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“I won’t let you go—” began Lord Macklin.
“It is not your decision,” she interrupted.
“Alone,” he added. “I won’t let you go alone.”
This silenced Teresa. She stared at him.
“I will take you there,” he continued.
“Take me?”
“As Lord Simon did Jeanne. I will drive up to the gate with you at my side…”
“And simply demand admission?” Teresa asked.
“I will assume a right to it,” said the earl. “The thought that I could be refused will not enter my mind. Or anyone else’s. I can play the arrogant ass if I have to.”
“Oh, really?”
The earl gave her a slight smile. “I can also slip the guard a hefty bribe if necessary. Between the two things, Iwillget in.”
“We will,” she answered. His expression showed how little he liked that idea. “You might be recognized,” she added.
“Not by the sort of ruffian hired to man a gate.”
“Inside though.”
“We will deal with that if we must. But if you try to go alone, I will prevent you.”
“How? Shut me away yourself?” She knew he wouldn’t, but his insistence was rousing more bad memories.
“I will camp on your doorstep and follow you everywhere you go. Like a faithful dog.”
The picture was so silly she had to smile. “You have other things to do with your days.”
“Nothing more important.”
In her secret heart, Teresa had to admit that having him at her side would make all the difference.
Tom, who had been looking back and forth like an observer of a tennis match, said, “You ain…aren’t leaving me out of this.”
“On the contrary,” said Lord Macklin. “But since it seems this is not the sort of place you can enter, despite your skills, you will remain outside watching. We will need someone who knows where we are and can bring aid if necessary.”
“I don’t want to stand about doing nothing!”
“This is far from nothing. If things…go wrong, all our reliance will be on you.”
“You will rescue us,” said Teresa.
This seemed to mollify the lad. “So I’ll be waiting for a signal, like?”
“Precisely,” replied the earl.
Tom considered, frowning. “There’s a clump of trees not too far from one of the side walls. Room for me and my friends to lurk.”
“That is what you will do then. Lurk.”
“What’ll the signal be?”
