Page 43 of Beguiling the Baron

Chapter 28

Hal’s stallion had a magnificent turn of speed cross-country, so that was the way he chose to ride until he reached the turnpike. He slowed down there, to protect the animal’s hooves—but even so, he managed to overtake his Stanhope gig before it reached the town.

The gig had come to a standstill, mired in the increased traffic, and as Hal was on horseback, he had little difficulty weaving through to confront its occupants.

“Miss Wyndham, Polly. Mr. Leigh, I don’t believe we’ve met.” He touched a finger to his beaver hat and was pleased at the startled look on the young man’s face. Devil take him, he was a handsome rogue, currently managing the ribbons admirably in the crush. Hal’s fingers whitened on Juniper’s reins.

Ideally, he should drag the fellow out of his seat and throttle him. Tia would need to be castigated too. But preferably not in public.

He flushed as he leaned down from the saddle, saying as coolly as he could, “I believe there’s been a misunderstanding, Mr. Leigh. I’m the Hon. Miss Pelham’s father. As such, I was supposed to be taking her to the fair today.”

Even though Hal kept his voice down, he became aware of people staring. Much as he would have liked to call Leigh out, he could hardly do it in front of so many witnesses, nor could he physically assault the fellow, as the fury banked within his breast urged him to do. He clung to his patience and waited, steadfastly refusing to acknowledge the treacherous Tia any further.

Leigh doffed his hat as his Adam’s apple bobbed nervously. “Your pardon, my lord. I came around to deliver a book to Miss Wyndham we’d talked about while dining at the Douglas mansion, but found her in a distracted state.”

“Distracted state?”

“Indeed. She’d promised Miss Pelham a trip to the fair and told me you were to have accompanied them but were taken ill with severe dyspepsia after an over-indulgence of St. John’s Wort. I trust you’re rather better now, my lord.”

Dyspepsia? St. John’s Wort?

My goodness, but I’m going to give Tia a talking-to when I get her home!

“I find I am much recovered, sir.” Hal struggled to keep the choler out of his tone. “Quite well enough to carry out my initial commission. So, your services are no longer required.”

Leigh seemed about to protest. Hal kept his face carefully blank but raised one eyebrow the tiniest fraction.

The young man took the hint. “Miss Wyndham, Miss Pelham.” Leigh tipped his hat to the ladies as he clambered down from his seat.

Sensible young man.

Hal slid easily from Juniper’s saddle and reached into his pocket. “Here’s a shilling, Mr. Leigh, so you can find someone to take my stallion back to his stable. After that you may continue on your way—I believe it’s no more than a few hundred yards to the fair field. We can meet up with you there if you wish to walk around with us. Unless you’d prefer to ride Juniper back to Foxleaze yourself, and abandon your plans?”

Leigh cast an anguished glance at Tia, who appeared extremely self-conscious, then gazed up at Hal’s magnificent black stallion. Faced with the choice between a swift carefree gallop across the fields, and a ramble around Chippenham Fair with an irate baron, the young man took the only viable option.

With a grim smile of satisfaction, Hal helped him aboard Juniper, received his shilling back again, and climbed into the wide seat of the Stanhope.

He cast a quelling glance at Tia and received a haughty toss of the head in return. The horses lurched forward as the traffic began moving once again, forcing him to concentrate on driving. It was impossible to reprimand his companions without attracting the attention of the crowd. His harangue must wait for a private moment.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he hunched forward and tried to identify the best route. It was no mean feat navigating his rig between the loaded goods wagons and pack-horses, and the pedestrians with their accompanying hens, children, and baskets. Fortunately, he was an experienced driver, even though he was used to tooling along in rather grander equipages than the gig.

Above the babble of talk, laughter, honks, as well as grunts and mooing, he was able to catch something of what was happening on the seat behind him. Polly was thoroughly excited, pointing at anything that caught her eye, and bombarding Tia with questions about it. Virtually everyone they encountered was offered a greeting. Each time his daughter announced to complete strangers, “My papa is taking us to the fair, isn’t it thrilling,” Hal winced with embarrassment.

The last thing he wanted was to attract any more attention.

Being who he was, however, it was inescapable. Some of the people hereabouts remembered him from when he’d maintained a far more public profile—and were keen to greet him.

Confound it. If only he’d kept the long hair and beard, he might have escaped their notice, for he loathed indulging in small talk. Yet, bit by bit, the pain of greeting people and touching his hat to them started to recede, and he found himself responding with a cheerful nod, which seemed to satisfy everyone.

Nonetheless, it was with considerable relief that he finally brought the gig to a halt and paid a dubious-looking man to mind it—at the same time, silently cursing Tia for not coming out with one of the grooms. Barely was this business concluded than Tia and Polly were out of the cart and heading toward the fair field. With a sigh of resignation, he strode off in their wake.

Chippenham Fair was largely a country event, dealing in sheep, cattle, pigs, fowl, and fodder. Hal allowed himself a moment’s pleasure at seeing the fat, healthy animals and the cheerful faces of the country folk. Every rustic delight imaginable was on offer, from great casks of cider and clove-stuck hams to mutton pies and freshly-roasted hog.

Entertainment was also available in abundance. Balladeers, poets, musicians demonstrating the cheerful sound of the hurdy-gurdy and hautbois, plied their talent alongside fortune tellers and Romany dancers.

He stood at Tia’s elbow while Polly gazed in mute fascination at a marionette show.

“You have behaved very badly,” he whispered in Tia’s ear.