“Do you have acomplaint?”
“Yes… no.” She huffed. “Youhaven’t answered my question.”
“Was it too short a kiss?Not to your liking? Should I have…”
“Stop!” She put a hand onher hot cheek, sure her face was as red as Cook’s pickled onion.“Just tell me why.”
Harry laughed. “It doesn’t require agreat deal of explanation. It’s not an army maneuver, or acomplicated dance step. A pretty woman in her nightgown stoodbefore me and I wanted to kiss her.”
“You think I’mpretty?”
He glanced at her then turned back tothe road. “I do.”
Erina was unaccountably pleased. Shewondered if he would like to kiss her again, but she doubted hewould. It seemed to put him in bad humor. She abandoned thatthought before it became too complicated. “Are we to stop for thenight?”
“I’ll need to rest thehorses. I remember a good coaching inn near Shewsbury. We’ll get adecent dinner there, and the bedding is always clean.”
“I don’t have much moneyand I need to keep what I have to pay for the boat. Once I’m inIreland, I can sell my jewelry. I’ll send you themoney.”
“No matter. We couldeconomize.”
“How?”
“Share a room?”
“Oh!” Her chest swelledwith indignation. “You’re not serious!”
A corner of Harry’s mouth curled up ina half smile. “No, regrettably, Erina, I am not.”
She surreptitiously tried to ease herstays beneath her breasts. “I wish you wouldn’t tease.”
His laugh seemed rather bitter. “Ihave to get something for my pains, don’t you think?”
So, he considered this trip to be apain. She firmed her lips determined not to utter another word. Butit proved impossible to remain silent when a squall moved overhead,and they were hit with a deluge filling the air with the scents ofdamp fields and wet grass. The hood over the curricle did little toprotect them.
“There’s an inn not farahead. We’ll stop for luncheon,” Harry said. “Hopefully this rainshower will be brief.”
Fifteen minutes later, Harry drew thecurricle into the forecourt of a small ivy-covered inn, scatteringchickens. Harry produced an umbrella from the back of the curricle.He helped her down and instructed the ostler concerning the care ofhis horses. As they were slapped with heavy rain, they hurriedacross to the entrance skirting puddles. In the foyer, she noticedHarry’s trousers were wet at the bottom and his boots muddy. Hewouldn’t like that. He was always neatly dressed.
She picked up her damp skirts as theyentered the parlor where a forlorn group of travelers hovered closeto the fire while others sat at the tables eating. Delicious smellswafted from the kitchen.
They were shown to a table by theinnkeeper’s wife. “Such a nasty day for travel isn’t it,” she saidsympathetically. “A nice hot drink to warm you?” She rattled offthe dishes on offer.
Erina discovered she was hungry andordered the chicken pie while Harry chose the beef andkidney.
While they waited, facing each otheracross the table, she was suddenly remorseful. She should not haveforced Harry into this. It was obvious he didn’t want to be here.She’d been so intent on saving Cathleen that she hadn’t consideredhow this reckless flight might affect him. How it might hurt hisfeelings and possibly even damage his reputation as well as hers.She lowered her head and arranged the silverware on the white linencloth.
“You’re fidgeting again,”Harry observed.
“Sorry.” She put down thecutlery and met his chocolate brown eyes. Why hadn’t she noticedhow handsome his eyes were, fringed with thick black lashes? A goodface, especially when he smiled. A cleft in his strong chin, awell-shaped mouth. A straight nose. He could marry anyone. And herehe was wasting his time with her. She was sure he could havedissuaded his father from the engagement easily enough. Harrywasn’t cowardly. But he was caring. She wished he would smile ather.
“I’ve been horrible toyou,” she managed to say with a catch in her voice.
Harry sat back and widened his eyes.“Have you? When?”
She gave a half laugh. “You know whatI mean. Dragging you all this way, placing you in this awfulposition.”
“Perfectly dreadful,” heagreed.
