Chapter Fifteen
The shadows of twilight grew darker with each passing second. What should have amounted to a thirty-minute ride had turned into a three-hour excursion of wrong turns, delays, and increasing aggravations. But at least Roslynn knew where she was now, and in fact she was grateful for the dark, for in her eagerness to be home she hadn’t taken into consideration the ride down South Audley Street, where any number of people might have recognized her. The dark came in handy for concealment, and handier still was the hood of the old moth-eaten cloak the stableman had tossed her.
Hell’s teeth, this day couldn’t end soon enough for her, but it was far from finished yet. She could no longer stay with Frances, not even for tonight. And she could no longer delay getting married. Geordie’s locating her had changed everything. She even expected to find him waiting on the doorstep for her, or secreted in a carriage ready to pounce on her the moment she reached the house.
Luck stayed with her, however, at least in letting her reach home without further mishap. And she even considered it fortunate that Frances wasn’t there, for she would have disapproved of what Roslynn meant to do, would have tried to stop her, and Roslynn didn’t have the time it would take to convince her she knew what she was doing.
Nettie was another matter. After sending one of the footmen back to the stable with the old horse and themoney to retrieve her cross, and briefly assuring the butler and other servants she passed along the way that she was fine, but giving them no explanation, Roslynn rushed upstairs to find Nettie in her room, anxiously pacing the floor and looking more haggard than she had ever seen her. But at first sight of Roslynn, her face filled with surprise and relief.
“Och, hinny, if ye didna give me the worst scare of my life!” And then almost in the same breath, her tune changed. “Where the devil have ye been, I’d like tae be knowing? I thought yer cousin had ye fer sure.”
Roslynn nearly smiled at Nettie’s ability to jump from one emotion to another with such startling swiftness, but as harried as she was herself, she couldn’t even spare a moment for the amusement her abigail stirred, so welcome after such a ghastly day. She hurried straight to her wardrobe, tossing over her shoulder, “He did, Nettie. Now help me dress, quickly, while I tell you about it.”
She did, and Nettie interrupted only once with “Ye did what?” when she came to the part about jumping out of the window. After she had finished, the anxiety was back in Nettie’s expression.
“Then ye canna stay here nae longer.”
“I know,” Roslynn replied. “And I’m leaving tonight, we both are, but not together.”
“But—”
“Listen now,” Roslynn interrupted impatiently. “I’ve had all afternoon to think what’s best to do. Geordie’s made his move. Now that his scheme is out in the open, what’s to stop him from forcing his way in wherever I am and taking me again, and next time maybe hurting someone in the process? It took me so long to get home, I thought for certain he’d be herewaiting. But perhaps he didn’t think I could make it this far without money or clothes.”
“Then ye think he’s still searching fer ye near where ye escaped him?”
“Either that, or he’s working on a new plan already. But there’s also the likelihood he sent someone here to watch the house. Although I didn’t see anyone, that doesn’t mean no one’s out there, so we’ve got to confuse them, and pray it’s only one man. If we leave together at the same time but in different directions, he’ll not know who to follow.”
“But where are we going?”
Roslynn finally smiled. “Back to Silverley. He’ll have no way to trace us there.”
“Ye dinna know that.”
“It was Geordie who tried to have me snatched off the street that day. He knew where I was, but apparently no one was watching the house the morning I left so early for the country. When he realized I had gone, he sent men out in all directions, but the trail was lost after we left that inn where we joined up. As long as we avoid public places and aren’t followed, we’ll be safe.”
“But, lass, that accomplishes nothing but tae hide ye fer a time. It doesna get ye married, and ye’ll no’ really be safe from that blackguard until ye wed.”
“I know, which is why I’ll be sending for the gentleman of my choice to meet me there and put my proposition to him. If all goes well, I can be married at Silverley too, if Regina doesn’t mind.”
Nettie’s brows shot up. “Then ye’ve decided which one tae marry?”
“By the time I get there, I’ll know which one I want,” Roslynn hedged, for that was the only thingstill in doubt. “The important thing at the moment is to get there without leaving a trail Geordie can follow. Now, I’ve already sent one of the servants to fetch us each a rented hack.”
“What of Brutus?” Nettie asked, then glanced with wide eyes at Roslynn’s full wardrobe. “And all yer clothes? There’s nae time tae pack—”
“They must be left here until after I’m wed, Nettie. We can both take a few things now, and I’m sure Regina has a competent seamstress who can supply whatever else we need to see us to the wedding. All I need to do is leave a note for Frances; then we can be off. Where is she, by the way?”
Nettie grunted. “After she fair wore the carpet down tae a frazzle all morning long, one of the maids mentioned she had a brother who knew a certain fellow, who knew how tae go about hiring the kind of men who could find ye quicker than the authorities—”
“Authorities!” Roslynn gasped, horrified that the scandal she had worried about all day was going to break around her head anyway. “Hell’s teeth! She didna report me missing, did she?”
Nettie quickly shook her head. “She was near tae doing it, though, that worried she was, but knew once she did, it’d never be kept secret. And if ye’d no’ be completely ruined, the talk would still hurt yer efforts tae get a decent husband. That’s why she jumped on the maid’s suggestion, and even insisted on going herself tae arrange the hiring.”
Roslynn frowned. “Still, with so many servants knowing—”
“Och now, ye’re no’ tae worry as tae that, lass. They’re good people Lady Frances has, but tae be safe, I had a wee talk wi’ each of them. They’re no’likely tae breathe a word outside this house about yer absence.”
Roslynn chuckled. “You’ll have to tell me sometime what threats you used, but right now we’ve no more time. Go and pack up several changes of clothes, and I’ll do the same, then meet me downstairs. We should leave at exactly the same moment. And, Nettie, head north until you’re certain you’re not followed; then you can turn toward Hampshire. I’ll go south and then backtrack too. But if I don’t arrive close behind you, you’re not to worry. I’ll be going far out of my way first, just to be safe. I don’t intend to fall into Geordie’s hands again no matter what. He won’t be so careless the next time.”
