Page 14 of How to Ruin a Rake

He opened his eyes and stared at her with a look of complete incomprehension.

“What the devil?”

She clamped her hand over his mouth. “Be quiet! I just heard the Pikes and Billy down in the hall plotting to murder us for the horses.”

He took hold of her wrist and removed her hand from his mouth. “You’re having a nightmare.”

“No, I am perfectly awake. I swear it,” Allegra hissed. She related everything she’d heard and said, “We have to get out of here. Help me get dressed.”

To his credit, he immediately got out of bed, got dressed, and helped Allegra into her clothing.

“Now, all we have to do is work out how to get out,” he murmured close to her ear. “I doubt we’ll make it unseen down the main staircase.”

“The window?” Allegra suggested.

Max went over, unlatched one of the windows, and looked down. “We might be able to climb down the ivy. It looks fairly strong, and we’re not too high up.” He turned back to her. “Do you think you will be able to manage it in all those skirts?”

“I’ll have to,” Allegra said. “But perhaps you could go first and find the best route.”

“Yes, and you can throw your bag, bonnet, and cloak down to me.” Max was already half out of the window.

Allegra took a moment to rearrange the bed to look as if they were sleeping in it and drew the curtains around all four sides. She went back to the window and looked out to see that Max had almost reached the ground. He turned and grinned up at her, gesturing for her to send down her reticule.

“It’s not that difficult,” he whispered. “The main branches are quite sturdy.”

Saying a prayer, Allegra climbed out, her booted foot scrabbling for purchase amongst the thick stems of the ivy. She found a firm footing and reluctantly released her grip on the windowsill to seek another. It felt like she was taking hours, but she was so afraid of falling that she knew she had to consider every move. She was almost at the bottom when her foot slipped, she lost her grip, and fell backward right into Max’s welcoming arms.

“Well done.” He kissed her ear. “You are an exceptional woman.”

She was shivering so violently that he stepped them both back into the shade of the ivy and continued to hold her. She was the first to move away. “We have to go.”

“What about the horses?” Max asked.

“Wouldn’t it be better to leave them here? It might dissuade Billy and the Pikes from coming after us.”

“But if we leave the horses, we’ll be on foot, and they might catch us very easily.” He paused. “Perhaps I should make an attempt to take at least one of them?”

Allegra clutched at his coat in a manner most unlike herself. “I don’t want you to put yourself in danger.”

“I promise I won’t. Let’s find somewhere safe for you to hide, and then I’ll decide whether to come back for one of the horses or not.”

“All right.”

“Good girl.” He patted her cheek. “Now, let’s cross over into the shadow of that hedge and make our way along the road.”

Luckily there was enough moonlight for them to navigate away from the inn. They walked as quickly as they could, glancing back down the road to see if they were being pursued.

After about half an hour, Allegra spotted a white-painted, stone structure in one of the fields and pointed at it. “I could hide there.”

“Let me go and see if it is suitable.” Max vaulted over the gate and walked across the recently ploughed field, disappearing into the darkness.

Allegra shivered in her inadequate clothing, and was grateful when he came back fairly quickly.

“It’s a shrine of some sorts. As long as you are not troubled by spiders, I think you’ll be safe there.” He looked down at her. “I’m inclined to go back and see if I can get one of the horses.”

“Are you sure?” Allegra looked up at him. “I don’t want you to be murdered.”

“Well, that’s an improvement.” He hesitated. “If there is a lot of activity at the inn, I promise I’ll come back immediately.”