“This whole adventure is ill advised. You must know that’s why our friends asked me to come bring you home. Look how badly it has already started.”
Susanna shook her head. “It’s just a bit of bad luck. Let’s go downstairs and get something to eat. You must be starving and I cannot reason with you when you are hungry. Besides I’ve had all my food sent up like a good girl. I’m going quite mad being cooped up in this room.” She sent him a wide smile. “Now that my husband is here, he can accompany me to the dining room.”
There was a knock at the connecting door between their room and the room next door. “Miss?” Jenni’s voice called out. The door opened and her maid’s head emerged through the opening. “I heard voices. Are you all right?”
“Yes, Jenni I am fine. Look who has arrived. My dear husband.”
The door swung open the rest of the way and Jenni stepped into the threshold, her eyes wide as saucers.
Miles sent Susanna a frown. “Don’t call me that.”
She just chuckled. “Jenni, we are going to go downstairs and feed Lord Hawksridge, who has been on the road all day. How is Sam feeling?”
Jenni’s gaze flicked back and forth between her and Miles. “He is sleeping peacefully right now. Miss, do you need me to accompany you?”
“No, I don’t think that’s necessary.” Susanna took hold of Hawksridge’s arm and steered him to the door leading out of the room. “No arguing. An ale and some food will make you much more amenable to my proposition.”
*
“No.” Miles tookanother bite of the delicious stew. The warm, savory broth with chunks of tender meat far exceeded his expectations of food one would get at a posting inn in the middle of nowhere.
Susanna huffed. “You are not seeing the possibilities. I have to send Sam and Jenni home in the carriage with my team. I was planning on taking the stagecoach to Guilford, it’s not more than another few hours away. But now that you’re here, we could rent a post chaise and travel to Weymouth Bay.”
“What makes you think traveling alone with me is any more respectable than traveling with the circus?” He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of beer. Not as good as Lucius’s brews but passable.
“We could pretend that we are a married couple. Perfectly respectable. It’s not likely we will run into anyone who knows us.”
“And at night? Sharing a room with your husband?” he goaded her.
“I’m hardly worried about improprieties.” She rolled her eyes. “You are the most respectable man I know. Besides we can certainly rent two rooms.”
Well, that was insulting. That’s what she thought of him; respectable, stuffy. Miles took a long gulp of beer. “The answer is still no. I do not want to trek across the countryside to look for a man who is most likely not in Weymouth Bay. I am supposed to be enjoying a relaxing holiday with my brother and his family. And I have promised to bring you back before your reputation is ruined.” He glanced around the mostly empty dining room. He lowered his voice. “Despite what you think about my ability to keep my hands off of you, traveling across the country together is not the respectable thing. No, tomorrow I will hire someone to drive you and your servants home. I will accompany you on horseback.”
Susanna’s eyes flashed with something he had not seen before in her expressive features, something that could only be categorized as anger. Her gaze narrowed and she stood, placing her hands on the table to lean closer. “Despite our little ruse here, you are, in fact,notmy husband,” she whispered furiously. “You do not get to tell me what to do.” She grabbed his beer and chugged the last half before she slammed the mug down onto the table. “Good night, dear. You can sleep with Sam tonight.” Then in a swish of skirts she sauntered out of the dining room.
The two men sitting across the room watched her with fascination before turning their grins to him. Miles scowled at them and they quickly lowered their gazes. Susanna was normally so even-tempered, cheerful even. Her anger had flared so quickly that he found himself in shock and more than a little aroused. He raised his hand to call over the serving girl. “Another beer, please.”
Chapter Twelve
“That overbearing beastof a man can just go to…well anyway I will not wait around for his unwanted help.” Susanna hefted the end of her trunk.
“But miss, perhaps the stage is ill advised. I could come with you if we can send Sam home safely with the carriage.” Jenni held the other end of the trunk as they made their way down the stairs.
“No, we both know that Sam can’t travel alone in his condition. You must stay with him. The coach to Guilford is only three hours. Once I’m there I will go straight to meet the circus. They are staying at the Forest Stag Inn. I’ll be fine.”
They hauled her trunk outside to the bench in front of the inn. Setting it down with a sigh, Susanna began to rethink how many clothes she’d packed. Never mind, she would just hire someone at the other end to take her trunk to the Forest Stag Inn. She glanced around the yard. Where was everyone else? A young man emerged from the inn’s side door carrying a bucket in each hand.
“Excuse me, is this where the stagecoach arrives?”
“Yes, ma’am. It’ll pull up right here.” He hurried away.
Susanna settled herself onto the wooden bench, organizing the skirts of her dark green traveling dress around her. She looked up at Jenni. “Now, I have paid for a coachman to drive you and Sam home tomorrow. Mr. Smith, the inn’s proprietor will organize you both in the morning. Just tell Mrs. Jenkins that you left me safely at my aunt’s house and that I sent you home for Sam to recover.”
Jenni looked around before stepping closer to her. “But miss, who will help you dress and undress?”
That made Susanna pause. She pasted a smile on her face to reassure her maid. “Don’t worry, I’m sure I can hire a maid at the inn. She glanced over at the trunk. I have some separates packed, don’t I?”
Jenni nodded her head. “Yes, your riding habit and the blue-and-white dress both have buttons that are reachable.” She frowned. “This one though will be nigh impossible to get out of without help though.”
