If not for his family name, Gray didn’t know what he would have done. The few coins he had left would purchase a meal or perhaps a room, if he wasn’t terribly picky about the state of the bed; it would not cover the two meals, room, and stabling at the ramshackle inn.

Fortunately, the innkeeper was so apologetic over the fact that Gray had been robbed blind that he had been convinced to settle the account with Gray’s older brother, Morgan. Gray had scrawled a quick explanation and note of apology for this unforeseen expense to be delivered to his brother with the request for payment.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have time to chase down the thieves or their belongings. Without a compass, Gray would have to rely on his wits and the directions he received. Since the innkeeper knew of his family, he asked the man directly for the shortest route to Tenwick Abbey. This time, Gray was taking no chances.

Then it made no sense, as they stopped at a fork in the road, that the same information Stills had gleaned from the innkeeper conflicted with what the man had told Gray.

“I’m certain he said to turn left,” Stills said, his voice adamant. “I was very clear on where we meant to go; I even mentioned Locksley as the nearest town.”

“I was also clear,” Gray said, his voice tight. “He instructed me to turn right.”

Had he misheard? Blast—he had been so meticulous to repeat the directions back, hoping to avoid such a mishap. No, it must be Stills’s error.

“Sir, I’m afraid—”

“We will turn right.” Gray’s voice was final. Behind him, Charlie adjusted her hold. She didn’t speak a word.

Stills’s mouth flattened into a thin, mulish line. For a moment, Gray thought he might try to contradict him or stubbornly take the other path regardless. Gray handled the situation as he would have at sea. He squared his shoulders and stared down his longtime second-in-command. I am the commanding officer. Even if he didn’t have a vessel to command, at present.

After a tense moment, the man capitulated. “Very well, sir. While we’re stopped, would you mind if I used the bushes to p—” He glanced at Charlie and changed what he was about to say. “Relieve myself?”

Gray nodded. He dismounted to hold the reins of the other horse while Stills escaped into the tree cover. Charlie also slid off the horse in order to stretch her arms and legs.

“Would you like to make use of the bushes as well?”

She shook her head. “Thank you, but I’m fine.”

He stifled a sigh and glanced up at the cloud-dotted sky.

Not long later, Stills emerged. They mounted and continued down the right path. Before ten minutes had passed, Stills’s steed entered a frenzy.

The lieutenant struggled to remain on horseback as his mount reared, shrieking. Stills shouted, not helping to calm the horse at all. As the horse lowered onto all four legs, it shrieked again and bucked Stills out of the saddle. Charlie clutched Gray’s middle as he shortened the reins, encouraging their mount to back away rather than get caught up in the calamity. The moment Stills landed on the ground, his arms curled around his head, Charlie loosened her hold.

“Oh dear.” She slid from the horse’s rump and skirted the edge of the path to see to Stills’s welfare. As she knelt beside him, she gently touched his shoulder. “Lieutenant Stills, are you injured?”

Lud! Gray hoped not. He dismounted swiftly. He looped his steed’s reins around a tree then slowly approached the other. It favored its right foreleg as it danced away. While Charlie tended to Stills, Gray cooed softly to the horse, trying to convince it that he wasn’t a threat. If it bolted, it might trample Stills and Charlie in its panic.

The moment he succeeded in approaching the horse, he stroked the beast on the nose and tied the reins to a different tree, out of reach of his mount. When he ran his hand down the horse’s front leg to examine the injured area, he found it hot to the touch. Confound it! He didn’t know enough about equine injuries to be able to say for certain, but at his guess, the horse was now lame. It certainly wouldn’t be able to bear a rider if it could barely bear its own weight.

What were they to do? His mother’s life was in danger, and they’d gone from three horses to one.

His heart thrumming, he crossed to stand behind Charlie, who helped Stills to sit up. Gray clasped his hands behind his back, trying to bury his impatience over yet another delay in a long string of them. After all, his longtime companion might be hurt. If he was, the closest place to seek help was likely the town they’d passed an hour ago. An hour moving in the wrong direction, with a lame horse and a man who might not be able to keep his seat even if the horse could bear him, would not do.

A groan escaped Stills’s lips as he tested his range of movement. “I’m all in one piece, Captain.”

Gray stifled a sigh of relief. “It’s more than I can say for the horse. It might be lame. It’s certainly favoring its leg.”

Charlie released Stills to sit under his own power, which he seemed perfectly capable of doing. She twisted to look up at Gray. “What does that mean?”

“It means we’ll have to walk. If you’re capable, Lieutenant. If not, we do have one more horse. You can ride mine while Miss Vale and I walk.” It was unconscionable to ask a lady to walk when she could be astride, but Stills was injured, after all.

He grimaced as he stood. “I’m able to walk. I’ll lead my horse, sir.”

Nodding, Gray said, “Very well. Charlie?”

Scowling, she got to her feet and brushed off her skirt. “I’m not an invalid. I’m capable of walking on my own. Lieutenant Stills is—”

“I said I am well, Miss Vale. Please take me at my word.” Stiffly, Stills thrust his shoulders back and clasped his hands behind him.

