“It can’t be as bad as all that,” Joshua said. “I don’t like high society any better than you apparently do, but Grey seems to listen to Beatrice, and that’s impressive, considering that Beatrice is the most impudent woman I’ve ever met.”
“More impudent than I?” Gwyn asked, looking expectantly at him.
Bloody hell. “I . . . er . . . believe it would be wise of me to refrain from comparing the two of you. I can imagine no situation in which my answer would please you. And though you may not know how to shoot, that pin sticking out of your hat looks downright lethal.”
Just as he’d hoped, that made her laugh. “Why, Joshua, you can be almost charming when you please.”
“Don’t get used to it. According to my sister, I only manage that feat once a month or so.”
“Surely it’s at least twice a month,” she said with a grin.
But he’d stopped listening. “Does that fellow ahead of us look suspicious to you?”
“What fellow?”
“Don’t glance around.” He covered her hand with his. “We’re going to stroll past the carriage house now. Look up at me and talk.”
“About what?”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t think he can hear us. I just need an excuse to stare in your general direction while we walk past so I can see what this chap is doing inside.”
She gazed up at him. “Don’t you think you’re being a bit overly suspicious? Perhaps you’re still reacting to what happened earlier.”
“No. The fellow entering the carriage house isn’t wearing the inn’s livery, and if hewereon the staff of the inn, he would be scurrying to help change the horses on that coach that just pulled through the archway. What’s more, before he went into the carriage house, he surveyed the area to see if the ostler or the grooms were watching.”
“I . . . I hadn’t noticed any of that.”
“It’s a hazard of being a Royal Marine. I notice everything.”
“Didhenoticeus?”
“No. He was looking down toward the archway and not up the road to where we were. He was too busy checking to make sure no one hired by the inn was around to see.” He smiled at her even as his eyes were scanning the inside of the carriage house. “Now laugh, if you can make it sound natural.”
“Tell me a joke, and I will.”
“Your hat is on backward,” he said.
She laughed. “It is not. And that isn’t a joke.”
“It got you to laugh, didn’t it?” He glanced behind her, but with no lanterns yet lit inside the carriage house, it was too dim to see much. “You should go into the inn proper and join your family while I get a better look at what that fellow is doing inside.”
“Not on your life,” she said. “Besides, two sets of eyes are better than one.”
“True. Except that I will have to follow him once he comes out.”
“Why?”
“I’ll need to determine who his master is.”
“All right.” But she looked confused by why he was so intent on figuring out who the chap was.
He understood that. It was merely a gut instinct that told him this fellow wasn’t to be trusted. But he’d learned in battle never to question such instincts.
After they had fully passed the carriage house, he tugged her over to the side of the entrance and looked around the edge. Fortunately, Thornstock’s carriage had been the last one in, so it was close by. Unfortunately, while Joshua could tell that the suspicious fellow was altering something on the equipage, Joshua couldn’t see exactly what he was doing. He’d have to return later and examine the coach thoroughly, after he’d followed the fellow.
Suddenly, the chap hurried toward the entrance. Damn, he was coming out rightnow.There was nowhere to hide and not enough time to run, even if Joshua could. In seconds, the fellow would see them and wonder why they were lingering so close to the carriage house when they’d sauntered past several minutes before.
Joshua looked down at her, his mind racing. Then he did the only thing that would both hide their faces and make it believable that they were still close by. “Play along,” he murmured.
