By this time, the militiaman was coming up to the carriage. He touched a hand to his cap. “Miss?”
Delia wasted no time. “You are looking for someone, aren’t you?”
A wary expression came into the man’s eyes. “Miss?”
Impatience gripped Delia. “I think you are looking for me. I am Miss Burloyne and I was left behind when my aunt’s coach went off after being waylaid.”
His eyes widening, the militiaman stared. “You’re the lady as got left?”
“Yes, I tell you. Who is in charge here?”
“That would be the captain, miss.”
“Well, fetch him, if you please!”
Effecting another salute, the fellow hurried off, crossing the road in front of the carriage. He vanished into the trees and Delia turned to the rector, struck by a horrid thought.
“What a beastly mischance, sir! How in the world are we to explain you are only now taking me to Weymouth?”
He transferred the reins to his right hand and reached out to pat her knee. “No difficulty, my dear. I was travelling in the other direction when I came upon you, and proceeded to an inn I know. There is the Black Cat a little way beyond the turn which will admirably serve our purpose.”
A man older than the first, wearing the braided red coat of an officer, came hurrying out of the forest. He greeted the occupants of the phaeton with a salute and addressed himself to Delia.
“Miss Burloyne?”
The presence of Captain Rhoades riding beside the phaeton prevented Delia from further questions concerning Giff. Besides, she was too much occupied in answering the captain’s queries to have leisure for anything except the urgent necessity to keep any mention of her real rescuer out of her story.
“You say there were only two men?”
“Yes, and one is called Sam and the other Barney. Sam is the leader, I think. He is a big fellow, and has a rough way with him.”
“Are you sure, ma’am?”
Delia’s pulse quickened. “What do you mean? Of course I’m sure. I heard them talking and they were close by.”
The captain gave her a frowning look as he sat his horse. “As I understand it, ma’am, there was another. The groom — Scoley, is it? — spoke of a rider who came out of the trees. The two men who had waylaid her ladyship’s coach went after him. Which, I gather, gave them an opportunity to escape.”
Her mouth dry, heart hammering, Delia willed her mind to rapid thought. She improvised, hesitating over her response. “Yes … I saw him too. I think — I believe those men were … were looking for him.” Inspiration came. “Yes, they were, for I recall they spoke ofheevading them. They were angry. Might he have been a member of their gang, do you think?”
Light came into the captain’s face as he turned to her again. “Ah. Tipped them the double, I dare say.”
Delia’s pulses were in disarray, but puzzlement overtook her. “I beg your pardon?”
The captain cleared his throat. “Double crossed them. Made off with the takings, or some such thing.”
She seized on this convenient excuse. “Yes, that must be it. They were wild with him, I know that much. It was that made me so fearful.”
“I don’t wonder, ma’am.”
“Yes, I was terribly afraid of what they might do if they caught me,” pursued Delia, hoping to distract his mind from the third man by enlarging on this theme. “Ruffians, both of them. And that Sam was the worst. He’s a big man, unshaven, and the way he thrashed about the bushes with a stick quite terrified me. And he had a pistol!”
She stopped, fearing she’d gone too far. Why in the world had she to mention pistols? But the captain merely nodded.
“So I understand, ma’am. The coachman told me the whole affair began with a pistol shot. Were both men armed?”
“I don’t know, Captain.” Her veins ran with relief. “I heard that shot too, you know. That’s how I knew they were armed.”
He inclined his head and she hoped his questions would cease. With gratitude, she heard the Reverend Gaunt take a hand.