The Fleeing Heiress: A funny flight into love. (12 page)

“I have had time to reflect and I believe—I hope—the
course I have decided upon will at least partially salvage my
reputation.”

Thea glanced over her shoulder, curious to see the effect of her words. She saw that Lord Cardiff was regarding her with a suddenly intent expression. Her smile flickered. “You
must see now, my lord, why it is that I must resist the temp
tation of your offer. I could not in all honor accept it.”

Cardiff acknowledged that he understood her meaning with a brief bow. “Pray continue, Miss Stafford.”

Thea turned fully to face her companion, leaning back
against the heavy chair, letting herself feel the support of the chair behind her. “I have decided to seek sanctuary with my
great-aunt, Mrs. Partridge.”

“Are you certain this is what you wish, Miss Stafford?
From all that Thomas related, the situation with the lady would not be an ideal one for you,” said Cardiff, recalling
his former misgivings regarding the lady in question. “You would be placing yourself in virtual exile with only an ec
centric and her cats for company.”

“I am resolute, my lord. Everything you have said is true, but I feel this to be the best solution for me at present,” said
Thea.

“It is your intention to appeal to your great-aunt to give
you permanent place in her home?” asked Cardiff, his brows
pulling into a frown. His penetrating eyes did not waver
from her face.

“Not precisely, my lord. It is my intent to go to my aunt
at once and throw myself on her mercy. I expect that in several months, I may most likely be able to return to my own
home without experiencing too much censure,” said Thea,
hoping that it was true. She swallowed an obstruction in her throat that made it difficult for her to continue. “So you see,
you need not wed me after all.”

She was conscious of a stab of something very like dis
appointment as she said the words, but she knew that she
had to give Lord Cardiff this opportunity to free himself of
all entanglement with her. It was only fair to him, and to her, she told herself. Her pulse beat heavily at the juncture of her
neck and breastbone and she knew it was because of her
inner agitation. She did not allow anything of her mixed feelings show in her face, but instead met Lord Cardiff’s
somewhat incredulous gaze with a semblance of calm.

She saw that Lord Cardiff was still looking perturbed and
added, “I have found out from the chambermaid that there
will be a mailcoach leaving at midnight tonight. That is how
I hope to go to my aunt. She resides not far from here. That
is where I was going when I boarded the stagecoach. It—it
is also my hope that you will misdirect my brothers in the
morning when they discover me to be gone.”

“I am sorry, Miss Stafford, but I cannot agree to this,”
said Cardiff with finality.

Thea’s lips parted with her amazement. She stared for a
second at Lord Cardiff, exclaiming, “Why, how very un
handsome of you, my lord!”

Knowing something of his lordship’s character, she had
been fairly confident of his agreement to help her in this last
small way. It dismayed her that Lord Cardiff had thrown up
a roadblock when she was in a fair way to working herself free of the snare that had entrapped her.

“You misunderstand me, Miss Stafford,” began Cardiff, throwing up his open palm. “It is not that I am unwilling to
help you. Quite the contrary!”

Thea was quick to realize that his lordship had his own
reasons for not wishing to act as her decoy. Deeply ashamed,
she put out a conciliatory hand towards him quickly. “For
give me, my lord! I did not properly reflect. I ask too much
of you, of course. You will wish to shake my brothers off as much or perhaps even more than I do myself. You will be
leaving as soon as possible, naturally.”

Cardiff laughed. The glint of a twinkle had returned to his
blue eyes. “It is true, I have some notion of doing just that.
However, I perceive now that I must revise my plans in one
small detail. Miss Stafford, I propose to escort you to your
aunt’s home.”

Thea almost recoiled with dismay. “My lord! No, I shall
not allow you to do so. You have been put to such trouble al
ready because of me.”

Cardiff smiled at her and continued as though she had not
spoken. “We must persuade your chambermaid to accompany us, of course, so that you will be properly chaperoned.
It will not do to give your aunt a false impression upon first
meeting you.”

Thea stared at Lord Cardiff. A myriad of emotions
coursed through her. She felt a giddy sense of relief that he
did not intend to abandon her. It would not have been won
derful if he had waved a polite good-bye and thought him
self well rid of her. Apparently, however, that was not Lord Cardiff’s way. She was grateful and warmed by his steadfast
gallantry. However, guilt threatened to overwhelm her at her
utter selfishness. How could she accept his continued pro
tection? He bore no real responsibility for her at all.

