Part 26 (2/2)
”Don't think about it.””It was so sudden.””They made their choices, Tess.””But it could have been you lying there.”He frowned his answer. He obviously didn't want to discuss it. Instead, he lifted the money chest from the ground. It had fallen open and a handful of gold coins spilled out.
”How much is in there?”
”A little less than two hundred and fifty pounds.”
”Two hundred and fifty pounds!” The words exploded out of her. ”Why, that is an insignificant sum for which to risk your life!”
”Two hundred and fifty pounds is far from being insignificant,” he argued.
Tess shook her head. ”Brenn, the petticoat for my presentation at Court cost more than that.”
He stared hard at her in disbelief. ”You're joking.”
”No,” she said with a shake of her head. ”It is made of laces fas.h.i.+oned from silver and weighs almost
more than the dress I wore, which is made of the finest brocade.”
He frowned at the petticoats and scarves scattered across the ground. ”Is it one of those?”
”No, it's on the luggage wagon.”
”Thank the Lord,” he said under his breath and bent down, favoring his bad leg, to pick up the coins off
the ground.
At that moment, the luggage coach rolled around the bend with Ace tied to the rear. The postboy driving shouted for the horses to stop. He jumped down and came running to Brenn.
Willa's head popped out of the coach window. A second later, she threw open the door. ”What has
happened, my lady?” she cried.
”We were almost robbed,” Tess said, surprised that her voice sounded so steady. ”Come and help clean up the mess.”
Willa hurried to do as she was bid, making clucking noises of concern. When she saw the two men lying
on the ground, she paused dramatically, clutching her heart. ”Lady Merton-!”
”They are dead, Willa. They cannot bother us now.” She said the words calmly. In truth, she still hadn't come to terms with what had happened. ”Come and help repair these trunks.”
The other postboy looked around, taking in the petticoats and scarves strewn across the ground and the
bodies of the dead men. ”Blimey,” he said, one word and it seemed to sum it all up.
”You should have been here, Clarence,” their postboy told him. ”Lord Merton took them both. I could barely believe my bleedin' eyes.”
Brenn placed the money chest in the coach and then walked to the boot of the coach, pulling on his
leather driving gloves. Tess followed. ”What are you going to do now?”
He removed a small spade from a wooden box in the boot. ”Bury the bodies.” His tone was grim.
”Why you? It isn't your job. Have the postboys do it.”
”I killed them, Tess.”
His words startled her. ”They would have killed us.”
”Aye, but once you kill a man, the least you can do is bury him.” He motioned to their postboy. ”What is
your name?”
”Tim, my lord.”
”Help me drag the bodies off the road, Tim. In fact, you help too, Clarence. Then I want the two of you to reload the luggage.”
They did as he said.
Tess and Willa were left alone. Willa kicked dirt over the bloodstains in the road. ”It's a pity when
decent people can't go where they wish without being set upon by murderers and vagabonds.”
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