Page 151 of Ruby Red (The Ruby Red Trilogy 1)

“Turn right into Berkeley Street,” said Mr. George. “We’re making a little detour. Number 81, Bourdon Place.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. I could go home. To my mum.

Mr. George was looking at me very gravely. His expression was sympathetic, as if he’d never seen a more pitiful sight. “What happened, for heaven’s sake?”

“Three men attacked our coach in Hyde Park,” said Gideon. “The coachman was shot.”

“Oh, my God,” said Mr. George. “I don’t understand it, but that makes sense.”

“How do you mean?”

“It’s in the Annals—the twenty-fourth of September, 1782. A second-degree Guardian by the name of James Wilbour was found dead in Hyde Park. Half his face was shot away. They never found out who did it.”

“Well, now we know,” said Gideon grimly. “That is to say, I know what his murderer looked like, but I don’t know the man’s name.”

“And I killed him,” I said in a flat voice.

“What?”

“She came up and ran Wilbour’s sword into his attacker’s back,” said Gideon. “Well, we don’t know whether she really killed him.”

Mr. George’s blue eyes were round. “She did what?”

“It was two against one,” I murmured. “I couldn’t just stand there watching.”

“Three against one,” Gideon corrected me. “But I’d already finished off one of them. I told you to stay in the coach no matter what happened.”

“It didn’t seem as if you were going to last much longer,” I said without looking at him.

Gideon didn’t answer.

Mr. George looked from one to the other of us and shook his head. “What a disaster! Your mother will murder me, Gwyneth! It was supposed to be the safest of operations. A conversation with the count in the same house, no risk at all. You wouldn’t for an instant have been in danger. And instead the two of you go halfway around the city and get set upon by footpads.… Gideon, for heaven’s sake, what on earth did you have in mind?”

“It would have been fine if someone hadn’t given us away.” Gideon sounded angry now. “Someone or other must have known about our visit. Someone who was in a position to persuade this man Wilbour to drive us to a meeting place in the park.”

“But why would anyone want to kill you two? And who could have known you would be visiting the count on that very day? None of it makes sense.” Mr. George was chewing his lower lip. “Ah, here we are.”

I looked up. Yes, we really were in front of our house, all its windows brightly lit. Somewhere inside, my mum was waiting for me. So was my bed.

“Thank you,” said Gideon.

I turned and looked at him. “What for?”

“Maybe … maybe I really wouldn’t have lasted much longer,” he said. Another crooked grin flitted across his face. “I think you actually did save my stupid life.”

Oh. I didn’t know what to say. All I could do was look at him, noticing that my silly lower lip was beginning to quiver again.

Gideon quickly brought out his lace-edged handkerchief. This time I took it. “Better mop your face with this, or your mother might think you’ve been crying,” he said.

He meant to make me laugh, but at this moment, that was right out of the question. At least I didn’t burst into tears again.

The driver opened the car door, and Mr. George got out. “I’ll take her to the door, Gideon. I won’t be a minute.”

“Good night,” I managed to say.

“Sleep well,” said Gideon, smiling. “See you tomorrow.”

* * *

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