Elizabeth Rolls - Regency High Society Vol 3 - Beloved Virago / Lord Trenchard's Choice / The Unruly Chaperon / Colonel Ancroft's Love

‘You have evidently found favour in the austere Marie’s eyes, Miss O’Malley,’ he remarked, after Katherine, peering round the side of the gig, had watched Marie turn and walk back along the narrow street.

‘For several days she remained aloof,’ she admitted, faintly relieved that he considered it safe enough to converse in their own language. ‘Gradually, though, she became more friendly,’ she went on, wondering if there was the remotest possibility that their relationship might follow a similar course. She did not hold out much hope, but was determined to keep the hostility which lingered towards him under control. ‘I quickly grew very fond of her. She took very good care of me.’

‘As I fully intend to do, Miss O’Malley.’

Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel noticed the suspicious glance she cast him, as he turned the gig into a much wider thoroughfare. Yes, she was certainly wary of him, and he was forced silently to own that, after his behaviour last night, perhaps there was good reason for her caution. Undoubtedly she was as innocent now as she had been on the day of her birth, a gently nurtured, chaste young woman. Which made her willingness to involve herself in such a perilous venture all the more mystifying, for he felt sure that she must have been aware from the start that there would be more than just an element of risk involved. From something her aunt had disclosed on the night of the engagement party, he had gained the distinct impression that Miss O’Malley was, if not extremely wealthy, a young woman of comfortable means, so he doubted very much, as Sir Giles himself had intimated, that the prospect of attaining a substantial reward would have played any part in her decision to become involved.

He was intrigued, and was determined to discover precisely what had persuaded her to embark on such an undertaking, but decided not to attempt to satisfy his curiosity at this juncture. Instead, he chose to be brutally frank about their present situation, and could not help but feel a deal of admiration for the calm way she accepted the unpleasant state of affairs.

‘Yes, I had already realised that returning to the inn was out of the question,’ she admitted, before a slight frown marred the perfection of her forehead. ‘I wonder what made them suspect us?’

As Katherine kept her eyes firmly fixed in the direction they were heading, she missed completely the frowning glance he cast the errant curls showing beneath the rim of her fashionable bonnet. ‘A pity really,’ she went on. ‘During my many ventures with Marie about the city during the past couple of weeks, I purchased several items of clothing, one of which was a rather pretty day dress.’ Her faint sigh betrayed slight resentment over the garment’s loss. Then she shrugged. ‘The poor landlord is more out of pocket. We cannot even return to pay him for our food and board.’

‘Save your pity, Kate. If I know anything, the old rogue will sell your belongings to recoup his losses.’

‘Yes, I expect you’re—’ She caught herself up abruptly, when at last she had digested fully his every word. ‘I cannot recall giving you permission to address me by my given name, Major Ross.’ There was no response. If the slight twitch she perceived at the corner of his mouth was any indication, however, it was quite evident that he would take no account at all of her disapproval. She had no wish for them to be at odds at this early stage in the proceedings, and so reluctantly decided to compromise. ‘But if you must resort to making free with my Christian name, you’ll oblige me by calling me Katherine and not Kate. I only ever permit my personal maid to address me in that fashion.’

‘Why, don’t you like it?’

‘I much prefer Katherine.’

He didn’t attempt to hide his surprise. ‘I think Kate’s a pretty name, myself. Besides, it suits you. My name is Daniel, by the way. People will persist in still calling me Major, but it’s a courtesy title only.’

‘I’m aware of that, Major Ross.’ She had not meant to sound quite so frigid, so haughtily formal. Yet it was as well that he should be made aware at the outset that she had no intention of allowing a friendlier relationship to develop between them, she told herself, while at the same time wondering why, perversely, she should feel piqued because he made no attempt whatsoever to persuade her to use his given name.

Katherine’s thoughts were soon turned in a new direction when she became aware, a few minutes later, that the road they were using to leave the capital was not the one by which she had arrived in the city almost three weeks before.

‘We are not making for Calais,’ Daniel responded in answer to her question. ‘I would be very surprised if there were not already people stationed at each of the major Channel ports awaiting our arrival. Just as I suspect that, now we’ve been—er—rumbled, as it were, there will very soon be those posted on every major road leaving the city on the lookout for us.’

This immediately called to mind her earlier thoughts. How on earth had they managed to arouse suspicion? Apart from passing the time of day when venturing out of the inn in order to take a little daily exercise, she and Marie had not fraternised with the other people putting up at that hostelry. Daniel had arrived only yesterday. So when and how had they managed to betray themselves?

He shrugged one broad shoulder when she echoed her puzzling thoughts aloud. ‘We don’t know what Sir Giles saw fit to reveal. I suspect he would have disclosed enough information into certain receptive ears to ensure that our trail wouldn’t be hard to follow. Of course, he hadn’t bargained for the surprising turn of events which have overtaken us. By this time he would have expected to have had you safely back in London. The traitor must have viewed Napoleon’s escape from Elba as nothing short of a godsend. It has offered him ample time to instigate a search for you.’

‘True. But why on earth did those two men watching the inn suspect that I might be Louise Baron? Do I resemble her so closely?’

Brown eyes regarded her quite dispassionately for a moment or two. ‘As far as I can remember—yes, there is a certain similarity. And of course you’re about the right age. It’s quite possible that Justine herself might have disclosed certain facts about her sister to the traitor during the time she worked with him. And you do have red hair.’

‘Ah, I see!’ Katherine could now appreciate just why Sir Giles had chosen her for the task. ‘So Louise has red hair?’

‘Yes, and so too did Justine Baron, although, if my memory serves me correctly, theirs was somewhat lighter than yours—more Titian.’

Katherine nodded. ‘Red hair frequently runs in families, although it is not always the case.’ She was silent for a moment, then revealed her disappointment at the unexpected turn of events by releasing her breath in a despondent sigh. ‘Poor Sir Giles. Napoleon’s escape couldn’t possibly have come at a worse time for him.’

‘It couldn’t have come at a worse time for us, come to that,’ Daniel reminded her, smiling to himself.

Their present situation was anything but rosy, and he suspected the young woman seated beside him knew this very well. It was, he mused, much to her credit that she had accepted the loss of her belongings and this impromptu flight from the capital with a quaint and dignified resignation, and he couldn’t help but admire her for this present display of admirable self-control. Whether she would continue to behave in such a commendable manner during the days ahead was another matter entirely. He very much feared that, should the mood take her, she could prove to be a handful, fiery and stubborn. One thing was certain, though, during the next few days he was unlikely to be afflicted by the boredom which, unfortunately, all too frequently plagued him when in the company of most members of her sex for any length of time.