Page 49 of A Lady's Past
“I am.” She was tall and stood very straight. With her blond hair pulled up in a severe bun and her dark gray dress, she appeared unapproachable. A slight blush proved that she was not immune to Preston’s charms. “Who might you be?”
“I am Preston Knowles, Duke of Middleton, and this is my friend Jacques Laurent. We were told that you might have two guests we’ve been looking for tonight.”
She narrowed her eyes and closed the door a few inches. “Who are you looking for?”
Stepping forward, Jacques put his boot against the door. It wouldn’t do for her to bolt them out before they had their answers. “A Frenchman named Caron and his friend William Farmer.”
She released the door and her expression eased. “They were here, but Billy got drunk and I told them to leave. I’ll not have that kind of foolishness in my house.”
Bad luck. Jacques said, “A wise woman, to be sure. Would you happen to know where they were traveling to?”
“Nothing but trouble, those two. I could see it the moment they showed up.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I shouldn’t tell you, but I like Billy and I’d hate for the Caron fellow he’s taken up with to get him into trouble.”
“We will do our best to keep Mr. Farmer safe. We are well aware he is being used by Mr. Caron.” Preston leaned in to further ensure the door would not be closed on them.
“As I said, Billy had been drinking. He was going on and on about some foolishness involving a pot of gold they had to go up north for. That Caron fellow told him to shut his mouth more than once, but Billy kept on about heading all the way to Yorkshire, and that being the farthest he’d ever been from home.”
“Bastard.” Jacques couldn’t contain the curse. “I beg your pardon, madam.”
A fierce look from Preston told Jacques he should stay silent before he made this good lady angry. “Forgive my friend, Mrs. Wendell. You see, it is his pot of gold that Caron is after.”
Her eyes widened at his language. “This pot of gold is a woman?”
Preston smiled. “I’m afraid we are not at liberty to say, but you have been very gracious.” He handed her a shilling.
Waving off the payment, she said, “I don’t need that, Your Grace. I do a fine business here. I’m an honest woman. You go and make sure that Caron stays away from your woman. He’s not the type to treat a lady with respect.”
They bowed, and Preston said, “I’m sure you’re right. Thank you.”
Mounting their horses, Jacques looked at the snowy road before them. “It’s going to be a long night. We should get some fresh horses.”
“Since we know where he’s going and he will likely take a surreptitious path, perhaps we might go back to the inn and get a few hours’ sleep.”
“I’ll never sleep.” Jacques’s temper was rising faster than he could control. “But you have a point. The snow will make travel harder for a cart, and he has already set himself back two days’ ride. We’ll rest for two hours and then pursue.”
With Preston’s nod, they headed back to the Wastrel Inn.
ChapterTwelve
Diana watched the countryside change out the window of the carriage. It had taken them three days to reach the Midlands. They would stop for the night in Leicester. That was what Alex had told her. Alex was polite, but he never asked anything, just issued orders and expected everyone to follow.
The day before, the last of the four Buckrose Horsemen had joined the party, and the other men seemed to relax. They acted as if together, they could not be harmed. She thought them a bit arrogant.
Shivering, Honoria pulled her cloak tighter. “You shall freeze me to death with your Scottish blood, Diana.”
Diana pulled the window closed. “I’m sorry. It is good to be traveling north, even though we won’t get as far as my family’s home. Someday I hope to see it again.”
“I have been wondering why you have no accent.”
“Mother sent me to finishing school in England. She wanted me to have an opportunity to marry well, and thought the Lowland accent would hurt my chances of making a good match.”
Honoria cocked her head. “Was marrying well important to you?”
“No.” She laughed. “I wanted to invent things and run experiments with Father. It was a great debate between my mother and me.”
If she had been more obedient, she might have already been out of the house and Victor wouldn’t have been able to use her to incite such rage in her father. Her parents might still be captive, but they would be alive, and they would have had her to defend them in England. Perhaps she could have gotten the English government to rescue them. Maybe these Horsemen would have helped.
A long sigh issued from her, and she wished she could run and hide from all of it.
