Page 19 of A Lady's Heart Deceived
He struggled for the right words to respond. This was a woman who knew how to conduct a rational argument.
I hate it when females are logical.
Piers actually preferred it when some members of the fairer sex attempted to work their feminine wiles on him. He could handle crocodile tears, seeing them for what they were—emotional manipulation. But Miss Margaret Radley had far too much self-respect to play that kind of game. She was cool and level-headed. And that gave her power.
If he didn’t watch himself, she would gain the upper hand.
“I never said you were weak, Miss Radley. My comment stemmed more from a genuine concern with regard to your safety. You may have made it to Luton, but have you considered what you will do when you arrive in Coventry?”
The buxom barmaid appeared at his shoulder and set the tankard of foaming ale in front of him. After the day he’d had, Piers was going to need more than one of them.
“Thank you, Rose,” he said.
He reached into his coat pocket, searching for a coin, but the girl simply shook her head and walked away. He glanced at his beer and then to Maggie. “You do know it’s not the polite thing for a woman of your social station to be buying a man a drink?”
She nodded. “Consider it just another first in a day of many. I am sure it won’t be the last time I surprise you on this trip, Captain Denford. And, in answer to your question, I have a pretty good idea as to what I have to do once I reach Coventry. Another of my travelling companions in the mail coach kindly gave me the address of a suitable hotel. I also have enough money to allow me to stay for as long as it takes to get to the bottom of things. In fact, there is a good chance that you might be superfluous to my needs.”
I’m not having any of that.“Don’t you dare,” he growled.
He couldn’t in all good conscience leave her to fend for herself. Apart from his own moral code, he knew that the Bishop of London and the Duke of Strathmore would take turns in tanning his hide if he did.
He was stuck with her. They both knew it. But for some inexplicable reason, Piers couldn’t muster the energy to be angry about it any longer. The thought of travelling with this woman held a certain appeal—one which he couldn’t deny. Miss Margaret Radley was gorgeous. She was feisty, determined, and a breath of fresh air. Piers also hadn’t the faintest idea what he was going to do with her.
All he did know for certain was that the next week or so was going to be interesting.
Chapter Twelve
Maggie couldn’t quite read the expression on his face. Captain Denford’s mood seemed to be constantly shifting. He had arrived a short time ago, full of heated puff and fury. Had sat and promptly polished off the rest of her supper. Now, he was foolishly trying to treat her like she was some sort of recalcitrant child.
She crossed her hands gently in front of her, settling in for what she expected would be a long battle of wills. If the captain had any sense of self-preservation, he would lay down his weapons and admit defeat.
He shook his head. “I might not have climbed Strathmore Mountain, but I have dealt with stubborn, pig-headed people before today. You can’t just go off into the unknown and expect me to let you do it on your own.”
Under the table, Maggie curled up her toes, desperate not to reveal her amusement at his words.You have no idea how ridiculous that sounds. Or how much fun this is.
Being in possession of an older brother and numerous male cousins meant she was well-equipped to handle the temper of a self-important young man such as the captain. Teasing him was the best fun Maggie had had in ages. She was in no hurry to let him off the hook.
“Well then, Captain Denford, you should be well aware that your being obstinate won’t get you too far either. Perhaps you should reconsider your approach.”
There. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Piers sat silently glaring at Maggie while the barmaid stopped at their table and collected the empty platter. Once the girl was gone, he sat back in his seat.
Maggie secretly admired his ability to hold her gaze.
“I know you think yourself very clever, but I think it’s time I set some rules. Like it or not, you, Miss Radley, are going to listen.”
Maggie picked up the tankard of ale and, after raising it to salute him, took a long, deep drink. “Go on then, Captain Denford. Tell me all your wonderful plans.”
“Firstly, we will be travelling together after tonight, using my private coach which I came up from London in. Secondly, we won’t be staying in a hotel when we reach Coventry. My brother, Jonathan, and his wife, Elizabeth, live in the city, not far from the center of town. We shall stay with them.” Piers gave Maggie a look which he hoped she would interpret as meaningyou have no choice in the matter. As far as he was concerned, she had relinquished her rights to claims of genteel privilege the moment she set foot in the public mail coach and left London on her own.
“But …” she started.
“But nothing. If you are prepared to travel with a group of strangers and sleep in a country inn, all with the intention of travelling a hundred miles from home whilst unaccompanied, you have abdicated all rights to complain.”
She picked up his ale once more and took another long drink. It was halfway back to the table when she stopped and raised it to her lips once more.
Piers rose quickly from his chair and took the tankard from her hand, setting it back on the table. “I think you might have had enough to drink, Miss Radley.”
