Suzette scowled, but then turned her attention to the road as a carriage came into view on the lane. It was moving much slower than the last two that had passed. They had both been traveling at a gallop, obviously heading somewhere and eager to get there. But the driver of this carriage was keeping the horses moving at a slow trot, as if out for a ride through the park. There was also a second carriage traveling behind it at the same gait, Suzette noted, and narrowed her eyes on the vehicles as the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up.

“It’s the boys.”

Suzette spotted Daniel and Richard through the open windows on the near side of the first carriage even as her father breathed those words beside her. The two men were leaning out of the windows, peering over the grassy verge and trees lining the road as if searching for something.

Them, she knew at once, and smiled as her father said, “There’s Daniel. I told you he wanted to marry you.”

“Shut up,” Jeremy hissed as the second carriage drew close enough for them to see two women leaning out its windows much as the men were doing in the first. They too were scanning the surroundings they were passing through. Suzette recognized that one of the women was Lisa, but had no idea who the older woman was.

“Must be Daniel’s mother,” Cedrick Madison muttered.

“If either of you makes another sound, I will shoot Lord Madison,” Jeremy warned in a grim whisper.

Suzette stared at the pistol that suddenly appeared before her face, pointing toward her father’s head, and briefly considered chomping her teeth into Jeremy’s hand and throwing herself forward, hopefully forcing the pistol away. But there was a chance it would go off before she got it pointed away from her father and she couldn’t risk that, so she sat still and watched helplessly as the carriages continued past and then moved out of sight around the next bend.

Suzette started to rise then, but Jeremy caught her arm and jerked her back to a squat, barking, “Stay put.”

“Why?” she asked with irritation. “They have gone.”

“I want to be sure they continue and don’t turn around,” he said shortly. “Now shut up and just stay put.”

Suzette grimaced, but did as she was told and remained squatting. However, it was becoming uncomfortable and she sighed impatiently several times as the seconds dragged past.

“Stop that,” Jeremy hissed. “I am trying to listen.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she said sharply. “They’ve continued on. Can we not move? I am hungry, cold and need to relieve myself for real now.”

Jeremy glowered at her with displeasure and growled, “If it weren’t for your rather handsome dower I’d be tempted to kill you right here and now.”