know that sometimes things happen we cannot predict.”
Phillip nodded. “The lady’s involvement com plicates matters. What the devil are you going to do with her?”
“I’m not sure yet,” Dane admitted, “but I’ll think of something. She knows nothing, nor is she suspicious, and I intend for it to stay that way. Someday the chit will tell her grandchildren how she was kidnapped by a highwayman and lived to tell the tale. For now, I can’t have her running to the authorities.”
“Perhaps we could have her spirited away to the north. By the time she made her way back to civilization, perhaps this will be over.”
Dane was shaking his head. “It would not be wise to involve anyone else. That, I fear, would increase the chances of being discovered.” He paused. “But what of you? What of our quarry?”
“Covering his tracks well. What else can we expect when he’s one of our own—and managed to murder two unsuspecting souls while making it appear an accident?”
“Yes, it was clever. A wet, rainy night and a runaway carriage ...I doubt the pair of them even saw it coming. The poor woman’s only crime was in overhearing her husband and that rat, ” Dane stated grimly. “All she wanted was to keep her husband from going back to prison. And the bastard is brazen enough to continue his plan.”
“Brazen. Yes, the culprit is that, isn’t he?” Phillip paused, then studied his friend. “As for you, my friend, the Magpie is garnering quite a reputation as well,” he observed quietly. “You should hear what’s being said about you, Dane. The people may soon be clamoring for your head.”
“It can’t be helped. We cannot openly conduct an inquiry. That would put the blackguard on alert, to say nothing of how it would embarrass the Home Office.” Dane shrugged and offered a faint smile. “The Magpie shall ride until this bas tard is caught.”
Phillip’s gaze sharpened. “This is not a game, Dane. What will you do if someone decides to shoot?”
“I’d best be quick and duck then, eh?” He gave a wink.
Phillip sighed. “Be serious! Barring that, what will happen if you’re caught? If that should occur, there’s a good chance you’d be strung up before the Home Office could intervene.”
“What, do you have so little confidence in me?” Dane clapped a hand on Phillip’s shoulder. “I knew the risks at the outset, Phillip. There’s a reason you do what you do and I do what I do.”
Phillip sighed. “You relish it, don’t you? The adventure, the danger?”
He had, once. But now...now Dane wasn’t sure. He was a man of action, not a man who could sit back and bide his time. He hadn’t Phillip’s patience. But the excitement was no longer as satisfactory as it had once been... why, he wasn’t quite sure.
The smile he gave Phillip was inscrutable.
A breeze ruffled Phillip’s light brown hair. “Do you know,” he said slowly, “I should love to be in your place for just one night.”
“You? A highwayman? An adventurer?”
“I admit, I envy you. I have for quite some time.”
Dane couldn’t help it. He grinned and touched the puffiness of his eye. “This is not to be envied, my friend.”
“Nonetheless, I think I should like the thrill, the rush of the blood through my veins, the anticipation of never being quite sure what the next moment will bring, yet being ready and willing to face it unafraid. I daresay it would never be boring.”
Dane lifted his brows. Unafraid? Ah, if he only knew ...And, though keen of mind and sharp of wit, Dane had never considered that Phillip the strategist might long for something else.
“Is that not life?” he murmured. “The chal lenge of each new day?”
“I daresay my life is infinitely less exciting than yours, Dane.”
Dane eyed him curiously.
“Ah, well,” Phillip said. “Perhaps someday. For now there is work to be done.”
“So there is,” Dane agreed. He whistled for Percival.
“I should be off as well.”
Phillip nodded. “The lady’s involvement com plicates matters. What the devil are you going to do with her?”
“I’m not sure yet,” Dane admitted, “but I’ll think of something. She knows nothing, nor is she suspicious, and I intend for it to stay that way. Someday the chit will tell her grandchildren how she was kidnapped by a highwayman and lived to tell the tale. For now, I can’t have her running to the authorities.”
“Perhaps we could have her spirited away to the north. By the time she made her way back to civilization, perhaps this will be over.”
Dane was shaking his head. “It would not be wise to involve anyone else. That, I fear, would increase the chances of being discovered.” He paused. “But what of you? What of our quarry?”
“Covering his tracks well. What else can we expect when he’s one of our own—and managed to murder two unsuspecting souls while making it appear an accident?”
“Yes, it was clever. A wet, rainy night and a runaway carriage ...I doubt the pair of them even saw it coming. The poor woman’s only crime was in overhearing her husband and that rat, ” Dane stated grimly. “All she wanted was to keep her husband from going back to prison. And the bastard is brazen enough to continue his plan.”
“Brazen. Yes, the culprit is that, isn’t he?” Phillip paused, then studied his friend. “As for you, my friend, the Magpie is garnering quite a reputation as well,” he observed quietly. “You should hear what’s being said about you, Dane. The people may soon be clamoring for your head.”
“It can’t be helped. We cannot openly conduct an inquiry. That would put the blackguard on alert, to say nothing of how it would embarrass the Home Office.” Dane shrugged and offered a faint smile. “The Magpie shall ride until this bas tard is caught.”
Phillip’s gaze sharpened. “This is not a game, Dane. What will you do if someone decides to shoot?”
“I’d best be quick and duck then, eh?” He gave a wink.
Phillip sighed. “Be serious! Barring that, what will happen if you’re caught? If that should occur, there’s a good chance you’d be strung up before the Home Office could intervene.”
“What, do you have so little confidence in me?” Dane clapped a hand on Phillip’s shoulder. “I knew the risks at the outset, Phillip. There’s a reason you do what you do and I do what I do.”
Phillip sighed. “You relish it, don’t you? The adventure, the danger?”
He had, once. But now...now Dane wasn’t sure. He was a man of action, not a man who could sit back and bide his time. He hadn’t Phillip’s patience. But the excitement was no longer as satisfactory as it had once been... why, he wasn’t quite sure.
The smile he gave Phillip was inscrutable.
A breeze ruffled Phillip’s light brown hair. “Do you know,” he said slowly, “I should love to be in your place for just one night.”
“You? A highwayman? An adventurer?”
“I admit, I envy you. I have for quite some time.”
Dane couldn’t help it. He grinned and touched the puffiness of his eye. “This is not to be envied, my friend.”
“Nonetheless, I think I should like the thrill, the rush of the blood through my veins, the anticipation of never being quite sure what the next moment will bring, yet being ready and willing to face it unafraid. I daresay it would never be boring.”
Dane lifted his brows. Unafraid? Ah, if he only knew ...And, though keen of mind and sharp of wit, Dane had never considered that Phillip the strategist might long for something else.
“Is that not life?” he murmured. “The chal lenge of each new day?”
“I daresay my life is infinitely less exciting than yours, Dane.”
Dane eyed him curiously.
“Ah, well,” Phillip said. “Perhaps someday. For now there is work to be done.”
“So there is,” Dane agreed. He whistled for Percival.
“I should be off as well.”
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