He gave a faint smile. “It doesn’t matter.”
She looked from one to the other. “But—”
He patted her on the hand. “Don’t worry about us. Ethan and I can look after ourselves. Just you concentrate on getting yourself and Nicky—and my grays—back to the Grange in one piece. And tell Barrow. We’ll do the rest. Now, let me see you hold the reins.”
She gave him a troubled look, but wrapped the reins around her hands in the correct manner and he nodded.
He leaned forward and before she realized what he was doing, he kissed her on the mouth, a hard, brief, possessive kiss. “Take care. Now go.”
He sprang down and gave the near-side gray a slap on the rump. The horses moved off rapidly. He watched her until she’d turned left and was heading up the hill back toward the Grange, away from the village of West Lulworth. Not a soul followed.
He waited until the curricle was out of sight, then turned to Ethan. “How many are we talking about?”
“There’s at least two of them in there with her, mebbe more. I heard several voices.”
Gabe nodded. “Good. Then here’s the plan,” he said and explained to the Irishman exactly what he wanted him to do.
Ethan whistled. “Audacious, sir, not to mention risky to your good self.”
Gabe grimaced. “Just do as I tell you and I’ll worry about my good self.” He grinned. “To tell you the truth, I’m rather looking forward to it.”
“Bored with the peaceful life, eh, sir?”
“A little,” he admitted. Before she arrived.
Ethan grinned. “Then let’s get on with it.”
Gabe climbed over the dry stone wall and stealthily circled around behind the cottage. He signaled to Ethan, who trotted back down the road, whistling loudly, then turned in again down Tibby’s lane way. He looped the reins lightly around a bush and strode noisily down the cinder path, still whistling and rapped on the door.
After a short murmured debate, the door opened a crack and Tibby looked out. When she saw Ethan, her eyes widened.
He grinned at her and gave her a wink.
Color surged into her pale cheeks. She was not blushing, Ethan saw. She was angry.
“I’m sorry to bother you again, ma’am,” he said in a loud voice, making his accent thicker than usual and sounding as if he’d had a few drinks. “But I forgot that I had a map on me, so to avoid gettin’ any more contrary directions to Rose Bay Farm—where that stallion is—you know the one I told you about, the champion. So I thought I’d show you this map and see if you could give me get some good, commonsense directions.”
There was a pause and then the door cracked open wider.
“Show me the map,” she said through thin, irritated lips. She put half her body in the gap. Only one of her arms was free and Ethan could see that her skirt was awry, as if someone was holding onto it.
Ethan pulled out the note she had given him and showed it to her. She gave him an incredulous look and irritation gave way to thoughtfulness. He winked at her again.
He said loudly, “Now here is Rose Bay Farm, ma’am, if you could just show me where we are now.” He made the paper crackle and took her free hand in his. She went to resist in an automatic movement, then stopped.
“You are here,” she told him, “and this is where you need to go to find the farm you want.”
Ethan gave her hand an approving squeeze and said, “Ohh, so that’s it. And, ma’am, can you just show me the turnoff. Point it out to me—I’m not so good with paper maps.”
“Yes, of course.” She gave a little tug and, after a moment, whoever had been holding her other arm released it. Her skirt was pulled tighter than ever. But most of her body was in the gap between the door and the jamb.
Ethan gave her a meaningful look, then silently counted, one, two, three. On three, he pulled her out of the doorway and hard against him. There was a ripping sound but Ethan didn’t stop to look. He gave a piercing whistle and immediately a loud crash sounded at the back of the cottage.
In the same moment Ethan scooped Tibby into his arms. She squeaked and gave a halfhearted struggle. He took no notice. He raced down the path and tossed her onto his waiting horse.
She almost fell off again, but managed to straighten herself and stay on. “What on earth—”
“Hush!” He swung up behind her and, with an arm around her waist, galloped away. Behind them, the cottage rang with shouts and crashes.
