Page 22 of Avenging the Earl's Lady
Chapter 6
The rickety cart passed the last low cottage.Next to her on the cart’s narrow bench seat, Jenny let out a long breath.
“We’ve made it through the village,” she said.
It had been a near thing.The men carrying the painting had left at dawn, and the others a bit later.They’d waited a full hour after Sir Richard’s departure to leave.Then they’d waited some more until the young groom, Ewan, had taken some much-needed rest.It had been another hour before they could quietly hitch up the plodder to the cart.
Back at Gorse Point Cottage, a pot of soup sat on the sideboard next to a note from Jane saying they’d gone off to buy bread, and that wasn’t a lie.
In the village, they discovered Fergus MacEwen had dawdled at the inn—for the prisoner’s comfort, the ostler had said.He and his men and Sir Richard had left the town only minutes before Jane and Jenny arrived.
Forced to delay so they wouldn’t catch up with MacEwen, they’d chatted over their purchases of bread and cold meat and headed south, giving the excuse that they were off to buy fresh eggs from the aunt of a local man, Davy, who’d helped them capture Sir Richard.
That messagewasa lie.Eggs would simply rattle and break.Jane would drive on past the small freehold outside of town.
When they rounded a bend in the lane, her heart sank.Pip, the young son of Davy, and Davy’s cousin Edie, stood in the middle of the road.
Jane pulled up the horse and crossed her fingers.Edie had also helped them rescue Lord Shaldon.The girl had once been employed as a maid for Sir Richard.She’d drawn a map of his manor and gone with them to help gain the trust of the squire’s remaining household staff.If they asked for her help now, she might not share the news.
But one thing was certain—in the main, the locals knew how to keep secrets.
“Good morning,” Jane said.
Edie scowled up at them.She wasn’t the most congenial of young women.“If you’re trying to catch up with the others, you won’t have far to go.You’ll hear the squire bellowing all down the road.”
“Serves him right,” Pip said.
His cousin nodded.
Who could reprimand the boy?Sir Richard had deserved all he’d got.
“With any luck he’ll survive to stand trial,” Jane said.And with any luck, they could trail behind Sir Richard and his escort until the men reached the London road.She would have to find another route to a coaching inn.Once she and Jenny boarded a coach, MacEwen wouldn’t go after them, not with Sir Richard to keep track of.Kincaid might send Ewan, but they ought to be able to dodge one gangly young groom.
And if not?She’d packed the bottle of laudanum and some powders into her case.
Pip turned and waved excitedly.“Da, the lady is here.”
Her heart sank lower.Pip’s father, Davy, appeared and greeted them.He was a small man, worn down by worry and drink, and she’d never even learned his surname.
Today he appeared to be sober.
“They’ve sent the lady off to London in this rickety old cart,” Pip said.
Davy blinked.Edie’s eyes narrowed.
“No…” Jane’s breath caught while she searched for words, conscious of the plainness of her dress, the battered cart, and their black valises packed into the back.Her only item of luxury was the Kashmiri shawl wrapped around her shoulders.
“You have chores to finish, Pip.Edie, take him along home.”
The young woman latched onto the boy’s arm and steered him off the road, under a branch and onto a path that was almost hidden.
“My lady,” Davy said, “it’s a stout horse you have there but he won’t take you all the way to London, nor that cart over these roads.”
Heart battering in her chest, she managed a smile.“Of course not.We’re not going that far.”Not in this cart, nor with this horse.
He rubbed at his chin.“The next coaching inn be some ways south.And I reckon your man might stop there with the squire for the night.”
“We’ll be fine, I assure you—”
