My godsister, of sorts, yes,” Finley said quickly. “And she’s coming with us to see Grandfather. I hope you don’t mind.”
Nisha blinked several times and shut her mouth. After a moment, she nodded solemnly, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Dissimulation wasn’t Nisha’s strong suit. She usually left that to Finley and Archie.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Daphne smiled at Nisha, seeming calm and confident although he suspected she was relieved at the early proof that his claimed companions did, in fact, exist.
“Are you sure you don’t mind me traveling with you?” Daphne asked as they led her through the streets of Ethelson. “I would hate to be an imposition.”
“Of course not!” Finley said. “The more, the merrier.”
They walked on in silence for another minute before Daphne asked abruptly, “Why is Lorne’s housekeeper traveling by coach instead of going with you?”
Finley kept his expression steady as his mind raced. The housekeeper had been on her way to join the old man? Blast! That explained the bag. Daphne had mentioned her leaving in a rush, so the woman must have been hurrying to catch the coach.
He laughed easily. “Perhaps I should have mentioned that we’re walking. I hope that won’t be a problem?” He phrased itas a question, but he had no doubt she would assure him of her capability.
“Walking?” Unexpected disdain dripped from the word. “How dreadfully fatiguing! Whatever for? Why didn’t you take the coach with the housekeeper?”
Nisha gave a snorting laugh. “The coach? That wouldn’t work for us. You’ll understand when you see Morrow. We’ll be meeting up with him in a few minutes.”
Daphne’s eyebrows rose. “You see me besieged with curiosity.” Her tone sounded closer to boredom—with a hint of suspicion—and Finley regarded her from the corner of his eye.
She filled him with curiosity, sparking an interest he couldn’t afford to indulge. He’d never met someone quite like her, though, so he couldn’t entirely suppress it either.
Despite her claim of being easily fatigued, she kept up with them despite Nisha’s determined stride. But her dismay at learning they were to walk had seemed genuine. Should he hire a cart and horse?
He blinked. Where had that thought come from? He wasn’t one to use coin so carelessly. It wasn’t as if she’d said she wouldn’t accompany them on foot.
Of course, if she did refuse to walk, he might be forced into hiring a cart after all. Whatever happened, he couldn’t let her slip through his fingers.
“We’ll meet Morrow just out of town,” he told her, uncomfortable with the silence that had fallen. “He took our packs ahead while I detoured to Grandfather’s house.”
Daphne nodded and made no demur as he led her through the outskirts of Ethelson and onto the road that led southwest through the forest. They found Morrow just outside the town, sitting on a small mound of packs. He lumbered slowly to his feet at the sight of them, his eyes fastening on Daphne.
“This is Daphne,” Finley said quickly. “I met her at my grandfather’s house.” He gave Morrow a warning look. “She’s a friend of his and is eager to see him, so I’ve offered for her to come with us since we’re going to him anyway.”
