“Was that a jest, at a time like this?” Phoebe narrowed her eyes.
Joanna brought her thumb and forefinger together. “Just a tiny one, so I know you will smile again.”
“I might,” Phoebe replied, resisting the tug of a small smile, “after I have Ellen in this carriage, and we are far from that wicked man. And once I have unleashed a torrent of steaming fury on her, too, that will surely raise the temperature in this carriage to hellish heights, of course. She will certainly be sweating, I can promise that.”
Joanna grinned. “Wasthata jest?”
“A tiny one, for the sake of my sanity.” Phoebe allowed herself that small smile, while her insides churned on jagged waves that would make eating anything impossible when they finally stopped.
Joanna returned her gaze to her lap. “I really am sorry, Phoebe. I… did not understand before. I suppose neither of us did, and Ellen clearly still does not. We thought you just wanted to sap the excitement from our lives, that you were being unfair for unfairness’s sake, that you… needed to control everything to keep yourself distracted. I see now how wrong I was.”
“You are not wrong about everything,” Phoebe admitted. “There is a morsel of truth in that last accusation. I thought that if I just took care of you both and loved you both enough, securing promising futures for the pair of you, it would be enough to satisfy me. That I would not feel like I was missing something.”
Joanna frowned up at her sister. “Doyou feel like you are missing something?”
“I—”
The jolt of the carriage cut off the confession Phoebe had been about to make. She had figured that she might as well add misery upon misery, taking inspiration from Joanna’s words about them being stuck together in the carriage for many more hours to come. Even if Joanna was furious with her for falling in love with Daniel, it was not as if she could leave. They would have to find a way to resolve it before they reached Gretna Green.
Have we stopped so soon?
Phoebe glanced out the window, but there was nothing but rolling fields and drystone walls as far as the eye could see. Why would they be halting in the middle of nowhere?
Both women gasped in fright as the opposite door flew open. Phoebe immediately threw herself in front of Joanna, wielding her reticule as if she meant to inflict great harm with it. Indeed, it was heavy enough to leave a bruise or two if she really smacked their assailant with it.
“Daniel?” His name left Phoebe’s lips as a squeak, her heart still boxing with her ribcage.
Daniel bowed his head hurriedly. “Apologies for the intrusion.” His gaze flitted to the reticule in Phoebe’s hand. “I realize now that I likely should have announced myself first.”
Anger replaced Phoebe’s shock. “Yes, you should! I thought I was going to have to fight a highwayman who intended to rob us blind!”
“It would be fine preparation,” Joanna murmured, stifling a grin.
“This is not amusing, Joanna,” Phoebe shot back. “Goodness, Lord Westyork, what were you thinking? Indeed, why are you here?”
Daniel hesitated. “Might I speak with you outside the carriage for a moment?”
“Of course,” Joanna said, trying to slip around Phoebe.
But Daniel raised a hand. “Not you. Phoebe.”
“Oh, well, that might be more difficult,” Joanna replied, sounding somewhat disappointed as she sat back down on the squabs. “Considering this catastrophic mess we have found ourselves in, I think you are probably in second place as the person she wishes to see the least. The Baron of Harburgh has the lead position.”
Daniel furrowed his brow. “But you are on your waytoapprehend the Baron, are you not?”
“You understood her meaning,” Phoebe muttered, getting to her feet. “I shall grant you a moment of my time, but a moment only. You are delaying us.”
Daniel stepped back, offering his hand to help her down from the carriage. She did not accept it, stepping down on her own, and continuing a short way down the road until they were far enough away from the carriage that Joanna would find it hard to eavesdrop.
He followed, already looking chastened, though she had not yet said a single scolding word to him.
“What are you doing here?” Phoebe hissed, glowering at him. “I shall strangle Olivia when I see her next. She told you, did she not?”
“I forced her to,” Daniel replied quietly. “She is not the guilty party here. She did not want to tell me, but I cornered her on the path between her home and mine, and I would not allow her to leave until she told me everything. I tricked her into it, in truth. I suspected some things, I pretended I knew them already, and hoodwinked her into revealing the story. Do not blame her.”
Phoebe considered his words, unable to decide ifshewas the one being hoodwinked.
Before she could figure it out, one way or the other, Daniel continued, “I only want to help, Phoebe. Indeed, I have already ridden ahead to the White Hart Inn and come back. It is not far from here, but as I passed you on the road, I thought it might be wiser if I told you of what I had discovered before you, yourself, made it to the inn.”
