“Ah! I see,” said Rebecca.
But if she thought Joshua was going to let her turn the conversation into these channels she was mistaken. He was still angry with her for having put herself in danger and he returned immediately to the subject.
“You know how dangerous the back streets are, damn it, Rebecca! Even in ordinary times it is dangerous to go too far from the main streets, and when there has already been an unexplained attack on the mill it is madness.”
“I didn't go into the back streets on my own,” returned Rebecca, lifting her chin. She did not intend to let Joshua walk all over her, no matter what his provocation. “I went with one of the footman you gave me: in other words, an ex-Bow Street Runner.”
“If that's the case, then how is it he wasn't with you when I found you?” he asked harshly.
“Because he couldn't keep up with me. I had to leave the carriage in a hurry,” she explained. “It was stuck behind an overturned cart, and as I passed the time by looking out of the windows I saw a man I recognized loping through the back streets. It was the man who had been daubing LONG LIVE NED LUDD on the wall at the mill.”
Joshua's eyebrows shot up, and she realized that up until now he had assumed she had been attacked by a common thug who had been trying to steal her reticule. He had had no idea that Dunn was responsible for painting the Luddite slogan on the mill wall. Then he frowned. “Are you sure? You didn't get a good look at him, and you can only have seen him from a distance when you were in the carriage.”
“Positive,” said Rebecca. “It wasn't his looks I recognized, but the way he moved. He has a curious loping gait, as I told you at the time. I jumped out of the carriage in order to follow him and called to the footman to accompany me. I looked over my shoulder to make sure he had done so, but he must have lost me shortly afterwards: I had to keep Dunn in sight, and it entailed making a number of quick turns.”
Joshua's face relented slightly.
“So you see, I wasn't putting myself in danger,” explained Rebecca.
“Of course you were,” said Joshua, not so easily mollified. “As soon as you got out of the carriage you were in danger. And when I think of you following a man you knew to be a criminal... ” His face darkened and his eyes became turbulent.
“How else was I going to catch him?” she demanded. At least now we have something to go on. As soon as we’ve questioned him —”
“There'll be no "we" about it.”
“You seem to forget that I'm involved in this just as much as you are,” she returned.
“No. I don't forget. But if you think I'm going to let you anywhere near a man like that you're mistaken,” he said savagely.
“It isn't up to you to tell me what to do,” she returned.
He glared at her. Then said, apparently reasonably, “You're right. It isn't.” His reasonableness suddenly vanished. “But I'm going to do it anyway.”
Rebecca gave a sigh. It was no use arguing with him. He could be extremely stubborn when he chose, and she could see by his face that he chose to be stubborn now. But she had to admit, if only to herself, that she was actually relieved. Although she had spoken bravely she had done so without really thinking. She did not relish the idea of seeing any more of Dunn than she had to.
“Very well.”
He smiled. It lit his face, softening his mouth and warming his eyes. “Thank you,” he said.
His voice was gentle.
“For what?” She was surprised.
“For letting me have my own way.”
She smiled, too. “As long as you don't have it too often, I can't see that it will do you any harm!” she teased him.
He laughed. “And now that we have sorted that out, let me offer you some refreshments,” he said. “You're right, I should have done so straight away. You must be cold and tired.”
“I am,” she admitted. But then she said reluctantly, “However, I can't stay. I have already been longer than I intended to be, and I don't want Louisa to worry. I only went out to buy her a fan,” she explained. “I should have been back by now.” She looked suddenly concerned as she realized that her carriage, once the road had been unblocked, would have had to go on without her. “Oh, dear,” she sighed. “I've no way of knowing where my carriage is.”
“Don't worry. I sent Odgers to find it.”
“But —”
“Dunn is being safely held in the kitchen by a couple of Odgers's colleagues — men who, incidentally, will not let Odgers forget that he lost his charge,” laughed Joshua.
“It wasn't his fault —” began Rebecca.
“Yes, it was. He was employed to look after you and he failed. But if you want to make his life easier in future, don't go jumping out of any more carriages,” he said with a wry smile.
“He try not to,” she returned with a lift at the corner of her mouth. Then she became more serious. “You will let me know, Joshua? What you find out?”
“Of course. You're going to the ball tonight?”
“Yes. Louisa and I will both be there.”
“Meet me in the library at twelve o'clock. The ball should be in full swing by then and no one will notice if we absent ourselves for a while. Then I can tell you what I have discovered.”
“What do you think? Now?”
Joshua ran his hand through his mane of hair. “I think Dunn will be able to tell us very little. He was probably paid to paint a Luddite slogan on the wall of the mill, but I will be surprised if he can tell us who paid him. He was most probably approached in a tavern and offered money to do it, no questions asked.”
Rebecca nodded. It seemed only too likely.
“But I’ll have him followed — when I let him go,” said Joshua.
“You're not going to hand him over to the authorities, then?” asked Rebecca in surprise.
“No. If we press charges against him for attacking you then you will be dragged into it, and that isn't something I'm prepared to allow. And if we charge him with defacing property, again you are the witness, and again you would be dragged in — and again, that isn't something I'm going to allow. Besides, he may be much more use to us if we turn him loose. There's just a chance that whoever has been paying him may decide to use him again.”
“So that if we have him watched, we can see where he goes and what he does?” asked Rebecca.
Joshua nodded. “Exactly.”
It makes sense. A part of her did not want the man to get away with his crimes, but another part of her realized that what Joshua said was true: Dunn was probably more use to them if they set him free.
A carriage rattled to a halt outside. Glancing out of the window Rebecca saw that it was hers.
“Until this evening, then,” she said, taking her leave of Joshua.
“Until this evening. Once I join you at the ball I will tell you everything I learn.”
“Oh! There you are! I was just beginning to worry,” said Louisa, as Rebecca returned to the house.
“I'm sorry I was so long,” said Rebecca.
“Never mind, my dear. You are here now.”
Rebecca smiled at the look of suppressed anticipation on Louisa's face. Too sweet to ask if Rebecca had managed to find her a fan in case she should seem demanding, Louisa was clearly wondering if Rebecca's shopping trip had been a success.
Rebecca opened her reticule and took out a small package, which she gave to Louisa.
Louisa took it and opened it to reveal the lace and ivory fan. Her face lit up. “Oh! Rebecca! It's beautiful! So delicate! And so stylish!” She opened the fan with a flick of her wrist and delightedly wafted it to and fro.
“It will look lovely against the orange tawney of your gown,” said Rebecca. “The lace is so delicate the tawny shade will shine through.”