Read Online The Perfect Princess by Elizabeth Thornton - Free Book Online

said.”
    “And she’s right. I think Newgate must have turned your brains to mush.”
    There was a pause in the conversation as Harper passed an opened bottle of brandy to Richard, a bottle they’d found in the storage compartment under one of the banquettes. They’d also found a set of silver cups, a silver chamber pot, and warm woolen blankets.
    After taking a swig of brandy, Richard passed the bottle back. Maybe Newgate
had
addled his brains. Now that he’d questioned the woman, his suspicions seemed absurd. She was bewildered by how her ordered existence had suddenly blown up in her face, bewildered and angry. And she blamed him for it.
    A faint smile curled his lips as he remembered her indignant words.
If they’d only hanged you yesterday, none of this would have happened to me
.
    Harper was right. There was no plot and no conspiracy. When that shot had gone off, he’d jumped to the conclusion that his enemies had somehow got wind that he was planning to escape and had come to prevent it. He wasn’t going to mention his suspicions to Harper, because only three people besides himself knew about the escape—Harper, and his good friends Hugh and AbbieTemplar. They would be insulted because it would mean that he suspected that one of them had talked indiscriminately.
    God, he was tired, and the pain from the knife wound in his chest seemed to be on fire. Just a short walk away, a snug cottage was waiting for him, a cottage that Hugh had outfitted with supplies—a change of clothes, money, food, and other necessities. The plan was that they’d conceal themselves there and slip away when darkness fell. They were to meet up with Hugh at Lavenham, just to change horses and let him know that all had gone well. But that was before he’d rashly brought Lady Rosamund along.
    He stirred and adjusted his shoulders to ease the pain in his chest. “I say,” he said, “that we leave her on some deserted road and let her find her own way home.”
    Harper scratched his chin. “Oh, yes, I can just see it. We leave her on some deserted road, she’s set upon by footpads and murdered, and her doting father will be chomping at the bit to shake your hand.”
    “Have you got a better plan?”
    “As a matter of fact, I has. We knows that the duke will be hot on our trail looking for his carriage, so I’ll lead him on a false trail. Then I’ll get rid of the carriage and horses, get fresh mounts, and come back for you and Lady Rosamund.”
    “What am I supposed to do with her until then?”
    “Hide out in the cottage. Make yourself comfortable.”
    Richard turned his head and stared hard at Harper. “Why don’t you hide out with her and let me take the carriage?”
    Harper laughed. “Sounds to me as though you’re afraid of her. She’s only a girl. What can she do?”
    “Look at the powder burns on my coat and say that.”
    “Is that all? She just about blew my arse off. If those horses hadn’t moved when they did, she would have unmanned me!”
    Richard’s shoulders began to shake, and he adjusted his position again. “I still say I should take the carriage.”
    “No. If you was caught, you’d hang. Besides, you’d never manage the duke’s horses. I was Mr. Templar’s coachman, remember? If you can handle his cattle, you can handle anything.”
    Richard had forgotten about Harper’s stint as Hugh’s coachman. Soldier, agent, coachman, bodyguard— Harper had had a varied career. They’d all three served in the Secret Service at one time. Now Hugh was retired; he, himself, was due to hang; and Harper was a fugitive. A fine ending to three brilliant careers! And the prime minister had sworn that he owed them a debt of gratitude that could never be repaid.
    Well, where was the prime minister when they needed him?
    “So, are we agreed?” asked Harper. “I take the coach and you take the girl.”
    Richard was beginning to feel like a fractious child, but he really didn’t want to be left alone with Lady