This was the part where Byron expected her to finally realize the startling consequences of her hasty decision to come here, but to his shock, she lifted her chin and said, “I’ll happily take this over being with the Duke of Winnett.”

  Her father gritted his teeth. “Then so be it. I will not protest the union when you return from Gretna Green. I can’t have you marrying in London. People will think I agreed to the match. This will have to be an elopement.”

  It was on the tip of Byron’s tongue to say, Once again, you manage to think of what’s best for you, but he was able to force the criticism down. Things were bad enough already. He didn’t need to make them worse.

  “The longer you tarry to marry,” her father continued, “the easier it will be to count the months and realize the conception of the child happened out of wedlock.”

  “There is no child,” Byron said, this time not hiding his irritation.

  “For my daughter’s sake, I hope not,” her father replied. “Now, I am going to arrange for a carriage to come and take you both to Gretna Green. It won’t be anything impressive, but then, how can anyone bring anything impressive into this section of London?” He started to head for the door but stopped. “I’ll make sure my daughter’s things are packed and brought here.” He scanned Byron from his head to his feet then gave him a pointed look. “I suggest you get dressed.” Then he left.

  Chapter Twenty

  As they headed out of London, Eleanor glanced at Byron, who sat across from her in the carriage. They hadn’t said anything to each other since her father went to fetch them a carriage. She hadn’t realized that her actions would result in an elopement. When she went to Byron’s residence, all she’d wanted to do was get out of marrying the Duke of Winnett. In her panic, she had inadvertently made things worse.

  She shifted in the carriage. As her father had said, the carriage wasn’t like the kind she was used to. This one was bumpier, and the seats weren’t all that comfortable. Still, she’d rather be in this thing than in a fancy carriage with the Duke of Winnett.

  She took a deep breath and released it. No doubt, Byron wasn’t the least bit happy with the turn of events. She had ruined things for him. For all she knew, he might have entertained romantic thoughts on some other lady. She knew very little about him. Most of their talks had been about her and the investigation he had undertaken. Apart from the fact that he had a sister, she knew nothing about his personal life. Just exactly what was the best thing for her to say in a situation like this?

  After a moment, she said the only thing she could think of. “I’m sorry I got you into this mess.”

  He turned his gaze from the window, and when his gaze met hers, she was relieved to see that he wasn’t upset with her. “I understand that you didn’t know what was going to happen when you came to my home without a chaperone. I thought your father would have explained these things to you, but he didn’t.”

  “No, he didn’t.” Because if she had known, she would have asked Eris to take her to Byron’s residence. “My father explains very little to me. He’d rather just tell me what to do.”

  “Yes, I noticed that.”

  He did? It was one thing for her to be aware that her father treated her more like a possession than a person, but it was another to realize other people saw it, too. She broke eye contact with him and turned her attention back to the window. Besides a building here and there, they were pretty much out of London.

  Unwittingly, she recalled the excitement she’d felt when she first came here. Growing up, the governess had told her about all of the fun things to do in London. Her governess had made the balls, the theatre, and other social activities sound like a fairy tale. Eleanor had assumed her father would finally be interested in getting acquainted with her, too. Apparently, his only interest in having her in London was to use her to improve his social standing. That was unfortunate, but what could she do to change the situation? She couldn’t make her father want to know her.

  After a moment, she turned her gaze back to Byron. “I don’t understand why the Duke of Winnett would pursue me when no one else did.”

  “I’m not convinced the Duke of Winnett was the only gentleman who wished to be your suitor.”

  Surprised, her eyes grew wide. “You’re not?”

  “There are ways people can prevent someone from receiving correspondence. The problem is how to prove the interference is taking place, especially when someone makes it a habit of destroying evidence right away. The Duke of Winnett is clever. He may be swift, but he’s not rash.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed. “Why would he try to harm me if he wanted to marry me?”

  “I’m starting to believe your life was never in danger. If it was, you’d be dead by now. I think he only wanted to dissuade other gentlemen from pursuing you. Most gentlemen don’t want to marry a lady known for being clumsy. It causes embarrassment, and if there’s one thing I noticed about the nobility, they don’t like being embarrassed.”

  She supposed that could be true for the incident at the theatre since others would have witnessed that. “What does that have to do with the carriage wheel?”

  “I had time to think about that one. Where were you going on the day when the carriage wheel broke off?”

  She thought back to the day that particular incident occurred. “If I remember right, I was on my way to meet the Duchess of Ravenshire. She was going to introduce me to some gentlemen on my father’s behalf.” She gasped. “You think that’s why he did it? So I wouldn’t be able to attend that event?”

  A smile crossed his face. “Yes, that would be a motive. His aim was to marry you all along.”

  “But why me? I’m not the only available lady in London.”

  “He knows your father, and your father has a lot of money. You’re his only child. He wouldn’t have to separate out dowries between daughters. The Duke of Winnett is in debt. He needs help out of it. I believe that’s why he wants to marry you.”

