‘He saw it as his duty to follow your brother’s instructions.’
‘But to let you take his place,’ Wolf exclaimed wrathfully. ‘Of all the cowardly—’
‘Not at all. It was perfectly sensible that I should do so. I learned to ride astride as a child. You must admit I have not held you back.’
‘I will admit nothing.’
He sounded so much like a sulky schoolboy that Grace laughed and was immediately shocked at her reaction. There was nothing amusing about their situation. It was perilous. Wolf’s life was at stake, to say nothing of her reputation. Her amusement argued a most unfeminine lack of sensibility. Not what gentlemen wanted at all, she thought bleakly. Gentlemen liked weak, decorative females whom they could cherish and protect, not practical women with their own opinions. Years running her father’s household had taught Grace to be strong and resourceful, and much as she enjoyed the romances that graced her father’s library shelves she knew she was not suited to be one of those heroines who quailed in the face of adversity and turned to a hero to rescue her from danger. She was a practical female and there was nothing she could do about it. Thankfully, Loftus had not shown any romantic inclinations. Theirs would be a practical marriage and the most she expected from it was that her life would be useful.
Useful and dull.
‘Where is Kennet now?’
Wolf’s voice brought Grace back to the present.
‘He is taking your things to Arrandale.’
He leaned closer and said menacingly, ‘And just how, madam, did you discover he could not ride?’
Grace folded her hands in her lap.
‘From my maid,’ she said calmly. ‘Kennet was in the habit of talking to her while she waited for me outside the prison each day. She quizzed him today because he was looking so unhappy and he confessed he had not been on a horse more than a dozen times in his life, but he was determined to do his duty. I, however, thought that might wreck everything, so we drove to New Cross and I persuaded him to give up his place to me.’
‘No doubt you carry a set of boy’s clothes with you, for just such an eventuality.’
His sarcasm made her smile.
‘We were fortunate that it is market day. Janet purchased them for me.’
‘And then Kennet and your maid left you alone to carry out this hare-brained scheme.’
‘They were neither of them happy about it, but they could see it was for the best. I wrote a note for my aunt, telling her to send Janet and all my luggage on to the vicarage tomorrow and I will go there directly. No one will know I did not arrive by coach.’
‘Unless we are caught.’
‘Then we must make sure that does not happen.’
Her cool response shook a laugh from him. He reached for her hand and raised it to his lips.
‘I begin to think you will be wasted as the wife of a magistrate.’
Grace pulled her hand away. His words stung her cruelly. Wolf did not want her so why should he mock her for her choice? And if Loftus discovered what she had done she doubted he would marry her. She would live out her days as her father’s housekeeper. The choices were stark and neither of them appealing. The future stretched ahead of her, as dark and depressing as the river flowing silently around them.
Wolf rose. ‘We are nearing the bank. Let us get to the horses.’
* * *
They disembarked into an eerie, midnight world. Not a light showed in any of the buildings as they cantered through the deserted streets, heading northwards and guided by the stars. Grace had been warned that the land was marshy on this side of the river and they would need to keep to the roads, but eventually they left the flat plains behind and found themselves hedged about by woodland. Grace hesitated, not sure of her direction.
‘I had friends in this area as a boy,’ said Wolf. ‘We can ride cross-country and pick up the Newmarket road at Epping. I know the way.’
‘Thank you.’ Grace yawned and rubbed a hand across her eyes.
‘You are exhausted. We must find somewhere to rest.’ She tried to protest, but he cut her short, saying brutally, ‘You are no good to me if you are too fatigued to ride hard. If my memory serves we shall soon reach the Colchester road. Let us cross that and we will find somewhere in the forest to sleep.’
Grace nodded, too tired to speak. They set off again. It took all her concentration to follow Wolf and keep her horse from stumbling on the uneven ground. Clouds scudded across the sky, hiding the moon and plunging them into an even darker night. Wolf rode without pause and Grace marvelled at his ability to find his way unerringly along the most twisting lane, heading ever northwards. They crossed a broad highway and plunged again into thick forest. Grace was nearly dropping with fatigue by the time they reached a small clearing and Wolf announced they would stop for the night.
Grace wrapped herself in her cloak and sank down against a convenient tree, apologising that she had not thought to include any food for their journey.
