“The woman is blonde and roughly this tall,” Wilhelmina said while holding her hand an inch above her own head.
“The man she’s with has dark brown hair,” James added. “They may have gone by the name of Dale.”
“Hmm…” Mr. Sellers scratched his head. “I saw two young couples who fit that description. One spent the night and left this morning. The other stopped by around four, to swap out their ’orses. One pair came by buggy, the other was ridin’ which was somethin’ of a sight with the lady sittin’ astride, but neither went by Dale.”
“How about Lawson, Petersen, or Hewitt?” Mrs. Lawson asked.
“None of those names rings a bell. The couple who spent the night went by Ross, but I did over ’ear the other lady callin’ the gent she was with Michael, if that’s any ’elp.”
“It is,” James said. Apparently they’d assumed a false surname. “Thank you very much.”
“We’re still far behind them,” Mrs. Lawson said as she climbed the stairs moments later with James close behind her. “I worry we’ll never catch up.”
“They did have a good head start,” James told her, doing his best to ignore the alluring sway of her hips. He tightened his grip on the bags he carried. “They’re also on horseback, which makes them faster, but if we set out early tomorrow we might be able to gain on them. Michael isn’t a morning person. He’s always enjoyed sleeping in.”
“So has Cynthia.”
“There’s our solution then. If we rise at five we’ll be ready to set out as soon as it starts getting light. Or is that too early for you?”
“I can be up by then,” she assured him.
They’d reached their rooms and just like the previous evening, James carried Mrs. Lawson’s bag into her chamber and set it on a chair. Whether because of her close proximity to him in this confined space or because their kiss was still fresh in his mind, James’s gaze instinctively moved to the bed.
Disturbed by the wicked intentions she stirred in him, he quickly retreated to the door. “I’ll knock when I’m ready to go back down. In ten to fifteen minutes?”
“All right.”
James glanced at her and noted she avoided looking directly at him. Clearly she wished to ignore the issue that hung between them like a thundercloud waiting to burst. He’d never been a coward, though, and he wasn’t about to start being one now, so he cleared his throat. “About earlier. I—”
“Perhaps we should chalk it up to a momentary lapse in judgment on both our parts?”
He blinked. So she meant to go on as before, as if the spectacular kiss they’d shared had never happened. Well, he didn’t suppose he could blame her, considering their odd relationship. Still, her rejection stung. More than he ever would have expected.
Irritated, James gave a curt nod. “If that’s what you wish.”
She started as if he’d just pushed her. Wide blue eyes stared back at him in dismay, until she managed to get a grip on whatever emotions she warred with. She crossed her arms. “It is.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
James stared at her for a moment more before turning on his heels and walking away. A bit of cold water to his face would soothe the burning sensation he felt at the back of his neck. Damn Mrs. Lawson for making him want her and damn him for goading her into kissing him. He’d never be able to rid his mind of how good she felt in his arms or how sweet she tasted, how perfect she was because of the innocence she had revealed. And God help him if he didn’t want more. The worst part was when it came to her, he feared he’d always want more.
But she was right to deny them more intimacy. It wasn’t as if they stood a chance in hell of sharing a future. Even the friendship they’d managed to forge through conversation and shared experiences these past two days would come to an end once their journey was over. It didn’t really matter if she wasn’t the heartless adulteress her husband had made her out. The world believed her to be this person, which pretty much meant that was who she was from now on. Guilty or not.
As such, James could not permit himself to get closer to her, not just for Michael’s sake but for his own. At best, Mrs. Lawson would cause tongues to wag. At worst, she’d destroy his career. For who would want to hire a barrister willing to associate with someone of such ill repute?
“Damn!”
He freshened up with jerky movements and went to collect her. She accepted the arm he offered and together they made their way down to the dining room without saying a word. It was awkward and awful. James hated every second. He wanted things to go back to how they’d been before they’d kissed, but to do so he’d have to re-write the past. Impossible.
Thankfully a maid soon arrived to take their order, providing them with a brief reprieve from what could only be described as the most uncomfortable situation he’d ever had to endure.
“The lamb sounds good to me,” he said.
“I’ll have the pork,” Mrs. Lawson said.
James glanced at her. “Beer or wine? We could share a jug of red, if you like?”
