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Feeling less vulnerable now that she was no longer restricted to a square of cloth, she faced her kidnapper. “Why are we traveling north?”
Henry’s eyes twinkled as he gave her a lopsided smile. “Because Fairford will expect us to run for London, and I don’t fancy the idea of him and his man catching us out on the open road. Two armed men against one is not what I’d call favorable odds. We’ll go to Scotland and return home by a different route.”
A flush crept into her cheeks. “And when I return after being gone so long?”
“Other than me, your mother and Percy are the only ones who know.”
“Oh.”
“Sabrina, why were you climbing out of your window in the middle of the night with no shoes on?”
She lowered her voice, even though no one was around. “I overheard him talking to his valet. He planned to marry me, get an heir, and then have Grimsby kill me so that he could marry that Childers woman, if that is even her real name.”
“Grimsby?”
“Yes. He’s paid him to kill women for him before—many times, from what I overheard last night. And he’s planning to do it again sometime very soon. He spoke of another woman he’s been keeping. He called her his ‘French nightingale.’”
“She’s safe at Aylesford. He’ll never hurt her again.”
Her eyes widened at the implication. “You knew about him?”
“Not until recently. Or not entirely, at least. We should have told you about him after we discovered what he’d been up to at Boucher’s, but we didn’t think you’d listen.”
“We? Wait. Who is we?”
After a guilty hesitation, he answered. “I suspected something wasn’t right with Fairford after he confronted me at Rebecca’s party, so I asked Percy’s help to have him watched.”
“He never said a word,” she breathed, bewildered.
“He saw no reason to enlighten you. The moment you accepted his offer, Fairford ceased to be a threat.”
“I see,” she said, her temper flaring. “I’ve been played for a fool in every possible way, haven’t I? His interest in me was solely at your direction, wasn’t it?” she said, accusingly. “Tell me, did this ‘help’ you mentioned extend to him asking me to marry him?”
“God, no!” he exclaimed. “I only asked him to provide a distraction to help keep Fairford at bay. Asking you to marry him was his own decision entirely, and an enormous damned surprise to me.”
“Then, he really did want to marry me?”
“He did,” he said bitterly. “And I wanted to kill him for it.”
“If he is your friend, then how could he do such a thing, knowing that you—”
“I didn’t tell him how I felt about you. I let him believe that I was only interested in you as far as to keep you safe.”
She blinked back sudden tears. “Why did he not come with you? Surely it would have been safer with two.”
“He stayed behind to watch over your mother and the girl, as well as to be sure Fairford had not sent us all on a wild-goose chase.”
“How did you know where to find me? The girl?”
He nodded. “Percy came to me the morning after the ball and told me what had happened. I went at once to Aylesford, and that was when your mother found your note. We didn’t know if Fairford intended to marry you over the border or by special license in London, so we decided to pay his leman a visit before haring off. That’s how I knew where to look.”
Her mouth formed a little O of comprehension.
He took her into the inn and had them bring whatever hot food was available, while he finished making arrangements for two fresh mounts. They ate the leftover stew and bread hurriedly, not wishing to waste any time. As they were finishing, the innkeeper’s wife brought them a basket filled with some loaves, a bottle of wine, and several small wheels of Wensleydale cheese.
Guiltily, she peeked down at her hostess’s bare feet. When she looked up, however, the owner of those naked toes wore a delighted grin between her dimpled cheeks.
“Be not troubled, luv. ’Tis proud I am to ’ave made sich a bargain,” the plump goodwife whispered with a smug wink. “I’ll ’ave me two new pair an’ a luvly gown, too, fer what ye’re wearin’!”
