AllFreeNovel
Share Us
David, good-natured man that he was, waved a hand and took a step back. “I was returning to the house anyways. I will let Dinah know to meet you out here.”
Once David was out of earshot, Henry took a step toward Lewis.
“Well?”
“There are rumors going about. I never heard much more than it had something to do with Lady Stanton”—Henry felt he was finally getting used to hearing that title—“and a man called Crow?”
Thathe wasn’t at ease hearing, however. His jaw tightened. It wasn’t hard to imagine that word had spread that ‘Crow’ had helped Dinah and Adele escape. Still, he didn’t like that the name he had used while working as a smuggler was being connected to Dinah.
“Then,” Lewis continued, “one night, whiles I was at the pub, a man sat down next to me. Started asking all sorts of questions.”
“Such as?”
Lewis shrugged. “Strange stuff. Askin’ if Lady Stanton was blonde. Askin’ if she ever left London. He even asked after you. If’n you had been away from London as of late. I figured it weren’t hurt to say you had been, earlier this year, since it was no great secret. Then he wanted to know where you’d been and why. I shut up right quick after that, I can tell you.”
He would have preferred if Lewis had ‘shut up’ before then. Still, he didn’t suppose the man could have guessed why answering such questions—facts that nearly anyone knew, regardless—would be a problem.
“What did he look like?” Henry asked.
“Carrot-top, he was.”
That didn’t help much. “Any unique characteristics? A scar or a limp, perhaps?” Not that Henry knew any men like that, but still, it might help.
“Not that I noticed. Oh, but he did have a very fine ring on his smallest finger.” Lewis tapped the side of his left hand. “He dressed like a farmer, but that ring”—Lewis let out a whistle—“made me think he slipped it off the hand of royalty or something.”
Finch. Henry slowly shut his eyes. He’d known the man would be trouble when he had been forced to face off with him to save Dinah and Adele. So then, was the man asking around because...he wanted revenge? Finch had been arrested thanks to Henry, but then he’d escaped. Whatever the reason, it filled him with much unease to think that there was a man as manipulative as Finch asking about Dinah.
“Thank you for telling me,” Henry said.
“Of course, my lord.” Lewis nodded toward something behind Henry. “Her ladyship is headed this way.”
Henry glanced behind him and found Dinah hurrying their direction. He dismissed Lewis and then turned, holding the reins out toward her.
“My lady,” he said, “your horse.”
She stopped just in front of him, her gaze moving toward the mare. “She’s...mine?”
“Yours and no one else’s.”
She grew suddenly still, far more so than he’d ever seen her. Her eyes grew wide, and in a sudden burst of movement, she flung her arms around his neck.
“Thank you!”
Henry froze. Of all the ways he’d predicted Dinah might react, hugging him had not been one of them.
She pulled back just as suddenly as she’d flung herself at him, her smile wide enough to nearly crack her face in two. With a squeal of delight and a small clap of her hands, she turned to the horse.
“What’s her name?” she asked, petting the mare affectionately.
Henry tried to shake off the feel of her pressed up close to him, but the memory refused to leave. “Cecilia,” he muttered. He’d not even had time to return the hug, something he now sorely regretted.
“She’s lovely,” Dinah said, then stood and turned his way. “Does this mean you and I are going out riding this afternoon?”
He struggled to find words, so strongly did her hug still cling to him. “If you wish it.”
She clapped again. “I cannot wait.”
Henry stood by and watched as she requested that Lewis saddle Cecilia and then bring around a mounting block. She was riding in only a few minutes, and it appeared Cecilia was taking to Dinah as quickly as she was to the horse.
She rode off a few strides and then turned and cantered back. Henry took the reins of his own horse when Lewis brought him out. But the longer he watched Dinah, the heavier his heart grew. Worries over Finch crept back into his mind. He needed to tell Dinah what Lewis had heard and said to Finch.
Dinah smiled brightly at him before turning away and riding off once more.
He would tell her, but not just now. For now, he would let her enjoy the moment.
