“I understand Mr Giffard plans to make an appearance at noon. He appeared little the worse for the attack, although he is sporting a black eye and a bruised lip.”
“Ha! A fitting punishment!”
“Aunt, how can you be so unkind?”
“If your need is urgent,” said Captain Rhoades, thankfully cutting in, “may I carry a message for you, Miss Burloyne?”
Delia gave this offer less than a moment’s consideration. She must tell Giff about Piers herself, for there was much to discuss. Though how she would manage to be private with him when Aunt Gertrude was choosing to be so difficult, she could not think.
“Thank you, but if he means to come presently, a short delay will not matter.”
“I should think not indeed! Do you mean to come in, Captain, or are you off about your duties?”
Captain Rhoades gave another small bow. “I will accompany you, if I may. There are one or two points upon which I hope Miss Burloyne may enlighten me.”
Hearing this with dismay, Delia wondered, with some misgiving, how much Giff had told the man. And what he meant to do. Did he hope for her testimony should either Barney or Sam be taken up? Heaven forbid! Aunt Gertrude would be on the rampage if she supposed the true account of that forest adventure might become common knowledge.
A good thing if he did come into the Assembly Rooms with them. She must inform him without loss of time that she could not, under any circumstances, make any such official report.
Once the inevitable greetings were done and her aunt settled into her game of whist with her usual cronies, Delia took a chair by the wall at a slight remove and, with a gesture, invited Captain Rhoades to join her.
“Talk quietly, sir, if you please. My aunt’s hearing is acute.”
He smiled. “I am well used to Lady Matterson, ma’am. We have clashed swords, as one might say, on several occasions.”
Delia had to laugh. “Then you will understand when I beg you not to rely upon me if you are hoping I may supply you with ammunition to lay those rogues by the heels.”
A startled frown leapt to his brows. “Is that what you suppose? No, indeed. Besides, I gave my word to Mr Giffard that I would respect his confidence, in particular as to your part in the affair.”
Delia could not prevent the warmth from rising in her cheeks. “Yes, well, I hope he made it abundantly clear that my part was purely accidental.”
“As concerns the beginning of the adventure? Certainly.”
“As concerns all of it, sir. I became drawn in only because Barney and Sam chose to watch me here.”
Captain Rhoades pursed his lips. “And that puzzles me a trifle, I confess. What led them to suppose, as I surmise, that Mr Giffard would follow you here?”
“Didn’t he tell you? Sam was watching the rectory. Reverend Gaunt thinks he, or perhaps Barney, followed us to Weymouth when he drove me back.”
“Yet there was no sign of either when we met on the road.”
“Well, you don’t suppose they would allow you to see them, do you? At the time, it did not occur to either of us to imagine we were followed, but it must have been so.”
“Then how came Giffard’s Indian servant into the business?”
“When Sam left Stepleton, I believe he followed him.”
“Then had Barney returned in the meanwhile to say where you’d gone?”
Delia thought about this. “I don’t know. Perhaps. Certainly one of them must have reported to Piers Gaunt, for Giff’s servant found out he was, at that time, staying outside Weymouth. We think he moved in when Giff began to flaunt himself in public as Mr Giffard.”
The captain eyed her with an odd look. “Your notion, I understand?”
“Yes, but I had no expectation of his appearing in Weymouth when I suggested it. I tell you, I had not anticipated becoming embroiled to this extent.”
“Yet you have no regrets,” said the captain with a shrewd look.
Heat crept into her face and she knew she was blushing. “Some, yes, perhaps. But not as it concerns Giff’s safety.”