“Oh, that would be lovely, Daffin. Thank you. I must admit I’m frightened. A pistol shot is no laughing matter,” Nicole added in a tremulous voice.
“I agree,” Daffin replied. “I think we should leave for the duke’s estate in Surrey immediately. You’ll both be much safer in the country, where I can keep Regina away from crowds.”
Nicole nodded. “If the man who is trying to hurt Regina follows us, he’ll be out in the open.”
“Precisely.” Daffin jabbed the logs with a poker, sending sparks flying up the flue. “Pack your trunks, ladies. We’re going to Surrey tomorrow.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Daffin woke with the sun the next morning. There were dozens of details to see to before their party could leave for the countryside. He’d already decided the fewer people who knew about their trip, the better. After he left the ladies in the library last night, he’d returned to his bedchamber to write a quick missive to Grimaldi, informing him of the incident on Berkeley Square and telling him of their plans to leave for Surrey. He assured the marquess his wife and cousin were safe and promised to keep them that way. Regina would not be harmed on his watch. Neither would Nicole.
Daffin spoke to the housekeeper and butler, instructing them to tell any visitors only that the family was not in London, and not to provide any details as to where they had gone or when they would return. He also asked them not to share the details with any of the other servants.
Next, he went out to the mews to speak to the coachman and groomsmen. Those servants would be traveling with them toSurrey, but Daffin needed a bigger entourage in case they were waylaid on the road. “I’d like to bring two footmen with me. Whom do you suggest?”
“Matthew and Timothy,” the coachman said. “They’re the best footmen Lord Coleford has.”
Daffin returned to the house and worked with the butler to make arrangements for the two footmen to accompany them. He asked the housekeeper to write a note to the duke and his household to let them know they’d be arriving earlier than expected, and he had requested Regina and Nicole be ready as early as possible. He wanted to arrive in Surrey before nightfall. They’d be safer traveling during the day.
The two ladies were clearly still sleepy when they made their way down the stairs to the foyer. Yawning, they meandered outside to the coach. The footmen marched behind them with their trunks. The maids had been up early packing.
“Ready?” Daffin asked Regina as he helped her into the coach, trying to ignore the scent of apples as he helped her up.
“Ready,” Regina replied with a nod.
“Nicole?” Daffin asked.
“I cannot wait to leave,” she replied. “I only want Regina to be safe.”
“Yes,” Daffin replied. “Staying in London would be madness after what happened yesterday.”
Their entourage set out in two coaches, one carrying the servants, including the two footmen and the ladies’ maids. The other contained Daffin and the two ladies.
The first hour of the ride passed mostly in silence. Nicole and Regina sat quietly, wrapped in a pile of fur blankets. Daffin kept the curtains drawn until they made it out of the city. Once they were well on the way to Surrey, he openedthe curtains to scan the countryside and see if they were being followed. He also regularly checked with the coachman to ask if any other conveyances were behind them. The way had been mostly clear except for the odd wagon or mail coach headed toward the city.
Two hours into their journey, Nicole fell deeply asleep against the side of the coach. Regina pulled a blanket up to her cousin’s neck and patted it softly. “She says she can barely keep her eyes open now that she’s with child.”
“Another reason we must ensure she doesn’t get too upset about all of this,” Daffin said.
“I know. The shot frightened her terribly, but she’s already told me she wants to investigate it herself.”
Daffin couldn’t help his smile. It was so like Nicole to want to investigate her own family’s case. “If she wasn’t with child, no doubt she’d have run the blighter down in the street herself. But I understand why she’s more cautious.” Daffin gazed out the window at the rolling fields. “It must be an awesome responsibility, being a parent.”
Regina pulled the blanket up under her chin and met his gaze. “Do you want children, Daffin?”
His gaze shot back to hers. “I can’t say I’ve thought about it much.”
“What about marriage?” she prodded.
Daffin turned back to face her and rubbed his forehead. “In my line of work, it would be asking a great deal of a wife not to constantly worry about me.”
Regina settled back against the corner of the coach. “Are none of the men who work for Bow Street married, then?”
“Not many of them.” He gazed at her, snuggled into the furs. She looked incredibly vulnerable and incredibly beautiful. “What about you? Do you want children?” The questionshot out before he even had a chance to examine why he wanted to know.
She turned her head to stare out the window. “I never thought I did. But I suppose with the right husband—”
“Dryden?”
