Page 60 of The Dangerous Lord

“I see only that you’re trying to cheat me. I don’t dispute that it’s broken. It’s who broke it that I question. It was like that before we got in!”

“No, it weren’t!” The burly man crossed his arms over his barrel chest. “I take good care of me coach, I do, and that door were closing right proper when I stopped for you and yer brood. It’s those lads of yours what broke it.”

“That’s a lie! You probably broke the dratted thing yourself!”

“I’m warnin’ you, Miss⁠—”

Ian stepped in quickly. “How much will it cost to repair the damage?”

The driver swung around, his gimlet eyes lighting up as he assessed Ian’s worth by the cut of his coat and the fineness of his linen. “Well, now, sir, that depends⁠—”

“What are you doing here?” Felicity’s wary gaze flew to his coach not ten feet away, then back to him.

Ian tipped his hat. “Good morning, Miss Taylor. I was on my way to consult with my man of affairs when I saw the commotion. I thought I’d stop and offer my services.”

“There’s no need,” she said primly. “I have the situation well in hand.”

“Yes, but you and your brothers are obviously on an outing, and I’d hate to see it spoiled. I’ll be happy to pay for the damages myself if you’ll allow it.”

“Don’t you dare pay this scoundrel! I won’t have thievery rewarded, and he—” She pointed an accusing finger at the driver. “He is trying to cheat us!”

“Now see here, Lady Skinflint, you ain’t gonna be lyin’ to the gentleman about me!” With a belligerent air, the driver surged toward Felicity.

Ian sidestepped him to draw Felicity aside. Keeping an eye on the irate coachman, he murmured, “My God, don’t quarrel with him over a few shillings. It isn’t worth it.”

“But that door was broken before we⁠—”

“I’m sure it was. What do you care?”

“It’s the principle of the thing!”

He gritted his teeth. “The principle of the thing will shortly have you and your brothers embroiled in a street fight.” Jerking his head, he indicated two men descending from hacks across the street and hailing their compatriot. One scowled; the other swaggered. Both looked troublesome.

When Felicity paled, he went on in an undertone. “It’s your word against his, and you’re a woman with four energetic boys in tow. This isn’t the time or place for your bloody self-righteousness. I can trounce them for you if you like, but that’s not the lesson you want to provide your little charges, is it?”

She glanced over at the triplets, who stood mute for once, looking warily from the driver to her and Ian. She winced. “No, I suppose not.”

“Then let me pay the damages. Unless you insist on paying them yourself.”

She flushed. “The driver wants two shillings, and I only brought enough money with me to cover the expense of the ride here and back. So if you wouldn’t mind ...”

“I don’t mind in the least.”

“But it’s a loan,” she hastened to add. “I’ll repay you later.”

“Fine.”

The point would be moot anyway once she agreed to marry him. Still, her lack of money struck him as odd. She’d brought less than two extra shillings with her on an outing with four boys? Was she worried about pickpockets?

They returned to where the driver conferred with his sneering reinforcements. The man faced him with a more aggressive stance, not even sparing Felicity a glance. “Well, sir? Does the miss agree to pay?”

“Yes. Two shillings, isn’t it?”

“Two guineas.”

He raised an eyebrow, bridling at the man’s blatant greed. “The lady must have misunderstood.” Approaching the hackney, he bent to examine the broken door and noted the pattern of rust on the twisted hinge. He glanced up. “Two guineas, eh?”

The driver scratched one rank armpit, a hint of uncertainty in his expression. His burlier friend nudged him. “Aye, sir. That’s wot it cost to fix a hinge these days.”