He shrugged one broad shoulder when she echoed her puzzling thoughts aloud. ‘We don’t know what Sir Giles saw fit to reveal. I suspect he would have disclosed enough information into certain receptive ears to ensure that our trail wouldn’t be hard to follow. Of course, he hadn’t bargained for the surprising turn of events which have overtaken us. By this time he would have expected to have had you safely back in London. The traitor must have viewed Napoleon’s escape from Elba as nothing short of a godsend. It has offered him ample time to instigate a search for you.’
‘True. But why on earth did those two men watching the inn suspect that I might be Louise Baron? Do I resemble her so closely?’
Brown eyes regarded her quite dispassionately for a moment or two. ‘As far as I can remember—yes, there is a certain similarity. And of course you’re about the right age. It’s quite possible that Justine herself might have disclosed certain facts about her sister to the traitor during the time she worked with him. And you do have red hair.’
‘Ah, I see!’ Katherine could now appreciate just why Sir Giles had chosen her for the task. ‘So Louise has red hair?’
‘Yes, and so too did Justine Baron, although, if my memory serves me correctly, theirs was somewhat lighter than yours—more Titian.’
Katherine nodded. ‘Red hair frequently runs in families, although it is not always the case.’ She was silent for a moment, then revealed her disappointment at the unexpected turn of events by releasing her breath in a despondent sigh. ‘Poor Sir Giles. Napoleon’s escape couldn’t possibly have come at a worse time for him.’
‘It couldn’t have come at a worse time for us, come to that,’ Daniel reminded her, smiling to himself.
Their present situation was anything but rosy, and he suspected the young woman seated beside him knew this very well. It was, he mused, much to her credit that she had accepted the loss of her belongings and this impromptu flight from the capital with a quaint and dignified resignation, and he couldn’t help but admire her for this present display of admirable self-control. Whether she would continue to behave in such a commendable manner during the days ahead was another matter entirely. He very much feared that, should the mood take her, she could prove to be a handful, fiery and stubborn. One thing was certain, though, during the next few days he was unlikely to be afflicted by the boredom which, unfortunately, all too frequently plagued him when in the company of most members of her sex for any length of time.
‘Ideally I would have preferred to remain at the inn for a few days,’ he remarked, surprising her somewhat. ‘Those men watching us would in all probability have dropped their guard had we gone about the city displaying a lack of concern. Unfortunately, that was not possible with the Corsican on the loose once more. Last night I learned that Napoleon is not coming up against much resistance as he heads towards the capital. All he needs is to win the support of the army, then I’m afraid …’
‘Do you think that is possible?’ she prompted when his voice trailed away.
‘I very much fear that it is, Miss O’Malley. His soldiers love him.’
‘Oh, that wretched little man!’ Katherine exclaimed, able to express her feelings more fully now than she had when in Marie’s company. ‘After all these years of conflict, has he not had enough of war? God forbid that it begins again!’
‘Amen to that, m’dear,’ he concurred, as they approached the outskirts of the city, and he turned his attention to what was going on about him, watching intently for any suspicious characters loitering by the roadside. He noticed no one, but he refused to be lulled into a false sense of security, for he very much feared that before the end of the day there would be someone, or possibly several, hot on their trail.
Fortunately his companion, continuing to behave with commendable restraint, didn’t plague him with questions that he could not or might prefer not to answer. She didn’t bore him to tears by trying to maintain a flow of small talk either. In fact, apart from generously praising him for his foresight in providing them with a basket of food, tucked away under the seat, she said very little, not even when they were obliged to stop on several occasions throughout the day in order to rest the horse. Only when, early in the evening, he turned off the main highway into a narrow country lane did she betray an interest in precisely where they were bound.
‘Normandy.’ Daniel didn’t hesitate to enlighten her, and Katherine, in turn, didn’t attempt to hide her surprise. ‘I have a good friend living there.’ His lips curled into a secretive little smile. ‘I know I can rely on this person to aid us. Needless to say I do not expect to reach the town where my friend resides tomorrow, or the day after, come to that. So, in the meantime, we must make do as best we can. I’m afraid, though, that you are not going to find this journey particularly comfortable.’
‘Do not concern yourself over me, Major Ross,’ Katherine responded, feeling unaccountably resentful because he no doubt considered her some pampered ninnyhammer who couldn’t do without her creature comforts for a few days. ‘I cannot deny that I had not planned to leave Paris in such a fashion, but I do not hold you in any way responsible for that. Be assured that I shall do my utmost not to be a burden, and have no intention of causing you the least concern.’
She turned her head in time to catch a second rather secretive little smile playing about his mouth before he astounded her by admitting, ‘You have been causing me no little concern for quite some time, Miss Katherine O’Malley.’
Before she could enquire precisely what he had meant, he changed the subject by informing her that he dared not risk putting up at an inn that night.
‘I do not doubt that there are those already hot on our trail,’ he continued. ‘I strongly suspect that they will begin by searching for us in the inns along the main road we have just left. Which will buy us a little time, but not very much, I’m afraid. It will be dark in an hour, so we must find some form of shelter soon, for I have no intention of travelling at night and running the risk of getting us lost.’
It was then that he caught sight of billowing smoke in the distance, and turned off the road on to a deeply rutted track. ‘There is some form of dwelling just up ahead, possibly a farm. With any luck there might be a village nearby. I’ll have a scout around and see what I can find.’
Just for a second she thought she glimpsed a flicker of unease in his expression, before he handed her the reins and then jumped to the ground. ‘Can you by any chance handle firearms, Miss O’Malley?’
‘Yes, Major, I can,’ she assured him. ‘My father taught me, though not since I lived with my grandfather have I used one.’
Even in the rapidly fading light she could easily detect the glint of amusement in his eyes, and what might have been a hint of respect too. ‘In that case I shall leave this in your care,’ he announced, delving into the pocket of his cloak and drawing out a pistol. ‘Do not hesitate to use it if you feel at all threatened.’ There was a flash of white teeth. ‘But I would be grateful if you do not mistake me for one of our pursuers. I shall give a low whistle to announce my return, just to be on the safe side.’
It was as much as Katherine could do to suppress an angry retort, and yet the instant he disappeared from view she experienced fear for the very first time since setting out on what she was now beginning to view as a madcap venture. Given the choice, she might not have wished Major Daniel Ross to have been designated her protector. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he would continue to irk her unbearably during the days ahead. Yet she was forced to own that she experienced a most comfortable feeling of security when he was near, which was singularly lacking now.
She shivered and drew the rug that the Major had had the forethought to supply more closely about her legs. She was already feeling the loss of warmth which that large, muscular frame so close to her own had provided throughout what had been a mercifully