“What happened?” Gray asked. This latest mishap didn’t sit well with him. It was as though the universe were conspiring to assure that he didn’t reach Mother in time.

“A garden snake on the path, sir. It must have spooked the horse. It’s a stroke of bad luck that the horse became lame because of it.”

A stroke of bad luck… or a purposeful design. If Stills hadn’t been thrown from his horse, Gray might begin to suspect that he was behind these mishaps. After all, it couldn’t be Charlie’s fault—he made it his purpose to be her guardian throughout this trip. She never left his sight, save to use the bushes, and she was as driven to save his mother’s life as he was.

Stills, on the other hand, had no such personal stake in the outcome of their mission. Why had he relinquished a command post so readily to follow Gray into the English wilderness?

“With the horse lame, we’ll lose more time. We should waste as little of it as possible. Are you ready to continue?”

Stills nodded, solemn.

Gray herded Charlie toward the horse they shared. “I said I can walk,” she protested loudly.

“We’ll take turns,” he promised, though he meant no such thing.

That seemed to placate her somewhat, at least long enough for him to corner her under the ruse of adjusting the stirrups.

Softly, he murmured, “Don’t react if you can manage.”

Her lips barely moved as she whispered back, “React to what?”

“To what I’m about to tell you. Do you find this latest mishap at all suspicious?”

Charlie stroked the horse’s nose, pretending to pay him no mind. “The horse’s panic, you mean?”

“The lame horse is eerily similar to what happened to your horse shortly after we set out. This after the good lieutenant seemed adamant to lead us in the wrong direction a second time.” Although Gray didn’t voice as much, he had to wonder if Stills had a hand in robbing them, as well.

Charlie’s lower lip wobbled. She started to turn to look behind her, at Stills, but she visibly stopped herself. She held Gray’s gaze instead. “You think he’s sabotaging us?”

“I wonder if we would have made it to Tenwick Abbey already if he weren’t here.”

When he beckoned her forward, Charlie came complacently. She pressed her lips together as he gripped her by the waist and transferred her, sidesaddle, onto the horse. It would be awkward to ride like that, no doubt, given that they no longer had a sidesaddle to offer her, but with Gray leading the horse he hoped she would be able to keep her seat.

His hand lingered around her hips as he leaned close enough to add, “I don’t know why he doesn’t want us to reach Mother in time, but one thing is clear. We’ve an enemy in our midst.”

* * *

By the time they reached the next rest point to water the horses, when Anthony had promised to speak more on his warning away from the possibility of Lieutenant Stills overhearing, Charlie’s stomach was in knots. She tried to remain as serene and composed as Mama, but she feared she didn’t do much good.

She laid her hands on Anthony’s shoulders as he reached up to lift her down. However, the moment her toes touched the ground, her knees turned to jelly. She would have fallen if not for Anthony’s support.

He adjusted his hold on her and used his solid body to keep her upright. “Steady. It’s all right. I’ve got you.”

Charlie tilted her face up to his, but when she tried to thank him, her voice fled toward her navel. They stood close enough for her to feel his breath fanning her hair.

Anthony raised his voice. “Stills? Could you take the horse? Miss Vale isn’t accustomed to riding and needs my support for a moment.”

“Of course, sir.”

Charlie jumped at the nearness of his voice, that of an enemy, the man they’d traveled with, Anthony’s second-in-command. She didn’t want to believe it, not only because it made her heartbeat flutter with fear.

As Lieutenant Stills led away the horse, Anthony leaned closer to lean his forehead against hers. “Good thinking,” he whispered. “We should have a few moments alone.”

She hadn’t feigned weakness. Unfortunately, weak knees seemed to be a byproduct of both riding the horse for a prolonged period of time and finding herself this close to Anthony. Nevertheless, she didn’t confess as much, for fear that he didn’t feel the same about her. Once again, he hadn’t joined her in bed, even if she would have been far too exhausted to welcome his advances.

She tried to push her attraction to him out of her mind, as difficult as that sounded. They had a more important matter to discuss—one that might endanger their lives, if his suspicion was correct. She’d mulled it over for an hour or more while riding, and she couldn’t refute his claims. He was right; these mishaps occurred far too frequently to be mere coincidences.

“What do we do?” she whispered, mere inches away from his mouth.

He traced her cheek as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. With their belongings stolen, she hadn’t had her hairbrush to render her locks neat. They stubbornly escaped any attempts to tame them by braiding.

After he darted a glance toward the potential traitor, currently guiding the horses to drink from the stream, Anthony whispered, “I don’t know what we can do for the moment. He’s armed.”

Charlie fought the urge to roll her eyes. “As are you.” She pointedly lowered her gaze to his belt, where a pistol and dirk resided.

It didn’t look nearly as formidable as when he was clad in his full captain’s uniform, but his waistcoat and coat had been stolen by the thieves, along with the rest of their belongings. Perhaps it had been her stroke of good luck that she’d fallen asleep with her clothes on rather than only her nightgown. Only the articles left behind the screen—boots and belt—had been overlooked. Even her reticule had been snatched while they were asleep, and she contemplated how she could have been so drowsy as to sleep through that.

