Lady Ellingham and the Theft of the Stansfield Necklace: A Regency Romance by Miriam Rochester Page B

Felicity
needed to do what gallop towards the phaeton and cause it to overturn, how hard
could it be.  She could be away before they realised what had hit them and had
time to come about.  It was a risky strategy but it was all she had.  She
nimbly manoeuvred Artemis down onto the road, dug in her heels and coaxed the
hunter into a speedy gallop, careering towards the approaching phaeton.  The
pair saw the rider approaching and Thorndale reigned in.  ‘I think we have company
Giles,’ he said frowning. ‘A strange time of morning for highwaymen, who can it
be?’
          Giles was not
taking any risks and took out his pistol. ‘I don’t know,’ he replied but I am
ready for him whoever he is.’ Giles had his pistol at the ready as the rider
got closer. ‘Good God Alex, she is not going to stop.’
          Alex trained his
eyes on the tall slim figure, now keenly aware of the female garb and sharply conscious
of Giles’s sudden use of the female pronoun. He skilfully manoeuvred his
phaeton to the side of the road to allow the Lady to pass but she was heading
straight for them and showing no signs of stopping.  This was obviously no
bridle cull but a Lady whose horse had bolted wildly out of control.  What a well-dressed
Lady of obvious gentle breeding was doing out at this time in the morning, and
so close to Hampstead Heath, he had no idea, but neither had he the time to
contemplate for she was upon him.  Her horse had come to an abrupt stop and was
rearing up causing his own pair of bays to panic and back the rear nearside of
the phaeton well and truly into the ditch.
          Giles and Alex
managed to keep their seat on the high perch but by this time, Artemis was rearing
genuinely out of control. Felicity slipped out of the saddle and fell onto the
cold damp ground with an unceremonious thump, straight into a puddle, rendering
her planned retreat impossible. The two men climbed down off the phaeton. Giles
went to the heads of the horses to calm them and Alex went to the assistance of
the Lady. He caught Artemis by the reigns and expertly reined her in. He stared
down at Felicity with incredulity. ‘You!’ he barked. ‘What the devil...’  He
had not words suitable to utter in front of a Lady. ‘Are you hurt?’ he demanded
roughly.
          Felicity nodded,
she was shaken but seemed unhurt so Thorndale bent down and yanked her unceremoniously
to her feet. He held her by the arm so that she was going nowhere and turned to
Giles. ‘What is the damage?’
          Giles who had
walked around and examined the nearside of the carriage nodded.  ‘Nothing broken,
everything is in order but if we are to get this damned wheel out of the ditch
I shall need some assistance.’
         Felicity looked
mutinous. ‘Well you shall get no help from me.’ Thorndale sighed. ‘No madam I
think you have done quite enough.’
          ‘I certainly hope
so,’ she rejoined with a triumphant smile. Thorndale dropped her arm in
frustration and walked over to the nearside of the carriage where Giles was
still standing.  Giles had already uncoupled the horses and made a few attempts
to lift the carriage on his own but to no avail, so Thorndale dropped down into
the ditch to add his own weight to the proceedings.
           Felicity eyed
her horse out of the corner of her eye. Artemis was peacefully nibbling a piece
of succulent fresh grass by the roadside.  She considered slipping away when
the two men were occupied but decided against it.  Her hopes of remaining
anonymous were scuppered anyway and perhaps if she stayed, there was still yet
time to persuade Thorndale to abandon this ridiculous duel.  She began to have
hopes that even this would not be necessary.  She had succeeded in delaying
them considerably, maybe that would be enough and Richard would be long gone by
the time they arrived at the rendezvous.  To her dismay however, she noticed
that the two men had already set the