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Ally grimaced, “Oi am not such a blubberhead, and ye know better. Farley…”
“Whot?” Farley shouted. “Spit it out and be done with it.”
“He looked loike he might be going on a little trip, he did. Had that finified friend with him. They was on a ship…The Vision…his Oi think. They looked loike they were about to set to…”
Farley’s buzzing head cleared enough to digest
this. “Eh, now, laddie, eh now? Oi suppose little sister is up at Berkley all alone and unprotected?”
“Aye, so Oi thought meself,” Ally replied nodding.
Farley’s eyes narrowed. Sir Edward had given him a fair warning to stay away from the Berkleys. But, now, his pockets were nearly empty, and no hope in sight of making a quick sou. He grinned broadly and told Ally, “Whot then…think today is the day?”
“Mayhap,” Ally agreed.
“Right then, laddie. This time we’ll make no mistakes and it’ll be just you and me. That’s the ticket, just you and me. We’ll manage this rig with none the wiser and when our pockets are full, we’ll leave Rye behind us, we will. Sad to say for Oi’ve grown accustomed to this place, but we don’t have much choice, do we?”
“No, and Oi mean to take to the sea, Oi do,” Ally said.
“Ye’ll have to, for Oi do think that flash will hunt us down and we’ll have to leave without a trace, we will.”
“Aye, but the lads…we could land in trouble with them if we don’t include them and give them a share…” Ally hesitated.
“’Tis no more than a lark we’ll tell ‘em. But, ye and me, we’ll end up with a bundle we will.”
“Right then, Oi suppose we’ll do.”
“That we will,” Farley patted his stomach. “Have ye eaten yet? We best have some breakfast…eat hearty, for we ‘ave a day’s work ahead of us, we do.”
They grinned at one another and Farley felt a wave of satisfaction sweep through him. He wanted his revenge against the flash, Sir Edward, and now was his chance.
Chapter Twenty-Four
FARLEY’S HORSE FIDGETED under him and he slapped the gelding’s long sturdy neck with a harsh rebuke. “Hold still, brute.”
He and Ally sat their horses hidden in the woods bordering the Berkley drive, just behind the stables. His horse’s antics might cause them to be noticed as they were closer than he normally would have liked.
He allowed his horse to graze, if only to keep him quiet as he turned to his companion and said with some impatience, “Oi dunno, Ally, just walking up to the house and scooping up a gentry mort, don’t seem clean to me.” He shook his head. “Mayhap we should think on this a bit more?”
“Aye, has me fair shaking in m’breeches, it does,” Ally agreed. “But what’s to do then?”
“Let’s give it a moment…mayhap somethin’ will turn up,” Farley offered as he watched Jeffries walk out two horses pulling an open gig. The day was growing warm, and he could feel the beads of sweat drip down his forehead, over his nose, and tasted the salt as it spilled over his crusty lips.
Ally murmured softly, “Ain’t that the little lady? Do ye goggle what’s coming?”
“Aye…she’s getting into the gig, she is,” Farley said with some excitement.
“Into the gig? The gig will be a problem,” Ally said rubbing his stubbled chin.
“Aye, but we’ll do,” Farley said quietly. “Ally, we’ll just watch which way she goes after she leaves her drive and follow her till it feels right.”
“Seems wicked, it does, but we don’t have a choice. Oi mean to start a new life, Oi do and this is the way to it,” Ally said grimly.
“Right ye be, Ally. This is the way to it, and it is going to be easier than we planned.” Farley grinned. “Much easier.”
* * *
Star, feeling warm, took off her straw bonnet and set it beside her on the leather upholstered bench of the family gig and clucked to her chestnut geldings. They were of no great size or flash, but had sweet dispositions and could be relied upon to offer a quiet drive. Their ears moved in tune to the sound of her voice and as they knew their job, they immediately began their easy pace down the Berkley drive.
