Chapter Two
Sitting in the crowded mail coach, Devin Ballantine hadn’t remembered how beautiful his brother’s betrothed was and it irked him to no end.
In his mind, he’d reduced his memory of Julia Sullivan to only her flaws: she’d had two red spots on her chin, she’d been little more than skin and bones, and she’d cried as she called off the wedding.
Sir Eustace had started yelling and so had his own mother.
Then Julia’s face had turned completely red with embarrassment and tears—not pretty at all.
Despite the havoc she was causing his family, Devin couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for her.
His beloved elder brother, whom he looked up to, had not shown any emotion at all.
He’d merely accepted his jilting like the gentleman that he was, ignoring their mother’s insistence that he refuse to release her from the already signed marriage contracts—which were legally binding.
The contracts stipulated how much Joshua would receive as Julia’s dowry portion and her yearly pin money, as well as her future widow’s portion.
Mama had then pressed Devin to sue Julia Sullivan for breach of promise—and the end of the engagement brought more than just embarrassment for Joshua.
Unpleasant and unflattering rumours about his brother had reached Devin all the way in London.
People said that something must truly be wrong with the baron if a young heiress would rather be a governess than a baroness.
Baron Ballantine had to be mad with an uncontrollable temper or plagued with the pox.
Because of the scandal, his brother had not returned to London for the yearly Seasons but stayed in the small town of Pickwich on his estate.
His brother’s close friend and steward, Roger Ashby, had even moved into Riverdale House to keep Joshua company and his spirits up.
And his brother, now nine and thirty, was still unmarried and without an heir.
Despite the usual tittle-tattle about younger sons, Devin had no aspirations towards his elder brother’s title or estate.
He wasn’t even sure if he was the late baron’s son—questions and gossip about his paternity had followed him since school.
Although, the man he had called Papa had treated him with nothing but love and kindness before he died.
And his mother swore that there was no truth in the rumours.
Besides, Devin was a hard-working barrister and in the last five years had begun to make a name for himself at the London bar.
He intended one day to become a judge. And Devin found country life to be quite dull.
He loved the hustle and bustle and the sound and the grind of a large city.
He thrived on never knowing who or what would come through his door and request legal representation.
Unfortunately, he recognised the two men sitting beside him in the coach.
Angus Rhys had been sentenced to three years of hard labour for house-breaking.
He’d had an additional year added to his sentence for breaking the arm of a fellow inmate.
But it was Timothy Pip that put Devin’s nerves on edge.
Rhys’s partner had been on trial for murder at the same time.
Ultimately, his barrister had been able to reduce the charges from manslaughter to breaking and entering because of the lack of an eyewitness.
The only person in the house at the time of the theft had been an older woman who had died from a stab wound.
Despite his animosity towards Miss Julia Sullivan, he couldn’t help but wish that she’d been on a different mail coach. At least one of these men was a murderer. And he wished that he wasn’t so damned attracted to her—the one woman that he could never have.
There was a little pink in Julia’s cheeks from the cold, but her complexion was peaches and cream without a blemish to be found.
Her hair was light and could have been called brown or blond, but the closest colour he could think of was honey.
Sweet, rich honey with the sunlight shining through it.
Her figure was still slight, but with feminine curves that he very much appreciated.
And like a fool, he’d smiled at her. He was only a man after all and she was a beautiful woman with large blue eyes that a fellow could get lost in.
His heart hardened. Poor Joshua had gotten lost in her blue eyes and much good it had done him.
Although Joshua had never complained, Devin was still angry on his behalf.
He glared at the vixen and she had the audacity to smile back at him.
He would like nothing better than to bring her down a peg or two.
Devin was fuming by the time he got out of the cold mail coach and picked up his trunk.
Miss Sullivan’s portmanteau was nearly as large as herself and he wanted her to ask for his help, just so that he would have the pleasure of refusing her.
It was petty of him, but it might have made him feel a little better.
But the minx didn’t. She hoisted her portmanteau and trudged through the snow without a glance back at him.
