Page 48

Sixteen

A couple of miles past the turnpike

Confusion and hurt whisked across Beatrice’s face before she arranged her features into an unreadable mien. He’d witnessed her doing that very thing when her uncle chastised her harshly. Nevertheless, her eyes spoke volumes as she peeked at him from beneath those gold-tipped lashes.

He recognized that look of yearning.

Bloody, sodding hell.

Her regard was anything but impartial, and he almost cursed aloud.

Where the devil was Layton?

Much more of this, and Cassius would climb up on the driver’s seat and squeeze between the coachmen. Or—God help them both—haul Beatrice into his arms and kiss her senseless.

Which would create a whole other conundrum he didn’t want to deal with.

“The shade is pleasant, is it not?”

So she’d resorted to small talk to ease the tension between them, so thick a sword couldn’t cleave it in two.

The trees lining this section of the turnpike provided a pleasant reprieve from what looked to be an unseasonably hot day. Still, sweat beaded Cassius’s upper lip. “Aye.”

In the distance, hoofbeats sounded, carrying through the lowered coach windows on the peaceful summer day.

Cassius poked his head out of the opening.

Layton.

At last.

And thank God, for had it been the man hunting Beatrice, things would have swiftly become ugly.

Cassius knocked on the roof.

One of the coachmen slid the small window open at the coach’s front. “Aye, gov?”

“Please stop. My brother approaches.”

“Aye, gov.”

Cassius gestured toward the door.

“Would you care to stretch your legs, Beatrice? The dogs too?”

“Oh, yes.” A brilliant smile lit her face, and he was hard-pressed not to blink like a besotted fool. “I’m sure Nala and Teddy need to relieve themselves.”

After helping her alight, Cassius leaned against the coach’s side, surreptitiously observing her walk with her dogs.

She spoke to them in a soft undertone between brief bouts of coughing. Both promptly relieved themselves, and chagrin knocked at his ribs.

So intent had he been in outrunning the chap hired to find her, he’d spared little time for the dogs’ needs.

A couple of minutes later, riding atop a bay gelding and leading a sorrel mare and a gray gelding with a black mane, Layton drew up beside the conveyance.

Beatrice eyed the extra horses with a beleaguered expression.

Cassius crossed to his brother and took hold of the reins of the other two horses while Layton dismounted.