“Aye, Mr. Cox. Good man he is,” Sarver said.
“Especially since his wife has a temper,” the man with graying hair added.
Cox? Beck had never heard that name. “A temper?”
“She lost it. Destroyed our game.”
Beck sat forward. Could Elise be traveling with a man? Was she in danger? “Did she act fearful?”
Everyone laughed. “They were acouple,” Sarversaid, “if you understand my meaning. Didn’t take their eyes off of each other.” Heads nodded agreement.
Beck asked, “Did they take the Mail in the direction of Liverpool?”
“Cox asked about it. However, it hasn’t come in yet,” Sarver answered. “It should be here in about two hours.”
“So, the couple is here?” Beck could not believe his luck. “Where are they now?”Ifthis was Elise, then who was the man? And why was she with him? But also, if this Cox did anything to Elise, Beck would happily peel the skin off of him.
“I don’t know where they are. I haven’t seen them,” Sarver answered. “But then, many people take a walk while waiting for their coach. They should be here by and by. Then again, I haven’t seen their dog either. My son told me Cox said he didn’t know what he’d do if the Mail driver didn’t let him bring his dog. Attached to the animal, he was.”
A dog?Beck sat back on the bench. “Did his wife like the dog, too?” He was trying to make sense of it all.
“I assume so,” Sarver said. “Another tankard?”
“Thank you,” Beck responded. He picked up his fork and knife, his mind busy. He needed time to consider all of this.
There was nothing to do but wait for the Mail to arrive.
A few hours later, he watched the coach driveoff. No couple had taken a seat. He’d also talked to the stable master, who hadn’t seen the couple or their dog all day. “They slept in the barn,” the man had said. “We don’t have more than one room in the inn, and it had already been claimed. The husband helped me with chores and asked if they could sleep in the stables for the night. I said he could. Never saw her. I know they slept in the hay, but they were gone when I came to feed the horses.”
“Where do you think they went?”
“For a walk.”
Was that the answer to everything in the country? Beck swore under his breath. A hundred wicked things could happen to a young, beautiful woman traveling alone.
He prayed none of them had happened to Elise. Gwendolyn had put great trust in him and he had no desire to disappoint her.
In the end, Beck decided to ride on to Liverpool. It was his safest gamble. He believed he would find Elise, or some word of her, between here and the port city.
He mounted his horse.
Chapter Fourteen
Two people shorten the road.
Irish saying
Kit had come of his own volition with Elise, but she knew he was not happy with her decision to travel to Moorcock—mainly because he let his feelings be known.
Granted, he was obviouslynotat his best in the morning. In the short time she’d known him, he’d never been particularly communicative before the sun was well up in the sky.
This was different. While yesterday he’d been fine, even gallant about seeing her safely to Ireland, today the hard set of his jaw and his conversations of grunts let her know he believed she was wasting their time.
She was just as certain they weren’t.
Tamsyn tried to cheer him up. She found a good stick and brought it to him to throw, something he always did for her. Not today. Heignored her prodding. He gave her a pet, but little else.
Eventually, she dropped the stick and settled for walking right at his side, staring up adoringly at him. Kit didn’t notice. He was too wrapped up in putting one angry foot in front of the other, stopping only to roll up his oilskin and drape it over one shoulder as the day grew warmer.