A small stirring of admiration for her spunk grew in his chest, but he pushed it down and trailed after her.
He needed to keep a close eye on her with a murderer on the loose.
Mr and Mrs Mack were in front of him and squabbled the entire way as their child continued to cry for her doll.
The two house-breakers behind him talked in low tones.
He felt their gazes on his back as if they eyed him like a pigeon waiting to be plucked.
Devin would definitely be bolting his bedchamber door tonight and he would tell Julia to do the same.
No matter how much he resented her past actions, he had no wish for her to be robbed or stabbed.
This pair of crooks were capable of anything.
Joe followed behind the thieves and Devin wondered if it was for the other passengers’ safety or his own.
He didn’t like having his back to those men.
Instead, he watched Julia Sullivan scramble through the snow to keep up with Mr Denard and the horses.
Her skirts were soaked through and Devin could have sworn he heard her teeth chattering from ten paces away.
Still, she didn’t complain or slow down.
Not that either would have done her any good.
The horses were laden with the mail and Devin was determined not to assist her.
Aside from keeping her safe from the two thieves.
Holding his own trunk aloft, Devin’s shoulder ached where he’d fallen off a tree and dislocated it as a lad.
He was beginning to lose the feeling in his fingers and his nose felt frozen enough to snap off, when he finally saw a small light in the distance.
Trudging through the snow, he wished that he had stayed in London for Christmas.
But his brother had begged him to return to Riverdale House and Devin didn’t wish to disappoint him.
Poor Joshua had gone through enough disappointments in life.
Their father had been bedridden and died young, leaving Joshua with a great responsibility at a tender age.
Then his brother had become engaged to Julia, only to have her call it off in the cruellest of manners.
No.
The snow did not matter. Devin would be there for his brother—always. Joshua had been more of a father than an elder brother. His brother had asked very little of Devin, yet given him everything. These thoughts gave Devin the energy to make the final steps toward the posting inn.
Four feet of snow rested against the walls of the building and covered part of the windows. A small path was carved through the snow that led from the stoop to the door. Already new snow had begun to collect there.
‘In you go, missy,’ Mr Denard said to Julia. ‘I have to take care of the horses and keep an eye on His Majesty’s mail.’
She gave the man a nod as if speaking was too difficult. Devin watched Julia walk to the door, but she could not open it because she carried her portmanteau with both hands.
‘What is taking so long?’ Mr Mack demanded, his arms full of his family’s trunks.
‘I don’t have a free hand,’ Julia explained.
Mr Mack huffed impatiently. ‘Mary, open the door.’
‘But I am holding Lizzy.’
Devin realised that another marital fight was brewing. He decided to avert disaster by pushing forward and opening the door for them all.
‘Thank you,’ Julia said in a low, sultry voice that caused him to jump and something inside his chest to snap. She passed right by him and went straight to the fire. She placed her portmanteau on the floor and then sat upon it with her hands outstretched to the blue and orange flames.
Neither Mrs Mack nor her husband said a word of gratitude to him.
Nor did the two thieves. Their eyes were on his trunk as if trying to see what was inside of it.
Instinctively, Devin stepped closer to his property.
Despite the inn being very small, he had no intention of sharing a bedchamber with these men.
If he did, he’d be lucky if he still had his nightshirt in the morning.
Devin glanced around for the proprietor or a tapster, but it wasn’t until the little girl started crying that she was hungry that a small man with a most impressively long red beard came out of the back room.
There was snow in his whiskers and Devin assumed that the man had helped Joe and Mr Denard put the horses in the barn first. The back door opened again and Mr Denard came through it.
He did not engage with the angry and disgruntled passengers but merely went up the stairs and presumably to his room.
Devin wished to do the same. He didn’t want to spend another moment in the company of his fellow passengers.
Everyone began speaking at the same time.
The two rough men wanted blue ruin to heat up their insides.
Mrs Mack wanted food for Lizzy. Mr Mack wanted a private room for his family.
And the proprietor rubbed his eyes and then his beard as if he hadn’t expected to have any customers on such a snowy day.
