“Come on,” he murmured gently to Tahlia. He tugged her cloak hood over her head and arranged it so it covered most of her face. “Let’s go.”
Dragging the hood of his own cloak over his head, Connor slid the bolt home and led her through the house.
Shaken, Tahlia followed.
“Why this way?” She asked curiously as he led her through the sitting room to a door at the side of the house.
Connor grinned. “Because someone might be watching the front of the house. We need to go out across the gardens at the rear of the property.”
Intrigued, Tahlia followed him.
“How did you learn all of this?” she asked as he unlocked the door and took a look outside before he stepped across the threshold.
Connor threw her a rueful glance. “There are some things I need to keep to myself. Let me just say that things like this are a less than salubrious part of my job.”
“Oh.” She nodded and pretended she understood what he was talking about.
“Before we go, I just need to check on one thing. Wait here a minute,” Connor ordered.
His sigh was loud when he stopped in front of the first window, and Tahlia slammed into his back.
“What?” she demanded when he threw her a dirty look.
“Do you ever do as you are told?” He asked wryly.
“What are you doing?” She glanced around the gardens only for Connor to study the window for a moment before he moved on to the next aperture.
“Scratches, marks, any tell-tale sign that someone had tried to break in,” Connor murmured.
Stunned, Tahlia glanced furtively around the gardens as she followed him from window to window, and waited for him to finish his inspection.
She had once spent many hours in this garden. Now that her life had been thrown into turmoil, it didn’t seem quite as tranquil as it once had been. She would be glad to be away from the place.
When they finally did leave the gardens, Tahlia felt as though she was stepping out into a whole new adventure. Unfortunately, she wasn’t entirely certain she was ready for it.
CHAPTER EIGHT
To her surprise, rather than trying to walk the several miles to Mr Tate’s house they stopped at a busy main road several streets away and hailed a carriage. After several bogus addresses, and a fresh carriage or two, Connor was finally satisfied that they hadn’t been followed. He then gave a new coachman the proper address to Jeremiah Tate’s house.
Minutes later, he handed the carriage driver several coins and nodded his thanks.
The residential street was quiet but, rather than being welcoming, it had an air of watchful expectancy about it that was unnerving. It didn’t help that their boots echoed hollowly around them as they walked toward number 3.
“Are you sure we should be doing this now?” Tahlia whispered, suddenly having second thoughts. “I mean, he isn’t expecting us.”
Connor smiled reassuringly at her, seemingly unperturbed by their surroundings.
“Are you having second thoughts?” he teased.
He wouldn’t mind if she was. He would be happy to escort her back across town and leave her in Oscar’s safe keeping. To his disappointment, she shook her head. While he was annoyed, he had to admire her for her determination to brazen it out. He had half-expected her to tell him she wanted to go back once they had reached the second address, but she hadn’t.
She has courage, I will give her that much, he mused thoughtfully as he rapped on the door and stood beside her to wait for it to be opened.
Tahlia shivered as she waited, and was extremely grateful for Connor’s presence.
“I am sure it will be fine,” he reassured her when he became aware of her nerves. “Let’s get this over with.”
Inwardly, she wasn’t entirely sure this was a good idea, but she owed it to her uncle to get this done anyway. Meeting this Mr Tate person as quickly as possible released her from any and all obligations to her uncle, and meant she would be able to return to Rutland a little quicker.