‘You don’t,’ was his short answer. ‘But if you recall, I suggested you leave your belongings.’
‘You may have an accomplice ready and waiting to go through our things,’ Agnes protested.
‘I might,’ Nate returned, ‘but I don’t know anything about you, including which bedchambers you are sleeping in.’
‘So you say,’ Agnes retorted darkly.
Nate ran his hands through his hair in frustration. ‘We are running out of time,’ he bit out. ‘I repeat, it is of no moment to me whether you stay here or come with me. I’m not exactly relishing the thought of a midnight stroll in the snow.’
‘I thought you said you had a horse?’ Mercy quizzed.
‘She took a stone to her shoe earlier today. That’s why I’m here. She will be rested enough to get home, but not to ride.’
‘How far is your house?’
‘I estimate it will probably take us an hour if we keep up a reasonable pace.’
‘We have two coach drivers and three footmen attending us. What do we tell them?’ Mercy pressed.
Nate raised his eyebrows. ‘Do you always travel in such numbers?’
‘We have just returned from Scotland. They are for our protection.’
‘Exactly,’ the Reverend declared triumphantly. ‘Ourprotection. I’m certain they’ll be more than a match for a bunch of murdering guttersnipes.’
There was a pause, then Nate sighed. ‘So, you’ve made your decision then?’
‘We have,’ the Reverend answered firmly.
Nate nodded slowly. ‘Very well. Tell your protectors the varmints intend to wait in a copse of trees on the other side of Corsham. I assume thatisyour direction?’
Mercy nodded uncertainly.
‘Mayhap we’ll take another route,’ the Reverend announced defensively.
‘I’m not sure it will make a difference. They will be watching for your rising,’ Nate answered. ‘I overheard the man telling his accomplice to meet outside the stables at dawn.’
‘Will you still be here at that time?’ Mercy asked hesitantly.
‘I will be here until just before dawn. I want to get Duchess to the comfort of her own stable as soon as possible…’ He paused, and for a second, Mercy thought he was about to add something significant, but in the end, all he said was, ‘I wish you all Godspeed.’
Then, replacing his hat, he tapped his thigh to summon his dog, who was curled up by the fire with Flossy, and seconds later he was gone.
***
Mercedes turned over and thumped at her pillow as sleep continued to elude her. Indeed, she didn’t think she’d ever felt more awake in her life. The events of the evening kept going round and round in her head until she thought she would scream.
Despite the gravity of his message, all Mercy could think about washim. Nathaniel Harding. As soon as he left the room, she’d felt bereft, as though she’d lost something incredibly important. She realised that after his initial entrance, she’d stopped seeing the scar on his face entirely - and just thinking about the rich timbre of his voice unaccountably made her squirm.
She understood the Reverend’s mistrust. What did they know of him really? But for some reason, Mercy would willingly have trusted him with her life. She would have gone with him without a backward glance.
But she couldn’t argue with her step-grandfather’s logic - he was responsible for her. And whilst the idea of Augustus Shackleford being responsible for anything or anyone other than himself would have most of his offspring falling over laughing, the truth was, he’d taken his duty to her seriously. At least on the journey there and back at any rate. While at Caerlaverock she could have fallen into the loch or been abducted by a dozen would-be ravishers, and he wouldn’t have known about it until dinner.
Mercy sighed in the dark. As the Reverend had said, ‘Forewarned is forearmed.’ Now that they knew about a potential attack, they could take the appropriate steps. And thefootmenaccompanying them were retired sailors recruited and trained by the Duke of Blackmore specifically to provide protection on long journeys. They would know exactly what to do.
Determinedly, she turned over onto her side and closed her eyes. It would do no good to lie awake all night.
Seconds later, she was on her back again. It washerpresence that was putting everyone in danger. If she wasn’t there, and the blackguard who had designs on her knew it, he would leave her companions alone. She sat up, forcing down the sudden spurt of terror at being the actual target of a kidnapping attempt. What ifshewent into hiding with Nathaniel Harding?
