“Thank you.” Rebecca swept past him with her most regal smile firmly in place but once alone, slapped her hand to her head. She could definitely feel a headache coming on. Rafferty seemed determined to make her life harder than it already was.
When she returned to the hallway after freshening up, she heard Rafferty laughing along with others. The taproom was in that direction, she thought, but she hoped he would join her soon so she could give him a piece of her mind—preferably before he was too drunk to hear how upset she was with him.
A maid directed her to a pleasant chamber far away from the taproom, and the blessed tea was already waiting on the long table. She sat, allowed the maid to serve her and sipped—biding her time until Rafferty joined her.
When Lady Ava and Lord Rafferty came in together, unfortunately, all she could do was scowl at him and continue to wait for her chance to speak to him alone.
Rafferty signaled the servant to fill two teacups and then dismissed them with a flick of his long fingers.
“I’m surprised you are not holding a tankard,” she grumbled softly.
“People can change when they want to,” he murmured, and then took a sip of his tea. “The few travelers in the taproom report the road ahead is in excellent condition.”
She huffed at the news and looked his way.
Rafferty had changed in the past few weeks. She had to give him credit for that. But how long would such a miracle of his sobriety last or his choice of sedate waistcoats to wear continue?
She considered what to do. Only Ava was with them at the moment, and she had her face pressed to the windowpane, watching the yard below. Now might be the only chance she got for conversation before she retired for the night.
She caught Rafferty’s eye to whisper, “Who do you think will believe this ruse you’ve concocted?”
“Everyone, unless you give yourself away by continuing to protest my decisions—designed, I might add, to protect your reputation,” Rafferty said, sitting beside her. “Smile. No one knows us here, and Ava understands the necessity of a little harmless deception.”
“So it will all work out—until we come face to face with someone we know,” she snapped. “I told my father that I do not need an escort to London. Why are you going to London?”
“I have my reasons.” Rafferty looked beyond Rebecca. “Ava, come away from the windows.”
“But Papa, a fancy carriage just drove past.”
The earl chuckled softly. “We arrived in just such a conveyance. Or is Papa’s new carriage not good enough for you? Come back to the table now before I’m accused of rearing a heathen. Show her your prettiest manners.”
The girl skipped to a chair, a look of chagrin on her face. But then she smiled. “Sorry, Mama,” she said with an exaggerated wink.
Rebecca put her head in her hand. At least the girl seemed happy playing along with her father’s ridiculous deception. She had no idea the trouble her father’s ruse could land them in.
She lifted her head and squinted at the girl and then her father. Even though she liked Lady Ava, with her now sitting so close, Rebecca could not even whisper her complaints in Rafferty’s ear without the girl hearing every word. He’d just maneuvered her into silence.
She fumed.
When the tea had been consumed in near silence, the innkeeper’s wife returned with servants who rushed to place an array of dishes at the other end of the table. Nancy returned then, too, with assurances that the rooms the earl had rented for the night were prepared.
After they had eaten, she would send Lady Ava away to be with her maid and then she would exchange a few dozen private words with the earl. She was looking forward to that.
The earl smiled at her suddenly. “Let us eat. It has been a very long day, and I’m sure you ladies would like to retire for the night as soon as possible.”
After she’d eaten, and had sliced Rafferty to ribbons, Rebecca intended to sleep alone.
They moved to the other end of the table, and although Nancy tried to serve, Rafferty sent her to her chair. He served Rebecca first and then his daughter, and the maid, too. There was wine on the table, but he poured only a little for himself and some for Rebecca. Ava and Nancy had milk.
Rebecca quickly discovered she wasn’t very hungry after all. She moved the surprisingly good beef stew and potatoes around her plate endlessly and then pushed it away.
Rafferty noticed the half-eaten plate of food but said nothing about it beyond raising one brow in surprise. He continued eating, and entertained his daughter and Nancy with tales of his past travels. The girl lapped up the stories, hanging on her father’s words in a sweet way that had Rebecca smiling.
Seeing them so happy together made Rebecca’s irritation lessen. She did not know much about Rafferty’s interests, but he certainly told a good story about his life. She’d never had reason to know him better until now, and almost against her will, she became fascinated by watching him talk. Perhaps he had a good excuse for being here after all.
Rafferty brushed at the crumbs on his lap at the end of the meal. “Time for bed, my girl.”
“But Papa—”