‘None other than Jago Cardell had dinner wi’ the three of ‘em the night afore they left. Charlie’s daughter spotted ‘em.’
‘Was Cardell with them when they left?’ Jack’s response was quiet, and Will eyed him anxiously. Even in the dim light he could tell the expression in the gang leader’s eyes was murderous. Nervously, Will shook his head. ‘Though I dare say ‘e might ‘ave met up wi’ ‘em later.’
‘You think?’ Jack bit out. Picked up his glass and finished his ale. ‘I want everyone on this,’ he seethed. ‘Everyone. Find them. Bring them to me.’ He paused, holding his tankard up for a refill. ‘Alive.’
∞∞∞
‘What is it you like to do in your leisure time, Miss Shackleford?’ Jago’s question seemed innocuous, and Charity had never wanted so badly to be able to say she enjoyed needlepoint andplaying the piano. Unfortunately, she could do neither. Would he think her a blue stocking if she admitted to liking books? Surely not, since his library was extremely well stocked.
‘I enjoy reading,’ she declared, wincing as her voice came out more like a challenge. ‘And walking,’ she added hurriedly. ‘Blackmore is exceedingly picturesque. When the weather is clement, my sister and I particularly enjoy the stroll to Grace’s house.’ As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to snatch them back. Why the devil had she dropped her titled sister into the conversation? She now sounded like the worst sort of snob.
But she needn’t have worried, her father was on hand to remedy her blunder by dropping her into an even deeper hole. ‘The last time you and Chastitystrolledto Blackmore, I seem to remember you both returned with a bucket of frogspawn. Agnes swore there were tadpoles in her bedchamber.’
Charity coloured up, wanting nothing more than to strangle her insensitive parent. However, to her surprise, Jago gave a shout of laughter. ‘It must have been fun growing up with so many siblings,’ he commented a little wistfully. ‘How many do you have?’
‘Eight,’ was Charity’s tart retort, causing Jago to raise his eyebrows.
‘Things were never dull then?’ he teased.
‘Anything but,’ she grimaced. ‘Indeed, it’s a wonder so many of my sisters made such advantageous marriages.’
‘Did they?’
Fiend seize it, she’d done it again. Did he think she was setting her cap at him? Or making it clear she didn’t think him up to the cut? Charity felt like crying.Thiswas why she balked against a Season. This constant having to watch every word that came out of her mouth.
‘Your sisters have indeed been fortunate in their marriages,’ Percy agreed as she sputtered, ‘I didn’t… I wasn’t….’
Her eyes swivelled to the curate who continued serenely, ‘But mainly I think because they all married for love.’ He turned to Jago. ‘A rarity in this day and age, wouldn’t you say, Mr Carlyon?’
That was it, humiliation complete. There was simply nothing else to say. She actually found herself looking round for a convenient dark corner to crawl into.
‘Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m entirely done to a cow’s thumb. My thanks for another splendid dinner.’ Her father’s interruption could not have come at a more opportune moment and casting him a rare grateful glance, Charity opened her mouth to agree. But before she had the chance to speak, Jago got there first.
‘This may not be entirely proper,’ he said hesitantly, ‘but it is a lovely evening, and there is a full moon which I’m reliably informed is the first perigee full moon of the year.’ He paused as his eyes locked onto Charity’s.
‘You mentioned earlier that you enjoy a stroll, Miss Shackleford, and I was wondering whether you’d consider taking one along the terrace? With me,’ he clarified.
Charity eyed him suspiciously. His golden eyes were serious, but his mouth most definitely quirked at the edges. She turned to her father.
‘I have no problem with it, providing you take Freddy with you and keep in sight of the house,’ the Reverend commented jovially. ‘When all’s said and done, you’ve already spent the night together, even if it was on a fishing boat.’
Charity’s face took on the hue of a ripe tomato. Had her father completely lost what few wits he had? Surely he wasn’ttryingto compromise her. She felt her heart give a dull, anxious thud. Mayhap he was simply desperate to get her off his hands. In truth, she couldn’t really blame him.
‘I will remain here to observe proprieties,’ Percy interjected. ‘Providing Mr Carlyon and Miss. Charity do not stray far from the window, I’m persuaded there need be no cause for gossip.’
Climbing to his feet, Jago nodded to the curate gratefully. With the same baffling unconcern, her father waved a grateful hand vaguely towards Percy before shuffling from the room.
‘Shall we?’ Jago held out his hand.
Determined to show him she could behave with the utmost modesty when the occasion called for it, Charity took it with a gracious bend of her head. ‘I shall have to fetch my cloak before we venture outside,’ she faltered.
‘I’m certain there will be one of Genevieve’s hanging in the entrance hall,’ Jago replied, ‘if you don’t object to wearing it, of course.’ Charity shook her head as they stepped out of the drawing room. Looking back, she called Freddy to her.
Two minutes later, warmly wrapped up in a beautiful fur lined cloak, she followed Jago outside the front door into a moonlit wonderland.
Chapter Nineteen
They walked in surprisingly companionable silence along the terrace while Freddy nosed about, chasing insects. The light from the full moon bathed the area in silver. Looking up in awe, Charity marvelled at the ethereal glow surrounding the enormous luminous disk, and behind it, millions and millions of stars, pin pricks in the blackness.
