She sat, and as he sat beside her and closed the carriage door and Gunter started the horses clopping, she realized that, despite the inevitable ruffling of her senses, she no longer felt any need to keep her guard up against Toby.
She found the change curious, but then, in managing the children, guiding them and guarding them on this journey to safety, he and she were working increasingly closely together.
Working together in such an endeavor necessitated and doubtless built trust.
She was coming to trust him in a way she’d trusted no one but her father.
Hmm.
As the carriage rolled on into a pleasantly warm afternoon and the inevitable musical exploration commenced, she mentally shut her ears and seized the moment to focus on herself.
What am I doing? Where am I going? What do I want to do with my life?
In the immediate aftermath of her father’s death, those questions had demanded answers, yet instead of confronting them, she’d thrust them aside and, instead, had thrown herself into caring for Adrian and the children.
That, she acknowledged, had been easier than facing such existential issues.
Yet she did need to think of her future. Her problem was that she’d never thought much about it before, had never formulated any vision of what she might do once her father had passed.
Now…
Now, she had time to think, to ponder. To look inside and try to work out what she most wanted of life.
And to see how that might fit with where she was heading. Or more specifically, where she might find herself at the end of this strange and in-so-many-ways-unexpected journey.
* * *
Toby felta modicum of relief when, less than an hour after they left Villach, the coach rolled over the border and into Italy.
There was no fanfare or guard post to mark the spot, just a border stone, which rapidly fell behind.
Soon, he spotted a signpost confirming they were on the road to Udine.
He studied the children. Currently, the trio were on the seat opposite, Evelyn having decided to crawl into Helga’s lap to nap. All three, and Helga, too, had their eyes closed, and their limbs were relaxed in sleep.
They’d been surprisingly considerate in testing their instruments as quietly as they could, but then their full stomachs had caught up with them, and the repetitive clop of the horses’ hooves had lulled them into slumber.
A good thing, too, given the road ahead.
From the other end of the bench seat, with her elbow on the windowsill and her chin propped on her fist, Diana glanced at him, then murmured, “I take it you hope any pursuers will think we’ve headed to Salzburg?”
“We can but hope.” His gaze rested on Roland’s dark head, and he smiled. “That was an excellent piece of false-trail laying that Roland pulled off, the sort that might well bear fruit.”
“Because it was a child who supplied the information?”
He nodded. “Children are almost universally believed, and it’s possible that if questioned about strangers, the stallholders will mention the boy who was on his way to Salzburg to listen to music. He made himself memorable, and in this instance, that might be to our advantage. At the very least, I’m hoping the tale will create confusion, not only about whether you and I were a part of the family seen in the market but also about which road we’ve taken. With luck, having to check the latter will slow any pursuers and buy us time to reach Udine, get on the next train, and be on our way.”
She nodded her understanding.
Toby looked out of the window again. They were traveling west along a valley running parallel to a mountain range to the south.
Soon, the road veered southward, and they started up the winding way that led to a mountain pass.
He was grateful that the children remained asleep and thus were unaffected by the constant rocking as the coach tacked back and forth around increasingly tight bends. Although a seasoned traveler, he was nevertheless grateful when they reached the top of the pass and the carriage started to descend to the lower slopes and foothills, making for the river valley below.
Diana straightened and looked rather more intently out of the window.
He watched her.
