Sir Ashley's Mettlesome Match

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‘But it is true, is it not? You have often taken the blame for a misdemeanour of Nathaniel’s. Do not think I have not noticed.’

Ash turned to Philippa. She was looking decidedly uncomfortable and he began to feel a tiny bit sorry for her, but he was not going to let her off the hook just yet. ‘And was that what you were doing last night, protecting your brother by impersonating him?’

‘No,’ she said. ‘You said yourself I am nothing like a man.’

‘So I did.’ He smiled at the memory and she knew why he was smiling. She felt the colour flare in her cheeks.

‘Then you have your answer.’

‘I do not think so,’ he said. ‘Why were you there?’

‘My aunt has told you. A love of adventure. Call it curiosity.’

‘Curiosity, my dear Miss Kingslake, was the death of the cat.’

‘That is a silly saying. And I am not a cat.’

‘Ah, then I need not fear your claws.’

A ‘hmph’ from the other corner of the carriage reminded him that they were not alone and Mrs Whiteside did not appreciate his teasing. He stopped smiling and became serious. ‘What did you hope to learn?’

‘How it was done, how the cargo was dispersed. I had no idea it was such a huge enterprise. I thought it was simply a barrel here, a keg there, a few packets of tea to be distributed among the local population. Instead it is a whole caravan of carts, mules and men moving in the dark.’

He did not believe she had been so ignorant. An enterprise such as had taken place the previous night could not help but be known to everyone, including Sir Felix and the Revenue men. Pretending ignorance was much more comfortable, your conscience need not trouble you and, unless you were as foolish as Philippa Kingslake, you stayed indoors when the ‘gentlemen’ were about.

‘And what did the men say to you when they saw you among them?’ he asked.

She wondered if he had heard what John Bristow had told her. ‘They did not speak,’ she said. ‘They needed their breath for the task in hand.’

‘Pity. So you did not discover what happened to your brother?’

‘My brother, sir, is from home. I believe I have already told you that.’

‘So you did, but you did not say where he was.’

‘He is at sea.’

‘At sea?’ he queried, one eyebrow raised.

‘Why not?’ she said, ignoring her aunt’s startled gasp. ‘We are a sea-faring family. My father was a naval captain before he retired on half-pay and my mother frequently went on voyages with him. And sometimes my brother and I went with them. Is it any wonder that Nat should want to follow in our father’s footsteps?’

‘You mean he is a naval man?’

‘No, but he goes out with the fishermen and sometimes signs on to a merchantman.’

Augusta opened her mouth to speak but, catching Pippa’s warning look, subsided into silence, much to Pippa’s relief. She dare not look at Sir Ashley, who must surely detect her prevarication in her eyes. She was not used to being deceitful, hated it, especially now when Sir Ashley who was doing his best to help them. But it was necessary. He did not hold with smuggling and if he knew Nat was well and truly involved, he would have no hesitation in tracking him down and giving him over to the law along with the village men who acted as tub carriers and batmen. Each had a financial stake in the safe delivery of the cargo and it was more than they could earn legitimately in six months. Even though Nat was not among them this time, she did not want them caught because most of them had families who would be destitute without their bread winners. In one way she was glad she had fallen in the ditch because helping her had distracted Sir Ashley from following them.