A fine piece, m'lord. Care to see it?"
Charlie nodded eagerly and the barrel-chested man maneuvered himself out from behind the table and hurried from the room. Charlie sipped at her drink as she waited, perking up when the man returned, pistol in hand.
"There." He set the flintlock pistol on the table with care, then poured more ale for them both as Charlie picked up the weapon. It seemed a fine piece; thirteen inches long with cut steel stock inlays. Her eyes widened as she noted the initials R. N. on the hand-carved stock, guessing correctly that an innkeeper would not be able to afford such a fine piece.
"Got it from a lord," he announced, noting her interest in the initials. "Couldn't pay his bill. Got caught up in a game of chance with some other customers at the inn. Lost all his money. Caught him trying to sneak out in the middle of the night. He gave me the pistol rather than find hisself arrested."
"Bad business, that. Sneaking out of an inn in the middle of the night."
Charlie nearly overturned her drink at those words and glanced up sharply to find Radcliffe standing over her, laughter in his eyes.
"I thought you had gone to bed, my lord," she commented irritably, shifting on her seat and handing the innkeeper the pistol back.
"We slept all day," Radcliffe pointed out, taking a seat at the table and waving the innkeeper back to his when he started to rise. "Do not leave on my account. I thought to join you both."
"I'll just get ye a glass, Yer Lordship," the innkeeper said happily, hurrying away from the table.
Charlie watched him go with a sigh. The man was overjoyed at this turn of events. It was not often, she supposed, that two members of the gentry sat to drink with him. It was a shame she could not share in his pleasure, but right that minute, Charlie wished Radcliffe anywhere but there.
"It is less than a day's travel to London from the next inn we shall stop at."
Charlie glanced at Radcliffe as he continued.
"I am going to send a messenger on from there to fetch my hack. It is enclosed, and I think it would be better if you and your sister are not seen arriving. You can stay at my townhouse and I shall introduce you as my cousins. That should give you a little bit of time before the lie is discovered and your uncle finds out your whereabouts. With any luck, we shall have her married off before then."
He was silent for a moment, then went on with his plans for them, "I shall take you to a jeweler I know the day after we arrive. He will give you a fair price for your mother's jewels. I would not recommend cashing them all in right away, though. Just enough to pay for wardrobes and make a few investments should do. I was heading to town myself to invest in a venture. You might want to consider it. It is a bit risky, but if all goes well, it might be
very profitable."
Charlie merely sat blinking at the man, a little stunned at all he was saying. He was offering a lot more than protection, and what he was offering was astounding. His home, protection, and aid. With his help, she could build a fortune and many Beth off to a nice safe man that she liked…
If she really were Charles and not Charlie, she reminded herself and sighed. Of the two of them, Beth was not the one who was really in peril. She would have been miserable married to Seguin, but she would have been well cared for. The real danger was to Charlie herself, and she could hardly find a husband as a man.
Sighing, she shook her head regretfully. It had been a nice thought, but she could not risk Beth having a coming out. Even with a fake name. Their safest option was to flee to Ralphy. That in mind, she determined to wait until Radcliffe went to bed, then to approach the innkeeper about his gun.
"The boy seems a bit under the weather, m'lord," the innkeeper commented with amusement. "Not used to strong drink, I'd be sayin'."
Radcliffe glanced at Charles' rather blank expression and smiled wryly. "And I would say you were right," he
Charlie nodded eagerly and the barrel-chested man maneuvered himself out from behind the table and hurried from the room. Charlie sipped at her drink as she waited, perking up when the man returned, pistol in hand.
"There." He set the flintlock pistol on the table with care, then poured more ale for them both as Charlie picked up the weapon. It seemed a fine piece; thirteen inches long with cut steel stock inlays. Her eyes widened as she noted the initials R. N. on the hand-carved stock, guessing correctly that an innkeeper would not be able to afford such a fine piece.
"Got it from a lord," he announced, noting her interest in the initials. "Couldn't pay his bill. Got caught up in a game of chance with some other customers at the inn. Lost all his money. Caught him trying to sneak out in the middle of the night. He gave me the pistol rather than find hisself arrested."
"Bad business, that. Sneaking out of an inn in the middle of the night."
Charlie nearly overturned her drink at those words and glanced up sharply to find Radcliffe standing over her, laughter in his eyes.
"I thought you had gone to bed, my lord," she commented irritably, shifting on her seat and handing the innkeeper the pistol back.
"We slept all day," Radcliffe pointed out, taking a seat at the table and waving the innkeeper back to his when he started to rise. "Do not leave on my account. I thought to join you both."
"I'll just get ye a glass, Yer Lordship," the innkeeper said happily, hurrying away from the table.
Charlie watched him go with a sigh. The man was overjoyed at this turn of events. It was not often, she supposed, that two members of the gentry sat to drink with him. It was a shame she could not share in his pleasure, but right that minute, Charlie wished Radcliffe anywhere but there.
"It is less than a day's travel to London from the next inn we shall stop at."
Charlie glanced at Radcliffe as he continued.
"I am going to send a messenger on from there to fetch my hack. It is enclosed, and I think it would be better if you and your sister are not seen arriving. You can stay at my townhouse and I shall introduce you as my cousins. That should give you a little bit of time before the lie is discovered and your uncle finds out your whereabouts. With any luck, we shall have her married off before then."
He was silent for a moment, then went on with his plans for them, "I shall take you to a jeweler I know the day after we arrive. He will give you a fair price for your mother's jewels. I would not recommend cashing them all in right away, though. Just enough to pay for wardrobes and make a few investments should do. I was heading to town myself to invest in a venture. You might want to consider it. It is a bit risky, but if all goes well, it might be
very profitable."
Charlie merely sat blinking at the man, a little stunned at all he was saying. He was offering a lot more than protection, and what he was offering was astounding. His home, protection, and aid. With his help, she could build a fortune and many Beth off to a nice safe man that she liked…
If she really were Charles and not Charlie, she reminded herself and sighed. Of the two of them, Beth was not the one who was really in peril. She would have been miserable married to Seguin, but she would have been well cared for. The real danger was to Charlie herself, and she could hardly find a husband as a man.
Sighing, she shook her head regretfully. It had been a nice thought, but she could not risk Beth having a coming out. Even with a fake name. Their safest option was to flee to Ralphy. That in mind, she determined to wait until Radcliffe went to bed, then to approach the innkeeper about his gun.
"The boy seems a bit under the weather, m'lord," the innkeeper commented with amusement. "Not used to strong drink, I'd be sayin'."
Radcliffe glanced at Charles' rather blank expression and smiled wryly. "And I would say you were right," he
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