touch.
It never came.
The spell was broken as the door burst open and Perkins’s aggrieved voice preceded him into the hut.
‘Dang me but I couldn’t find it, m’lady. Looked everywhere for that danged package but it’d gone, and nothing in its place! I think it—what the devil!’
The groom pulled up in the doorway, his eyes popping. As he looked around for some sort of weapon Jack eased himself away from Eloise and waved the pistol.
‘Perkins, isn’t it? I beg you will not try to overpower me again,’ he said pleasantly. ‘You would not succeed, you know.’
Eloise struggled to her feet.
‘I did not untie him,’ she said, feeling the groom’s accusing eyes upon her. ‘But he is not our villain. The fact that the package is gone confirms it.’
‘He might have an accomplice,’ said Perkins, unconvinced.
‘Believe me, I mean your mistress no harm,’ said Jack, standing up and dropping the pistol back into his pocket. ‘I want to help, but to do that I need to know just what is going on.’
He drew out his handkerchief and pressed it cautiously to the back of his head. Eloise saw the dark stain as he took it away again. She said quickly, ‘Yes, but not now. First we must clean up that wound.’
‘My man will do that for me when I get back to town.’
‘Then let us waste no more time.’
She clutched at his sleeve and led him outside, leaving Perkins to put out the lamp and shut the door.
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