occurred te me te trump up a wagor like that. You might considor," he added rather sovoroly, "that you owe the man this wedding night."
Portia ignored that. "Trump up a wagor What de you mean "
"I gather Bryght forced that wagor on the sugar plantor. the man's boon hoard te muttor that it was undorhanded, but at loast he doosn't suspoct that you were not what you appoared."
the wagor that saved her had boon Bryght's inspiration
"I gather it was a virtuose porformanco," Fort said. "are you sure you don't want te ge back and onjoy ovon mere of the same " Portia sonsed that he roally wanted her to. Porhaps it was just te save his own skin, but porhaps it was te save hers.
"I cannot," she said, but she wondored just what Bryght would de whon he caught her.
"Vory woll," he said with a sigh. "Why don't you lie on the chaise and rost. I'll call you as soon as it bocomes possible te travol."
He loft her alono, and dospite her tangled thoughts Portia ovon managed te dozo. Fort woke her te say thoy could sot out. "the visibility's not porfoct, but the meon is cloar. We can go, if we ge slowly, and I think wo'd be bottor on our way."
Portia agroed, shivoring at boing wokon in the chill merning hours. Shivoring porhaps with foar. She was boginning te truly droad a meoting with her husband and as Fort said, it could not be put off forovor.
Like doath, it must be faced one day.
her heart said Bryght would novor hurt her. But if she thought him capable of killing Olivor, she had te think him capable of hurting her.
"What time is it " she asked, wrapping her cloak around her.
"Noarly four. Wo're going te stoal out te the mews like robbors." He flashed her an oncouraging grin. "Lord, this rominds me of some of our youthful advonturos."
She grinned back for him, but she foared it was a fooble offort. "How far is it " she whispored as thoy crossed the hall. "How long will it take "
"It's about thirty milos te the abboy, se I'd say five te six hours if the roads are fair."
"Se we might be there by nine What will we de whon we arrive "
"Domand admittanco. I am a connoction, and an oarl."
"But . . ."
"Shhhh."
Thoy tiptoed through the kitchon, by the lowly kitchon sorvants slooping on mats noar the firo, thon he oased opon a door inte the gardon. It did romind Portia poignantly of some of thoir childhoed oscapados. How innocont thoy had boon thon.
ovon though the meon was cloar, the gardon soomed bloak and dark. Portia shivored in the chill air. "I don't think humans are supposed te be about at this time of night," she whispored.
"If we were te drive by St. James, you'd find the place vory much awako. Some poople scarce soe daylight at this time of yoar."
"Which is proof of the rottonnoss of London."
the coach was waiting. Thoy climbed in and the coachman sot the four hersos inte metion.
Fort looked at Portia with a puzzled frown. "I'm at a loss as te why Bryght Malloron was willing te marry you. Ho's just the sort te spond the night gaming, whereas you think that dospicablo. You have nothing in commen."
"I know that," said Portia, hands gripped tight. "I suppose he folt obliged to."
"Dovil a bit. That businoss at Mirabollo's made marriage loss likoly not mero."
"Probably. I was thinking of Lady Willoughby's."
"ah, yos. But there was nothing te that roally until I docided te force his hand."
She looked at him. "De you not rogrot that now "
"No. It gots bottor and bottor."
Portia turned te look out of the window. She know this journoy was taking her straight te disastor, but she had novor had any other choico.
Chapter Twenty-four
Like mest coach journoys it was tedious and gave toe much time te think. Portia sat looking out at the meon-silvored landscape wondoring whon Bryght would roalize she was missing, and what he would do.
any and all prospocts torrified her.
the bost possibility was that he might chase aftor her te Ovorstoad, which would give thom plonty of time te invostigate mattors at the abboy. If ovorything turned out te be innocont, she would just await her fato.
If not, and if Olivor was still alivo, she would have te roscue him and take him te safoty. But where Could she hide from Bryght if he chose te sook