laughed softly. It was an attractive sound, his features softening as he shook his head at her. ‘Then I shall do my very best to oblige you by staying alive.’
Georgie glanced round the room she had occupied for several days now, feeling pleased that they were leaving at last. The past two days had been pleasant enough, for she had enjoyed Captain Hernshaw’s company, playing chess and cards with him in the afternoon and after dinner. She had discovered that he had a good sense of humour and took a wicked pleasure when he could beat her at either game, though she had given a good account of herself and the score was fairly even between them. She was sure that she had won fairly on the occasions when she had beaten him, for he enjoyed winning, as she did, especially when faced with a worthy opponent.
But they were leaving at last, and she knew a sense of relief, not the least of it because she had noticed Captain Hernshaw was not limping as badly as the first day he had come downstairs. She suspected that he might still have some pain, but he had said nothing of it to her and she knew that Henderson still changed his bandages regularly; she had seen the old ones brought down for burning on the kitchen fire.
As she went downstairs she saw that Captain Hernshaw was waiting. His manservant was dressed for riding, and she saw him slip a bulky pistol into the pocket of his greatcoat, which had one simple cape over the shoulders. Captain Hernshaw himself wore a coat with three capes and his waistcoat was a thing of beauty. She had not seen him dressed so finely and blinked—he was a fine figure of a man, though she still did not think him truly handsome. However, he was certainly dressed as befitted a gentleman, and, oddly, she found herself wishing that she was wearing a pretty carriage gown and bonnet rather than her youth’s clothing.
Do not be foolish, she told herself silently. He sees you as a duty, not a pleasure.
Her words were spoken only in her mind for Mrs Jensen had come to take her leave of her. ‘I wish you a safe journey and good fortune, miss,’ she said, giving her a sad, anxious look. ‘I’ve told Captain Hernshaw to look after you. You should be with your great-aunt in a day or two, Miss Georgina.’
‘Georgie,’ she said and kissed the lady’s cheek. ‘Thank you so much for looking after me, and I am sorry if I have been a trouble to you. I should like to give you a present, but I have nothing—though I shall send you something as soon as I can.’
‘There’s no need for that, miss. I don’t care what Jensen says, I don’t think you’re a bad girl and it has been a pleasure to have you.’
‘How kind you are,’ Georgie said and sniffed. She felt close to tears, but blinked them away as she felt Captain Hernshaw’s eyes on her. ‘Goodbye and thank you again.’ She nodded to Jensen as she passed, for she could see that he felt it was a good thing she was going.
‘Are you ready?’ Richard asked, giving her an odd look. ‘It won’t be long now and you’ll be with your great-aunt.’
‘Yes, thank you,’ Georgie said. She shot a shy smile at Henderson, who grinned at her and made her feel much better. ‘Are you sure you feel up to the journey, sir?’
‘I am perfectly recovered,’ Richard lied, for he still felt the pain, as he was bound to for a while yet, but no more than he could cope with at the moment. ‘Come along, then. My groom has the horses standing and I know they must be restive, for I have not driven them for a while.’
Georgie followed him out to his curricle. A young groom was holding the heads of a pair of magnificent black horses; they pawed the ground with their hooves, seemingly impatient.
‘Do you want me to drive them, sir?’ the groom asked, glancing at his master whom he knew to be just up from his sick bed. ‘They’ve got the devil in them at the moment.’
‘You can ride behind, Ned,’ Richard said, his mouth thinning with determination. ‘I’ll tell you if I need you to take over.’
‘Right you are, Captain. Just asking.’
Richard nodded. He handed Georgie into the curricle and then got up beside her, the young groom jumping up at the back. Richard’s progress was clearly hampered by the wound to his thigh, but he managed it without a wince, though Georgie saw his cheek tighten and guessed it had hurt him to do it. She wondered then if he were quite well, but decided to say nothing. His tone to the groom had been sharp and she did not wish to bring his anger down on her own head.
If he was in pain, it did not affect his handling of the superb matched pair and they were soon bowling along at a fair pace. Once or twice people walking in the street put their hand up to him, and she saw a few curious eyes turned on her, as if they were wondering who she might be. Of course they saw a young lad, not a lady, and must imagine she was Captain Hernshaw’s nephew or some such thing. She pulled her cap on tighter, making sure that it could not become dislodged by a gust of wind. She did not want any of these fashionable ladies and gentlemen realising that she was not a boy, but a young woman—especially as she had seen two ladies whom she recalled as being friends of her mother. They would think her behaviour shocking, and, she acknowledged, they would be perfectly right.
She had run away from the protection of her mother’s brother, spent two weeks living rough on the streets of London amongst thieves, prostitutes and worse, and then she had gone to the house of a gentleman she did not know, living in his house for more than a week without a proper chaperon. It was a scandalous tale and anyone hearing it without explanation would think her lost to all shame. Indeed, if it became common knowledge she would be ruined.
She would not allow any of it to weigh with her, Georgie decided. Once this journey was over she would put the memory behind her, forget she had ever met Captain Hernshaw and his servants. Yet even as she thought it she felt a pang of regret. A part of her longed to be back where she belonged, wearing pretty clothes and mixing in society, but another part of her wished that their journey might go on for much longer than two days.
* * *
In that, at least, it looked as if she might have her way, Georgie realised when they stopped later that afternoon. The journey had been delayed twice so far for Captain Hernshaw had pulled over into a quiet country lay-by about an hour after leaving the busy streets of London behind. He had given his groom the reins and sat back, allowing the youth to take over. A glance at his white face had been sufficient to tell Georgie that he had found driving more of a strain than he had imagined. After a longish stop for nuncheon at an inn, he had called a halt at just past four in the afternoon, declaring that they would stay the night at a pleasant country inn some ten miles short of the destination he had planned.
‘This is very pretty,’ she said as he gave her his hand to help her down. ‘It will not be as noisy as the posting inn you planned on using.’
‘No,’ he said, his mouth thinned and pale, as if he were holding himself on a tight rein. ‘But I cannot vouch for the beds. They do not always air them as they ought in these places.’
‘Oh, I am sure it will be quite comfortable here,’ Georgie said. ‘We must hope that they have enough rooms for us.’
‘Yes, that is a point,’ Richard said. ‘We need three, but at a pinch I could share with Henderson.’
‘Should you not find that uncomfortable?’
‘Perhaps.’ He smiled oddly. ‘But I can hardly share with you, can I? Though I might find it preferable. Ned will sleep with the horses, for he is used to it, and tells me he snores proper dreadful—his words, not mine.’
Georgie blushed
