Page 57 of The Lady’s No Angel

“Oh, Toby,” Angel let out a shaky sigh, meeting Milly’s eyes as the woman walked over to them. “Thank heavens.”

“So, what do we do about these two now?” Milly asked. “And what about Stan?”

Leo groaned. “I’d almost forgotten Stan. In the meantime, we’d best get these to the nearest constable and rouse the justice of the peace. Then we’ll deal with Stan. I reckon he’ll not want to return to Mercy empty-handed, and he’s tucked up nice and cosy at the inn. He’ll wait.”

It took a fair amount of hefting and cursing before Mercy and Bill—who were not exactly feeling cooperative—were loaded in the back of Mercy’s cart. Leo took care to check their ankles and wrists were securely bound once they were in place.

Mercy, who had returned to her senses and was spitting vitriol, sneered at Angel. “You think you’re clever, don’t you? Miss Hoity Toity. Think you’re a fine lady, well you ain’t no better than me, missy.”

“No, I don’t,” Angel shot back, surprising Mercy into silence. “I think I was lucky. I might easily have been born into a very different life. I suspect you were unlucky, and I’m very sorry for that, but that doesn’t give you the right to go about hurting people, certainly not hurting children. Toby did nothing to you. You might have felt desperate enough to kidnap him, but why terrify him, why hurt him? There’s no excuse for that.”

Mercy flushed, though whether from fury or shame Angel didn’t know. But then her face darkened and more vitriol poured out.

“You think that fine fellow will marry you, do you? You ain’t fit to be more than his whore, not now he knows your blood is as black as mine—”

She sneered, and opened her mouth to say more, but Leo leaned over and forced a handkerchief into her mouth, silencing her. Mercy wriggled and raged, her eyes blazing, but could make no more sound than muffled snorts of indignation. He watched her for a moment, to be certain she could breathe, and then turned back to them.

Milly and Angel stared at him in surprise.

He shrugged, looking as if butter wouldn’t melt. “What? It was clean, I swear, unlike her mouth.”

Angel nodded her thanks as Leo secured his horse to the back of the gig and then climbed onto the cart. She was grateful to him for silencing the woman’s spiteful outburst, but Mercy’s words had already struck their target. Not that she had ever imagined Mr Cleaver would think of her in such a way. She did not know what had made him hide his identity when they’d met. Perhaps he was hiding from the law, or maybe debt collectors, but wherever he had come from, he was a gentleman. As was her father, she reminded herself, though he was a very junior branch on a far from illustrious family tree. He had married Mama for her dowry, which had been generous. He’d known nothing about Black Jack until after they were wed. To be fair to him, he’d not made a fuss about being tricked, had only insisted that the truth never be made known.

Pops had needed to keep his existence a secret, so this had not bothered him, but it bothered Angel.

She did not wish to deny who she was, who Jack had been to her. But she was beginning to understand what such honesty might cost her.

She gave the pony a pat and stepped up into the gig, waiting until Milly and Toby were ready before giving the beast leave to walk on.

Well, she had never intended to stay in England, she reasoned, though the idea made depression settle over her, as cold and smothering as a wet wool blanket. She would go to France, where her heritage might be viewed with a degree less hostility.

“You’re very quiet.”

Angel turned to see Milly watching her. The clouds had parted enough to reveal a three-quarter full moon, and the silvery light made them look ghostly and unreal. Everything about this day had a strange, dreamlike quality, from finding Jenny’s grave marked with the rosebush to Mercy’s appearance and Toby’s abduction. Perhaps a nightmare would be more accurate. Yet, as frightened as she’d been, she had never despaired. With Leo and Milly beside her, she knew she was not alone. But Leo would go. If he hadn’t intended to before, which he surely must have, then he would now. Well, she still had Milly, she told herself firmly. She could do without Leo. It had been fun getting to know him, flirting with him, but she’d always known it would lead to nothing. She and Milly would find the treasure and go abroad—Toby too if he wished to—and they’d have lots more adventures.

But it was not the same.

“Penny for them?” Milly murmured.

Angel let out a little huff of laughter. “Oh, Milly, they’re not worth a farthing.”

Milly was quiet for a moment before she turned back to Angel. “Don’t you go listening to what that wicked creature said, Angel. I think—”

“No!”

Angel startled them both with the severity and harshness of that one word, but she stared at Milly, her expression implacable. “I won’t be a fool, Milly, not for any man. After everything he’s seen of me, do you seriously think he considers me the kind of lady he would marry? He saw me shoot a man; I hit Mercy in the head with a plank of wood for heaven’s sake! Do you imagine he sees me as the mother of his children, or presiding at the head of his dinner table with all his fine friends? Or do you think he’s imagining a tidy little house somewhere to set up his mistress?”

“Oh, miss! No,” Milly said, shaking her head in dismay. “I don’t think Mr Cleaver—”

“I don’t think Mr Cleaver thinks,” Angel said harshly, aware she was being unfair, but life was unfair, especially if you’d had the misfortune to be born female. “He’s an absolute darling. He’s funny and sweet and charming and so wretchedly handsome it’s enough to make a girl weep. But right now he’s caught up in the adventure, in the romance of it all—we all are—but that doesn’t last, Milly, and when he finally realises that—”

She closed her mouth, unable to continue, her heart too heavy to put into words what was patently obvious.

“Then what will you do?”

Angel shook her head. “We’ll get these two to the Justice of the Peace, Stan too, and then we’ll get the treasure.”

“And then?” Milly asked softly.