Page 53 of Miss Wylde and the Wynd

Damian stared right back and did not say a word, neither did Georgie, but he could sense the tension, likely anger, radiating from her body.

He really wished that he knew how long the mail coach had been traveling and if he had slept through one of the stops or if it hadn’t yet reached the stop that followed the one where these two entered the coach.

He pulled the pocket watch from the inside of his suitcoat and held it up to the low light. It was just after one in the morning, but as he hadn’t checked the time when these two joined them, he had no way of knowing how long they had traveled.

Damian had half a mind to pound on the roof of the mail coach so that he could have these two removed, except mail coaches stopped only at scheduled coaching inns and could only be interrupted under the gravest of circumstances. Catching two thieves before they made off with his and Georgie’s funds would not be considered a critical situation.

However, one thing was certain, he would not fall asleep again. Not until they were gone, and likely not if he and Georgie were joined by other passengers.

He simply stared, eyes hard, a warning. No doubt the two had hoped to escape as soon as the mail coach stopped, but he would block their exit.

The four of them rode in silence and when Damian checked his pocket watch again, it had been thirty minutes, which could only mean that he and Georgie had slept through one of the stops. He assumed that he must have remained awake until just before they had made their third stop and those two hoped that nobody else boarded the coach.

They trundled on for nearly another hour before the mail coach pulled into another inn.

He leveled his eyes on the two and placed his hand on the handle used to open the door.

“You cannot keep us inside,” the woman said.

“I can. I will not let you leave until the driver is made aware of what you are about, and perhaps see you arrested.”

“We did nothing, and you cannot prove anything.” The man smirked.

“It will be my word against yours,” Damian acknowledged.

“Why would anyone believe you over us.” The woman laughed, confidant that she would walk away without repercussions.

“I am Damian Wynd, brother to the Earl of Wyndham, and I operate Trade Wynd. I have no doubt that I will be believed over the likes of you.”

When the mail coach came to a stop, the man jumped forward but Damian pushed him back, stood and motioned for Georgie to scoot behind him. Only then did he open the door enough for her to step out. He then followed then slammed the door before the two could exit.

“Driver,” he called.

“Ten minutes,” he returned as he climbed from his perch.

“It is another matter,” Damian said, with his hand still holding the door closed.

The driver let out a sigh of irritation. “What?”

“I woke to the two passengers you picked up at the second stop trying to lift my purse.”

“The woman was trying to search my satchel,” Georgie added.

The driver grumbled something that Damian did not understand before he marched off toward the inn.

“May I leave?” Georgie asked.

“No!” Where did she think to go?

“I really must,” she insisted, then marched away. With one hand pressed against the door, he watched helplessly as Georgie made her way behind the inn. He was torn between following to protect her and keeping the two inside from escaping.

Just as he was about to finally abandon his post and go after Georgie, the driver marched out of the inn, two men with him.

Damian stepped back and the door was pushed open from the inside and the man jumped out, only to be stopped.

“He lies,” the woman cried.

“He does not,” the driver answered.