Princess Charming (Legendary Lovers 1)

“How did you know what I planned?” she asked.

“You were too calm this morning after your tirade. The abrupt change made me suspect you were up to something, even before Katharine warned me that all was not quite right with you. She claims it is not like you to simply give up.”

“So you followed me?”

“No, I staked out Deering’s stables and lay in wait for you. It took you long enough.”

“I had to make certain the grooms were asleep.”

Another carriage rattled by just then, which recalled Maura to her surroundings. “I cannot stand here arguing with you, Lord Beaufort. I need to be on my way.”

“Don’t think this discussion is over, sweetheart.”

Regrettably, she knew it wasn’t. With a sigh, Maura draped the knapsack over her shoulder, untied the reins, grabbed a hunk of mane, and vaulted onto the stallion’s bare back.

Much to her exasperation and aggravation, Beaufort fell into step with her as she guided Emperor back to the street. “Where are you taking him?”

“I would rather not say.”

“But you plan on stealing him?”

She sent the marquis a sour glance. “I do not call it stealing. Emperor is my rightful property, and I am only reclaiming what is mine.”

“The law won’t see it that way.”

“I know,” Maura said bitterly. “So I will have to resort to bending the law. I can’t fight Deering by honest means.”

“You could if you would allow me to aid you. There is a better way to go about saving your horse.”

“Oh, and what might that be, your lordship? Your plan was to think about conceiving a plan. Mine actually has a chance of succeeding.”

The moonlight was too faint for her to see Beaufort’s jaw clench, but she could easily imagine it.

After a moment, he took a different tack. “You obviously have planned your scheme out meticulously, but you must have had help. I presume Gandy is abetting you, but there must be others.”

“Even if there were, I could never admit it. I don’t want anyone else blamed for what I must do.”

“You hope to keep your friends from hanging with you, you mean.”

“Exactly. That is why I didn’t tell Katharine about my plans—so she could deny any culpability.”

Just then they reached the livery, which was dimly lit by lanterns. Before turning into the yard, Maura whispered a precaution. “Please, will you keep your voice down? I don’t want to attract any undue attention.”

She rode directly to the corner of the yard where Frip waited. The two horses seemed glad to see each other, but she couldn’t afford to dally for their reunion. Sliding off the stallion’s back, she tethered him to the gig, then opened the boot and began drawing out the peddler’s rig.

After securing a harness to Emperor’s chest and back, she attached a pliant straw basket to each of his sides.

Beaufort sat watching as she began filling the baskets. “What the devil is all that?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

“His costume,” she murmured back. “He needs a more ample disguise than just paint and boot blacking.”

She had loaded Frip down with a blanket roll and her saddlebags, including her clothing and food supplies. But she intended to fill Emperor’s baskets with the sort of items a peddler would normally sell.

To her surprise, Beaufort dismounted in order to help her. Together they loaded the goods—a few pots and pans, an assortment of knives and scissors and a grinder to sharpen the blades, bottles of elixirs, hair dye, trinkets, copper cups, some cheap jewelry.…

Not unexpectedly, the champion stallion objected to such treatment. At first, Emperor merely turned to peer at the strange contraption on his back and snorted as if insulted. But when he began to dance nervously, Maura went to his head and tenderly rubbed his ears and sensitive poll between.

When she had his attention, she put her forehead against his and spoke quietly to him. “I am sorry, love. I understand how humiliating this is for you, being treated like a pack mule, but you must bear it for my sake.”