A Lady Never Tells(133)

“We don’t know that it’s only Rose he wants,” Royce pointed out reasonably. “He could have meant to take all of you. Or perhaps whichever one he could lay his hands on first.”

“It doesn’t matter because he won’t get any of us,” Mary told him. “We aren’t suggesting that we ride out by ourselves, unarmed. I presume that there are several people searching. We will carry pistols and make part of a party.”

“I’m a darn sight better shot than that fellow Geoff,” Camellia pointed out.

“And she kept a cooler head,” Mary added.

Oliver looked chagrined. “I will admit that my grooms are not accustomed to being fired upon. However, after today, they will be prepared for it.”

“Good. Then they will offer even more protection,” Mary replied. “And with you three along—I presume you are adequate shots?”

The earl’s brows shot up at this provocation, and Royce smothered a chuckle.

“Yes, I believe we are adequate shots,” Stewkesbury replied with a visible effort to remain calm. “Fitz, in fact, is considered something of a marksman.”

“Good. He and Camellia should go in separate groups, since she is the best shot among us. I presume you are going to split up into more than one party?”

Oliver regarded Mary for a moment, then turned to cast a look at Sir Royce.

“Don’t look at me,” Royce told him somewhat smugly. “I have been dealing with this for the past three weeks. It’s your problem now.”

Oliver swiveled his head back to regard Mary, but before he could say anything, she went on, “Surely you don’t think that with you three accompanying us, not to mention the grooms, this man would dare attack us. If he did—do you not think you could prevent him from carrying us off ?”

Fitz let out a crack of laughter. “She’s got you now, Ol.”

The earl sent his brother a fulminating glance, but finally he sighed and said, “Very well. We had planned to ride out in three groups. The gamesmen and gardeners will be on foot and will take the woods to the north. That is the area to which Fitz and Royce tracked the blood drops before they lost him. Fitz, Royce, and I will each take two grooms and one of you girls—Charlotte, I assume you do not plan to insert yourself into these proceedings, do you?”

“Not I,” Charlotte answered cheerfully. “Though it’s a good thing Vivian isn’t here, or I feel sure she would drag me along.”

Oliver closed his eyes, looking pained. “Thank heaven I escaped that, at least. I will take two of you—Cousin Lily and Cousin Camellia. Your expertise will make up for my inferior skills, I trust. Rose, go with Fitz, since he is the best shot and you appear to be the prime target. Mary, you will ride with Royce and his men.”

“But—” Mary began to protest, but she fell silent at Oliver’s flat look. She had won this round with the earl, she told herself; she would not argue at being placed with Royce. Besides, she and Royce had called a truce, had they not?

“Why is someone trying to kidnap Rose, anyway?” Charlotte asked. “I mean, he cannot possibly know her.” She looked toward Rose. “Of course, you are exceedingly pretty, my dear, but …” She turned to the earl. “Doesn’t it seem a bit extreme that he saw Rose and decided to abduct her? And that he is going to so much trouble?”#p#分页标题#e#

The earl nodded. “I’m inclined to think it’s an attempt to extort money from me. I’m not sure why he has focused on Rose—perhaps that is simply a matter of his liking her looks—but I think that when my new cousins arrived, he must have seen the opportunity to hold one of them for ransom.”

His words made sense, Mary thought—and that made it even less likely that Cosmo Glass was involved. She could not help but feel relieved.

The group rode out the next morning at so early a time that Mary suspected the earl hoped the girls would cry off. However, they had long been accustomed to rising early to get the food and cleaning started in the tavern, so they met the gentlemen at the stables in good time.

Royce and Mary rode south from Willowmere, accompanied by two grooms. Royce paused from time to time to pull a small collapsible telescope from his pocket and make a sweep of the area. They found no sign of anyone, confirming Mary’s suspicions that whoever had attacked the girls yesterday was probably far away by now. After a time, Royce pulled his horse to a halt. Mary glanced over at him. He was gazing at Beacon Hill, looming in the distance.

“It occurs to me,” he said, “that it would be dashed easy to keep a watch on the house and all the land around it from up there.”