Page 67 of The Hired Hero
Caroline placed her cup back on its saucer. “I’m sure you’ve heard the important parts. Farrington set two ruffians to ambush the coach. There was an accident. Poor John Coachman was killed. I was hurt somewhat but managed to make my escape. Lord Davenport found me, I recovered from my injuries at his estate, then he helped me get to London.” She drew in a breath. “It’s as simple as that.”
Lucien raised his brows. “As simple as that? You expect to foist such a Banbury tale off on me, cuz, who has a modicum of experience with your sort of adventures? When it comes to you, ‘simple’ is not the word I would ever choose.”
Another piece of toast began to crumble onto her plate.
“It’s odd,” he continued. “Julian seemed to have no notion of who you are.”
“I didn’t tell him. Not exactly, that is.”
“How did you convince him to take you to London in the face of such danger? Surely, he demanded some sort of explanation?”
“He did. But then I offered him a goodly sum to serve as my escort. I had learned from the servants that the family coffers were empty because of his brother.”
Lucien’s tone became incredulous. “You…hired the Earl of Davenport?”
“It was apparent he really needed the blunt,” she muttered, then sought to deflect her cousin’s line of questioning. “How is it you are acquainted with him?”
“Julian? I met him at Oxford. He got Tom Courtney and me out of a silly scrape, and we became friendly, though he’s a bit senior to us. It’s very like him, helping people out of a coil.” His face became serious. “I wonder where Leighton has taken himself to? That’s another one of my friends Julian took under his wing.”
Finally, her gaze came up to meet his. “Jeremy?” she exclaimed. “You know him as well?”
He nodded.
“What a prodigious talent!” Her eyes took on a speculative look. “Then you shall be pleased to help me with…”
“A simple story,” he interrupted with a drawl. “Just how did it come about that you ran into Jeremy?” When he saw her mouth set into a mulish expression, he merely shrugged. “Well, I imagine I shall hear it all at some time. It promises to be a good deal more intriguing than you are letting on at the moment. At least you were with someone capable of keeping you in one piece. Julian is bang up to the mark, don’t you think?”
“Actually, I think the man is insufferable.” She hoped her voice didn’t sound quite as shrill as it did to her own ear.
Lucien regarded her thoughtfully. “Well, well.”
“Well, what?”
“How interesting, is what I meant.”
Caroline felt a flare of heat coloring her cheekbones. “What nonsense. I told you—I find Lord Davenport to be averyprovoking man.”
“Ah, that’s what is so interesting, my dear Caro.” He flashed a grin. “Normally, you don’t pay enough attention to the gentlemen around you to care one way or another about them.”
Caroline stared in dismay at the ruins on her plate. She carefully wiped her fingers on the thick damask napkin, then rose with as much dignity as she could muster. “If you will excuse me, I have a number of pressing matters with which to deal.”
In the privacy of her own room, Caroline contemplated the pile of banknotes that the agitated young upstairs maid had promptly turned over to her keeping. Of course, she would see to it that they were delivered to Highwood.A bargain was a bargain. However, the earl’s actions made no sense to her. Hadn’t he made it coldly clear that he had endured her company for the sole purpose of earning the thousand pounds?
And yet he had left it untouched. She shook her head. Pride could cause one to act in the strangest ways, most of them having no connection at all to common sense, she mused, knowing full well that the thought also applied to her. Still, it didn’t seem the full answer to all of Davenport’s quirks.
Perhaps he didn’t want to be beholden in any way to someone he held in…contempt. That possibility caused an unpleasant lurch in her stomach, though what the earl thought of her shouldn’t matter a whit.
However, it did. Somehow, the idea that he found her wanting in character or conduct was a blow more painful than any of the physical punishments she had endured. Not that she could blame him on either account.
Gentlemen simply didn’t like a hopeless hoyden. In truth, she had figured that out long ago. And she was honest enough to admit she wasn’t going to change—not for anyone.
So that was that.
The only thing that remained a mystery to her was why he was so tender when she was in need and so harsh all the rest of the time. Hot and cold, like being warmed by the sun’s rays one moment, only to be drenched by a chilling rain the next. Perhaps it had something to do with being an English gentleman.
Paper crackled as her fingers tightened around a handful of the banknotes. It was no use stewing over things she could not change. Putting aside all thoughts of the Earl of Davenport, Caroline vowed to turn her attention to a matter on which she could act.
Eighteen