The proprietor held up his hands as if he was being robbed by a highwayman.
‘Quiet, quiet. I can’t possibly hear you all at the same time.
This is a small but respectable inn. My name is Peebles.
My wife is making stew at this very moment for your supper and I will happily serve you spirits at the tap after you pay for your stay. ’
Mr Mack harrumphed. ‘But we don’t know how long we will be stuck here.’
Mr Peebles smiled. ‘Denard says at least two nights. So please show me your coins and then I can lead you to your rooms.’
Julia stood up and moved from the fire, but the warmth of it was still in her rosy cheeks. She held up her reticule as if to take money from it. ‘I should like my own room. I am happy to pay for it.’
‘A private room for my family,’ Mr Mack said.
‘We can share,’ the two men said.
‘I require my own bedchamber as well,’ Devin added.
Mr Peebles held up his hands again as if to silence them all. ‘My inn is small with only four rooms. The driver and groom have already claimed one. I have three rooms left.’
Devin looked at the quarrelling couple with the wailing child, the two thieves, and then to Julia, who stood all alone.
He couldn’t leave her unprotected. But what should he do?
She couldn’t stay with the thieves. Her only option was to share a room with the family, but Devin had heard Mr Mack yell at his wife for the majority of the trip.
He didn’t seem a particularly pleasant or safe man to be around either.
Devin could perhaps share with the two thieves, which would be awful for him but allow Julia her own room—but then she would be all alone and that wasn’t safe either.
She should have had a maid with her and a footman accompanying them both.
Sir Eustace had been negligent in sending his daughter to travel by herself.
And Devin wouldn’t be able to sleep without knowing that Julia was safe and protected.
Which left only one option.
Devin would have to share a room with her—but she was a single young woman and her reputation would be ruined.
Devin briefly glanced at Mr Pip whose hands curled into fists.
Better her reputation sullied than for her to be met with violence or be violated.
Or was there perhaps a way to protect her without ruining her reputation… ?
There was only one thing to be done. Devin would have to pretend to be her husband. It would only be for two nights and as long as no one in Pickwich ever learned the truth, there would be no harm to her reputation. And Julia would be safe both nights under his protection.
He released a loud sigh, quite like the one that she’d given in the carriage.
‘No more games, dearest Julia,’ Devin said, holding out his hand to her.
She took it reluctantly, her eyebrows raised in a question.
‘My wife and I will share a room—as you all know, we are both from Pickwich and going to meet my family. We had a small disagreement and therefore did not sit together in the coach. You heard her loud sighs.’
Julia jerked her hand back. ‘Yes, we did have a fight, dearest husband. That is why I must have my own private room. I do not wish to see your face.’
Mr Peebles shook his head. ‘There is not another room to be had, ma’am.’
‘You’re welcome to share with us, luv,’ Mr Rhys said with a jeer.
Julia stepped away from the two thieves and closer to Devin. He watched as she looked at the other passengers and then to him. She must have realised that he was her safest option. ‘Very well, husband. But you’d better keep your hands to yourself! I have not forgotten our fight.’
Mr Rhys guffawed. ‘Now, I couldn’t promise that, lass.’
Devin found his own hands curling into fists. Neither Rhys or Pip were going to lay a finger on Julia under his watch.
‘That settles it, then,’ Mr Peebles said. ‘Mr and Mrs—’
‘Ballantine.’
Julia flinched a little at his side but remained quiet. Devin cursed his own stupidity. He ought to have used a false name.
‘You may have the room at the back. And Mr and Mrs—’
‘Mack.’
‘You and your little girl can have the middle room,’ Mr Peebles said. ‘And the two gentlemen can have the room closest to the stairs and the tap. It’s directly across from where Joe and Mr Denard will be staying. Joe’s a real light sleeper, iffen you know what I mean.’
Devin knew exactly what the proprietor was saying. He was warning the two thieves that they were being watched.
Devin stooped down and picked up both his and Julia’s trunks. ‘Lead the way, Julia.’