“Heading toward Sleaford, most likely,” Dickie added.
Mrs. Milford’s eyes widened. “Why, yes, indeed. I remember seeing him. Well, the horse is what I took note of. Hard not to, he was so large. I swear the beast turned his head and watched me as I drove past.”
Addie could well imagine. “He is a very curious horse.”
“He was stolen from the Grange,” Dickie explained, “and we’re trying to track him.”
Before Mrs. Milford could comment on that, Addie, unable to keep the excitement from her face or voice, asked, “Where did you see them?”
Mrs. Milford blinked, then replied, “As Mr. Sommerville said, it was on the Sleaford road, between here and the Ancaster turnoff.”
Addie’s shoulders slumped. That was only a short distance farther on. But… She frowned. “By my reckoning, you would have had to leave the market early to get almost home before you passed them.” She fixed Mrs. Milford with a hopeful look. “Are you sure it wasn’t closer to Sleaford that you saw them? Perhaps the other side of the Ancaster turnoff?”
Mrs. Milford smiled. “You’re right, of course.”
Addie’s heart leapt.
“I did leave the market early. There was a rush on my produce, and everything went in just a few hours. So I had a bite of lunch at the inn and headed home. That’s why I was on the last stretch when I passed them—the rider and the horse.”
With her hopes plummeting back to earth, Addie summoned a weak smile. “Thank you. That’s got us a little farther.” Sadly, only a few hundred yards.
Behind Addie, Nicholas shifted, drawing Mrs. Milford’s gaze. “Did you get a good look at the rider?” he asked.
Mrs. Milford shook her head. “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t really focus on the rider. He had his head down, almost to his chest, as I recall.”
Nicholas nodded and tendered his thanks, as did Dickie.
The three of them took their leave and walked back up the long garden, around the cottage, and out to the lane.
“Anything?” Rory asked hopefully.
Addie left it to Dickie to relay the information. She went straight to Nickleby’s side, and Nicholas followed to lift her up to her saddle. His hands closed about her waist, and he hoisted her up. She nodded her thanks, and he released her and turned to accept his reins from Young Gillies, leaving Addie to ponder why it was that, rather than sending her nerves leaping and skittering as had happened previously, the simple contact somehow reassured and, in some strange way, comforted her.
With a mental “Huh,” she wheeled Nickleby and set off down the lane to the Sleaford road.
Sadly, even though they called at every farm and cottage along the way, Mrs. Milford’s sighting proved to be the last before they reached the lane to Ancaster. The lane led north to Ancaster village and continued on to Byards Leap, which was on a larger east-west road, but before that, there were numerous smaller lanes leading in various directions.
Luckily, there were a lot more cottages along the lane leading to Ancaster as well as in the village itself.
They split up into three groups—Nicholas and Addie, Dickie and Young Gillies, and Rory, Sally, Jed, and Mike—and went door-to-door, searching for anyone who had seen The Barbarian. Addie even led Nicholas to the door of Ancaster Hall, but although the squire had attended the market in Sleaford, he hadn’t returned until late and hadn’t seen rider or horse.
Unfortunately, the news that a valuable horse had been stolen from Aisby Grange meant that it took more than half an hour for Addie to satisfy the squire’s curiosity and politely extricate herself and Nicholas.
By the time they caught up with the others, who, predictably, had paused outside the village inn, it was nearly midday.
“Nothing,” Dickie reported as she and Nicholas rode up. “Quite a few were at the market in Sleaford, but they all stayed for a meal and came back latish and didn’t pass thief or horse on the road.”
Rory added, “We also asked everyone whether they’d seen the rider and horse going north up this way, and no one did, but none could say that the thief didn’t slip past them, either.”
Dickie tipped his head toward the inn. “Why don’t we get a bite to eat and ask Gallagher, the publican, and anyone else who’s there if they spotted The Barbarian?”
Nicholas nodded. “An excellent idea.”
They dismounted and led their horses around the side of the building into the yard where two young lads leapt to their feet, eyes growing wide at the quality of horses they were to care for. Young Gillies and Rory dallied to ensure the horses behaved, while the others headed into the inn.
Gallagher recognized Addie and Dickie and readily listened to their tale and their questions, but ultimately, shook his head. “I didn’t see any such horse meself, and more to the point, I haven’t heard anyone else who’s come in here mention seeing the beast, either.” He made a wry face at Addie and Dickie. “And you know what people ’round here are like. They would’ve noticed a horse like that and been eager to share what they saw over a pint.”
Addie managed a weak smile and thanked Gallagher, while Dickie asked if he minded them questioning those currently in the taproom anyway.
