Eleanor waited until they were ready before going back to her carriage. Thank God Matt, her brother-in-law, had insisted she take the large servants’ coach. The second footman assisted her into her carriage.

“You ready to go, my lady?” the head coachman asked.

“I am. We will need to stop at an inn. I think the woman might require a doctor.”

“Leave it to me, my lady.” A second later, they were moving again.

Mrs. Parks wrung her hands. “I do not know what your sister and his lordship will say—”

There were times when Eleanor forgot that not all people were interested in helping others. She stifled the urge to lecture the older lady. “Mrs. Parks, I appreciate your concern. But I know they will say that I did the right thing.” Eleanor picked up the book she had brought with her. “We will be able to refresh the bricks when we stop.”

An hour or so later, she was still staring at the book, but hadn’t read a page. The only thing she could think about was the plight of the poor mother and her children. What if she had not happened by? Would they have been left to freeze to death? Eleanor glanced surreptitiously at Mrs. Parks. She would not have stopped. Even her maid had sniffed and failed to assist Turner and Jobert in making their guests comfortable. And what had happened to them that they were out in this sort of weather? Eleanor closed her book. Surely they would be at the inn soon. She looked out the window. A light snow had started earlier, and now it was coming down much more heavily. That probably meant an unscheduled stop for the night. She blew out a breath. It would be fine. If she was capable enough to wed, she was capable enough to deal with this situation.

Sometime later, they drove into the well-kept yard, and Eleanor glanced out the window. The familiar sign in the shape of a carriage wheel swung from the arm of a large white inn.

One of the outriders rode up. “My lady, Lord Kenilworth made arrangements for us to stop here if we ran into weather. I’ll go in and notify them we have arrived.” He glanced at the other carriage. “What do you want done with the family?”

“Arrange a room, baths, and food for them. They will not want to be separated.”

The outrider bowed. “Of course, my lady. I’ll explain the matter to the landlord.”

And be told no. “Get Jobert. Mrs. Parks”—Eleanor waited for the woman to acknowledge her—“you shall accompany me.”

Her companion gathered her knitting into a bag. “I have been thinking about what you did, my lady. You were right. Your sister would have done the same thing.”

Eleanor gave Mrs. Parks a genuine smile. “I know. But now we will probably have to deal with a recalcitrant innkeeper.”