‘No one sent me to steal it,’ she said indignantly. ‘I would never do such a thing!’ She blushed as she met his mocking stare. ‘Well, only if I was terribly hungry, which I was—and I didn’t know what it was!’
‘No, I am certain you did not,’ Richard said and laughed softly in his throat. She was magnificent when she was angry! Despite his determination to stay aloof, she was gradually worming her way under his defences. ‘Do not look so outraged, Georgie. I have acquitted you of all malice. You only stole from me because you were hungry, so naturally that makes you blameless.’
‘Oh…’ She threw him a wrathful glare. ‘Well, if you had ever been as hungry as I was, you might have done the same!’
‘I have been and I did—when in Spain with the army,’ he said. ‘Forgive me. I could not resist teasing you. You are very pretty when you are angry, you know.’
‘Please do not!’ Georgie said. His smile was teasing but she knew he must think her a ridiculous scamp. ‘I know I must look awful, not at all respectable.’
‘Well, there is that,’ he agreed, a sparkle in the depths of his teasing eyes. ‘But I must say that I find your disguise rather attractive—though of course I deplore the behaviour that brought you to this masquerade.’
Georgie understood that he was teasing her. She had finished eating her bread and ham and got up, walking out into the yard with dignity. He deserved that she should ignore him for the rest of the journey!
Georgie’s spurt of temper lasted for the first mile or so, by which time she had realised that it merely made her seem childish, for he was determined to be a charming companion. He had allowed his young groom to drive and sat with her in a more comfortable seat.
‘Well, I suppose it does no good to fall out with you,’ she announced as they passed a pretty village. ‘I have to thank you for making it possible for me to complete my journey. Had we not met, I might have suffered a worse fate than to be teased.’
‘Very nicely said,’ Richard observed with a faint smile. ‘I was wondering when you would remember your society manners, for I dare say you were brought up to behave with decorum.’
‘Certainly I was,’ Georgie replied. ‘Mama would have been shocked if she knew what I had done these past days—though I believe she would understand I had no choice. My father would have thrashed my uncle, but of course had either of them been still living it could not have happened.’
‘Have you thought about your future?’ Richard inquired for all the world as if he were an uncle and they out for an afternoon drive. ‘You spoke of setting up your own establishment if your aunt did not wish for your company, but you are a little young for that, are you not?’
‘Yes, perhaps,’ she agreed. ‘But I dare say I might hire a respectable companion to keep me company. If I had no relations, I must have done so anyway.’
Richard nodded. He was thoughtful as he watched her, wondering how he could ever for a moment have been deceived into thinking her a youth. She was extremely pretty even dressed as she was; indeed, there was something fascinating about a young woman in a boy’s clothing, and he had to castigate himself severely for thinking that had she not been so well born he might have made her his mistress.
What was he thinking! It was a rogue thought and one he hastily dismissed, even though she was wholly enticing, especially when she got on her high horse. There had been moments when he had been tempted to kiss her simply to see her reaction, but each time he had crushed the unworthy impulse. No matter what she had done, she was a young lady of good birth and fortune and as such deserved his protection. He had no right to be imagining what she might look like without those ridiculous clothes—or what her hair would smell like as it lay spread on the pillow beside him!
‘Do you think anyone would consent to be my companion?’ she asked a little naïvely, looking uncertain. ‘Perhaps my great-aunt will be pleased to have me and I shan’t need one.’
‘Yes, we must hope so,’ he replied. ‘I should imagine any number of ladies would be happy to come and live at your expense, Georgie—but you must be careful that you choose the right one.’
‘Yes…’ She looked doubtful. ‘Do you think—?’
Before she could continue a shot rang out. She ducked forward as she felt the air rush past her cheek and realised that it had almost hit her. The horses had taken fright and the young groom was having difficulty in holding them. She controlled her little squeal of fright as she saw Richard move swiftly to the driving box and grab the reins from the hands of his valiant groom.
It took only a few minutes before he had managed to slow their pace to something more manageable, though he did not immediately bring them to a halt. She realised that he was putting some distance between them and whoever had shot at them, and when she heard two more shots behind them she guessed that Henderson had arrived and was making sure that the assassin did not attempt to follow them.
It was perhaps fifteen minutes later that Richard slowed his horses to a walking pace, then gave the reins back to his groom and climbed back to sit beside her. He looked at her for a moment, his intent gaze registering that after her first fright she had taken the incident well.
‘Good girl,’ he said and picked up her cap, which had come off in their mad flight. ‘It is a pity to hide that glorious hair, but I think you should. It won’t do for you to be seen like this, you know.’
‘No,’ she agreed and blushed as he helped her to gather her long hair and tuck it back beneath the cap.
Richard smiled at her in a manner that suddenly took Georgie’s breath. Her heart was hammering so hard against her ribcage that she was relieved when Henderson rode up to them and he turned away. ‘Did you see him?’
‘He chose his spot well,’ Henderson replied. ‘He was sheltered by the trees, but his very vantage meant that he could get off only one shot, for the trees sheltered you too after you had passed. I shot at him twice as he fled and I think I may have winged him.’
‘Not dead?’ Richard asked, brows arched.
‘More’s the pity,’ Henderson growled, looking at Georgie. ‘He might have killed you, miss. A fraction either way and he would have shot you through the head.’
‘Don’t!’ Georgie shuddered. ‘Do you think he meant to hit me or Captain Hernshaw?’
‘I think it was you, miss,’ Henderson replied, his expression grim. ‘From what I saw, he couldn’t have been aiming for the captain.’
‘But why would he want to kill me?’ Georgie asked. She had imagined the shot was meant for her companion, and the idea that she had been the true target was frightening. ‘Who could want me dead? Monsieur Thierry wants to marry me. I should be of no use to him dead.’
‘No…’ Richard was thoughtful. ‘Who would inherit your fortune if you died unmarried? You have not made a will?’
‘No.’ Georgie screwed up her forehead. ‘My aunt did suggest it once, but I told her I had no intention of dying for years. I suppose my uncle is my nearest relative, though my great-aunt might also have a claim. There is no else.’ She held back a sob. ‘Surely my uncle would not try to have me killed for money?’ She had made just such a story up for Mrs Jensen, but the suggestion that it might be true was shocking.
‘He was willing to sell you into a marriage you disliked.’
‘Yes, but it was to clear a debt, and he was afraid of Raoul Thierry.’ Georgie looked at him, feeling slightly sick. ‘It might have been him—if Monsieur Thierry thinks that I can tell you something he doesn’t wish you to know.’
‘That would mean he knew who you were,’ Richard said. ‘You told