Ben appeared beside them and repeated the same process as Reg had used to get her onto the horse and in Barnaby’s arms so they could be on their way. Once Rose was settled against him, Barnaby then guided the horse back toward town.
An hour and a half later they found Reg waiting for them on the outskirts of town.
“It’s about time you turned up,” he grumbled good-naturedly. “This way.”
Curiously, Barnaby followed. The trail they took led them up one street and down the other in confusing circles to the point that Barnaby was glad Rose had fallen asleep. If he hadn’t already memorised the layout of the town he would have been hopelessly lost but, twenty minutes later, he knew exactly where they were but still had no idea what his colleagues had planned.
The huge shipping barn was only half-full of goods waiting for transportation inland. Surely they didn’t expect him and Rose to travel on the back of a cart with rolls of material and kegs of brandy, did they?
Prepared to refuse, Barnaby reluctantly followed them into the huge building. It had enough space inside for them to leave their horses for their colleagues to deal with later. It also kept them out of sight while Reg told them about his plan.
“Right, I am afraid this next leg of the journey is going to be a little tricky but, if you bear with us, we can get you to where you need to go and then you can relax a little,” Reg said without preamble.
“What are we going to do?” Barnaby demanded. He wasn’t going to take another step until Reg told him everything.
“This way,” Reg replied. He nodded toward the huge doors on the side of the building. When he opened one of them, it was a surprise to see just how close to the dock-side the building actually was.
Barnaby’s brows lifted. He looked at Rose who was yawning sleepily and eased a supportive arm around her waist.
“You need to rest,” he murmured gently to her, their flight temporarily forgotten.
“I am alright,” she assured him. “I can do this.”
She had no idea what they expected her to do but if it meant getting away from Chadwick then she would do anything.
“You need to change your clothing first,” Reg said. He moved a huge plank of wood beside the door and pointed to two neatly wrapped packages. “I am afraid I had to guess your size, ma’am, but I can assure you that the attire that has been chosen is perfect for your purposes on the other end of this journey. That is all I can say right now.”
“Wait.” Barnaby lifted a hand to halt his colleague and pierced him with a stern look. “It sounds like you were expecting us.”
“We were,” Ben replied quietly before Reg could speak. “We have news.”
“It is not safe to talk here. Sir Hugo said to tell you that he knows everything and arranged this method of transport to get you out of here. That’s all I know. So, once you are changed into the new clothing, we will be on our way,” Reg said with just a hint of impatience in his tone.
Barnaby lifted his brows and sighed. If the suggestion had come from Sir Hugo, then Barnaby was prepared to relinquish control to Reg and the men. He just hoped that Sir Hugo was right. When he opened up the package for Rose, his brows lifted in surprise but he handed it to her and picked up the second package for himself.
“I will wait until you are changed, Rose. I will just be on the other side of this door. If there is anything wrong at all, or you feel ill again, shout,” Barnaby ordered before he followed his colleagues out of the door.
Rose eyed the package warily. She touched the fabric nestled inside tentatively, her curiosity stirred by the silkiness of the material that slid over her fingers. Her gasp was loud as she shook it free of the packaging and saw what she was supposed to wear.
“Are you alright?” Barnaby called having heard her startled exclamation.
“What? Oh, yes, fine,” she replied hesitantly. She didn’t know what to do. The dress chosen for her was wonderful to look at but highly inappropriate given her location. But, beggars couldn’t be choosers and, in comparison to the men’s clothing she wore now, it was much nicer. Unfortunately, she had no idea which was likely to attract the most attention, the breeches or the dress.
Aware that the men were waiting for her, Rose quickly slipped into her new outfit. The soft glide of the material over her skin was almost sensual. The feel of it brought a small smile to her lips. As she tugged it over her hips and let the skirt fall to the floor she looked down at herself, slightly concerned with how the dress fitted. It was much tighter than it ought to be, and the décolletage was shockingly low. It was by far the most risqué thing she had ever worn. She tried to tug it up a little but it wouldn’t budge. Shaking her head in dismay, Rose knew that without protesting to Barnaby and pointing out the dress’s many shortcomings she had to wear it and hope for the best. She just didn’t quite know which was likely to attract the most attention; a woman dressed in gentleman’s breeches, or a harlot dressed in a tight dress which barely concealed her modesty.
“All is well that ends well I suppose,” she whispered as she studied the length of her leg outlined perfectly by the long flowing material which cascaded off her waist and pooled around her feet in a waterfall of colour that was surprisingly beautiful. It felt terribly wanton to wear such a creation yet wonderfully liberating to be so daring. Temporarily, it allowed her to forget all about her head.
Thoughts of her head prompted her to poke at her hair. With a furtive glance at the door she quickly began to tidy it up.
“Rose, are you alright?” Barnaby called. He tried not to worry, but he was growing increasingly concerned the longer she was in there.
“I am fine,” she replied quietly and reluctantly stepped outside.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Barnaby opened his mouth to prompt her to hurry up when the door opened. Whatever h
e had intended to say remained stuck in his throat. His breath hitched. His mouth fell open. His mind went blank. Everything faded into insignificance. In contrast to the dreary building behind her, Rose was a vision of loveliness that was mesmerising. The dress was a contrasting mix of sophistication and temptation that was faintly shocking. It clung adoringly to each and every curve God had given her and gave a stunning hint of cleavage that tantalised whenever she moved. He had never seen such a beautiful sight.