Obviously, Geoff was not going to be able to spend a great deal of time with Elizabeth or at his new home. “I look forward to getting started.”
He spent the next several hours making notes, copying reports, and writing letters, all the time wondering if Elizabeth was safe. By five o’clock, he began to worry. He should have heard something by now.
One of Sir Charles’s servants was acting as a messenger. If Geoff didn’t hear something soon, he’d send a message to the house.
* * *
Elizabeth watched as Geoffrey cantered toward Brussels. At this point, she wished they could all ride the rest of the way. It would be easier than picking their way through the sea of people, carriages, carts, and wagons.
Some of the vehicles had been abandoned along the way as if their owners took what they could carry and fled. An hour later, she ordered his phaeton to drive ahead. The carriage could get through the traffic more quickly than her large traveling coach.
Three hours later, after making very little distance, Elizabeth was tired of riding in the coach. There were some shops in the area, and her people needed to eat.
Banging on the roof she called, “Stop the coach.” As it came to a halt, she glanced at her maid and the housemaid, Molly. The poor girl had been left with them because she had not been feeling well, and the baggage coach would be traveling as quickly as it could. “I am going to that bakery across the road. If I had imagined we would run into this type of traffic, I would have had the landlady make us a basket. Vickers, please go to the cheese store next to it and buy what you can to put in the rolls. Molly, come with me.” Once Kenton, her footman, helped Elizabeth down from the coach, she shook out her skirts. “I am not quite sure what is going on, but keep a good watch on our coach and horses. If anyone gets too close, warn them off. Use a pistol if you have to.”
Crossing the street, Elizabeth entered the bakery and greeted the shop girl. The aroma of freshly baked breads and rolls was heavenly. It also caused her stomach to protest its fairly empty status.
She was in the process of ordering enough rolls to keep her party fed until they reached the house when Molly screeched, “My lady, there’s a man trying to take our horses!”
Elizabeth whirled around. Who in God’s name would do something so evil?
The coachman had his pistol out waving it between a gentleman and a servant who kept attempting to touch the harness. Did the cur actually think he could take her cattle and get away with it?
Taking some coins from her reticule, she handed them to the maid. “Get the bread. I’ll take care of the horses.” She marched out of the shop and up to her coach, pulling out her pistol as she went.
When she was on the opposite side of the team from the gentleman and his servant, she pointed the gun at a young man who was nervously trying to unhitch her horses from the coach. “Stop now or you will be extremely sorry.” The servant jerked his head up in surprise, then glanced toward the coachman who had his gun out and was holding it on a gentleman she judged to be in his mid-thirties to early forties. Elizabeth raised one brow. “Is this your groom?”
“He is indeed.” The man raised his chin, and in a haughty tone said, “I assure you I urgently require your horses.”
“As it happens,” she said, in what she hoped was a loftier tone than the gentleman’s, “I also have an urgent need of them. Additionally, I believe I have the greater claim in that they belong to me, and I shall not part with them.” She cocked her pistol. “Now, unless you wish to be responsible for your servant being injured, you will both step away from my team and my coach.”
The man actually heaved a sigh. “I am afraid you will have to shoot one of us, ma’am, as I insist that my need takes precedence over yours. I must return to England immediately.”
“William,” Elizabeth said to the coachman, “sit back a bit and keep your pistol on the groom.” Once her coachman had followed her command, and without saying another word, she aimed her gun at the gentleman and fired, blowing off the beaver hat on his head.
As one, the servant and gentleman screamed and jumped back. Next to her, Vickers took Elizabeth’s smaller weapon and handed her one of the coach pistols. “You and Molly get in the carriage and pull down the shades.”
A second later, the gentleman shouted, “What the devil do you think you’re doing?”
“Protecting my property from being robbed.” She pointed the heavy gun at him.
“Do you know who I am?” He sounded as if he was as well known as Prinny.
“That is a ridiculous question. We have not been introduced. Therefore I cannot possibly know who you are. For that matter I do not care to know you. As far as I am concerned you are nothing but a thief.” She cocked the pistol, making it clear to the fool she would have no problems shooting him again. “Unless you wish me to injure something more valuable, I suggest you leave. Immediately.” Elizabeth kept the gun pointed at him until he and his groom had walked down the road and were no longer a threat. “Let’s go, but keep a watch for other people who think they can rob at will.”
“Do you think he’ll be back, my lady?” Molly asked.
“Not if he knows what’s good for him,” Vickers answered.
“That was a pretty piece of shooting, my lady.” Farley, her groom, chuckled. “Ain’t never heard a gentleman scream before.”
“Like a little girl.” William Coachman slapped a hand on his knee. “Wait ’til his lordship hears about this.”
“That was well done, my lady,” Kenton said, as he handed her into the carriage.
As soon as the door was shut, he scrambled up next to William and the horses started forward.
For the next hour or more, Elizabeth kept the coach pistol in her lap before she finally felt safe enough to return it to the holster. “I will be extremely grateful when this journey is over.”
