Simons said. "He looked ready to kill us all."
As soon as they had left, Kiley was out the door after them, without waiting till he had eaten. He looked to see their direction, then sent for a fresh mount.
When the carriage and the curricle had taken the first bend in the road, Carlisle pulled ahead and signaled for them to stop. He alit and went to their door. "I have been thinking about what Kiley said, back at the inn. What did he mean, Miss Bradford, a clever trick?" he asked, with natural curiosity.
She was strongly tempted to tell him all her business, but remembered her father's warnings. "I suppose he refers to our change of route," she answered. "He must have been looking for us along the other road."
"He has plenty of brass to as much as tell you his plan," Carlisle answered, looking dissatisfied. He regarded Vanessa with a close scrutiny. "Are you sure you're being quite frank with me, ma'am?" he asked with a trace of diffidence. "Come now, can't you trust me? I know you come from Hastings, where your father, a colonel, is active in the defense against Napoleon's probable invasion. If you are engaged in some more important job than delivering diamonds, I think you ought to tell me."
"Oh," she said, distress on every line of her face, that he had hit upon her secret. She had never had to decide anything more important than what gown to wear, or what gentleman to stand up with at a ball. Her whole life had been sheltered, giving her no opportunity to become decisive. While she hesitated, he spoke on.
"I thought as much! I shan't pry. It is none of my concern, except to do what I can to see you make your trip safely. I do wish you had trusted me completely," he added with a little offended glance.
"I do," she assured him. "Truly I do, it is only that Papa said—said not to trust anyone, or tell anyone, you see."
"Is it a verbal message you carry?" he asked.
She looked at him, unable to suppress a little jab of suspicion at the question. "What I wish to discover is just how great a danger you are in," he pointed out. "If you carry some documents, that is one thing. You may be held up and robbed of them, but if you carry the message in your head—well, that is a different matter entirely, isn't it? A much more dangerous spot for you to be in, and greater precautions must be taken for your safety. I come to see this Kiley does not mean to give up."
"He can't do anything in broad daylight," she pointed out. "Let us get back on the main road at once, before he comes after us."
"The constable should be along shortly," Elleri reminded them.
"You haven't answered my question," he said. "You have trusted me this far. Tell me the rest, and let me decide what must be done to protect you and the message." He looked worried, and completely innocent, with his frank blue eyes and open face.
She knew if she admitted she carried a letter, he would want it to safeguard himself, and her desire was to retain it on her own body. "The message is inside my head," she told him. He turned a shade paler, and looked extremely worried.
"Write it down and let me deliver it. You too carry this message in your head, Miss Simons?"
"Fiddlesticks!" was Miss Simons' answer, given with an impatient, accusing glance at her niece. "Mr. Carlisle has been a great help to us, Nessa, and it is time to tell him the truth."
He nodded his head. "I see. You still don't trust me," he said to Vanessa. "I had better travel in your carriage, and bring my pistol along with me." The ladies exchanged a frightened look but made no demur. Carlisle went to his curricle and extracted from under the seat a black leather pistol case.
"It is odd he happened to have a pistol with him," Vanessa said, her brow furrowing.
"Thank your lucky stars he has. You may be sure that villain of a Kiley, or colonel, or whoever he is, has one," Miss Simons answered.
"Lucky I had this along with me," Carlisle said as he came back to them. "I hardly ever carry a pistol, but
As soon as they had left, Kiley was out the door after them, without waiting till he had eaten. He looked to see their direction, then sent for a fresh mount.
When the carriage and the curricle had taken the first bend in the road, Carlisle pulled ahead and signaled for them to stop. He alit and went to their door. "I have been thinking about what Kiley said, back at the inn. What did he mean, Miss Bradford, a clever trick?" he asked, with natural curiosity.
She was strongly tempted to tell him all her business, but remembered her father's warnings. "I suppose he refers to our change of route," she answered. "He must have been looking for us along the other road."
"He has plenty of brass to as much as tell you his plan," Carlisle answered, looking dissatisfied. He regarded Vanessa with a close scrutiny. "Are you sure you're being quite frank with me, ma'am?" he asked with a trace of diffidence. "Come now, can't you trust me? I know you come from Hastings, where your father, a colonel, is active in the defense against Napoleon's probable invasion. If you are engaged in some more important job than delivering diamonds, I think you ought to tell me."
"Oh," she said, distress on every line of her face, that he had hit upon her secret. She had never had to decide anything more important than what gown to wear, or what gentleman to stand up with at a ball. Her whole life had been sheltered, giving her no opportunity to become decisive. While she hesitated, he spoke on.
"I thought as much! I shan't pry. It is none of my concern, except to do what I can to see you make your trip safely. I do wish you had trusted me completely," he added with a little offended glance.
"I do," she assured him. "Truly I do, it is only that Papa said—said not to trust anyone, or tell anyone, you see."
"Is it a verbal message you carry?" he asked.
She looked at him, unable to suppress a little jab of suspicion at the question. "What I wish to discover is just how great a danger you are in," he pointed out. "If you carry some documents, that is one thing. You may be held up and robbed of them, but if you carry the message in your head—well, that is a different matter entirely, isn't it? A much more dangerous spot for you to be in, and greater precautions must be taken for your safety. I come to see this Kiley does not mean to give up."
"He can't do anything in broad daylight," she pointed out. "Let us get back on the main road at once, before he comes after us."
"The constable should be along shortly," Elleri reminded them.
"You haven't answered my question," he said. "You have trusted me this far. Tell me the rest, and let me decide what must be done to protect you and the message." He looked worried, and completely innocent, with his frank blue eyes and open face.
She knew if she admitted she carried a letter, he would want it to safeguard himself, and her desire was to retain it on her own body. "The message is inside my head," she told him. He turned a shade paler, and looked extremely worried.
"Write it down and let me deliver it. You too carry this message in your head, Miss Simons?"
"Fiddlesticks!" was Miss Simons' answer, given with an impatient, accusing glance at her niece. "Mr. Carlisle has been a great help to us, Nessa, and it is time to tell him the truth."
He nodded his head. "I see. You still don't trust me," he said to Vanessa. "I had better travel in your carriage, and bring my pistol along with me." The ladies exchanged a frightened look but made no demur. Carlisle went to his curricle and extracted from under the seat a black leather pistol case.
"It is odd he happened to have a pistol with him," Vanessa said, her brow furrowing.
"Thank your lucky stars he has. You may be sure that villain of a Kiley, or colonel, or whoever he is, has one," Miss Simons answered.
"Lucky I had this along with me," Carlisle said as he came back to them. "I hardly ever carry a pistol, but
Similar Books
