Page 6 of An Honorable Arrangement
The driver tipped his cap.
"Excuse me, why have we stopped?" Sarah had never been to Bristol, but she was certain the sad-looking village where they were couldn’t be it.
The driver gave her a toothless smile. His brown eyes glinted with amusement, though Sarah had no idea why. "New horses, miss. If you need to tend to any necessaries, you have a few minutes yet." He winked and pointed to a small dank building off to the side of a similarly dank inn called the Ball and Crown.
Her need to stretch her legs and relieve herself couldn’t be ignored. As no one offered assistance, Sarah helped herself down and, still clutching her bag, she rushed to the privy.
The stench was beyond anything she’d ever experienced, but she managed to do her business and get out in one semi-clean piece just as the driver climbed back up to his seat.
Waving, Sarah called, "I am here. Do not leave me."
"Almost left you behind, miss." He pulled the reins to keep the anxious horses steady while Sarah climbed back into the carriage.
A young couple with friendly smiles and tattered clothing occupied the forward-facing seats.
Sarah sat beside a thin man, who scowled at her. "Excuse me. I apologize for keeping you waiting."
"Damned inconvenient these women traveling alone these days," the scowler mumbled but made room for her.
The couple held hands and gaped at each other while Sarah wished for a book or anything to occupy her time. She slept again and was far more alert when they stopped a second time for horses. When night fell, the pitch dark terrified her, and she had to look away from the window. She hoped the horses could see far better than she.
In the late morning, they arrived in Bristol. Ocean scented the air as Sarah stood in the middle of the street clutching her bag. Now that she was there, she wasn't sure how to find her father's home. All she knew for certain was that he lived outside of town.
Someone bumped her, and she spun.
"I'm sorry, miss." A soldier in a red coat gripped her arm to steady her.
She pulled her arm back. "My fault, sir."
His gray eyes and quick smile would be welcomed by any woman. "It's Captain. Captain Devon Phillips, at your service. Are you lost?"
"No. Yes. I'm not certain, Captain. I'm looking for the home of Mr. Bertram Sommers." Sarah doubted an army captain would know her esteemed father, but it couldn't hurt to ask.
Captain Phillips frowned briefly before plastering a neutral expression on his face. His smile vanished, as did the glint in his interesting perusal. "Do you have business with Mr. Sommers?"
It was hardly any of his business. "In a manner of speaking, Captain. Do you know where I can find him?"
Tall and fit, Captain Phillips put his hands on his hips and looked up at the overcast sky for a moment. "He might be in the pub, or he could be at Fallcrest Manor."
Surely, her father wouldn't be in a public house before noon. "Can you give me the directions to Fallcrest Manor?"
He scanned her carefully from head to toe, shook his head, pulled off his hat, and ran his fingers through his reddish-brown hair. "I am hesitant to send a lady alone to the home of that particulargentleman."
"I only asked you for directions, Captain. You are not responsible for my welfare, nor do I need your counsel. For your information, and it is none of your business, Mr. Sommers is my father." There. That would bring the odd man to sense.
Instead of immediately giving her the directions, Captain Phillips shook his head and observed the ground before putting his hat back on. "Miss Sommers, if that is your name—"
"Of course, it's my name." Sarah stood up straighter and gave him her best scathing look.
His lips twitched. "If Bertram Sommers is your father, why then do you not know the direction of your home?"
"That is none of your business." She turned away. Surely, someone else in Bristol could easily tell her how to get to her father's house. The public house was just down the street, as was a milliner's shop. She would pop into one of those establishments and find the information she needed. Now that she knew the name of the estate, it would be a simple thing.
She'd not gotten three steps before the captain was in front of her again. "Where are you going?"
"To find someone who will tell me where to find my father without so much fuss." She stomped her foot for emphasis.
"How did Sommers ever produce a child as adorable as you?" He seemed to be asking himself.
