‘Lucinda!Lucinda!’ I called out sharply. ‘Wait for me, please!’
‘I have changed my mind, Aunty Fliss. But you go ahead, and I will converse with Mr Hart while we wait for you.’
I opened my mouth and shut it again.The sneaky little minx!
When I returned from the trees, the pair of them were nowhere in sight. Panicking, I raced back to the carriage, calling out, ‘Jane! Did you see where they went? I swear, this blasted trip will be the death ... Oh.’
Lucinda and Mr Hart were now ensconced in the carriage with Jane, and they had all been discussing something in an animated fashion, which ceased when I appeared.
‘Never mind,’ I muttered and walked off a short way to compose myself.
I turned around to find that Mr Hart had stepped down from the carriage and followed me. ‘Is everything all right, Mrs Fitzroy? You seem rather agitated,’ he said mildly.
I saw he had removed not only his coat but also his cravat, and his shirt was unbuttoned at the neck. This ensemble, along with his wind-blown dark hair and the light sweat bathing his upper chest, gave him a look of roguishdishevelment, which suited him since I now knew he was one.
‘No, I am perfectly well,’ I said tightly, removing my gaze from his with an effort. ‘Are you sure we are nearly there? What is the time exactly? We seem to have been travelling all afternoon.’
Mr Hart looked at the sky, which had drifting clouds interspersed with patches of blue. ‘We will be there before sundown.’
‘Sundown? But that’s another two hours at least,’ I said, frustrated at his vague timekeeping. ‘Why did you say your castle was three hours away if it was five?’
He frowned at my tone. ‘It is three hours or thereabouts. It depends on the roads, and we were slow leaving Bath. Plus we would get there sooner if you ladies did not keep wanting to stop.’
Admittedly, we had required a comfort stop twice before now. But what did he expect when we had been bored and had nothing to do but repack our luggage and drink tea because he was late showing up at the house with his carriage?
I took a deep breath, trying to control my temper. He must have sensed I was doing so because his countenance softened.
‘Pray, is my carriage notcomfortable?’
‘It is, but I succumb easily to travel sickness,’ I explained. ‘And if we open the window, insects fly in, so there is a lack of fresh air.’
A mischievous grin crossed Mr Hart’s lips. ‘Well, if it is fresh air you require, you can always ride with me on my horse.’
I drew a breath—how impudent!
Declining to reply to that invitation, I stalked past him back to the carriage, locked the door, put up the window, and abruptly pulled the curtain. That gentleman was starting to walk a fine line between humour and inappropriateness, and if he tried anything with me, he was going to get a tongue-lashing!
As we rolled off down the road, Lucinda, knowing how long carriage rides did not agree with me, tucked her arm through mine and said gently, ‘I am sorry you are not feeling well, Aunty Fliss.’
Jane too looked at me with concern. ‘Yes, you do look a bit pale. Poor you. Luckily, I have the constitution of an ox and do not get sick, but Cassie suffers greatly.’
The carriage lurched, and I took a deep breath to try to ease my nausea and hoped I did not vomit out the window. That would give Mr Hart something to write a poem about.
‘Is there anything we can do to help? Maybe Aunt Jane can read us some of her book to take your mind off it?’
‘That is a good idea, Lucy,’ said Jane with a smile and a nod.
Tears welled at my niece’s kindness, and I reminded myself that she did have a sensible head on her shoulders. I needed to trust that Seraphina had brought her up to know right from wrong (since Mr Hart was so very wrong!).
Jane turned to one of her marked pages and cleared her throat. ‘Oh please, do not read fromThe Monk,’ I said quickly, closing my eyes as the carriage lurched again. ‘I don’t think I can bear to hear any more of that. It will only make me feel sicker.’
‘All right. I do have something else.’ She opened her writing desk, which was sitting next to her on the seat and never allowed out of her sight.‘Shall I read a passage from one of my novels? It is a romance.’
‘Ooh, yes please,’ said Lucinda. ‘I would love to hear it.’
Jane looked at me slyly. ‘Do you mind?’
‘Why would she mind?’ asked Lucinda.
