Page 16 of Her Summer Duke

Chapter Seven

“I have reconsidered. I do not want to go alone. Dress quickly, Lucy, or I shall be late. Saltonbury said two.”

The maid slipped into her own chamber to dress. Moments later she returned with a warm cloak thrown over her shoulders, tying on her bonnet. She looked at Margaret, and frowned.

“Where is your bonnet, Lady Margaret? I put one on the bed for you. You will be taken for a lightskirt at this hour, without a bonnet.”

Margaret snatched at the bonnet on the bed. Rules, rules, rules! She placed the bonnet over her neatly pinned curls and tied the bow under her chin.

“Come along now or we shall be late.”

“Umm – how shall we go, my Lady? Will we rouse a groom to drive us?”

Margaret stopped. Lucy had a point – it was quite some distance to the bridge where Saltonbury would be waiting. She had not thought this through. A groom would be yet another person who knew that she had slipped out, a nuisance who would undoubtedly try to stop her. She turned to Lucy.

“You’ve driven a gig, haven’t you Lucy? You know how to harness the horse up?”

Lucy gave her that look which Margaret knew meant that Lucy considered her to be completely mad. She waited. Lucy swallowed, and sighed loudly.

“When I was a young girl, yes. My grandmother taught me. But I haven’t touched harness or driven for near ten years, my Lady.”

Margaret smiled, and Lucy almost flinched.

“I am sure that you will do wonderfully. Please Lucy, I must do this, I must at least say goodbye to the man who has been such a big influence on my life, for so long!”

The maid shook her head.

“I can’t… I don’t know which horse or… anything.”

“Of course you do. There’s the little gig and the grey mare that Cook takes, to go and buy supplies from the market. That will be suitable. Now please, hurry.”

Lucy studied Margaret’s face, and Margaret made herself look stern, all the while praying that Lucy would do as she had asked.

After a moment the maid’s shoulders dropped, and she sighed in resignation.

“If you insist, my Lady, but I do not like this, I will not be held responsible if it all goes horribly wrong!”

Margaret watched as Lucy turned away, and hurried down the stairs. Clutching her pelisse about her, Margaret followed more slowly.

When Margaret reached the stables, Lucy had already rolled the gig out of the carriage house, and was leading out the grey mare, who looked most unimpressed with being out in the middle of the night. Margaret held the mare, while Lucy carefully harnessed her up, muttering all the while, as she worked out where every strap and buckle went. The mare fidgeted, irritated. Finally, it was done, and the gig hitched to the horse.

They climbed up onto the hard bench seat, and the mare held blessedly still as they did. Beside Margaret, Lucy was almost shaking with nerves, but she took up the reins.

“Well? Go on, Lucy, we have to hurry.” Lucy flipped the reins, and urged the mare forward, breathing a sigh of relief as she obligingly set off at a walk. Margaret wriggled on the seat. They would be late, at this pace. “Can we go faster?”

“I’ll try.”

Lucy urged the mare on again, getting her into a nice steady trot. All was well until they passed through the village, where every window was dark, and all was still as the good people took their rest. All was still, that was, except Mr Wilson’s dog, which guarded the yard of the small Inn at night. The dog rushed out at them, apparently convinced that anyone about at such a time of night was up to no good, and snapped at the mare’s heels.

The old mare, who had been a bit skittish and eyeing the shadows for danger, kicked out at the dog, then lurched forward into a canter, which rapidly accelerated towards a gallop.

For a time, the dog ran with her, still snapping, apparently wanting to make certain that he had seen the intruder off.

“Whoa! Whoa!”

Lucy pulled back on the reins, and called to the mare, but to no avail – the threat of the dog had convinced the horse that every shadow held something dangerous, and she simply kept running.

At first the road was straight, but soon, Lucy let out a terrified squeak.