Page 49

Layton grinned. His good eye, not covered by a black patch, twinkled with humor as the dogs greeted him with cautious canine sniffs but no barking.

“Hello, there.” He glanced at Cassius. “Who do we have here?”

“The boarhound is Nala, and the little chap is Teddy,” Cassius said.

Layton scratched Nala behind the ears, then crouched and did the same with Teddy.

“Ah, the mite is also blind in one eye.” He ruffled the fur on Teddy’s back before standing upright. “I think we shall be the greatest of comrades, my little friend.”

“You’re later than I expected.” Cassius speared a harried look down the road.

Nothing stirred up dust in the distance.

That was a good sign.

“Yes, well.” Layton sent Beatrice a guarded glance as he leaned toward Cassius and said in a low tone, “Things didn’t go quite as we planned.”

Cassius angled his head, careful to keep his escalating alarm from showing. “How so?”

Layton slapped the dust from his buff-colored trousers. “The chap’s three friends arrived after you departed. Evidently, they’d taken different routes to determine which path you traveled on. A barmaid spotted you leaving with Miss Fairfax.” He arched a mocking eyebrow. “The wench had no qualms about sharing that snippet for the right price.”

Bollocks.

Highbury must, indeed, be desperate to retrieve Beatrice. But how did the earl think to gain control of her fortune?

Certainly not through legal means.

“How did you manage to evade them and leave without them following you?” A very real worry because Cassius and Layton would be hard-pressed to defend Beatrice against four, possibly more hired thugs, even if Layton carried a gun.

Layton slid Beatrice another cautious glance.

“Let’s just say another barmaid took a fancy to me—said I looked like a swashbuckler.” He grinned, a devilish glint in his gray eye when he winked. “At my request, she produced laudanum, and I dosed the blokes’ tankards with enough to take down a draft horse. I doubt they’ve awoken yet.”

Cassius chose not to inquire further from his eldest brother about the details of his delay. It didn’t take a great deal of imagination to work those out, and he’d spare Beatrice’s tender sensibilities.

Beatrice cleared her throat, then darted her tongue out to dampen her lower lip, betraying her nervousness. She approached them.

“Forgive me for interrupting, but did I hear you correctly, Captain Westbrook? My uncle sent more than one man after me?”

“Forgive me, Beatrice.” Cassius wasn’t usually a clod-pole when it came to manners, but this wasn’t exactly a Grosvenor Square drawing room either.

“Layton, allow me to introduce Miss Beatrice Fairfax. Beatrice, my brother, Captain Layton Westbrook.”

“At your service, Miss Fairfax.” Layton bowed. “And yes. I encountered four men last night. I don’t believe that is all of them, either.” He swept his hand toward the horses. “Hence the need for us to ride the rest of the way to Hefferwickshire House.”

Beatrice shook her head, panic darkening her eyes to jade. “B-but I do not ride.”

Cassius read the concern on Layton’s face.

There was no need for him to voice the danger they were all in.

“You’ll ride before me, Beatrice.” Though it would likely kill Cassius to have her bum bouncing on his nether regions for hours on end. He almost groaned aloud at the thought, but the smug glint in Layton’s eye kept him silent.

Her color high, she shook her head, causing her bonnet ribbons to flap with the vehement motion. “No…I⁠—”

“You do not have a choice.” Cassius cut her off, his tone not permitting any argument. “It is one thing to endanger myself. I shan’t endanger my brother or you.”

She snapped her mouth shut, but her eyes berated him.