It wasn’t the first time this morning that she’d chided herself for the lapse. No doubt Anthony battled the same self-blame. However, they couldn’t find the thieves, nor their belongings; they had to address this threat instead.

With a grimace, Anthony adjusted the cloak he’d used for a pillow over his shoulder to cover his weapons. “Even if I am armed, I have no ammunition—that was in the pack. If Stills was the man responsible for taking our belongings, he undoubtedly left himself the bullets and gunpowder necessary to defend himself.” Hesitantly, Anthony stroked her cheek. “Besides, you aren’t armed, and I’d fear too much for your safety to confront him now. Such a confrontation can be frightening.”

Charlie arched her eyebrows. “Do you think I’ll fall to pieces the moment the first accusation is thrown?”

His silence spoke volumes.

She gritted her teeth. “Anthony, I’m not a watering pot. I won’t dissolve to tears at the first sign of danger. Surely we’ve been traveling together for long enough for you to realize that.”

At the chastisement, one side of his mouth lifted in a half grin. “You’ve proved that, but you still amaze me with your resilience and pluck. Any other woman of my acquaintance would have reached her limit.”

This time, she couldn’t suppress a roll of her eyes. “Perhaps you’ve been acquainting yourself with the wrong women. Any woman related to you, for instance, would act exactly as I am. Lud, Lucy would probably attempt a coup here and now.”

“I’m thankful you have more sense than her, then.” His chest expanded as he drew in a deep breath. As Lieutenant Stills finished watering the horses and turned, Anthony angled his back toward him and lowered his head closer to Charlie’s. His lips brushed against her cheek in a faint caress as he continued to speak. “We’ll stop at the next inn we find. We’ll confront him there.”

Charlie pursed her lips. When she turned her head, the corner of her mouth brushed against Anthony’s. Her breath hitched as she battled the ache to kiss him once more. “Are you certain it’s wise to confront him out of turn? He might just deny the entire debacle.”

Tucking another strand of hair behind her ear, Anthony whispered, “What do you propose? We can’t let him continue to sabotage us. No more can we bring him with us—what if he poses a danger to Mother?”

Why was he touching her so intimately? Only last night, he’d opted to sleep on the floor again. He hadn’t kissed her for days, and she feared she’d misinterpreted the inclination on his part. She swallowed hard. “I can’t think properly when you touch me like that.”

A wolfish smile spread across his face as he dropped his hand to her shoulder. He seemed inordinately pleased with himself. “Is that so?”

“It is. This hardly seems like the most appropriate time. Later, when we’re alone… ” Lud, what was she saying? Her cheeks heated.

His smile faded. He leaned his forehead against hers once more and whispered, “I hope to discourage Stills from eavesdropping by making it look as though we’re having an intimate conversation.”

“We are having an intimate conversation!”

“I meant of the sort he wouldn’t want to overhear. The sort lovers have.”

Charlie had never been privy to such a conversation, so she decided to let the subject drop, even though she thought all these delays were driving him mad. What would they be talking about so closely that wouldn’t be fit for prying ears?

Anthony swallowed audibly. “We won’t be able to stand like this forever. What is your idea?”

“We catch him in the act.”

To her surprise, Anthony tilted his head and kissed her. Her knees weakened once more, and she leaned against his muscular frame, letting him take command of her body. After a brief melding of mouths, he lifted his head. She kept her face turned up, hoping for another. When he didn’t offer it, she opened her eyes. His hazel eyes were warm, his mouth soft and in the very beginning of a smile.

“Was he looking at us?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

“I haven’t the faintest.” He traced her mouth with his thumb. “Forgive me, but I couldn’t resist.”

“There’s nothing to forgive.” She wished he’d do it more. Unfortunately, her courage fled, and she bit her lip as she returned to business. “You like my idea, then? If he thinks we’re able to procure another horse, he’ll try to stall us or stop us in some way. If we catch him while he’s in the act of sabotage, he’s more likely to tell us the truth.”

Anthony nodded. “We’ll do it in a village, preferably one big enough to have its own magistrate. I don’t have enough coin for a horse, though. I’m not even certain I have enough to house us, if the innkeeper won’t be convinced to charge the lodging to my brother.”

“We must try,” she told him. “It’s our best chance to end this without bloodshed.”

“I agree, love,” he whispered, stroking her chin. “Will you ride the horse again, then? I know you’d like to walk, but we can’t risk Stills harming our last horse in any way.”

She narrowed her eyes. Was he telling the truth, or was he only concocting the lie in the hopes of convincing her to ride? Unfortunately, he made a convincing point. “Very well, but once we’ve dealt with this threat, we are sharing the horse equally.”

Anthony nodded. “You have my word. Are you ready?”

A flock of birds erupted in her stomach at the thought of traveling all day with a man who might mean them serious harm. Nevertheless, she maintained her composure and nodded. “Let’s reach this village as soon as may be.”