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“I didn’t see what you were doing,” Rose replied weakly She had been watching hi However, she hadn’t realised the ian to lead the anie This belongs to somebody”

“I aued

“Well, that’s what it looks like,” she protested Her eyes widened further when he led the beast and carriage into the street and waved toward it “You will not steal that carriage”

“I warned you to shut up”

“Or what?” she de hi about what she now suspected were erunted, swore, and threatened, but in all reality he was nothingbuffoon When he didn’t appear inclined to pay her any attention whatsoever, and continued to try to seal the carriage and horse, she glanced around the street in an attempt to try to find a way to stop him She could call for help, but then that would alert Chadwick to where they were Still, she had no intention of being arrested for helping anybody steal a carriage Not even if was to leave the area while being chased by a deranged killer

Barnaby heaved a sigh of relief that she had at least fallen quiet for the present He hadn’t ever relished silence before Now, he revelled in the quietude, not least because it gave hie they would be sitting relatively high up and would be vulnerable, although not if they were et to the outskirts of town far faster than Chadwick could on foot It was perfect for their purposes If only he could get his neree to sit on it for a while

“I would have a better chance of building rumbled aloud

Thankfully, the young woe that she wasn’t to speak unless it was essential He would have been delighted by his success - if it wasn’t so darned quiet Sensing that solanced up

His curse was vicious when he saw that the place where Rose had once stood was now empty

CHAPTER FOUR

“Rose?” he whispered He glanced around the yard She wasn’t there Withdrawing his gun, Barnaby cocked it and stepped around the cart so he could study the street

“What the-?”

He stared in disbelief at the sight of the s her tiny feet down the street, her back raht, her small up-tilted nose pointed snootily at the stars What she thought she was doing was beyond hiue she didn’t stand a chance against one of Sayers’ henchhter There was no earthly chance that any brief encounter was going to result in anything but bloodshed Barnaby was half tempted to leave her to her own devices and send Chadwick co about that spirited naivety that was co He just couldn’t abandon her to her Fate She deserved better than that

He didn’t kno, or why, and it galled hirow on hiht, so she was a bit like a wart on the end of his nose at the ers that surrounded them to think about Not only that but secretively, deep down, if he was in his cups and too mindless to mind his words, he would briefly aduely spirited side to her He could do without the sniping, incessant talking, and wilful defiance, but he ado her oay and fly in the face of reason He couldn’t allow it to continue of course, but he admired it

“God have mercy on e