Page 26 of The Gift of Patience
“Devil,” she provided.
“Just so. They mentioned he had not signalled to them in two days and have decided to come looking for him if he does not signal today.”
Patience gasped, trying to pretend she had not heard any of this before. “So what will you do?”
“Fielding and Baines were going to attempt to convince Devil to cooperate. I am headed to check their progress after I finish my coffee.”
Patience took another sip of her own while trying to think how else she could be involved.
“I see your mind working, Patience. If I have my way, Dominic will send you to London until this is over.”
She scowled at him.
“This is not a game.”
“I never said it was.”
“These men would slit your throat as soon as talk to you. If they did not violate you first.”
“No need to be vile. I understand what criminals like him do to females like me.”
“Good. I do not want to have to worry about your safety.”
Joy burst into the room before Patience could deliver the stinging retort on her lips.
“Have you seen Freddy?” Joy asked as she came into the room looking harried. Xander ran to her and she petted him absently.
“The cat or the human?” Stuart teased.
“The cat, of course. He did not come to my room last night. He is always there when I wake!”
“Perhaps he found something to entertain him in the barn last night,” Stuart suggested with a wag of his eyebrows, which caused Joy to look heavenward in exasperation.
“He has plenty of time for that during the day. I will go check the barn.”
Patience would’ve thought that Xander might follow Joy, but he came directly back to her. Animals usually followed Joy like a magnet, and with Freddy absent, it was somewhat heart-warming that the dog had chosen her instead.
After fetchinga basket full of warm—and most importantly fragrant—rolls from the kitchen along with a jug of ale, Ashley walked to the stables. More and more, Patience was on his mind and not in a good way. Being around her was too tempting.
He prayed that they could get what they needed from their prisoner and finish this assignment quickly, then hope she found some worthy fellow next Season. He shook his head to clear it. The thought of her with someone else bothered him at some very deep level, but it was hardly fair for him to not want any other man to have her when he could not have her himself. The fact that he was even thinking such thoughts was disturbing in the extreme.
As he entered the stables, Ashley nodded to the old retainers that had been there since his youth, as well as some of the younger grooms. He strode through the long row of stalls that held many of Westwood’s and Carew’s prized breeding stock. Many of the horses looked out to greet him and some looked out of curiosity as he passed, likely desirous of the food he carried.
“This is to tempt someone else altogether,” he said, holding the basket out of reach.
Naturally, his own horse demanded a personal greeting. After scratching Caesar’s favourite spot behind his ears, Ashley kept on. The stable master’s office was at the end of the row and held his quarry.
“Any progress?” he asked as he entered to see Fielding and Baines circling their prey. They had to be exhausted, but by the third day, prisoners were usually ready to negotiate. All three turned to eye the basket, which held the delicious smells of warm, yeasty goodness infused with currants.
“We were just convincing Devil here that it’s in his best interest to cooperate,” Baines explained.
“I ain’t afraid of the hangman’s noose.”
“Be that as it may, transportation to a better clime has its appeals,” Ashley said.
“I ain’t a snitch.”
“Are any of your gang worth dying for?”
