‘You see? The fact is that, as Mr Charnage well knows, I am fleeing intolerable persecution. My only means of escape was to elope with Tony. That’s why I eloped with Mr Charnage.’
Cassian nodded sympathetically and then said, ‘What?’
‘Tell you later,’ Daizell said.
‘And I have finally managed to get out again, so we are on our way to be married—’
‘At Gretna?’
She put up her small chin. ‘At Gretna. I am terribly afraid that Sir James will have us followed and when I saw Mr Charnage, I panicked. But you will help us, won’t you?’
‘No,’ Daizell said. ‘That is, I’m not going to stand in your way, but as for helping, we’ve an urgent concern of our own.’
‘I’m hardly asking much,’ Miss Beaumont said, her expressive face flicking to a mask of big-eyed pleading. ‘Only that you don’t let anyone know that you saw us, or where we have gone.’
‘If you want to pass unnoticed, you should make yourarrivals less dramatic,’ Daizell pointed out. ‘Everyone in this inn will be talking about you for weeks. And why don’t you have a story to explain your situation?’ He waved a hand at the obviously unmarried lady travelling alone with a man.
‘Not a story. An attendant,’ Cassian said. ‘Clearly, you need—’
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Miss Beaumont said over him. ‘An attendant, on an elopement? What for, to lend me countenance? Iamgoing to get married, and if I can’t, I should rather be ruined than go back!’
This was not something Cassian could approve, even incognito, given the possible consequences. He was morally obliged to intervene. His heart sank at the thought.
The landlord came in at that moment with food for the new arrivals. Cassian seized the opportunity. ‘I shall get some fresh air while you eat. Daizell, would you accompany me?’ The landlord could stay with the couple if he cared about appearances.
Daizell swung himself upright with clear reluctance, and followed him outside. They stood together a little way from the inn, in the quiet of the country night. An owl hooted above them. It was cold compared to the rather stuffy parlour, and the clear air made Cassian’s head swim slightly, unless that was the strong ale.
‘You probably want an explanation,’ Daizell said. ‘The thing is—’
‘No, wait.’ Cassian did want an explanation, because he was consumed by curiosity, but that wasn’t the most important thing. ‘Miss Beaumont. How can we get her back to her home?’
‘What? Why would we do that?’
‘Because she’s eloping!’
‘Isn’t that her business?’
‘No,’ the Duke said. ‘It’s any decent person’s duty to intervene to prevent someone making a terrible mistake. It would be bad enough if she marries foolishly, but if she doesn’t bring it off and this escapade becomes known, what then? She’s clearly gently bred. This could ruin her.’
‘She knows that. It’s her risk.’
‘She’s too young to decide that!’
‘Twenty,’ Daizell said. ‘And surely it’s her mistake to make. Do people tell you what mistakes you can and can’t make?’
‘All the time, yes!’ Cassian was beginning to feel quite heated.
‘And you listen?’
‘I didn’t listen when I went off to – to gamble with John Martin, and he robbed me. If someone had intervened to save me from that experience, I should have been very grateful.’
‘No, you wouldn’t,’ Daizell said. ‘Because you didn’t know he was going to rob you, therefore someone intervening beforehand would, so far as you knew, have merely prevented you from a pleasant evening’s play with a friend. I doubt you’d have been happy about that, any more than Miss Beaumont would be about you taking it on yourself to predict her doom.’
‘If someone who knew he was a thief had told me so—’
‘You’d have taken their word for it? Do you always let other people pick your friends?’ Daizell demanded, sounding rather heated himself. ‘Surely you should be able to judge for yourself, rather than giving a dog a bad name and hanging him.’
‘John Martin deserved hanging! Metaphorically,’ Cassian added in fairness, since he was not an admirer of the laws.
