Rose thought about what she had just told him. She would like to say that her parents could stop when they wanted to, and their drinking was only for recreational purposes, but more and more of late they had taken to imbibing until they were rendered senseless for several days at a time.
“You are effectively living by yourself then,” Barnaby sighed.
“They are often incapable of getting out of bed,” Rose admitted. She offered him a false smile she hoped distracted him from the tears hovering on her lashes. “I don’t mind, really. It means I get a lot more freedoms than most women my age get.”
Barnaby mulled over her spirited nature and wondered if her head-strong behaviour was a result of having to fend for herself. It didn’t seem fair that someone like Rose should be disregarded so callously. She should be looked after.
“It is going to be some time before you can go home again, Rose,” Barnaby admitted. “I can’t lie to you. You are a witness to two murders, of men who we think tried to double-cross Sayers. The killer is directly connected to the man my colleagues and I have been hunting for several months now. We need to get Chadwick off the streets and behind bars where he belongs. To do that, we have to get you to London so you can talk to my boss.”
“So why have we just left him face down on the pavement then? Why didn’t we take him to the magistrate?” Rose countered.
“Because there is only one of me, and at least eight of them,” Barnaby replied. “It is hardly a fair fight, especially when I-” When he hesitated she looked at him.
“When you are burdened with me,” she finished for him. Confirmation of her assumption came from the stilted silence that settled between them.
“You are a main witness to the murders that will put Chadwick behind bars for a long time.” Barnaby replied.
“But why do I have to go to London?” Rose asked.
“That’s where my boss is, and where you are safest believe it or not,” Barnaby said frankly.
“I thought that is where this Terrence Sayers’ underworld lives?” she replied coldly.
“It is,” Barnaby agreed.
“So you are taking me right into the lion’s den?” She didn’t know if he was setting her up for something. It seemed a completely ridiculous thing to be involved in but then this entire evening had been ludicrous.
“No, we are going to hide you in the busiest town in this country. There are too many people in London for Sayers and his gang to find you. We can hide you more easily there than we can out here.” Barnaby waved an arm to the empty fields around them.
Although it was too dark to see much, a sense of isolation swept over her that was emphasised by the silence of the night. Rose shivered and rubbed her chilled arms as she studied the shadows they passed through. She wanted to go home but then didn’t. Back at home another set of problems awaited her whereas right now at least she was being treated like a person.
When they both fell quiet, Barnaby took the opportunity to study her a little more closely. Rose was small yet perfectly rounded with curves in all the right places. She was the epitome of femininity but he knew from experience that she was also practical, strong willed, and logical. He had to admit that in spite of her chatterbox tendencies she wasn’t as bad as he had first thought her to be. In fact, he found challenging her quite engaging. It kept him on his toes and gave him something else to think about other than where Chadwick was and how many men he had with him.
“Cold?” His brow quirked when he noticed her rubbing her arms.
Rose saw the flash of his white teeth as he smiled at her. She would have spoken but doubted she could without her teeth clattering together. Now that the excitement had died down the practicalities of her situation had started to kick in. The cold night air had stolen all trace of her earlier warmth and replaced it with a bone deep chill she didn’t think she would ever be able to get rid of.
“Just a little.” Even her breath quivered.
Barnaby’s smile widened. He couldn’t see into the back of the carriage well enough to know if there was a blanket or something tucked away. With nothing else to use, he quickly removed his cloak and draped it around her shoulders. Sure enough, when his fingers brushed against the bare skin of her upper arms she was absolutely frozen.
“We are going to have to stop and find shelter somewhere. It is too cold to be out on a night like this,” he murmured.
“Thank you,” she whispered, and gave him a half-hearted smile as she tugged the edges of his cloak around her. When the soft material, still carrying his warmth, slipped over her shoulders she was immediately encased in blissful heat that made her sigh in delight. She hadn’t realised how cold she
was until then. Now that she was protected from the chill she tried to think of something else to do to garner some heat.
“What do we do now? We can’t keep driving through the night and there is nothing else around here,” Rose asked.
Barnaby mentally swore when he saw the distance they had managed to put between them and the town. It wasn’t far enough to shake off Chadwick’s men if they chased on horseback. It was too risky to stop yet it was equally dangerous to keep going. Unfortunately, they were now out on the country lanes, the low-lying hedges of which afforded them little protection against the elements or the people using the only main road in and out of town.
One of them might be Chadwick, Barnaby mused as he studied what he could see of the road behind them. Shadows darted all about but he had no ability to identify if they were a trick of the night or someone following.
“Do you know the area?” Barnaby murmured as he studied the landscape for villages they could go to.
“No. I know this road leads us to Todbury, but I only saw brief glances of the landscape as we have travelled past earlier this evening,” Rose replied. “I don’t know if there is anywhere we can stop around here.”
Barnaby nodded.