“It must be the stamina and vigour of youth,” Schneider, a hardened soldier of not yet four-and-twenty, grumbled under his breath.
Georg watched her slim figure pick her way over the roots and shrubs of the gnarled mountain path, and kicked himself for having forgotten, even for a moment, that she was not who she appeared to be.
The sugar poppet image was merely an act.
The girl was quite capable of climbing a mountain. In fact, she had no difficulty at all keeping step with him, and her reflexes were excellent.
Why was he so surprised?
She climbed lithely over a fallen boulder and ducked under some tree branches.
Clearly, she was used to spending a great deal of time out of doors.
In the middle of a clearing, she paused.
“Miss Honeyw—” Schneider, who had been struggling to keep up with them, gasped. She cut him off. “Shh.” Then, barely opening her lips, she muttered under her breath, “Aren’t you going to shoot him?”
Georg loaded his flintlock with slow, measured movements.
“Oh, for pity’s sake,” she exclaimed.
Schneider started. “What?”
Faster than lightning, she whirled around, snatched theflintlock out of Georg’s hands, aimed and pressed the trigger.
The shot ripped through the air, then silence.
Then, from the topmost branch of the fir tree, the grouse dropped to the ground.
Dead.
Evie handed the flintlock back to Georg.
“Nice shot, Lady Evie,” Georg said dryly.
“Thank you.” She smoothed her dress, not realising she had just responded to her real name.
Schneider looked from one to the other, opening and closing his mouth. He caught Georg’s warning glance, and a quick shake of his head. He shut it with a snap.
This afternoon had been tremendouslyinteresting, Georg found.
When she finally dropped her mask, Lady Evie turned out to be rather more sturdy and athletic than she’d pretended.
She was also an excellent shot. Almost better than him, too, for that grouse had been hiding in the top branch of the tree. Only the most precise of sharpshooters would have been able to bring that bird down.
He wondered fleetingly whether Julius knew about her talent.
Georg found himself whistling a cheerful tune.
Quite unexpectedly, the future did not seem as bleak as it had earlier.
Chapter Thirteen
That evening,after supper, Evie found herself alone with Hartenberg in the drawing room, for Schneider had been called away on some business regarding the estate. The doctor had just left as well, with a brief update on Clara, who was recovering well.
Mumbling an excuse, Evie rose to retire, for the last thing she wanted was to spend the evening in intimate company with Hartenberg. It would be most awkward.
“Do stay and keep me company, Miss Honeywell,” Hartenberg said pleasantly as he poured himself a drink. “Would you like a drink as well?” He lifted the brandy glass.
