Page 34 of The Return of the Rake

He looked up suddenly, his head cocked as if hearing something in the distance, though Anne could discern nothing.

“I must beg forgiveness once more,” he said ruefully, giving Benny one last caress before getting to his feet. “But I fear I must take leave of you.”

With that, he replaced his hat and ran to his horse, which had been docilely cropping grass a small way off, before mounting with an athleticism that Clara and Anne could only admire in dumbfounded silence. He turned the horse in a circle, grinning irrepressibly as if aware of some great joke they could only guess at, tipped his hat, and rode off at great speed.

They were silent for a full minute before Anne found her voice again.

“Well!” she said, for really, what else was there to say?

“W-Who was he, do you think?” Clara whispered, as if the fellow might still hear them, though the fast hoofbeats had long since faded away.

Anne considered this, glancing up at the inn thoughtfully. “Someone we ought not to know or speak of,” she replied, feeling quite certain of that.

As if her words had been underscored by speaking them aloud, a sudden cacophony of hoofbeats rang out from up the hill and Clara gave a squeal of alarm as a dozen horsemen burst into view. She gathered Benny up and hurried to stand beside Anne as they gazed upon the soldiers, their red coats vivid against the grey morning. They dismounted, some running to the front door of the inn and pounding upon it as others ran around the back.

At their head rode a figure she recognised, and he hailed her, riding over as he removed his hat. “Mrs Adamson, good day to you. I hope we did not alarm you, but we had word that Boreas was in the town this day. Can you tell me, have you seen anyone about?”

“Good morning to you, Captain Underwood,” she said politely. “Indeed, you gave us rather a scare, but we forgive you for it as you are going about your duty,” she said evasively, instinctively feeling that she did not wish the charming young man who had so recently left their company to fall into the hands of these soldiers.

“That we are, madam,” Captain Underwood said, smiling at Anne and at Clara, who was doing her level best to disappear behind Anne, hugging Benny tightly to her. “Did you see anyone, ma’am?” he asked again, looking at them, and then at Clara once more.

Clara just stared at him mutely, too startled to speak at all, so Anne replied lest he should think them guilty of hiding anything from him.

“No, sir. We were just on our way to pay a call on the new residents of Seagull Heights. We would not usually take this road, for reasons I am sure you understand, but at this hour of the day we believed ourselves safe. Are we not?” she asked, wondering if she could gather some information about the mysterious stranger.

“I would not like to say, Mrs Adamson,” Captain Underwood replied sincerely. “The man we seek is the head of a smuggling gang, and whilst I understand the folk of this town have some romantic notions about such fellows, they are criminals and nothing more.”

“Not just this town, Captain,” Anne replied with a smile. “And are criminals only criminals and nothing more? That seems rather unlikely, don’t you think?”

The captain stiffened, looking at her with a harder glint to his eyes. “A fellow who thinks himself above the law might do just about anything, don’t you think, Mrs Adamson? And that outweighs any other consideration.”

“Oh, well, I’m sure you understand such matters far better than I,” Anne replied soothingly, knowing well enough how to settle the feathers of men who disliked having their notions or their authority questioned. “But I’m afraid we have no information to give you. I am sorry,” she added, giving the man the benefit of her most disarming smile.

The captain regarded her with a curious glint but did not question her words. The soldiers reappeared from the building, shaking their heads. The captain’s jaw tightened in annoyance, but he showed no further sign of dismay.

“Carry on the search,” he instructed them. “Make certain everyone knows of the reward. I will catch you up presently.”

“Sir,” replied one of the men, saluting before returning to his mount as the others followed.

The captain returned his attention to them as his men rode off. “You say there are new residents at Seagull Heights? Since when?”

Anne shook her head. “I am afraid I do not know precisely, but not for very long, I think. A young woman and her brother, as I understand it. Should you like me to ask them?”

“No, I thank you,” the captain replied thoughtfully. “I can call upon them myself. There’s a marvellous view along the coast from up there, I’ll warrant.”

“No doubt,” Anne replied with a smile. “The lady is an artist and so I imagine the view appealed to her, for it is a remote location and would not recommend itself to many people. Now, if you will excuse us, we will leave you to your, er, quest.”

“Good day,” the captain replied with a nod, as Anne took Clara’s arm and guided her firmly away and up the hill.

They said nothing for a good ten minutes until they were far out of earshot.

“Don’t ask me,” Anne said, shaking her head as Clara glanced at her with wide, questioning eyes. “I do not know why I didn’t tell him. Do you?”

Clara shook her head. “No. But if I could have sp-spoken a word, I would not have done so either,” she admitted dolefully.

With that, they burst out laughing and carried on up the hill, gasping for breath as the way became increasingly steep.

King admitted himself disappointed to discover Mr Cogger’s gnarly old face presiding over breakfast rather than Mrs Adamson’s when he presented himself in the dining room. His own fault, he supposed, for he was rather later than he had intended, but Repton had brought two messages to him whilst he was shaving, both needing immediate responses.