“A lot of ladies and gents travel this road, but most of ’em don’t stop here. Can’t blame ’em, really.”
Sinclair leaped at this information. “Have you seen any of the other travelers along this road, boy? Did a young man and a woman, a very pretty woman with dark hair, stop recently?”
The boy thought a moment. “Might o’ done,” he said cautiously. “This morning, early. Stopped for a bit. The lady said she felt sick.”
“This morning,” Sinclair repeated, relieved.
“They didn’t stay on the highway though,” Georgie went on, scratching his hair in a way Sinclair was sure meant he had fleas. Or worse. “They took the road up ahead that runs through the forest.”
“Why would they do that?” Eugenie asked, looking between the two of them.
“They must know we’re close after all,” Sinclair replied. “Perhaps we’d be better riding the horses rather than waiting for the coach. We can move more freely then if we have to travel on narrow roads and lanes. They won’t be expecting us to do that. We can catch them up.”
“They was arguing,” Georgie said, his eyes sliding away in a manner Sinclair could not help but think was suspiciously sly. “Havin’ a real barney, they was.”
“Arguing? Arguing about what?”
The urchin shrugged one shoulder. “Dunno. The lady said something about wishin’ she’d never trusted him to do it right, and why couldn’t he have found a coach that didn’t rock about so.”
“I knew this was your brother’s fault,” Sinclair growled. “He has forced this upon my sister.”
Eugenie glared. “If anyone is to blame then it is you, Sinclair! If you had not tried to force your sister into a marriage she did not want then my brother would not have been obliged to rescue her! Surely you know that young girls look to marry for love in these modern times? Even our queen has married for love.”
His lip curled. “You are showing your lack of breeding again, Eugenie. My sister’s situation is very different from your imaginings. She is not a poor put-upon heroine. Lucius does love her and if she would give herself a chance, she would soon return his affection. They are perfectly suited in every way.”
“Oh? Then why has she eloped with my brother?”
He leaned closer, his manner almost threatening. “Do I really need to tell you why? Because he inveigled her into it, telling her lies and persuading her against her better judgment. She is young, impulsive, and he played on that. She is also rich. Are you saying that had nothing to do with it? Your family have a reputation for getting hold of money in any way they can. It wouldn’t surprise me if your father didn’t plan the whole thing.”
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Eugenie looked furious enough to slap his face again, but before she could do anything a small figure wriggled between them and gave Sinclair a hard shove.
“Hey, mister duke, you leave her alone!”
Surprised, Sinclair looked down into Georgie’s angry face. The boy had his fists clenched, as if he was prepared to do battle for his benefactress. For a child with such a delicate form, he was full of courage. Sinclair felt inclined to laugh. Knowing that would make Georgie even angrier, he settled his face into a sober mask. “I wouldn’t hurt her,” he said in a mild voice, “no matter how infuriating she is.”
“I’m not infuriating,” Eugenie said, more mildly. “At least no more than you.”
“I have never offered you any violence.”
She flushed at his reminder of her own behavior. “It was a very light slap.”
“Did you slap the duke then?” Georgie butted in, eyes wide with admiration.
“She did,” said Sinclair. “What do you think of her now?”
Georgie considered for a moment. “I think you must have deserved it.”
Eugenie bit her lip, but her eyes were dancing.
Sinclair raised his eyebrows at her. “It seems you have a champion.”
“Yes, it does.” She smiled at Georgie.
Sinclair found himself wishing she’d smile at him like that, and then it occurred to him that he, a duke, was jealous of an urchin.
Could the day get any worse?