  Well, now she was even more glad to know the Duke of Winnett wouldn’t be able to marry her. It was insulting to think her only worth was her father’s money. “Now that you’re marrying me, the Duke of Winnett will have to stop with all of that, so I suppose there’s nothing to investigate anymore.”

  “I still want to prove he was behind the things that happened to you.” He tapped the seat beside him. “If he was willing to do this to you, then he might find another lady to target.”

  Eleanor hadn’t thought of that. Considering how unnerving the duke was, she didn’t want to see another lady being forced to marry him.

  “I’m not a betting man, but if I was, I’d say he’ll try to do something to prevent our elopement,” Byron added after a long moment.

  She didn’t like the sound of this. She took a good look out the window but didn’t see anyone following them.

  “He wouldn’t be foolish enough to show himself in daylight,” Byron said. “He’s too smart for that.”

  She settled back into her seat. “When do you think he will do something?”

  “It’s hard to say. He suspects I’m aware of what he’s doing. I questioned him about the chairs after you and your father left the ball. I doubt your father has told anyone the real reason I was around you so much, but he’s probably figured it out. Right now, it’s a matter of getting to Gretna Green before he gets to us.”

  “How long does it take to get there?”

  “About four days.”

  “Four days? That’s a long time from now. Can’t we just get married somewhere else?”

  He shook his head. “We’re in no condition to get a common license or special license. The laws have bound us to Gretna Green.”

  “That’s absurd. We should be able to marry anywhere.”

  “I really wish your father had taken time to teach you practical things instead of worrying about gowns and impressing people. You can’t just go up to a church, knock on the door, and ask to get married. There’s a process you have to go through, and depending on the process, it can be quite expensive. The only thing that is allowing this marriage to take place is your father’s approval of it. If he wasn’t so concerned about scandal, he could have pulled you out of my residence and made you marry the Duke of Winnett anyway.”

  She felt the color drain from her face. Thank goodness her father hadn’t chosen to do that! Once she found her voice, she said, “All right, we’ll go to Gretna Green.”

  Though he said there was no chance of catching the duke following them, she still took a moment to peek out the window. She didn’t see anyone. Hopefully, she wasn’t going to see the duke ever again.

  ***

  “We’re going to be staying in the same room?” Eleanor asked that evening after the innkeeper left them alone.

  Byron set his travel bag on top of her trunk. He went to the door and secured the latch so no one could get in. Turning to her, he replied, “I have to keep watch over you, and this is the best way to do it. There’s no use in me keeping watch in the hall when someone could come in through the window of this room. We might be on the second floor, but a ladder will resolve that issue.”

  He went over to the window, opened it, and scanned the people in the town. He didn’t see anyone who reminded him of the Duke of Winnett. He didn’t think the duke would hire someone else to chase after them. If he was a betting man, he’d say that the duke did everything himself in order to best cover up his crimes. Hiring someone risked them getting lazy, and a lazy person left evidence behind.

  Byron tapped the edge of the windowsill. He was going to settle this case if it was the last thing he did. So far, he hadn’t lost a single case, and he’d be damned if he was going to start now.

  Eleanor cleared her throat. “I notice you wrote down ‘Mr. and Mrs. Tumilson’ in the ledger downstairs, but we’re not married yet, and I don’t feel comfortable sharing a bed with you until we are.”

  He glanced her way. “I don’t plan on sleeping tonight. I’ll be keeping lookout at this window.”

  “Oh.”

  His eyebrows furrowed. He wasn’t sure, but it almost sounded like she was disappointed he wasn’t going to try to do something with her. Her shoulders slightly drooped and a small frown crossed her face. But then she picked up her valise and put it on the table in front of the mirror.

  He shook his head as she began to sort through her belongings. No, she hadn’t been disappointed. He had been imagining it. She had no romantic inclinations toward him. This whole thing with their relationship was one-sided. She had expected to marry a titled or a wealthy gentleman. He was neither, and because of that, she didn’t see him as anything but a Runner.

  His gaze went back to the window. The duke might see him and know which room he was staying in. Whether the duke assumed Eleanor was in this room or another room was of little consequence. Byron needed to get a good view of the town so he could remember where everything was. He’d already tested the wheels of the carriage before leaving London. He’d check them again in the morning, but for now, the carriage was in good shape. Her father might have hired a carriage that had seen better days, but he did make sure it was a solid one. Perhaps there was a part of him that sincerely cared for his daughter.

  Once Byron had a good understanding of the town, he shut the window and secured it. “I’ll open this when I get back. I don’t think the Duke of Winnett will do anything before dark, but there’s no point in taking any chances.” Especially not when Byron cared so much for the person who was being threatened. He turned to face her and saw that she had set out her grooming supplies on the table. “I’m going to get us something to eat and bring it back here. I would suggest we eat downstairs, but it’s crowded down there. That makes it harder to find someone who doesn’t want to be caught.”

