Hiding from Love by Barbara Cartland Page B

at any minute.
    â€œI must get away.”
    â€œI’m comin’ too,” insisted Finny quickly.
    â€œFinny – I do need you to drive me to Bristol.  But you’ll have to leave me there and bring the trap back.”
    Finny’s lip trembled a bit, but he said nothing and began to brush wisps of hay from the passenger seat.
    Leonora waved him away.
    â€œNo, leave it.  I’ll ride beside you on the driver’s seat.  You don’t want Mr. Schilling to see hay on the path.”
    â€œDon’t want to come back at all if there’s only Mr. Schilling here.  He locked you in, I don’t like him.  I’ll beat him with an egg whisk!”
    â€œI rather hope you do, Finny, except I don’t want you to get into trouble on my account.  But come on – it would be dreadful if he caught me now.”
    Finny tied Leonora’s bundle securely to the back of the trap, then leaped into the coachman’s seat.
    The poor old horse, which ten minutes ago had been dreaming of the shade of his stable, found himself setting out again on a long journey.
    Finny set him almost at a gallop.
    They went the long way round, avoiding the village and taking side roads, encountering no one until they came out onto the Bristol road, where they fell in with a flow of coaches, hay carts and lone riders on jaded steeds.
    Leonora clutched her reticule, her mind afire.
    Her mother would be shocked to hear that she had run away and she must write to tell her that she was safe.
    She would have to admit that she had told a white lie, but she hoped Mama would understand that it had been for a serious purpose.
    She would also have to admit to her mother that she had taken Mr. Schilling’s money and explain why.
    Finny broke in on Leonora’s thoughts.
    â€œWhy you goin’ to Bristol, miss?  Why aren’t you goin’ Norfolk way, where your mother be?”
    Leonora wondered how much she should tell Finny.
    â€œThere’s no room where my mother’s going,” she replied at last, “and anyway I want to go somewhere where I can work and pay back anything I have borrowed – ”
    Finny looked concerned.
    â€œIf you need more, miss, I’ve got five shillings.”
    Leonora looked at him gravely.
    â€œThank you, Finny.  I shall not need it, however.  I have enough for my – immediate purposes.”
    â€œAnd what’s that, miss?”
    â€œI intend to find a ship at Bristol that is sailing for Brazil,” she replied.  “I’m going to visit my friend Isobel.”
    Finny looked alarmed.
    â€œCross an ocean, what’s full of whales and water?  What would you want to do that for, miss?  Why?”
    â€œBecause I don’t want to marry Lord Merton – ”
    â€œBut any girl would want to marry a Lord!”
    Leonora turned and regarded him.
    â€œHave you ever seen Lord Merton, Finny?”
    â€œI’ve seen his horse, though, tied to the gate when Lord Merton a-came visitin’.”
    â€œWell, let me tell you, Finny, I’d rather marry the horse.  It’s not so old and grizzled as its Master!”
    Finny was too astounded at her admission that she would rather marry a horse than a real live Lord to say any more on the subject.
    *
    It was late in the afternoon when the trap reached the gates of Bristol Docks and Leonora looked about with interest as they drove through.
    She directed Finny towards a long low building that she surmised correctly was the Ticket Office.
    Finny waited in the trap while she went in.
    The Office was nearly empty and behind the door a gentleman sat reading a newspaper, but her gaze was fixed nervously on the clerk behind the counter.
    Leonora coughed and he regarded the young lady in front of him.  He then glanced beyond her as if expecting to see a chaperone of some sort.
    â€œI was wondering – whether I could book passage on a ship – ”