Page 9 of Adeline

“The rain be come’n down, miss,” Maxwell called, the wind howling through the cracked carriage door.

“Do you think the man safe?” she asked.

“He be have’n a fine coach, nice clothes, and superb horses,” her driver replied.

“I did not ask if he is financially endowed.” A well-sprung carriage, and the best horses Tattersall’s had to offer did not make one safe. “I meant, do you think it wise to journey with the earl to his home?”

“I do not think we have much choice,” Poppy squeaked.

“Very well,” Adeline sighed, collecting her handbag as she prepared to depart her family coach. “Do make certain my belongings—and Poppy’s—are brought to Lord Ailesbury’s residence.”

“Of course, Miss Adeline.”

She took the driver’s offered hand and stepped back into the rain, surprised to find an unfamiliar servant holding an umbrella to shield her from the worst of the storm.

“Right this way, miss.” He waited for Poppy to exit and gestured toward Lord Ailesbury’s waiting carriage, the large man already seated inside. “I have coals to warm your feet, and a thick woolen blanket to ward off the chill until we arrive at Faversham Abbey.”

Adeline slipped her arm through Poppy’s, and they picked their way across the muddy road, attempting to maneuver around the largest puddles.

Finally, they took the two steps into Lord Ailesbury’s carriage and seated themselves across from the hulking man. If he’d looked massive outside with his wide shoulders and thick legs, now, he appeared to nearly fill the interior of the carriage. True to the driver’s promise, a blanket lay folded between Adeline and Poppy with a metal box of coals under their seat. A single lantern swung on a hook outside the carriage, fighting to remain lit despite the onslaught of wind and rain. It cast a dim glow around the women and on Lord Ailesbury’s booted feet, but did not reach any higher on the man, leaving him shrouded in darkness, his hood still raised to shield his face—or so it appeared.

The coach sprang into motion a few moments later, and Adeline waited for the man to speak…or lower his hood…or, at the very least, breathe.

But he made not a sound.

He only sat with his head lowered slightly, making it impossible for Adeline to gain a proper view of his face.

“Thank you for your kindness, my lord,” she mumbled, attempting to force him to speak. “It was very gallant of you.”

“It is as any gentleman should do,” he grunted.

“Yes, but offering us shelter is far more than what is expected.”

He pulled the curtain back and stared into the dark night beyond. “It was either that or risk having you perish in the storm.”

Adeline scooted in Poppy’s direction, hoping for a small peek as he continued to stare at something beyond their carriage, but he allowed the curtain to fall back into place and reached up, adjusting his hood.

“We are arriving now.” He pounded on the side of the coach, and they slowed to a stop. “I will let the pair of you out here. My servants will collect your carriage as soon as the storm passes and make the necessary repairs. My housekeeper will see you to your room and have a meal prepared.”

Lord Ailesbury crossed one leg over the other and placed his hands on his lap, relaxing into the plush padding.

Was he dismissing her?

Instantly, she was transported back to her girlhood—being deposited outside Miss Emmeline’s without an offer of assistance down the long drive. A sharp retort rushed to the tip of her tongue.

Before she could utter a word, however, the carriage door swung open, and a footman set the steps. No wind or rain swept into the coach.

“Thank you, again, my lord.” Adeline stood, her chin notching high as she took the steps down to the cobbled drive, happy to see they’d pulled into a sheltered area that kept the storm at bay. “Come, Poppy.”

“Abbington,” the driver shouted to the man who had opened the front door. “Please have Mrs. Hutchins prepare a guest chamber for Miss…errr…”

The man’s words trailed off as he searched his memory for her name, but Adeline hadn’t given it, and neither had Lord Ailesbury or his servant asked.

“Miss Adeline Price,” she said with a smile. “But, please, Addington, there is little need to go through all that trouble for me.”

“It is our pleasure, Miss Adeline,” the servant said. “I am George, me lord’s driver. If ye be need’n anythin’, do have someone collect me. For now, Abbington and Mrs. Hutchins will take swell care of ye.”

“And what of Lord Ailesbury?” He hadn’t departed the carriage—and even now, she noted his knees through the open door. “Will he not be accompanying Poppy and me into his home?”