Page 14 of The Rum and The Fox

If he’d been the man his grandfather had been, or even his father, come to that, he’d not be wasting time in this manner. He would have faced a brute like Viscount Rennard without so much as a flicker of concern, and driven the devil out of town by now. Either that, or challenged him to a duel and killed him outright. Either way, the lovely Lady Todd would have swooned into their powerful arms and been in love with them before the sun had set.

As it was, the poor creature was stuck with him as her champion, and if the despairing look in her eyes wasn’t illustration enough of her feelings at that fact, her exclamations of frustration whenever he failed to follow her advice certainly were. His pride, such as it was, had taken a severe knock, and he found he could hardly meet her eyes. This only increased when she demonstrated how it should be done and proved herself to be something of a crack shot.

Humiliating barely covered it.

They packed everything away and began the journey back into town in silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts, and Ash sunk into gloom. The reality of the fact that a man really wanted him dead was beginning to come home to him with some force. There was a large part of him that simply wanted to take to his heels and run, and, perhaps if not for Lady Todd, he might have done it. But that would sink him beyond reproach in her eyes, and there he had no desire to go. Added to that the fact that he couldn’t stay away forever, and there would be no one to protect his mother if he didn’t face this now. He could take her, too, of course, but then he was condemning the young woman at his side to her fate, and his conscience would not allow that either.

As they drew closer to town, his fears for her safety returned.

“I don’t like the idea of you going back to that house,” he said, knowing she would likely sneer at him and think he believed her as hen-hearted as she so clearly thought he was. “Are you quite sure you will be safe?”

Rather to his surprise, she didn’t react as he’d feared, but merely nodded, though she kept her eyes on the road ahead. “I’ll be fine, I assure you,” she said, though there was little tone to her voice, and none of the spark he’d seen in her the night they’d first met.

“If you should need anything,” he began, hoping she would take him at his word. “If you should be in the least bit uncomfortable or worried or … or anything at all. I beg that you will inform me at once, or seek shelter under my roof.”

“You are very kind, your grace,” she said, and he could not determine what lay behind the words, but he thought she sounded weary. The idea of her going back to a home where she had to face a man like her father - who had gained a monstrous face in his own imagination, and to endure it all with hunger lashing at her, too – well, it was more than he could bear. But this, at least, he could do something about.

“Here,” he said, wrestling his coin purse out and pressing it into her hand. “Take this, and hide it from your father. Make sure that you have enough to eat, at least.”

“Lord Ashwicke!” she exclaimed, flushing as she stared at the heavy purse. “I cannot take this, it … it is most unseemly and … and quite improper.”

Ash snorted and shook his head. “And I suppose secret rendezvous to prepare for murder are perfectly proper?” he said with the faintest lift of one eyebrow.

Her blush deepened and he realised he’d unwittingly discomforted her further.

“Forgive me,” he said, turning his attention back to the road to negotiate a particularly tricky corner. “I simply meant that these are unusual circumstances and I am not cut out to be the hero you are in such desperate need of, as you’ve seen all too clearly this morning.” He realised the words had sounded rather more dejected than he’d meant them to, but pressed on with a smile that felt rather forced. “But I intend to do my best, such as it is, and this at least I can do.”

To his relief, she tucked the purse away in the small bag she carried where he had also insisted she take what remained of the fruit cake for her supper. She seemed very fond of fruitcake, he thought with a smile. At least she wouldn’t go hungry tonight.

“You still have my card?” he asked, watching her nod though she still wouldn’t meet his eyes. He had written on the back that she was to be given shelter, no matter the circumstances, just in case she should be in desperate need and found him away from home. He’d done his best to consider every eventuality, but at the end of the day, it seemed to come down to one, rather inevitable point.

Either he killed Lord Todd, or his days may well be numbered.