  She nodded. “I understand. I’ll stay here.”

  Good. That made things easier. It was nice to know his future wife was practical about things. “I want you to lock the door when I leave. I’ll call out ‘robin redbreast’ when I return.”

  She followed him to the door. “Why not just say you’re back?”

  “Because anyone could say that. You’d be surprised at how easy it is to mistake someone for another person when you can’t see them. What we need is a code that only we know about. That way you can be certain it’s me.”

  She blinked in surprise. “I never thought of that. How many times have people pretended to be someone else on the other side of a door?”

  “Believe it or not, it’s happened quite a bit. I shouldn’t be too long.” When she indicated she would wait for him, he unlatched the door and stepped into the hall. He waited for her to lock the door before he headed down the stairs.

  ***

  The next morning, Eleanor stood by the carriage while Byron inspected the wheels. The coachman, who’d been hired to take them to Gretna Green, rolled his eyes but didn’t argue when Byron insisted on making sure everything was safe, even though the coachman had assured them that no one had been near the carriage all night.

  Eleanor didn’t mind that Byron was being cautious. Having been in a carriage that had lost a wheel, she’d rather be safe than sorry. But a part of her was annoyed. As promised, Byron had stayed up all night by the window. She realized he had been keeping watch, but there was something about watching him be so formal about everything that bothered her. She kept telling herself there was nothing wrong. He was only doing his job. But maybe that was the problem. She was still a job to him. It would have been nice if he had at least tried to get into the bed with her.

  Byron stood up after inspecting the last wheel. “Everything looks good. We’re ready to go.”

  “Yippie,” the coachman muttered under his breath before he went to open the carriage door.

  Eleanor glanced at Byron. If he’d heard the coachman, he gave no indication of it. She collected her valise and let the coachman help her into the carriage.

  Byron followed in after her then sat next to her. He waited until the coachman closed the door before he put his feet up on the seat across from them and rested his head against the carriage wall. Then he let out a long and heavy sigh.

  She blinked in surprise. He was more worried than she’d believed. “Is it hard to stay up all night?”

  He glanced her way as the carriage moved forward. “No. I do it all the time.”

  “Have you ever needed to protect someone who was being pursued across the country before?”

  He closed his eyes. “Yes, I’ve had to escort gentlemen who were being followed. There were a couple of times it was the only way to draw the criminal out of his hiding place.”

  She frowned. Granted, she hadn’t known him for long, but in all the times they’d been together, he’d seemed confident. This morning, she detected a vulnerableness in him.

  After a moment, she ventured, “Do you think the Duke of Winnett will succeed?”

  “He’ll succeed over my dead body.”

  She was sure the comment was supposed to make her feel better, but it didn’t. Directing her gaze to the window, she noted the people and other carriages around them. She didn’t see the Duke of Winnett anywhere. That didn’t mean anything, of course. As Byron had warned, it was unlikely that he would show himself.

  “Do you think he might disguise himself so we won’t recognize him?” she asked.

  “I’m sure of it.”

  Then it could be any of the men she was looking at.

  “As long as we stay together, you’ll be fine,” Byron assured her.

  He sounded so sure of it that she couldn’t help but relax. She settled back into the seat. Byron still had his eyes closed. “Do you plan to sleep?” she asked.

  “I need to if I’m going to be able to stay awake tonight. I might be able to accomplish many amazing things, but even I need rest.”

  The joke made her laugh. “Since your weakness is the need for sleep, I’ll leave you alone.”

  She caught the smile on his face before she took a book out of her valise. From time to time, she glanced out the carriage window, and she saw a couple of carriages off in the distance. Any of them could contain the Duke of Winnett. It was impossible to tell. But Byron was with her, and she had no doubt he would make sure she didn’t end up marrying the wrong person.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  There was barely enough moonlight to make out any movement in the town. Byron had very few complaints to take up with God, but the decision to alter how much light the moon gave on any given night was one of them. There were far too many shadows with all of the buildings and carriages in the town. A person could hide anywhere. That gave the Duke of Winnett a significant advantage, and if there was something Byron didn’t want to give him, it was an advantage.

  Byron settled back in the chair. There was no point in keeping watch by the window. He wasn’t going to see anyone who was sticking to the shadows. The only thing he could do was be with Eleanor in case the duke managed to find his way into the room.

  Eleanor’s father had granted the Duke of Winnett permission to marry her. Byron assumed the duke’s first recourse would be to kidnap her and run off with her to Gretna Green himself. She wouldn’t be able to fight him, and upon their return to London, it was unlikely anyone would believe her version of events. She was a lady. Like it or not, people were apt to believe the gentleman, especially one with a good reputation. The Duke of Winnett might be bad with money, but he was spotless otherwise. Byron wouldn’t be able to prove a kidnapping any more than he could prove that the duke had a hand in the incident at the theatre or with the carriage wheel. It was just Byron’s luck that the one case he couldn’t prove was the one that involved someone he had a personal interest in.