He had been entertaining enough to help her pass the time. There was little to do otherwise, for on this, the shortest day of the year, the sky was grimly gray, and she could smell the snow in the air.
"Your business must be quite urgent to take you out in such inclement weather," Mr. Greengage said politely. He refrained from adding, All by yourself, but his question hung heavy in the air.
If only he knew. She gave the mild-looking man an assessing glance. He was handsome enough in a florid way, about mid-thirties. Professional. Solicitor by the look of him. "One could say the same of you, sir. I've been on the road for the past two days and am completing the final leg of my journey."
"I've been called to the side of a sick relative, and I was going to Town in any event to celebrate Christmas."
"Are you from London?"
He nodded. "Do you know the city well?"
"Not very well. I usually travel with my brother. He will be meeting me once I arrive," she lied.
She offered up a prayer that her step-brother Peter had not left for India yet. Surely she could convince him to see reason. Could persuade him not to leave her with a complete stranger as her guardian when she was old enough to tend to her own affairs.
Perhaps she could even persuade him to take her along. The Army could not be so cruel as to part them again when Peter had only just returned from the Continent, even though the war with Bonaparte had been over since April.
"If he fails to arrive, you must allow me to escort you to his home. It's unwise to wander about the streets of London alone."
"'Tis but a short cab ride from the coach depot, so I have no fears, sir. But thank you for the offer all the same."
"Not at all. It's the least I can do." He shifted in his seat to make himself more comfortable. "Dash it, these seats aren't very cozy."
"At least we're not being jounced about too badly. Nor is it crowded."
"No, that's one saving grace." He stopped to listen, his head raised in alarm. "Goodness me, that sounds like thunder."
They lifted the shade to peer out the window and saw lightning streak the dark gray sky.
"Oh my," she breathed, startled by the ferocity of the flashing jagged forks and the accompanying booms of thunder which made the very carriage tremble. She sat back abruptly, ringing her hands.
Within two minutes, they heard a rattling on the roof of the coach and peered out again.
"Look at the size of those hailstones!" Mr. Greengage exclaimed.
"The poor driver, and the animals in the field."
"Poor driver all right, and the postillion too. The storm is lashing it down."
The coach perforce had to slow, for the two men responsible for it were undoubtedly trying to protect themselves from the frozen missiles, see where they were going, and keep control of the horses all at the same time.
Arabella held her breath until the rattling finally stopped a few moments later. She and Mr. Greengage looked at each other and both heaved a sigh of relief.
But within ten minutes, just as they stopped to get a hot drink, warm up, and change the coals in the two footwarmers at a roadside inn, huge white flakes began to waft down from the heavens.
By the time they were finally warm, had had some refreshment, and changed horses, the flurry had become a steady fall of snow.
The coach driver stomped in through the door of the snug parlor, shedding clumps of snow with every footfall. "We have to get the mails through no matter what," he said, rubbing his hands to restore the circulation to his numbed fingers. "Up to you if you want to go or stay. But you've got five minutes to decide."
Mr. Greengage and Arabella glanced at each other. Both shrugged.
"I must see my brother," she said. She smoothed her ebony hair and rose to wrap herself in her outerwear once more.
"And I need to see my uncle."
"Well, then, tell the servants to pack the footwarmers to the brim, and let's go," the driver said, before sweeping off again.
"I'm just going to get some brandy, bread, and cheese for the journey. It will be bad enough being cold, without being hungry and thirsty too."
She nodded. "Good idea."
Arabella also bought some bread, meat, cheese and a large bottle of ginger beer for herself as well. Armed with her wrapped parcel, she climbed back into the interior of the coach.
She soon bundled her gloves and bonnet back on, and huddled under the traveling rugs with her feet on her warmer. At least she had on a good thick merino wool gown and some heavy woollen stockings and flannel petticoats. She felt sorry for the men in this weather with just their trousers and perhaps some winter underthings.