The Hired Hero by Andrea Pickens Page A

and shrugged into her coat. The earl waited as she paused by the mirror to tuck her hair up under the wool cap, then turned on his heel, leaving her to follow in his wake. He ignored the incredulous looks from both Mrs. Collins and Owens as the two of them strode through the entrance hall. Caroline managed a brief smile, then shot forward to keep the heavy oak door from slamming on her nose.
    Outside, Davenport flung a leather portmanteau over Nero’s flanks, then tied a another set of bags at the back of the other horse’s saddle. As he turned, he noticed Caroline looking with longing at the stallion.
    “Don’t even think of it,” he growled.
    Caroline sighed and let him give her a leg up onto the smaller mount. “My lord,” she ventured as she set her boots into the stirrups. “I have one other question—are you armed?”
    His eyes narrowed. “Do not let that lively imagination of yours run away with you. Though you may relish the idea of  pistols at dawn and other such nonsense, I do not. You may rest assured that our journey will pass without incident. “
    For the first time, Caroline felt a stab of guilt. Did she truly have a right to bring another person into danger? The papers at her ribs were an all too uncomfortable reminder that what lay ahead was no ordinary journey. It was for their country, she reminded herself. Surely even a dissolute rake would feel honor-bound to help, if he knew the truth.
    The earl swung himself into the saddle and, without a backwards look, spurred his horse into a canter.
    An hour later, Caroline found herself wondering if the earl was going to utter a word during their journey. He ignored her presence and kept up a rapid pace without so much as a glance as to whether she was still with him. She set her jaw and used all of her considerable skill to keep up. From her position behind him she noted that he rode with an effortless grace, handling the spirited stallion with a subtle command rather than engaging in a heavy handed battle of wills. The animal moved with a confidence, exuberance even, yet there was no doubt as to who was in control. Grudgingly she admitted that in this, at least, he was bang up to the mark.
    As they reached a long stretch of flat road, Davenport slowed his horse to a walk. Caroline urged her own mount forward to ride abreast with him.
    “You ride tolerably well,” he said curtly, before she had a chance to say anything.” You may count yourself lucky.”
    The compliment she had intended to make died on her lips. “What do you mean?”
    If you hadn’t been able to keep up, I would have ended this harebrained scheme an hour ago.” He paused. “I still might,” he added under his breath.
    Caroline’s voice became heated. “But we have an agreement!”
     “Yes,” he replied coolly, not taking his eyes from the road ahead. “But be that as it may, if it had been beyond your powers, I’d not risk your neck—or mine. I’ve no intention of having to play nursemaid, no matter what the reward.”
     So he thought to manage her like his horse! Caroline reined in her temper, however, settling for what she considered a mild response.
     “Satisfied?”
     “For now.”
    She restrained the urge to deliver a swift kick to his shins.
    After a strained silence, she tried another tack of questioning. “Are we to travel on back roads for the entire journey?”
    “Do you wish to set the route as well?” he countered, a touch of sarcasm creeping into his tone.
    She noticed that he avoided using her name, and in fact had ceased making even the slightest attempt at polite address—now it was not even “Miss”. Really, the man was infuriating. But he was her only choice.
    “As I am unfamiliar with this part of the country, it would be a useless endeavor on my part.”
    “Ah, something on which you are not the expert,” he muttered acidly. “I hadn’t thought it possible.”
    That struck her as unfair. “Are you always so deliberately rude to