first. It was just as well.
As soon as he’d left the room and Katey’s presence, he’d started having doubts about her involvement in Judith’s abduction. It just didn’t feel right labeling her a criminal. She befriended animals, for God’s sake! And with that thought he began to think he’d wanted her to be guilty. Then he could put her from his mind, finally, as unworthy of his regard, and for a married woman, she’d been on his mind far too long as it was.
But whether he was making excuses for her now and she was actually guilty as sin, he wasn’t going to chase her down. Judith was safe now. And he couldn’t really bear the thought of Katey Tyler in jail.
Chapter Thirteen
K ATEY RODE QUICKLY BACK to Northampton despite the rain. Halfway to her destination, she rode out of the storm. Although the road ahead of her was completely dry, the solid bank of clouds wasn’t breaking up. And while the clouds weren’t as dark as they were farther south, the rain could still drift north and drench her again. But that was the least of her worries.
The storm clouds were probably making it seem later than it was, but the day was still nearly gone. There was no way she could gather up her servants and her belongings and reach London before nightfall. She was afraid to travel that same highway again anyway because she didn’t want to risk running into Boyd again.
She’d delayed him by taking his horse, so she didn’t expect him to be right behind her. But she didn’t expect him to give up and go home, either. He’d proven to be too stubborn for that. But he wouldn’t find her in Northampton again. She’d leave his horse there for him to find, not that she felt the least bit guilty for taking it after what he’d done, but she’d have no further need for it once she was on the road in her coach again—heading in some other direction.
She made quite a sight riding into town wet and bedraggled, wearing a man’s jacket. Even her hair had come loose, and she hadn’t wasted time to stop to rebraid it. She probably should have. She was attracting far too many curious looks, though that might be because her calves were showing. Embarrassed, she dismounted so her legs would be properly covered again.
Leading the horse behind her now, Katey walked by the town’s marketplace, which reminded Katey just how hungry she was now.
The market was closing down for the night, not that she had any coins to buy anything. But a few customers were still making their purchases, and one woman was shouting at a fruit seller whose stand Katey was passing.
“Just point me toward the nearest docks, mon!”
“I’ve already told you, you dafty woman, we don’t have docks.”
“I ken ye dinna hae any, but which way tae the nearest town that does? Did I no’ say my husband is trying tae kill me? I hae tae leave the country, ye ken?”
Katey stopped in her tracks. She wasn’t just hearing an interesting shouting match. Was that the same Scotswoman she, Grace, and Judith had spent half the morning trying to lose? With the woman’s back to her, she couldn’t be sure. But having twice been accused by Boyd of being Geordie Cameron’s wife, she had a name now to put to Judith’s abductor. And here was a Scotswoman trying to escape her husband, which made her think of what Boyd had mentioned about Anthony Malory beating Cameron senseless over what the man’s wife had done.
Katey didn’t really have any doubts by then, which was why she stopped a young boy running past her and whispered for him to fetch the constable. She’d detain Mrs. Cameron until he got there, and she was angry enough not to care how she did it. The woman had stolen and mistreated a child, chased them all over Northampton and the surrounding area trying to get the child back, and if it wasn’t for her, Katey’s memories of Boyd Anderson wouldn’t be utterly ruined now. The woman wasn’t going to walk away from all the trouble she’d caused without
As soon as he’d left the room and Katey’s presence, he’d started having doubts about her involvement in Judith’s abduction. It just didn’t feel right labeling her a criminal. She befriended animals, for God’s sake! And with that thought he began to think he’d wanted her to be guilty. Then he could put her from his mind, finally, as unworthy of his regard, and for a married woman, she’d been on his mind far too long as it was.
But whether he was making excuses for her now and she was actually guilty as sin, he wasn’t going to chase her down. Judith was safe now. And he couldn’t really bear the thought of Katey Tyler in jail.
Chapter Thirteen
K ATEY RODE QUICKLY BACK to Northampton despite the rain. Halfway to her destination, she rode out of the storm. Although the road ahead of her was completely dry, the solid bank of clouds wasn’t breaking up. And while the clouds weren’t as dark as they were farther south, the rain could still drift north and drench her again. But that was the least of her worries.
The storm clouds were probably making it seem later than it was, but the day was still nearly gone. There was no way she could gather up her servants and her belongings and reach London before nightfall. She was afraid to travel that same highway again anyway because she didn’t want to risk running into Boyd again.
She’d delayed him by taking his horse, so she didn’t expect him to be right behind her. But she didn’t expect him to give up and go home, either. He’d proven to be too stubborn for that. But he wouldn’t find her in Northampton again. She’d leave his horse there for him to find, not that she felt the least bit guilty for taking it after what he’d done, but she’d have no further need for it once she was on the road in her coach again—heading in some other direction.
She made quite a sight riding into town wet and bedraggled, wearing a man’s jacket. Even her hair had come loose, and she hadn’t wasted time to stop to rebraid it. She probably should have. She was attracting far too many curious looks, though that might be because her calves were showing. Embarrassed, she dismounted so her legs would be properly covered again.
Leading the horse behind her now, Katey walked by the town’s marketplace, which reminded Katey just how hungry she was now.
The market was closing down for the night, not that she had any coins to buy anything. But a few customers were still making their purchases, and one woman was shouting at a fruit seller whose stand Katey was passing.
“Just point me toward the nearest docks, mon!”
“I’ve already told you, you dafty woman, we don’t have docks.”
“I ken ye dinna hae any, but which way tae the nearest town that does? Did I no’ say my husband is trying tae kill me? I hae tae leave the country, ye ken?”
Katey stopped in her tracks. She wasn’t just hearing an interesting shouting match. Was that the same Scotswoman she, Grace, and Judith had spent half the morning trying to lose? With the woman’s back to her, she couldn’t be sure. But having twice been accused by Boyd of being Geordie Cameron’s wife, she had a name now to put to Judith’s abductor. And here was a Scotswoman trying to escape her husband, which made her think of what Boyd had mentioned about Anthony Malory beating Cameron senseless over what the man’s wife had done.
Katey didn’t really have any doubts by then, which was why she stopped a young boy running past her and whispered for him to fetch the constable. She’d detain Mrs. Cameron until he got there, and she was angry enough not to care how she did it. The woman had stolen and mistreated a child, chased them all over Northampton and the surrounding area trying to get the child back, and if it wasn’t for her, Katey’s memories of Boyd Anderson wouldn’t be utterly ruined now. The woman wasn’t going to walk away from all the trouble she’d caused without
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