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her but her hands were busy, crushing the precious leaves from the pennycress between
her fingers, sending waves of the nauseating smell into the air.
Don t tell me you ve been sick again! Herbert held a gloved hand over his nose,
muffling his annoying voice. What a vile stench!
She shrugged her shoulders and closed her eyes, hoping to appear as ill as possible.
Perhaps I picked up something on my shoes while heaving up the contents of my
stomach.
Herbert began to look a bit green himself and drew out a handkerchief, perfumed
she had no doubt, and covered his nose. They must go, immediately! He
commanded, the sound muffled through the cloth.
She raised up a boot, making a show of examining the bottom. They appear clean.
And it would look quite odd to have me parade through the streets in bare feet.
Someone might get suspicious.
People can be paid to forget what they find suspicious, he whispered ominously.
She swallowed the trickle of fear that crept into her throat. Do you have enough
cash on hand to make sure of that?
162
Match Made by Moonlight
Herbert looked daggers at her but she held his gaze. He thumped once again on the
roof, with surprising force and the carriage came to a halt once again.
Smitty, Herbert called, still through the handkerchief. Get down here at once.
I ve got a task for you. He raised an eyebrow at her and looked down at the offending
footwear. Off with your shoes, madam.
She sat unmoving and glared at him, with no intention to cooperate. His eyes flared
with anger and with only that warning, the hand holding the pistol whipped out and
struck her across the jaw with a crack. She fell hard across the seat.
Anna saw stars and pain flared in her jaw. She hoped to God it wasn t broken. Her
cheek had been cut on her teeth and she spat blood. Herbert laughed wickedly.
Oh, my dear, we are going to have such fun. Now, off with the damned boots and
be quick about it.
Time, she thought as she reached for the buckles on the half boots. At least we are
wasting time. It was completely illogical but somehow, she knew Brandon was coming
for her. She only needed to give him time.
* * * * *
The road seemed endless, the distance between them longer with each mile. He
needed a fresh horse but he felt driven to continue on, that time was of the essence and
time wasted to bargain with an innkeeper for a fresh mount might be too much. The
gray, Patience he had named her, she seemed to feed on his urgency and she did her
utmost to continue the punishing pace that he set.
You re a good girl, he patted her neck. When this is done, I promise you ll get as
many apples as I can steal from the kitchen.
They passed the multitude of wagons and carriages entering London for the start of
the working day and he only hoped that they slowed Liston s equipage more than he
on his lone horse. He needed every advantage he could get.
* * * * *
The driver folded out a sorry-looking step and Herbert descended, helping her
down while touching her far too much for her liking. Courtesy of a scrubbing by Smitty,
the sullen coachman, her feet squished uncomfortably in her wet, ruined boots as she
stepped onto the muddy inn yard. She glanced up at the carriage for the first time in
full daylight and was struck by the motley collection of boxes and trunks balancing
precariously all over the top, barely leaving room for the sniveling driver. It appeared
as though Liston s every possession was strapped to this sad transport.
You do seem in much finer fettle, my dear girl. He leered at her once again and
her stomach clenched in fright. Her jaw still throbbed from the blow he had given her
with the side of the pistol. She shuddered to think what he might do if she disobeyed
him again.
163
Elaine Lowe
She looked onward, toward the inn at which they had stopped after a half-hour of
her complaining about her empty stomach. Perhaps this had not been the best plan,
even if it had gotten them off the road again. The hovel at which they had arrived did
not deserve the name inn , for it was in truth little more than a tavern with what
looked like a few attic rooms and a tiny, skeletal youth acting as a groom should anyone
want to rest their horses. There were no fresh horses to be had, not that Herbert could
have afforded them without sacrificing more of Anna s jewelry. The tavern promised
little in the way of creature comforts and Herbert was obviously more fastidious about
his clothes than his vittels, if he expected them to eat in such an establishment.
I am still weak. You dolt, she added in her head. It would do her little good to
antagonize him too much. Although despite the threat of violence, it was difficult to
resist the temptation. I will faint dead away from hunger if I am not fed soon. She
sniffed and found curious strength in acting against her nature, trying to rankle her
captor with an attitude of pretentiousness and disgust. This place hardly looks fit for a
pig, much less the esteemed Viscount Liston. All right, it was just too difficult to resist.
He wouldn t dare strike her in public. Or perhaps the two are not so very far apart.
He sneered and grabbed her arm, pulling her into the dim, rank and smoke-filled
common room. Herbert had tense words with the landlord, a huge, pox-scarred man in
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