Page 135 of The Trouble with Tigers
***
Zeke was not in a good mood. He’d ridden all day. He was tired, sore, hungry, and damned if he wasn’t as worried as a mother duck. Where was Kitty? Sure as hell not on her way to Maidstone County.
The possibility Maidstone and Hastings had somehow colluded to whisk her off for a quick ceremony had his blood running simultaneously hot and cold.
He saw the street lamps ahead and heaved an exhausted sigh. Reaching down, he smoothed a palm over his gelding’s neck. “Almost done for the day, Sadie. You’ve worked hard for me today, girl.”
Aylesford, the hanging banner read as he passed under the wrought iron arm. Fourth and last village today, damn his eyes. And he’d thought his plan so clever.
He first rode ahead of Kitty’s brood to the town of Dunshire where he'd instructed Caden and the earl to send any pressing correspondence via telegraph. He received a cheery Good luck from his grandfather, and a cryptic message from Caden. It seemed he might have something of import to share, but he needed time to verify facts. Could Zeke please provide a telegraph station for Caden’s message tomorrow?
Caden and his facts. Zeke would gladly settle for guesses, any damned thing he could use to untangle Kitty from her brother’s web. Instead, he conferred with the telegraph operator to locate the next postal office equipped with telegraph service en route to Maidstone—where he thought Kitty’s party headed.
Only after fruitless hours of waiting, Hastings’ barouche never showed.
In mounting frustration, Zeke backtracked, and caught a lucky break when he traced Hastings’ party to a rest stop from which they’d ventured west, decidedly not in the direction of Maidstone.
He'd searched two successive villages, turning up precisely nothing.
If he didn’t find her here, he’d be forced to stop for the night. His horse could take no more today.
He paused on the narrow, cobbled street leading in to town. Night had fallen, and Aylesford spread before him like a London party. The streets teemed with life, as pedestrians strolled from one vendor to the next. Burning oil lamps lined the walks, and paper lanterns hung in trees. The smell of roasted meats and fresh baked bread wafted in the air, reminding him he had not eaten since his meager breakfast.
The summer festival, which had been the deciding factor in Zeke’s choosing Aylesford over another village, was in full swing. Kitty’s self-indulgent brother would be drawn to such an event. Now he had only to scour every inn in town to learn whether his theory proved correct.
***
Zeke turned the key in the lock of the room the innkeeper finally revealed was Kitty’s. Persuasion had come in the form of a handful of notes, and the more subtle promise of a blistering beating should the half asleep man persist in withholding the information.
Zeke paused, hand on the door lever, praying the inn’s proprietor hadn’t steered him wrong, praying even harder that he’d find only Kitty in the chamber.
A moment later, he crossed the threshold into pitch darkness. He made out the bed centered on one wall. He didn’t wish to frighten Kitty by rousing her from a sound sleep, but—
The rapid pitter-pat of bare feet on wood sounded moments before a lavender scented woman threw herself into his chest—half braining him with whatever cold, metal object she held.
“Ouch,” he barked, one arm instinctively grabbing her around the waist to pull her close, the other hinging up to massage the base of his skull where she’d bashed him. “Woman, must you always try to concuss me?”
She pressed her face into his neck and shook with silent laughter.
“Glad one of us finds this funny,” he grumbled, carrying her toward the bed.
“S-sorry. I grabbed it before I realized it was y-you.”
His insides froze. She wasn’t laughing. Silent sobs racked her body as her tears soaked the collar of his shirt.
“Shh. I’m not really hurt.”
“I kn-know that.”
He dropped onto the edge of the mattress, his arms tightening around her. “Why are you crying? What’s happened?”
She sniffled. “I’m not crying.”
Nothing too serious, then. He’d get to the bottom of this latest drama. In a minute.
With a bone weary sigh, he released her. She slid off his lap with an oomph, and he flopped flat on his back, his legs bent over the side. “At last. Now come here and kiss me.”
To his great relief she didn’t argue, but instead sprawled atop him, enveloping him with the scent of sleepy woman.
