If nearness tothe duchess hadn’t distracted him, Brynn would have recognized the Royal Crown immediately as an ideal spot for an invasion from London. Pursuers, he had believed all along, would come northwest from London to intercept, not north through Ashmead to follow them.
As it was, his mind wrapped around the need to oversee the room assignments and dinner arrangements as a gentleman should when they came to a stop. The duchess put her dainty hand in his to step down from the carriage, further absorbing his attention. Her smug expression gave him pause, her scent teased his senses, and a voice inside urged caution.The pushy woman means to ambush you with more questions. You best find an escape.He saw the plot written plainly in her eyes and hoped she saw the challenge in his.
When they stepped into the entryway, however, the lady’s intake of breath and sudden grip on his arm brought him fully alert to his surroundings.
Brynn had expected Rob Benson, perhaps with Lucy or some of his men, or even Clarion himself. He had not expected to find the Duke of Glenmoor, hopping mad and determined to involve himself, pacing the Royal Crown, a peacock among pigeons, in a crowded public room.
“You seem to have acquired a chaperone after all,” Brynn murmured, pulling her closer than was perfectly proper.
The duke glared at Brynn’s hand covering hers, and his fierce frown could have set the room on fire. Brynn’s respect for David Caulfield, Earl of Clarion’s shrewdness rose several notches. Glenmoor had a vested interest, and his presence would force the duchess to proceed with care. He would also keep Brynn from any undo familiarity.Perhaps I’m the one that needed a chaperone.
Glenmoor came forward, bowed, and offered his arm. “Your Grace.”
Madelyn’s hesitation lasted the second it took to glance at Brynn, her eyes registering shock.
The duke managed to be graceful as he edged Brynn away. “Thank you for escorting Stepmama this far, Colonel Morgan. Now I am here, you needn’t be inconvenienced.”
The young lordling didn’t mean the inn or dinner escort. Brynn had been dismissed from the entire enterprise.
He is welcome to try. He bowed to Glenmoor. “Thank you, Your Grace. I will see to the carriage.”
The duchess stopped him with a hand on his arm. The other, the one attached to Glenmoor, pulled taut. “We will see you at dinner.” It wasn’t a question. Her expression all but begged him to be there.
The conversation over dinner suddenly seemed much more interesting. He removed her hand from his arm and kissed the air over her fingers. “I wouldn’t miss it.” He didn’t wait to see Glenmoor’s reaction.
*
Morgan wouldn’t likebeing relegated to a servant, but when Phillip requested “a room for my mother,” Maddy had to think quickly. When she added, “And another for Colonel Morgan, my brother’s steward,” Phillip gaped and opened his mouth to object but closed it rather than make a scene.
“Is that necessary, Madelyn?” he hissed as they walked away.
She ignored his question and patted his hand where it covered hers, anchoring it to his arm. “We should talk but not here, not now. I need to find my room and freshen up. We traveled far today.”
“Of course, Madelyn. I bespoke a private parlor. Shall we say an hour?”
What choice did she have? Escaping out the window would be undignified. At least Morgan—Brynn—would be there. She nodded.
She needn’t have. Phillip assumed agreement. He turned her toward the stairs, where a woman, one past the first blush of youth, in a plain but well-cut muslin dress and simple pelisse waited with an erect posture. The woman examined Maddy with sharp eyes even as she dipped into a curtsey, leaving the duchess with the sense she had come up wanting. “Miss Crenshaw, please escort Her Grace to her room. I’ll order hot water brought up and let Colonel Morgan know where to send her things.”
Maddy turned to glare at him, wide-eyed. “What is this?”
“Clarion was concerned that in your urgent departure you weren’t able to obtain services of a lady’s maid. I—he—that is,werectified it for you.” He looked entirely too pleased with himself. She resigned herself to the maid. There would be bigger battles to fight.
An hour later she left the exhaustingly competent woman folding and refolding her things and located the private parlor with the kind assistance of the innkeeper, whose bowing and scraping made his delight in the presence of a duke and duchess in his establishment apparent. She hoped he’d been equally helpful to Colonel Morgan. She didn’t want to face Phillip alone.
She needn’t have worried about the colonel finding his way. She found him standing by the table, arms crossed, mouth in a grim line that spoke of sheer stubborn will while Glenmoor glared daggers from across the table. Phillip didn’t want him there.
The men bowed in unison when she entered. Maddy donned her duchess mask and nodded graciously. “Thank you for joining us, Colonel Morgan.”
Amusement gleamed in Brynn’s eyes. He, at least, recognized her treacly words for the performance they were. He pulled out her chair before Phillip could. “Thank you for inviting me,” he murmured.
She watched poor Phillip gather his expression and manners while he gave instructions to the servers. She smiled across the table. “This is delightful after a long day of travel. I trust your journey was without unpleasantness as well, Phillip.” He must have left as soon as Clarion had gotten her message, and traveled hard.Damn it anyway.She had hoped to reach her destination before nosy relatives descended.
He replied with nonsense about roads and weather while the innkeeper and a phalanx of servants fluttered about, serving them, until Phillip raised his chin to glare pointedly at the man. “Kindly close the door when you leave.” His entire manner changed as soon as they were alone, and he leaned over to demand, “Now, Madelyn, tell me exactly what you think you’re doing.” His intent gaze pinned her in place. The steel in his voice surprised her. She may have considered him sweet, but her stepson was cleverer than she had given him credit for being.
Maddy glanced at Brynn, who studied the sumptuous plate in front of him. The blasted man planned to leave her floundering, and from the quirk of his mouth, she knew he found it amusing. Maddy certainly did not.
Phillip caught the exchange. “And why is Colonel Morgan involved?”
