She was an innocent, a naïve innocent with rather too much bottom, too little sense, and a great deal of willful intention. The impulse that had driven her to the stable the night before proved it. But the glitter in her very blue eyes now suggested that her need was quite sincere—that this was, in fact, not at all a game to her.
Outside, the sounds of a coach and six rumbled, and the barkeep called out, “Hereford to London Coach!” over the murmur of conversations.
“You refuse to be swayed?”
She nodded. “Oh, yes.”
“I cannot convince you otherwise? Perhaps to return home now and enlist the aid of your brother-in-law, the earl?”
“Certainly not. Alex despises my mother, and I could not ask that of my stepsister. Serena is a saint and loves everybody in the world except my mother.”
“Why is that?”
She tilted her head. “Do you know, Mr. Yale, I believe you are trying to distract me so that I will miss my coach.” She gathered her bonnet and stood up. “So I bid you good day and happy journey, although I do sincerely wish you were coming with me to aid me in my search and perform the duties of a hero. But, alas, that dream is not to be.” She cast him an oddly sad smile and went to the door.
He went after her.
He grasped her elbow to stay her and bent his head, and her scent of wild sunshine caressed him. “Miss Lucas, allow me to speak plainly,” he said quietly with only the slightest huskiness in his voice. “You ask me to play a role now when you will not do so yourself. You must admit that your determination and nerve do not resemble the qualities of a damsel in distress.”
She seemed to stiffen. She replied in barely a whisper.
“Mr. Yale, I am not foolish. I know that what I am doing is dangerous and will win me chastisement, perhaps ruination. But . . .” Her lush lower lip quivered, although it seemed she fought to control it. “But I must do this. When I was fifteen my mother left me without a glance good-bye and without explanation. My stepfather, brother, and sisters are reticent to speak of her. Though I wish to pretend she does not exist, and have endeavored to do so for four years, I find I cannot. And, you see, it hurts rather more than I can bear.” She lifted her gaze to him, sincere need in her lapis eyes. “It was an accident that you happened upon me. But now you must allow me to go and make my way of it, and forget you ever saw me. I give you leave to do so with good conscience.”
There was nothing for it. He could not do as she bid.
“I will not allow you to go alone.” He released her arm, for to touch her, he realized now, was a great mistake. “I will assist you.”
The transformation that came over her face hollowed out a space in his lungs. Her hand darted to his and clasped it, her blue eyes sparkling, wide, and despite all, trusting.
“You are a hero. And a gentleman.”
At present, Wyn knew he was neither. The old anger of vengeance fueled an impatience to be about his own mission that was all but heroic. And the heat of her touch through damp kidskin worked beneath his skin so that it required little imagination to strip the glove from those slender fingers and imagine feeling her. Once the glove went in his imagination, other feminine garments did as well. Quite swiftly. She was far too pretty, and he had been without a woman for far too long. He had not touched another’s skin in far too long. Except hers, too briefly.
No, his thoughts were not in the least gentlemanly now.
Chapter 5
He drew his hand from hers. “Do you see the bar master behind me? He does not believe that you are my sister.”
“Whyever not?”
“His low character, no doubt.”
The dimples flashed. “That character leads him to wicked conclusions, you suspect?”
God, what had he done to deserve this? But sins would be punished, after all.
“He was reluctant to serve a girl of your appearance who enters his establishment on foot without a maid or luggage. I was obliged to convince him that it would be in his best interests.”
Her lips twisted. “You crossed his palm with silver.”
“In a manner of speaking.” Threats worked too, and they were less expensive.
Her gaze darted about the taproom. “If I had a maid or companion, do you think he and others upon the road would draw such conclusions?”
He followed her attention to the corner where a woman slumped against the wall in sleep. She was over middle age and garbed in drab, a knit scarf wound about her neck. Miss Lucas’s brow creased in contemplation.
Wyn found himself smiling. “A plan is in the making, I imagine.”
She flashed him a quick grin. “She was on the coach. We had a lovely chat before the dog and I went onto the roof. She is going to Stafford, but I believe she has lost that opportunity.”
“And why do you believe this?”
“The schedule.” She pointed to the placard beside the door and chuckled, a light, rippling sound of simple pleasure. “Good heavens, and you say you have traveled?” Her eyes danced.
He swallowed over the dryness in his throat and glanced at the man in brown.
“Then on to your plan, madam.”
When they stood before the sleeping woman, Miss Lucas leaned down. “Ma’am? Do wake up. I believe you have missed your coach.”
The sleeper’s nose twitched and she opened protuberant eyes.
“I have? Well, dear me.” She shrugged off her slumber and straightened her muffler. “Hello, miss. I was terribly sorry that nasty coachman put you off. The little dog wasn’t so much of a trouble.”
“Oh, thank you. This is Mr. Yale. We have come over to assist you.”
“Have you, then? What a dear you are. Good day to you, sir.” She gave him a studying perusal, her smile fading.
“But what is your plan now?” Miss Lucas asked. “Will you take the next coach to Stafford? It comes by tomorrow.”
“Well, miss, they said if I weren’t there by today I’d lose the position.”
“Yet you seem untroubled about this,” Wyn said.
“I’m not, sir. Happens all the time. Can’t help myself. I drop off to sleep like that”—she snapped fingers as round as tea cakes—“and lose my positions left and right.”
“She was on her way to be hired companion to an elderly lady,” Miss Lucas explained. “But to allow so little time to travel seems very harsh. Will you await the next London coach?”
“I will, though I’ve barely a penny, seeing as how I’ve been out of a position for some time now, my last employer having something of a dark spirit and putting it about that I weren’t fit for a lady.”
Miss Lucas glanced at him and her eyes sparkled.
“Mrs. . . . ?”
“Polley, sir. Married Mr. Polley in ’ninety-two and lost him to Old Boney in ’thirteen.”
“Mrs. Polley, might you be inclined to assist us now, and earn your journey back to London?”
“I would as long as the work’s honest, sir.” She looked between them, guardedly now.
“My sister requires a chaperone upon our journey yet sadly lacks one. We were forced to leave our previous residence in haste and hadn’t time to plan. So you see we are in need of a lady such as yourself.”
Her eyes slitted like cut melons. “Now see here, sir, I’ve not been living in a hole in the ground these past fifty-five years and I’ve a strong suspicion the two of you aren’t related.”