But Turley wasn’t paying attention to her. “What is it?”
“I don’t know.” He shook his head slowly. “There is a coach attempting to turn around.”
Riding forward so she could see the vehicle better, Georgie glanced from him to the carriage. “Should we ask if they require assistance?”
For a brief moment he stilled, and his jaw tightened. “No. We shall wait here and make sure they do not require help.”
There was something he was not telling her. “What is it?”
One of the footmen looked behind him and gave a salute before he jumped down, turned the horses around so they were facing in the right direction, then returned to the back of the vehicle. For a moment the crest on the side was visible, but the only thing Georgie could make out was a serpent.
“Nothing.” Turley gave her a smile meant to reassure, but it did not. “Nothing at all. We should go back to the house. It will soon be time for luncheon.”
Mostly due to Frits’s appetite and Adeline’s need for nourishment in the middle of the day, luncheon was always served. “Yes, I suppose we must.”
“We can use the roads,” Turley said as he watched the vehicle make its way slowly away from them and toward the town. “It’s longer, but the horses don’t have the energy they did earlier.”
This was ridiculous. He was obviously not happy about the coach, and if it was a danger of some sort, she had a right to know. “What about the carriage is bothering you?”
He pressed his lips together in a thin line. “The owner. I do not particularly like him.”
She made acome onmotion with her hand. “And why is that?”
Turley started his horse back down the lane. “I can’t tell you exactly what it is as it is not my story to tell, but I do not trust the man.”
Well, that was all well and good, but she was still in the dark about the identity of the gentleman. Georgie almost rolled her eyes. “What about him do you not like? Is he a ravisher of young ladies? Does he have a gambling habit?” Turley smiled at that which just made Georgie more determined to ferret out the story. “Is he a fortune hunter?”
“As far as I know he is none of the things you have mentioned.” He stopped as if wrestling with his words. “Let us simply say that he did something a long time ago that hurt a friend of a friend, and a lady was involved. She was also harmed.”
“That is clear as mud.” Well, possibly a bit clearer. Still it did not tell her what she wished to know. “If he is in the neighborhood, is he someone to whom I should give the cut direct?”
“Not unless you wish to create talk.” His tone was as dry as the sand at Brighton.
If Georgie had not been riding she would have thrown up her hands. Why did gentlemen always think they needed to take care of ladies by not giving them information? Although, deep inside she knew there were several reasons they did so. “Very well. I shall not cut him. Not that I could as I do not know who he is. Unless, of course, I see his carriage again.”
Turley grinned again. “I really cannot tell you his name. Not that I think you would gossip, I do not. But unless he misbehaves in some way, which he has not for a very long time, I would not want to defame him.” He captured her eyes with his gaze. “Unless something changes, can you live with that?”
“I suppose I have no choice.” Until she had an opportunity to look for the crest. There were most likely not many that had a serpent on them.
By the time they returned to their starting point, Johnson was on his horse. “Ye ready to go back, are ye?”
Turley nodded. “I cannot miss luncheon.”
The groom smirked. “No, I don’t suppose ye can, and Miss Georgie don’t be needing to miss a meal.”
Miss Georgie?“Have you been speaking with my maid?”
“Ye’re coachman,” the groom answered unabashed.
She thought he had gone back to Town, not that she had inquired. “He is still here?”
“Yes, miss. Has quarters over the coach house. His orders were to stay here in case ye wanted to leave.”
“Oh.” That had been nice of her father or whoever it had been. “Thank you for telling me.”
“I take it that you didn’t know,” Turley said.
“I had not even thought about it.” Although, now that she had it made sense. The coachman would have gone back to Town and waited to be summoned. “And I have had no reason to visit the coach house. But now that I do know, I will not have to bother asking Adeline if she wishes to go to the market town with me. I can simply take my maid and go by myself.” That reminded her of something. “I suppose my footman remained as well.”
