Chapter Eight
“I f the snow gets any worse,” Bentley said, “we’ll have to stop for shelter. Otherwise, we could die of exposure.”
“I know. If we see a farm house, or any kind of place inhabited by beings, you must seek shelter. I want you to, but I can’t.”
Bentley’s eyes rounded. “What in the blazes are you thinking?”
“I can’t stop until I find Venus.”
The duke smiled. “Oh. So, now it’s Venus, not Miss Jones.”
James recalled that day in his barn when she had asked him to call her by her Christian name. How he longed to relive that day! “The lady asked me to.”
He did feel wretched that he’d involved Bentley in this dangerous mission.
“For what it’s worth, Emily and I would be thrilled if you and Miss Jones should wed.”
Wed? James had never considered marrying the woman. Actually, he’d never considered marrying any woman. “I never said anything about marriage. I merely want to save the lady from being forced to marry that oaf Shuttlebotham.”
Bentley chuckled. “We’ll see.”
Even if the conditions were poor, James was not about to slow his mount. He rode as fast and hard as he had an hour earlier. He was disappointed they had not been able to overtake Shuttlebotham’s coach. They should have by now. His and Bentley’s beasts could easily travel far faster than a carriage.
But now for the first time since he’d left Tilford, he saw a coach in the distance. It was a mere speck on rolling white landscape. Was it a coach and four? One rarely saw them outside of major posting inns. Hope expanding in his chest, he spurred Sultana on. He prayed the coach would be Shuttlebotham’s.
He was not completely certain, but as they drew closer, he saw that it was a coach and four. “That has to be that swine’s coach!” he told Bentley.
“We will have the element of surprise.” Bently stopped. “We need to pack our muskets before confronting them.”
“Good advice.” James stopped and prepared his musket. The musket was just one tool in his arsenal. His sword was strapped to his body, and a knife was sheathed in his boot.
By the time they finished packing the powder, they could no longer see the coach.
Cursing, James leapt back on Sultana and raced as fast as the poor beast would permit. Within moments, the coach was visible again. It looked like a bug crawling across a tablecloth.
They rode like the wind until that bug became a full-size coach. This near, James could positively identify it as belonging to the vile Shuttlebotham. Anger surged within him as he sped toward the coach.
James came from behind the coach, whipping around to face the two men sitting on the box. “Stop!” James aimed his musket at them.
The coach rolled to a stop. “Hands up,” Bentley said.
Suddenly, the coach door flew open, and Venus poked her beautiful little head out. “I could use some help to finish tying up this... odious person.”