“I did warn you,” Langley said dryly once it was just the three of them. “You should have listened. I have known them all my life, after all .”

“Yes, you have,” Richard agreed, turning on him. “And while the women are packing, you can tell us everything you’ve learned about them in that time.”

Chapter Twelve

I do not know how you can do that with the carriage bouncing about as it is.”

Christiana glanced up from her embroidery at Richard’s words and smiled wryly. The truth was she was poking her fingers more than the cloth and the stitches she had managed would have to be ripped out and done over again anyway, they were such a mess, but it helped pass the time and distracted her from the fact that she was shut up all alone in a carriage with Richard.

In the end, the men had agreed to take three carriages for this trip to Gretna Green. Each man had contributed one. The maids rode in Langley’s carriage at the back of their little procession, she and Richard rode in the Radnor carriage at the front and Suzette, Lisa, Langley and Daniel all rode in the Woodrow carriage in the middle. It seemed an unfair distribution of their party to Christiana and she would have preferred at least one more person in the carriage with her and Richard to act as a buffer, but when Daniel had suggested he and Suzette needed a chaperone in their own carriage for the journey, Langley had volunteered and Lisa had insisted on joining them. Apparently, none of them considered that Christiana and Richard were not yet properly wed and should also have a chaperone.

Of course, her sisters still had no idea Richard was Richard and Dicky had actually been George and she wasn’t legal y either man’s wife. But the men knew it. Obviously, they weren’t as concerned for her reputation as she was. But then Christiana supposed she had little reputation to save after the night she had spent with Richard when she’d still thought him her husband. Despite that, she was determined to behave as she’d been raised to and not make the mistake of sleeping with Richard again until they were legal y wed. The problem was, she really wanted to. Temptation was an awful thing, she decided.

“It helps me pass the time,” she said finally in answer to his comment.

“Hmm.” Richard peered out the window at the passing scenery. “It is a long journey.”

“Made longer by our insistence on three carriages and stopping at night,” she suggested gently. “I am sorry about that.”

“No.” He smiled wryly. “Now that we are on the road I am grateful you ladies insisted on it. I am already looking forward to getting out and stretching my legs. And sleeping tonight in something that isn’t bouncing up and down will be nice.”

Christiana murmured agreement and struggled on with her efforts at embroidery.

“Have you been to Radnor?” he asked suddenly. “Has George taken you there since you married?”