Thea squared her shoulders and spoke resolutely. “My
lord, I am eternally grateful to you for the trouble you have
put yourself to on my behalf. Pray do not think I am not! But
truly, you have done enough for me. I really cannot trespass
on your good nature any longer.”

Cardiff grinned. There was devilment in the gleam in his
eyes. He knew how to persuade her to accept his escort, at
least. As for the rest, he was always ready to make the most
of what opportunity offered. “Miss Stafford, you mistake.
When I help you to arrive safely at your aunt’s home, I shall also be extricating myself from a very tight spot. How much
dependence would you place upon your father or your
brothers not hunting me down and demanding that I redeem
your besmirched honor?”

“Oh, yes. I quite see,” faltered Thea. She cleared her
throat. “I had nearly forgotten. Our nuptials. In that case, my
lord, I accept your most kind offer of escort. We neither of us actually wishes to wed the other, do we?”

Cardiff’s expression became pensive and there was a
faintly rueful note in his voice. “We did establish agreement
on that at the very first, I believe.”

“Yes, indeed,” said Thea. She drew in a steadying breath.

For some obscure reason, she felt as though she was about
to burst into tears. “I shall naturally try to persuade the
chambermaid to come with me. What shall I do if she refuses to accompany us?”

“Perhaps the request would be better coming from me,
Miss Stafford. I suspect my purse is a bit deeper than your own,” said Cardiff dryly. “The promise of a reward at jour
ney’s end may prove to be just the incentive we shall need,
you know.”

“Very well, my lord. I shall leave the matter in your ca
pable hands,” said Thea. She was beginning to feel curiosity
over what he had it in mind to do. She studied his lean face.
“How do you propose that we escape my brothers, my
lord?”

“I have a plan, which I trust will do the trick. I have the recipe for a very potent hot punch. I hope to get your broth
ers roaring drunk, Miss Stafford, so that they will sleep very
heavily and very long,” said Cardiff, the flicker of a grin
crossing his face.

“Most reprehensible, my lord. I wish you every success,”
said Thea dryly.

Cardiff chuckled. “Regardless of the outcome, however,
see that you and the chambermaid are at the stable at sun
rise. I have already made arrangements with my servants to
have my carriage waiting at that time,” he said.

“You are a much better conspirator than Mr. Quarles,” observed Thea, marveling at him. He seemed to be one step
ahead of her on all points.

“So I should hope,” said Cardiff with a laugh.

She capitulated on the instant. She had every reason in
the world to trust his lordship to see to her welfare. “Very well, then. I place my fate entirely in your hands, my lord.
What do you wish me to do now?”

“Shortly I shall send down for your brothers to rejoin me
and you will be able to withdraw for the night. There is noth
ing more you will be required to do other than what I have
already told you, except to send the chambermaid to me be
fore your brothers return,” said Cardiff.

Thea nodded. “I will call the girl now, on the pretext of
wishing her to accompany me back to my room and help me
undress for the night.” She went over to pull on the bell
rope.

“Good; then we are agreed on our course,” said Cardiff.

Thea looked over her shoulder at him. She felt a peculiar sensation in the pit of her stomach. “Yes, indeed, my lord.
Quite agreed.”

Nothing could have been smoother than Lord Cardiff’s handling of the chambermaid. Thea listened while he spun
the little tale of an urgent trip that had to be made. He never
truly aired an explanation of the details, but his confident
manner and, of course, the coins he gave the chambermaid, with the promise of more, were all that was needed. The
chambermaid agreed to waken Miss Stafford at the ap
pointed hour, and Thea retired for the night.

From inside her bedchamber she heard her brothers walk
past her door, their quiet voices punctuated by a laugh from
one of them. Thea knew when they entered the parlor where
Lord Cardiff was waiting for them because she heard a door
open and close and the hall was quiet again.

Thea got into bed wondering whether Lord Cardiff’s hot
punch would actually have the effect that his lordship
seemed to think it would. She hoped so because otherwise
she feared that Lord Cardiff would have to fight his way out
of the inn in the morning.

The chambermaid snuffed out the candle and bade Thea a good night. There were only the red flames of the dying
fire to silhouette the furniture. The flickering light also
touched Thea’s face as she stared across the room at the
burning log.

