still struck her hard. She hadn’t realized until just now how much she’d hoped that he’d find them quickly. “You’re sure.”
“Yes. They were here, mind you, but they’re not here now. Half a dozen people remembered seeing them both at an inn called the Golden Lion three nights ago. And another several saw Juliet get into a hired carriage with Pryce the next morning.”
“Pryce? Who’s that?”
“It seems that Will Morgan is an alias. The man’s real name is Morgan Pryce.”
An alias. Lord, she couldn’t breathe. The scoundrel was using an alias. “And I suppose he has some nefarious reason for changing his name.”
“We don’t know that. I expect all he wanted was to make it harder for somebody to follow them.”
“But is he a smuggler?”
He hesitated. “It’s…possible.”
“Merciful heavens, I knew it! I knew he was a bad sort! What does he want with Juliet? No, I know what he wants, the wretch. He wants to ruin her, to hurt her—”
“Calm down, m’lady. He doesn’t want any such thing. He called her his fiancée more than once, and nobody ever saw him lay a hand on her except in courtesy. From all I could gather, he truly wants to marry her.”
“If he wants to marry her, it’s only for her dowry—you know that!”
“We don’t know yet what he’s after.” He spoke with an edge of impatience, even irritation. “Everybody I spoke to said he treated her very respectfully. You may be wrong about him. Free traders aren’t all bad, y’know; he might only be eager to marry.”
Her worry twisted into a fury most uncharacteristic of her. “Then he’ll have to settle for marrying one of his fellow smuggler’s sisters, because he is not getting mine!”
“He’s already got her—that’s the trouble.”
“But not for long. You have to help me now. You must!”
“Of course. Why d’you think I spent last night in the taverns finding their direction and this morning preparing to leave?” Resignation laced his words. “Besides, I like Lady Juliet. She may fancy herself in love with the rascal, but she can’t know what she’s got herself into.”
“Of course she doesn’t! Juliet is the most naive, trusting girl in England. He probably spun her a romantic tale to sweep her off her feet.” She stabbed her cane into the carpet viciously. “Well, he can just set her right back on them, because I shan’t stand for this!” Her gaze fixed on his broad shoulders, the ones that seemed capable of bearing any burden. “When do we leave, Mr. Brennan? I can be ready very quickly, I assure you.”
He cocked his eyebrow. “ We ? We aren’t going anywhere. You are going back to Knighton House and staying there until I return with your sister.”
“What? Not on your life! I shan’t sit here and twiddle my thumbs while you race about the countryside. I’m going with you.”
He drew himself up with all the stubbornness of a manused to making his way alone in the world. “You’ve got no choice in this. I won’t take you.”
“Then I shall hire one of those Bow Street fellows to take me.”
To her shock, he burst into laughter. “A runner? Not bloody likely. Yesterday you didn’t even know what they were.” He sobered. “Besides, you’re too concerned about your sister’s reputation for that. And with good reason.”
Oh, the man could be so exasperating. “All right, then I’ll follow you myself. Alone, if I must. You can’t prevent me from traveling the same road as you if I wish.”
That wiped the smug assurance right off his face. “You wouldn’t be so foolish.”
“Is it foolish to do all in my power to help Juliet?”
“Following me won’t help her. You’d just get yourself into trouble, too. You’d be prey to every blackguard and varlet who trawls the highway. And what will you do if one of them tries to take your money or worse? Fight?”
“If I must. I’m not worried about myself, only Juliet.”
Rounding his desk, he strode up to loom
“Yes. They were here, mind you, but they’re not here now. Half a dozen people remembered seeing them both at an inn called the Golden Lion three nights ago. And another several saw Juliet get into a hired carriage with Pryce the next morning.”
“Pryce? Who’s that?”
“It seems that Will Morgan is an alias. The man’s real name is Morgan Pryce.”
An alias. Lord, she couldn’t breathe. The scoundrel was using an alias. “And I suppose he has some nefarious reason for changing his name.”
“We don’t know that. I expect all he wanted was to make it harder for somebody to follow them.”
“But is he a smuggler?”
He hesitated. “It’s…possible.”
“Merciful heavens, I knew it! I knew he was a bad sort! What does he want with Juliet? No, I know what he wants, the wretch. He wants to ruin her, to hurt her—”
“Calm down, m’lady. He doesn’t want any such thing. He called her his fiancée more than once, and nobody ever saw him lay a hand on her except in courtesy. From all I could gather, he truly wants to marry her.”
“If he wants to marry her, it’s only for her dowry—you know that!”
“We don’t know yet what he’s after.” He spoke with an edge of impatience, even irritation. “Everybody I spoke to said he treated her very respectfully. You may be wrong about him. Free traders aren’t all bad, y’know; he might only be eager to marry.”
Her worry twisted into a fury most uncharacteristic of her. “Then he’ll have to settle for marrying one of his fellow smuggler’s sisters, because he is not getting mine!”
“He’s already got her—that’s the trouble.”
“But not for long. You have to help me now. You must!”
“Of course. Why d’you think I spent last night in the taverns finding their direction and this morning preparing to leave?” Resignation laced his words. “Besides, I like Lady Juliet. She may fancy herself in love with the rascal, but she can’t know what she’s got herself into.”
“Of course she doesn’t! Juliet is the most naive, trusting girl in England. He probably spun her a romantic tale to sweep her off her feet.” She stabbed her cane into the carpet viciously. “Well, he can just set her right back on them, because I shan’t stand for this!” Her gaze fixed on his broad shoulders, the ones that seemed capable of bearing any burden. “When do we leave, Mr. Brennan? I can be ready very quickly, I assure you.”
He cocked his eyebrow. “ We ? We aren’t going anywhere. You are going back to Knighton House and staying there until I return with your sister.”
“What? Not on your life! I shan’t sit here and twiddle my thumbs while you race about the countryside. I’m going with you.”
He drew himself up with all the stubbornness of a manused to making his way alone in the world. “You’ve got no choice in this. I won’t take you.”
“Then I shall hire one of those Bow Street fellows to take me.”
To her shock, he burst into laughter. “A runner? Not bloody likely. Yesterday you didn’t even know what they were.” He sobered. “Besides, you’re too concerned about your sister’s reputation for that. And with good reason.”
Oh, the man could be so exasperating. “All right, then I’ll follow you myself. Alone, if I must. You can’t prevent me from traveling the same road as you if I wish.”
That wiped the smug assurance right off his face. “You wouldn’t be so foolish.”
“Is it foolish to do all in my power to help Juliet?”
“Following me won’t help her. You’d just get yourself into trouble, too. You’d be prey to every blackguard and varlet who trawls the highway. And what will you do if one of them tries to take your money or worse? Fight?”
“If I must. I’m not worried about myself, only Juliet.”
Rounding his desk, he strode up to loom
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