His regard must have relayed some measure of his lustful thoughts. A delicate blush warmed her pale cheeks, and she cast her eyes down with a smile. Sweet ingénue, the lass wouldn’t last a second in a London ballroom where half the men would entertain thoughts far more lascivious than his.
Unable to maintain his resolve not to touch her, he took her gloved hand in his and kissed it. “How bonny ye are, lass. Too lovely for the eyes of mortal men.”
Her cheeks gained a fraction more pink, however, it was her lush red lips parting in a smile that nearly did him in. And they hadn’t even walked a step beyond the watchful eyes of the stable boys as yet.
He cocked an elbow in her direction with a hint of challenge. “Shall we?”
Piper slipped her hand into the crook of his arm and guided him to a gravel lane forking off the northwest corner of the stable yard. The lane that led to the elusive location of her home. She couldn’t know of the dozens of times he’d trod that path and its many branches over the last few months, hoping to happen upon her. How he’d followed it until it faded into the grassy void of the fields beyond.
He’d walked it with anticipation then. Today, it might well have been a walk to the gallows, although, the only death he dreaded was the demise of his chivalry. She’d proven herself a nearly undeniable temptation the previous night. It had taken all of his strength to walk away from her.
They strolled in silence for some ways. His attention shifted from the path ahead then down at her, fearing on some level that she might lose faith in him and bolt at any moment. They passed the dairy and she directed him toward an obscure footpath to the north.
A sense of solitude grew with each step. There was nothing to break the silence around them except the sweep of their shoes on the compacted dirt path. Not a bird call or the scurry of small animals through the trees. Nothing beyond the growing chill of an autumn evening.
Though he was anything but cold.
“Granger wouldnae identify his employer,” he said at length, when it became clear she wasn’t going to initiate conversation. Whether she was nervous or content in the silence was of no consequence. He had to say something to break the heady intimacy closing in around them. “Spent more time complaining about his nose than offering anything new. Neither bribery nor other persuasion would change his mind. He’s well paid to keep his mouth shut. We did determine, though, that the threat of the gun was nothing more than that. Motivation for Miss Langston to answer his questions.”
“Which were?”
“As we suspected, to ascertain yer identity.”
At least Piper needn’t worry that Jane’s safety would be threatened, though if Mr. Granger was one of many with the same mission, her friend’s patience might well be. And if more like him were to follow in his wake, more than Piper’s worries would be exposed.
“What will you do with him?”
“Dinnae fash, lass. I’m nae murderer. Alas, I’m nae inclined to let the constable hold him, either.” A smile played about his lips. “Granger is going to be possessed of a sudden, undeniable urge to holiday in the north isles of the Shetlands.”
“The Shetlands? You mean north of Scotland?”
“Aye. Terrible choice, of course. Miserable weather and the like. I should hate it if he found himself on one of the smaller, uninhabited islands this time of year. Might be a long winter before any fisherman happened by.”
“That’s kidnapping.”
Connor shrugged as if the nuances of felonious activity were of little import. Knowing he was willing to go to such lengths to ensure her safety warmed her heart. More than it already was.
“As I said, I dinnae want the fellow released before I’m ensured that ye’re safely away. Arrangements will need to be made. In the meantime, ye’ll no’ set a foot into the village.”
Piper nodded in concession. In all honesty, she’d rather not set a foot outside her cottage without a guard until they left.
A little shiver shook her. Without missing a step, he slipped off his coat and draped it around her shoulders. It carried the heat of his body and the intoxicating scent of him. All the reasons she’d been waiting on tenterhooks at the stables faded away. All she could think of now was him. His deep, soul-shattering kisses that had contributed to her restless night. He’d shown her the difference between desire and passion last night. One wanting, the other consuming. Knowing there was so much more, imagining what it might be, she’d been left hot and achy, unable to find a comfortable position.
If she were to get the answers to one of those reasons she hadn’t been able to find peaceful sleep, there was a chance the other might follow.
They took another fork to the left, leading them into the more heavily wooded portion of the forest. Connor tried to focus on their journey. The sun had descended behind the trees, leaving the trail cast in dark shadows. This time of day, if one didn’t know it was there, it would be easy enough to miss.
“He offered nothing else then?”
At the next junction, they again went to the left.
“He was unwilling to fill in the blanks despite the…er, encouragement I offered.”
When confronted by a trio of options ahead, Piper steered him along the center one. They’d been walking no more than ten or fifteen minutes when she stopped.
It took him a moment to understand why. Nestled amid the trees, virtually obscured by overgrown ivy, brush, and the low-hanging branches of a willow, sat a small cottage. Here and there bits of whitewashed stone peeked through the foliage, along with a pair of windows. A cluster of flowering bushes marked the solid oak door. The thick thatched roof allowed it to blend seamlessly into its surroundings. Little wonder he hadn’t found it.
“Connor, I may be able to—”
