Chapter 6

Rebecca was getting claustrophobic. Maggie, the innkeeper's wife, had dragged her by the arm into her own quarters before Rebecca got two steps into Phileas's room. She was strong from years of hard work, which kept Rebecca off balance all the way down the hall. As grateful as she had been for having an ally, Rebecca was not used to being ordered around or dragged down halls. She had reined in her objections out of necessity. If these people had not been willing to act on her behalf, she would be on her way to wherever Phileas had been taken.

Once the door was shut, Maggie had pushed Rebecca further into the apartments to a room where the agent was bidden to stay quiet. Inside this little room, Rebecca found all their things piled on a chair.

Maggie must have emptied our rooms when Kingston's men arrived. For that, I will be very grateful.

Moving the pile to the small bed, Rebecca sat on the one chair, looking out the small window. It faced the stables. The man with the innkeeper was tall and young. She recognized him right away. The fact he had not known her was only because of the cloak covering her from head to toe and the landlord sending her away so quickly. Rebecca gave thanks for that, too. The other man was the one who stabbed Irene.

The shift in their fortunes had happened so fast it still had not sunk in.

How were we found out? We always watched our backs on the roads. We never took the same route back. She gave up the useless line of questioning. It could have been as simple as a child seeing Phileas nearby and telling the wrong person.

Rebecca concentrated on the man who had stabbed Irene. Him, she owed something. He stood in the shadows of the inn with the landlord another hour before giving up.

She quit her vigil and checked the door. It was locked. She removed the ill-fitting maid's uniform and the highwayman outfit to change back into her blue day dress. When she was nearly done with the dress hooks, Maggie knocked at the door.

"Come in," Rebecca said.

Maggie slipped in and closed the door. "Your man was taken away to the Kingston estate. Someone saw him riding from here yesterday. Mr. Downs came and challenged my husband about harboring Drummond after the two of you left. I cleared your room so they would find nothing. We told him the only stranger staying with us was you, a cousin from England. Mr. Downs and his men set a trap. It was by the grace of God you did not come back with your man, or you would both have been caught, too."

Rebecca took in the brief explanation and thanked Maggie for her and her husband's intervention.

"You must stay here for now, Miss," Maggie said before leaving. "I will bring you some stew after you have rested. The door won't be locked anymore, but there is a bolt on this side if you want it."

Rebecca threw the bolt and laid down on the small bed. Jules would have to be told later.

She closed her eyes for a long time, thinking about how she could carry out their plans. She knew the men of this town would not delay David's trial any longer. They would both likely be dead before morning.

Rebecca had to make their plan work. Adjustments tumbled about in her mind as she slept fitfully from sunrise until noon.