Page 13 of To Heal a Broken Earl
“I see,” he said, scratching the scruff of his beard. “I think perhaps this calls for a slight change of plan. I will carry Katie, dressed as a little boy, beneath my greatcoat. Her hair will bestuffed beneath a cap. If anyone asks, no one will recall having seen a little girl. She must not speak. This is most important. Can you get her to be quiet?”
Emma nodded. “I can. Where will we be going after we leave the inn?”
The earl leaned forward, close enough that she could smell the appealingly fresh sandalwood scent that seemed to be embedded in his skin.
“Once we leave the inn, another carriage will take us to the Thames, where we will board a swift boat and travel to Sussex, where we will be met by a post-chaise that will take us to my estate. My estate is in Sussex. Depending on the traffic on the river, the journey on the Thames should take approximately five hours. It is the fastest way for us to travel. And it fits well with our plan of subterfuge. Our carriage—this carriage—will continue along the same main thoroughfare, tomorrow morning…but with Armstrong and two outriders, in case it’s followed. It’s Armstrong’s carriage, so eventually, it will return to his estate, and they will be careful not to lead the arsonist anywhere nearmyestate. Additionally, two of Armstrong’s guards will join us on the swift boat,” he added.
“What if the arsonist catches on to the plan and recognizes us?” A shiver quaked through her. “I can still see his face in my mind.” She couldneverforget his face.
“We will know if he attempts to follow us, or if he’s hired someone to do so. Trust me. You and Katie, and Doris must do as I say and follow the plan—we should be halfway to Sussex before anyone notices that we did not stay the night at the inn. The point is to blend in—hide in plain sight.”
“What is Doris’s disguise?” she asked, biting back a smile.
“The sleepy chaperone will remain the same. She’s perfect as she is,” he said, his lips twitching.
Emma smiled. “Yes. Doris is so biddable and cheerful…but she did fall asleep five minutes into our trip.”
“She’s like so many lady’s maids. She’ll be wonderful—especially with Katie,” Lord Wilton concurred.
A few minutes later, the carriage rolled off the main road onto the gravel drive that led to the Red Rooster Inn.
“Wake up, Katie darling,” Emma said, jostling her niece awake.
“Auntie…Emma,” Katie whispered, sleep slurring her words. “Are we there yet?”
“Not quite, my darling. Lord Wilton and Lord Armstrong have conceived a clever plan to make sure the bad man can’t find us. It will be great fun, like a little game. Something you love”
“Oh, I love games,” Katie said, with a wide smile. “Will Mama and Papa be there?”
“Soon…we will see them as soon as possible, I promise,” Emma said, making a mental note to find out how Evie would find them. Katie needed her mother. “And we will be playing dress-up.”
“I like dressing up. Can I be a sailor?” Emma asked.
“Yes…in a sense. You will be a little boy, but we will need to be very quiet. We will have a contest to see which of us can be the quietest, once we are dressed up,” Emma explained.
“You will dress up too?” Katie asked.
“I will…” Emma smiled. “I’ll be a boy, too!”
“Oh, what fun,” Katie said. “I hope I win. What will I win?”
“What if I surprise you?” Emma asked, smiling at the little girl. She could always count on Katie.
“I like surprises even more,” Katie said, her eyes dancing with mischief.
“Good girl,” Emma said, hugging her close. “We’re ready,” she said, turning to the handsome earl seated acrossfrom her. Though she had to stop thinking of him that way. He would be heremployer.She would be his housekeeper.
Talk about playing dress-up,she thought sardonically.
“Will he be dressing up?” Katie asked, looking in Lord Wilton’s direction.
“No, but he will be carrying you. We must do as he says…but remember the contest. We must be quiet as mice,” Emma instructed her.
Katie nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Doris sneezed and opened her eyes, appearing slightly disoriented.
“That’s an odd way to wake up,” Emma said, smiling at the older woman. “Are you all right?”
