Page 26 of The Marriage Debt
‘What, then he came all over soft-hearted and told the court was all a mistake?’ the taller man scoffed.
‘No,’ Theo grinned wickedly. ‘She told him she’d go into church and tell the entire congregation, including his wife and his patron all about it – right down to the birthmark on his left buttock. He couldn’t get in front of the magistrates fast enough after that.’
‘Gawd!’ The man regarded Katherine with awe mixed with an unsubtle appreciation of her well-displayed charms. ‘Left it a bitlate, didn’t he?’
‘You could say so.’ Theo rubbed his throat cautiously. ‘Not an experience I want to repeat.’
‘Too right.’ Both men stuffed their pistols in their waistbands and held out their hands to shake Theo’s. ‘Birthmark on the parson’s bum!’ The shorter one chortled. ‘Pleased to have met you and proud to shake you by the hand, Jack Standon. I’m Will Buckley, they call me Will the Fly and this here’s Long Harry Potts.’ He leered at Katherine. ‘And if you want a change, sweetheart, you come asking for us at the White Horse.’
‘I might at that,’ she retorted, hoping her relief was not written plain across her face.
With a few more sallies at the unfortunate parson’s expense the two highwaymen mounted up and vanished into the scrubby woodland that fringed the road.
‘Jenny, John – are you all right?’
‘I’ve got a hole through my hat,’ John grumbled, wriggling a finger through the crown. ‘Still, a miss is as good as a mile. Bloody quick thinking, sir,’ he added. ‘I thought we were going to lose every farthing we’d got left.’
‘Oh, Theo!’ Katherine threw her arms round his neck and clung tightly. ‘You were wonderful.’ She had been far more frightened than she had realised while it was all happening, and certainly more so than when she had sought out Black Jack. Then nothing had mattered other than saving Theo; this time people she loved had been at risk for a few pounds.
Chapter Ten
With his arms full of warm, emotional and grateful woman Theo tightened his grip as something shot through him that blurred his vision and made the blood roar in his ears. All he was aware of was glorious curves pressed against him, the scent of femininity, the trembling of soft arms around his neck.
‘Are you going to be getting into the carriage, sir?’
Hell. Theo realised exactly where he was. He swept Kat into the coach, slammed the door and sank back on the battered squabs.
Kat settled herself opposite, flushed and laughing. He dragged air into his lungs and looked at her. Her hair was in disarray, tempting his fingers to rake through it, her face was pink with excitement and the swell of her breasts, exposed by the neckline he had so roughly pulled down, rose and fell with her laughter. His wife.
If he could only get her to change her mind before they reached his home and she discovered what he had been avoiding for six years, surely she would forgive him for the deception afterwards?
Something of his thoughts must have shown on his face and Kat stopped laughing and glanced down. ‘Oh goodness, just look at this gown.’
‘I am.’
‘It is not funny.’ She tugged up the neckline in a manner that was utterly feminine and which made him smile. ‘Please pass me my fichu.’ She tucked and pinned and, finally satisfied, began to search for hairpins on the seat. ‘Goodness knows what those men thought.’
‘Precisely what I wanted them to think, luckily.’God, the way she puts up her arms to deal with her hair, the line of herbody... He shifted uncomfortably on the seat and found himself uncharacteristically lost for words.
Kat finished fussing with her hair, pulled on her pelisse and sat there regarding him with an air of expectation which, as he continued silent, seemed to subside into something like resignation.
What could he say to her? Usually more than able to talk his way into, and out of, any situation, Theo sat and brooded on opening gambits.Kat, my home is rather…Kat, I am a…My father…Kat, you may be surprised…
Hopeless. He would just have to show her and trust that by then she was tied to him and could not escape. Many young women would not want to, he knew that. This one, exuding silent discomfort opposite him, undoubtedly would.
Kat appeared to cheer up as they approached York and she exclaimed as the imposing Minster rose into sight over tiled roofs. Their carriage, guided by instructions he had given John that morning before they set out, made its way deep into the heart of York.
The familiar yard of the Crown and Anchor glimpsed through the coach windows was larger than any they had stayed at so far, and the ostlers hurried out to greet the new arrival with an efficiency that spoke of a degree of style in the establishment. Some things had not changed then and he needed to forestall any betraying welcome.
Kat was frowning again as Theo opened the coach door and handed her down. ‘Is it not to your liking?’ he asked as she stood on the cobbles beside him gazing around critically.
‘It looks expensive.’ She was fingering her purse through the stuff of her reticule.
‘More so than anywhere else we have stayed, I agree.’ He had almost recovered his voice now, he realised, only a slight rasping edge when he was tired was left. ‘But I had a yearningfor a comfortable bed and a glass of good brandy.’And to be somewhere familiar, to be amongst friends after all this time.
He saw Kat shoot him a hasty glance to ensure that his neck cloth was back in place covering the betraying marks on his neck. No doubt she was expecting to be turned away from such a decent inn because he appeared to be some kind of felon.
‘We haven’t much money left,’ she hissed, managing to smile graciously as the men lifted down their small amount of luggage. ‘How many more nights will it take?’
