Page 51 of The Lady’s No Angel

She glanced up at him and swallowed. “I don’t know, but she knows my grandfather, or about him, anyway. He was always careful, so very careful, but a man with such a reputation can’t vanish entirely. People have long memories, they talk.”

“Your grandfather was Black Jack?” he guessed, wondering why the name seemed familiar.

Angel stopped in her tracks and let out a ragged breath. Turning to face him, she put up her chin. “Leo, you’d best know the truth. My grandfather was Black Jack Baxter.”

Hart stared at her in confusion for a moment until the penny dropped. Good Lord!

“The pirate?” he said, eyes wide with astonishment as recalled the tales about one of the most notorious pirates who had ever lived. He’d loved hearing stories about the man as a lad, enthralled by his boldness and ferocity.

She nodded, wrapping her arms about herself. “Yes. He died recently, but… but he told me he had buried the last of his treasure with Jenny. It’s my inheritance. He challenged me to find it and made me promise no one would have it but me. But I think someone else knew about the treasure and realised he would pass the secret on to me.”

Hart whistled under his breath. “Now I see why you were so eager to get shot of me,” he said with a wry smile.

Angel shook her head, walking on once more. “It doesn’t matter now. Nothing matters except that we get Toby back.”

Hart reached out and grasped her arm, hauling her around to look at him. “We’ll get him back, and we’ll teach those blackguards not to mess with us again. But then we’ll come and get your treasure, Angel, and you will have it and keep it. You don’t need to fear me. I’d never take anything from you. I just want to help. That’s all.”

She returned a wan smile and nodded. “Yes. I think I realised that earlier today. I’m… I’m sorry it took me so long.”

Hart shook his head. “There’s no need. Now, tell me. What’s your plan for getting Toby back?”

Angel regarded him, her expression determined as Milly caught up to them. The woman’s face was tear-streaked and pale with worry. “We know Stan is going to be at The Bull, which means they must be keeping Toby close by. They can’t keep him somewhere respectable; it would raise too many questions.”

“That’s true,” Hart agreed, admiring her instincts. “They headed east, and there are plenty of farms scattered about the heath. I reckon they’ll find a barn, something that feels like it’s fallen out of use. Unless they’ve got someone they know in on the plan.”

“It’ll be dark soon,” Milly observed, hugging the shawl about her shoulders tighter.

Angel nodded. “Which must mean they know where they are going and it’s not far.” She regarded the ground, which was sodden and muddy after so much wet weather. “I can see the tracks. It will be slow going, but if you ride ahead, we can follow. If we go quietly and carefully, we can take them by surprise.”

Hart nodded. “I reckon we’ve got less than an hour before we lose the light. We’d best get a move on, though we need to keep out of their sight too. We’ll take the gig as far as we can, but it’s too conspicuous. We’ll have to hide it and my mount and go on foot once we’re close enough.”

Hart watched as Angel walked over to the tools the villains had thrown down and picked up a shovel, hefting it between her hands. “I’ve got my pistol and a dagger, but these should prove suitable weapons too,” she said, handing one to Hart.

He grinned at her as she moved to the back of the gig and rummaged through her bag.

“I like the way you think.”

She pulled a bundle from the bag and unwrapped her pistol and a wicked-looking dagger. She caught his gaze and smiled grimly as she tucked the knife into her boot and held onto the pistol. “They belonged to Black Jack,” she said, moving around to climb into the gig. She paused as he gave her his hand to step up. “And yes, he taught me how to use them.”

Hart could only stare at her, wanting more than anything to know all that there was to know about this astonishing creature, this delicate lady who had no compunction about tracking down villains, or shooting a man. But there was no time for that now. Toby needed them, and they could not let the boy down.

Quickly, Hart stowed the tools and lamps in the back of the gig. There was too much chance of being seen if they lit the lamps, so they must make the best use of what remained of the daylight. Mounting his horse, Hart rode ahead of them, following the cart tracks, as Angel and Milly trailed him in the gig.

The pony shied and danced in the traces as Angel’s hands tightened on the reins. Forcing herself to relax her grip, she murmured soothingly to the beast, who calmed and trotted on.

The sky seemed to grow darker with each second and she could tell Leo was struggling to keep the tracks in sight. The gig had left the well-worn path a few miles back and was heading cross country. This made life easier when there was undergrowth crushed beneath the wheels, but as the light faded it grew harder to see where the cart had passed. He’d had to ride on ahead to pick them up again. She wondered if they ought to light the lamps or if it was too much of a risk.

“Do you think they’ll hurt him? That awful woman said she’d cut him if she got bored.”

Milly’s voice trembled, her pale face ghostly as dusk fell. Angel shoved down any trace of worry, remembering how Pops had told her a leader must never show doubt. Her hand drifted to the pistol in her lap. It reassured her to have it close. They were not helpless. Even when things looked hopeless and he’d had no way out, Black Jack Baxter had never shown fear, had never looked as if he’d not a clue what his next move would be. She could do no less than follow his teaching.

“Toby is their only bargaining chip. He’s too valuable to harm,” she told Milly, keeping her voice firm and as authoritative as she was able when her guts were in a knot and she wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and weep.

A muttered curse ahead of them did not help her mood.

The gig lumbered slowly over the rough ground as she guided the pony to stand beside Leo. He’d dismounted and was crouching down on the ground. As they halted, he got to his feet, his expression grim.

“I’m so sorry, love, the ground is much harder here and there’s not so much undergrowth. I’ve lost them.”