“A wager is a wager,” Henry grinned. “You find the fastest horses you can and we’ll step in only long enough for sustenance to take with us.”
“We’ll even sign affidavits for how long the journey took,” Ashford assured him.
“Thank you, gentleman. I’ll get you to your destination and for once I’ll be able to shut my older brother down.”
A wager was a wager, something Henry well understood, so he hurried to collect the foodstuffs and ale and returned to the carriage as the fresh horses were being tethered. Henry wasn’t going to stand in the way of not only Jamie winning, but besting his older brother was --something Henry had never accomplished.
“What was your brother’s destination?” Ashford asked Jamie before they climbed back in the carriage.
“Kirksbury.” Jamie grinned. “You’ll go beyond that of course, but it’s Kirksbury that we need to make in time.”
“How far away?” Keegan asked.
At that, Jamie’s grin widened. “Twenty miles.”
“Then, what’s keeping you?” Pickmore laughed. “Get up on your perch and get the job done and wager won!” Ashford laughed.
“I appreciate your assistance Gentleman. But I need to ask, why are you being so understanding?”
At that they all laughed.
“We all have or had an older brother,” Henry answered. “Your winning is for all of us.”
As they didn’t want to waste a moment or be the cause of Jamie losing his wager, Henry and his friends climbed into the carriage, settled in and toasted with ale as the horses pulled the carriage back onto the road.
“I now understand the rush,” Ashford said. “It wasn’t just you but Jamie seems to be on his own mission, as well.”
“To Jamie.” Pickmore raised a flask. “May he beat his brother for all of us.”
“Here! Here!” they cheered then turned to watch the scenery flash by as the horses traveled at breakneck speed toward their destination. As they slowed to travel through Kirskury, the four of them cheered since it wasn’t possible that Jamie had lost time and had definitely beaten his brother.
As soon as they cleared the town, Jamie picked up speed again, and it was Ashford and Keegan who sat forward, suddenly worried.
“What is it?” Henry demanded.
“The curve,” Ashford yelled.
“We didn’t warn him of the tight…”
The words were lost as the wheels slid on the road. The carriage jerked and then tumbled over and over down an embankment.
* * *
Eve tilted her head back and inhaled deeply through her nose. The sea. Home. “You’re lucky to live so close to the water.”
“Aye,” Cait agreed.
Together they walked across the sand until they came to a boulder and settled upon it. “The seals enjoy sunning themselves here.”
Eve smiled. She had loved the seals as a child, as well as the dolphins and watching for whales.
“What am I going to do?” Eve finally asked. “You have a position, but I don’t know where to begin to find one for myself.”
“I’ve a question.” Cait studied her. “When we were girls in Ireland, you refused to alter your speech as our governess tried to teach us.”
“That’s because Father hoped that once presented we’d find English lords for husbands,” Eve reminded her. “I had no intention of leaving Ireland, or finding an English husband.”
“I remember. You weren’t going to change who you were.” Cait laughed. “Yet, here you are, months after seeing one another, dressed as a lady and your speech just as refined. Is it because of the theatre?”