She did not think she would sleep at all. She felt herself
to be too anxious. Eventually, however, she sighed and her eyes slowly closed.

* * * *

Surprisingly enough, Thea slept deeply and dreamlessly.
She wakened only when the chambermaid shook her awake. Thea got up at once, instantly alert. Through the window she
could see the fingering rays of the sun just touching the
clouded sky. She dressed hurriedly, with the chambermaid’s
help, in the blue merino walking dress. Her portmanteau had
been packed with her meager belongings the night before
and she picked it up.

Enveloped in her cloak and carrying her portmanteau,
Thea left the bedchamber and stole down the dark hallway.
She slipped carefully down the dim stairs and out of the inn. The chambermaid followed, clutching a shawl that had been
tied in a bundle around her own belongings.

When Thea emerged from the inn into the deserted yard,
she immediately saw Lord Cardiff’s carriage standing in
front of the stable and hurried towards it, the portmanteau bumping against her knee. The groom stood at the horses’ heads. One of the horses snorted, blowing white vapor into
the air. The stocky coachman paced restlessly back and forth
beside the waiting equipage.

At the sound of her hurried footfalls, the coachman
turned. Shadowed amazement crossed his wide face. “Miss!
Wot are ye doing here?”

Thea ignored the coachman’s question. “Yes, it is I,” she said breathlessly. “Pray stow away my portmanteau and my
maid’s things.”

The coachman mechanically took the baggage that she
held out to him, but he did not move off and his gaze did not
falter. “Wot are ye doing here, miss?” he repeated.

Thea realized with a sinking feeling that Lord Cardiff had
not attended to every detail of the escape, after all. “My
maid and I are going with you. Lord Cardiff is escorting me
to my great-aunt’s home.”

The groom muttered something under his breath, which
Thea chose to ignore. “Pray open the door and put down the
step for me and my maid.”

The coachman merely stared at her, his heavy brows set
tling over his crooked nose in a gathering frown. “I have heard nothing of this, miss.”

“Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth,” said Thea ur
gently. “Pray do as I say and let us into the carriage. It is
very cold standing here!”

The coachman shook his head. “I’m that sorry, miss, but
I must ‘ave a word with m’lord.”

The impasse might have deteriorated further if Lord
Cardiff himself had not come out of the inn. His lithe stride
carried him swiftly across the yard.

“M’lord!” The coachman greeted Lord Cardiff’s appear
ance with relief. “M’lord, here is miss and –”

“Excellent. We will be able to leave in good time. I will
help Miss Stafford and her maid up into the carriage,” said
Cardiff crisply. The coachman nodded and meekly went
away to stow the portmanteau and the shawl bundle in the boot. Cardiff addressed his groom. “Mathers, is there a de
cent riding horse in the stable?”

“Aye, m’lord.”

“Then saddle it for me. I spoke to the innkeeper a moment ago to pay my bill and told him that I might take a
horse.” Cardiff did not wait to see his groom run into the
gloom of the stable, but immediately turned to Miss
Stafford. His voice still low, he said, “You must be heartily
sick of the sight of my carriage by now, ma’am, but pray allow me to hand you up into it for one last time.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

With Lord Cardiff’s steady hand under her elbow, Thea ascended the iron step quickly into the carriage. Her maid
followed her and without a word took the seat with her back
against the horses.

As Lord Cardiff started to shut the door, Thea delayed him for a moment. “Wait! My brothers, my lord?”

Cardiff gave a soft laugh. “They are snoring safely in
their beds, Miss Stafford. I doubt they will wake until the
waiter comes up with breakfast.”

One of her most pressing anxieties thus relieved, Thea
smiled at Lord Cardiff and sat back against the well-
upholstered seat squabs. Her brothers had not been harmed, and Lord Cardiff had not had to resort to any heavy-handed
tactics in effecting their escape.

The door was shut and latched. A minute later the car
riage gave a jerk and started away. Through the glass window as the sun slowly rose, Thea caught glimpses of Lord
Cardiff on his horse. He rode easily, his posture upright but
perfectly comfortable in the saddle.

“M’lord is a handsome one,” remarked the chambermaid.

“Yes,” agreed Thea, not taking her eyes off Lord Cardiff.
She was disappointed when he spurred ahead and she
couldn’t see him any longer.