Page 16 of Road Trip With a Rogue
“I’m not giving up,” she growled. “Violet and Peregrine are pampered aristocrats. Neither of them will be used to traveling hard. It takes three full days to get to Gretna, and even if they don’t stop for food, it’s highly unlikely they’ll decide to spend all three nights in the carriage.”
Vaughan brushed a speck of mud from his coat. “Even if theydostop, there’s not much chance of you just happening upon them.”
She nodded in reluctant agreement. “And asking after them at every inn will only waste more time. But if I head straight for Gretna, I might still arrive before them.”
She looked over at him and debated the wisdom of what she was about to do. “How far north are you going, exactly?”
His dark eyes flicked to hers, and she thought she saw a glimmer of interest in their depths. “My country estate, Carisbrooke Hall, is in Yorkshire, up past Harrogate and Leeds.”
“That’s almost Scotland.”
“It is indeed. I hope you’re not suggesting that I let you accompany me—alone and unchaperoned—all the way there.” Her spirits dropped, until she saw the teasing glintin his gaze. “Because that would bescandalous, Miss Hamilton. What if someone were to see us together?”
She indicated her outfit. Her knees and elbows were stained with mud and grass. “Anyone who sees me will assume I’m your stable lad, or a postillion. And when we stop at an inn, I’ll stay out of sight. You can get a room, and I’ll sleep here, in the carriage.”
He was already shaking his head. “You will not. God knows what kind of trouble you’d manage to find.”
“I’d offer to split the reward money with you,” she winced inwardly at the very thought, “but you’ve already said you’re not interested in funds.”
“That’s true. So what else are you offering as an incentive? Because as you well know, I’m not likely to help you out of the goodness of my heart.”
“I can entertain you,” she said, trying to sound enthusiastic. “Traveling on your own is incredibly boring. You expected to have Finch in here with you for the journey, but now he’s having to drive, so you’ll be starved of decent conversation.”
“I’d hardly call Finch an excellent conversationalist,” he drawled. “Unless it’s on the topic of the French, or boxing.”
“Well, then, I’m already ahead. I’ll talk about any subject you like.”
His lips twitched and she had the sinking feeling she was falling into a trap of her own making.
“Really? Any subject?”
She had to catch the runaways, and this was her best option. If it meant making a pact with the devil himself, she’d do it.
Daisy forced a smile. “Of course. I can’t guarantee that I’ll know about every topic, but I’ll certainly try to engage.”
Vaughan looked at her for a long moment and her heart began to pound.
“Very well.”
She bit back a little smile of relief. “Excellent.”
Oh, God, what had she done?
Chapter Eight
They stopped for breakfast at Stevenage. Daisy got out to stretch her legs and to check on Hero, who was still tied behind the carriage.
“I need to arrange for her to be ridden back to London,” she said when Vaughan joined her. “We can’t travel fast with her trotting behind, and there’s no point in tiring her out for no reason.”
She’d debated whether it was wise to remove a possible avenue of escape if Vaughan proved to be an impossible companion, but she could always hire another horse to ride if necessary, and she couldn’t risk injuring Hero by pushing her too hard.
She removed the saddlebags, which held her coin purse, spare powder, and shot for her pistol, and stowed them in the carriage.
Vaughan nodded. “I’ll do it.”
“Thank you. I’ll pay, of course.”
He waved away her offer with a frown, as if the mere suggestion was insulting, and stalked into the inn with Finch close behind him.