AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Caroline slid her arm around her youngest daughter’s shoulders. “I am sorry, sweetheart. But Lord Fluffington wouldn’t be happy, all squished in a mailcoach.”
Emma sniffed. “But he’llmissme.”
“Simmons will take excellent care of him,” Carolinesoothed.
“He shall have that duck he likes so much, Miss Emma,” Simmons added. “Every night, I’ll see to it. And I’ll keep him company until youreturn.”
“Arewe returning?” Rachel asked, anger dripping from hervoice.
“Of course we will,” Caroline replied, though it was a question she didn’t really know the answer to. However, she supposed theywouldreturn at some point, wouldn’t they? Or would it never be safe? Heavens, wherewasMarc? She’d feel so much better about everything if he was there with them. He said to go without him if he didn’t make it in time. But what if he didn’t catch up to them? What if something had happenedtohim?
“I had plans for this Season.” Rachel sighed. “This is hardly fairtome.”
Caroline scoffed. “If the other night is any indication of the plans you had for this Season, then it’s a very good thing weareleavingTown.”
Rachel seemed poised to press her case, but before she could do so, Emma straightened in her seat, her dark eyes wide. “What did you do,Rachel?”
“None of your concern,” Caroline said before Rachel could reply. After all, such tales of masked dagger-wielders were hardly things she wanted dancing around in Emma’s head. She didn’t even want them dancing aroundinhers.
“I just don’t see why we have to leave Town,” Rachel continued. “Why can’t we contact Bow Street? Why can’t we stay with Uncle Luke for a while? Whycan’t—”
“Luke!” Caroline gasped, halting whatever else Rachel meant to say. Oh goodness! She hadn’t sent any sort of word to her brother. There hadn’t been any time for that. Luke would be beside himself with worry when he discovered she and the girls had disappeared. “Simmons,” she said, “will you please tell Mr. Beckford wherewe’vegone?”
The butler looked at her as though she was a complete simpleton. “Your carriage is on its way to Benton Park, milady. Everyone will thinkthat’swhere you’ve gone, and in the interest of your safety, it would be best for everyone to believe that you’ve returned to Westmoreland for the timebeing.”
Of course. She hadn’t thought of it that way. Caroline was not very adept at this secret life sort of thing. It was no wonder Marc was still such an enigma. This saying one thing but doing another had, apparently, been a way of life for him for many years. How did one ever get accustomed to living in such a way? She could barely keep it all straight inhermind.
After a while, her butler looked down at his watch fob and frowned. “I do believe it’s time, milady.” Then he opened the door of the hack wide for Caroline and her daughters to climb from the hiredcarriage.
Simmons paid the driver and then retrieved Caroline’s small valise from the bench and handed it to her. “This is wherewepart.”
Oh, so soon? Caroline sighed, having no confidence she was going to be able to pull this off. “Thank you,Simmons.”
“It has been my pleasure serving you,madam.”
Caroline glanced over at Rachel and said, “Take your sister’s hand,please.”
Her daughter nodded, and together the three of them quickly crossed the way and headed for the Gloucester Street Coffee House. The hostlers were readying the horses and others were loading large sacks onto the top of the mailcoach.
The driver glanced down at her from his box and said, “You’re the family headedtoYork?”
She nodded. “Y-yes, we are.” Heavens, her nerves wereonend.
“I thought the fellow said there were fourofyou.”
“I’m not certain if my…husband will make it in time,” she replied, feeling so strange referring to Marc in such a way. “He says we’re to leave without if him if he’snothere.”
“Good of him, missus.” The driver laughed, seemingly at her expense. “As the royal mail waits fornoone.”
No, of course it didn’t. She was such a ninny and her cheeks stung fromembarrassment.
“Climb on in,” he urged. “The royal mail waits fornoone.”
Oh. Blast it! She was awful at this. Caroline nodded quickly and opened the door to the coach, for what might possibly be the first time in her life that she’d ever done such a thing. Goodness, what else would she need to do for herself in order to blend in? She had no idea, she was so accustomed to someone always being by to assist in whatever she might need at any given moment. But now she was completely alone with Rachel and Emma depending solely upon her. She silently prayed she was up tothetask.
Emma climbed inside the mail coach first. Rachel followed, shooting Caroline another accusatory glance, which was truly the last thing she needed at themoment.
A steadying breath escaped Caroline just as she was about to climb into the coach after her daughters. And then a hand clutched herwaist.
