“Two of Gabriel’s friends are here to help.”
Mama slid out of bed, dropped her nightdress, and padded naked to the basin. “Gabriel? You mean the duke, don’t you? Don’t look surprised. I asked who he was, and he told me.”
She should never have left them alone together. Which she hadn’t, now that she thought about it.
“Who are his friends?”
“Stratton and Brentworth. They are dukes too.”
Mama turned in surprise with her face covered with soap. “Why not just involve the entire House of Lords, Amanda? The king too?”
She turned back to the basin and splashed water over her face, then wet a cloth. “Three dukes. We are doomed for certain now. One we might have cajoled into mercy, especially since you are his lover, but three together will never be moved. Each one will not want to look dishonorable to the others.”
She washed her body, mumbling the whole time. Finished, she threw the cloth into the basin so hard the water jumped. “They will probably hang us together. That will be a sight for the bloodthirsty crowd, I’m sure. We must leave at once. I will go below and—”
“No, Mama. You will stay, even if I have to tie you down. This began with you and you will be here for the ending too.”
Her tone took her mother aback. “You are making a big mistake putting faith in that man. You are nothing to him, and he will hand us over and swear information that, thanks to you, he has in abundance.”
“He told me he would not, and I believe him.”
Mama raised her gaze upward, as if praying for patience. “Is he your first lover? Because if he is, I am sorry to have to tell you that men—”
“He is not my first lover. I am not stupid, Mama. Not about men, not about people and not aboutyou. I was taught how to size people up, after all. I learned much listening to you and Papa plot your schemes.”
Her mother’s face reddened. Not from embarrassment but from anger. “If you are not willing to save yourself, at least allow me to try and save myself.”
Amanda moved a chair against the door and sat. “You will stay.”
“I see I exchanged one prison for another. That my own daughter would—”
“Stop complaining, Mama. I will pay a high price for today, and I will not have you making the ordeal worse. You must remain here. You will be needed. We can hardly accuse Yarnell and Pritchard of kidnapping if you are not there to tell about it. Now, dress please. A breakfast is coming up soon. We will eat here, and wait for the gentlemen to call for us when it is time.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Pritchard’s eyes opened a slit. He startled and his lids flashed open wide. He gathered the bedclothes around him. “I’ve no money, if that is what you want.”
Gabriel looked down from the left side of the bed. Stratton held the same position on the right.
“We do not want money,” Gabriel said. “We have not come to rob you. We only require your company for an hour or so.”
“My company . . . who in hell are you?”
“Two friends of Mr. Yarnell.”
“Did he send you because I did not go all the way to his house yesterday? I would have, but my horse was tired. Barely made it here, you see. I thought it best to avail myself of a bed and finish the journey today. I’ll be doing that now, so if you do not mind—” He began to push back the sheet.
“No hurry. Indeed, we prefer you stay just as you are,” Gabriel said. “Would you like some breakfast? Stratton, send down to the kitchen for some breakfast for Mr. Pritchard.”
Pritchard settled back in. “If I’m to stay here, I might nap a bit if you don’t mind.”
“We don’t mind. Do we, Stratton? We will call for that breakfast anyway, and wake you again when it comes.”
Pritchard nodded and closed his eyes. He soon snored.
“Reminds me of Brentworth,” Stratton mused.
“You are right. It sounds like geese. When did he leave?”
