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“Don’t. They will know we are aware of them. Just act normally.” He eyed the corner of the road up ahead, and knew there was enough distance between them to find a barge. However, there was no time to barter with a bargeman to allow them on board. Nor could they do anything about the time it would take to cast off and get underway.
Finding a barge to hide in was the only option available to them right now. They had no choice but to take the risk. Connor fingered his gun. As far as he could see there were only two men following. If he had to, he would shoot first and leave the Star Elite to sort out the mess. Barnaby would understand.
“Do you think you can move a little quicker? I am not suggesting we run, but we will turn to the left once we reach the next road. Then we will need to run as fast as you can. There will be barges moored up. We need to find one that will suit our purposes.”
“Move,” he commanded when they rounded the corner.
Tahlia lifted her cumbersome skirts and lengthened her stride.
“God’s smiling on us,” she gasped as they pelted down the towpath toward a barge just about to push away from the riverside.
“Go,” Connor ordered. The bargeman, in the middle of the boat, was focused on steering his craft out of the line of vessels and didn’t see them creep aboard at the bow. “Get in.”
Panting for breath, Tahlia found herself pushed under a large covering. She barely got the chance to move out of the way before Connor climbed in after her. Settling down, Connor secured the cover but left enough of a gap to peer through.
Unfortunately, the bargeman chose that moment to toot his horn. He lifted his hand to his comrades still moored at the riverside, completely oblivious to the two men racing down the towpath. Tahlia’s jerk of fear propelled her into Connor, who drew her into his arms and held her tightly while he tried to take a look at the men on the riverbank.
Connor watched as they slowed to a stop and looked at the long line of boats. He waited for them to decide what to do. They stopped to discuss the options. One of the men studied the barge now chugging smoothly down the river. His comrade in arms began to stalk back down the towpath and stopped a bargeman along the way. The bargeman shook his head and ambled onward, leaving the henchmen to scratch their heads in confusion.
“We are clear for now,” Connor murmured as he eased away from the gap in the covering and settled down beside her.
Now that they were in the flow of the River, and away from all credible threat, Tahlia began to relax. In spite of the smoke and noise from the engine, it was rather intimate being snuggled up together in such close quarters.
“Come here,” Connor ordered huskily, and wrapped her in his arms.
“Are we safe for now?” she asked.
She couldn’t help it; she pressed a kiss to his chin. It was too dark to see his face clearly but she knew he was there and that was enough. When she felt his hands start to wander, she leaned back and tried to peer at him.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking you are alright,” he assured her.
He paused and waited, but when she made no attempt to stop him, he ducked his head and claimed her lips before he set about showing her just how much he wanted her.
They were on the barge an age before it stopped. When it did, they remained in place for several minutes while the bargeman moored the craft and shut the engine down. Once silence had fallen, Connor peered out of covering and took a look at where they were.
“Well?” Tahlia whispered, trying to see over his shoulder.
“We are at a tavern somewhere,” Connor replied.
Connor waited for a few minutes before he allowed her out from beneath the cover, but only because he needed to hide the evidence of his desire for her. Their kisses had been the steamiest Connor had experienced in his life. Their passion-fuelled embrace had driven him to the point that his self-control had been pushed to the brink of insanity. It was all he could do to focus on where they needed to go next.
Helping her step onto the towpath, he doffed his cap at an astonished workman walking past as though it was an ordinary thing to do. The man doffed his cap back, but lengthened his stride as he walked away.
“What’s wrong?” Tahlia asked with a frown.
She glanced down at her dress. She was a little smudged, but not tremendously so.
Connor eyed her hair, which he had quite enthusiastically running his hands through, and grinned. It was quite obvious what they had been doing. She looked thoroughly tousled, wantonly so, but he didn’t tell her that. He didn’t want her to become self-conscious about the passion they had for each other. Instead, he pressed a loving kiss to her lips.
“Come on. Let’s find out where we are and then we can work out how we are going to get to Epping Forrest.”
It was already starting to go dark, and with dusk the temperature began to fall. He studied Tahlia’s bare arms and wished he had thought to remind her to bring a shawl. It was too late now, though. They had to keep moving so they weren’t too late meeting Matthew.
Once in the tavern, he sat Tahlia in a secluded corner of the main tap room and went to speak with the inn keeper.
Tahlia’s gaze remained glued on him the entire time. When he stood with one arm propped on the bar like that he blended in casually with the rest of the patrons milling around the tap waiting for their coaches. Only Tahlia knew how special he was. A loving smile curved her lips as she watched him bargain with the inn keeper, who shook his head several times before he finally relented to whatever Connor was offering.
