“But then, what do you know? You are but a poor Colonial soldier while I am—”
“A duchess from Lanconia?” He looked at her with one eyebrow raised.
Quite suddenly she realized what he was doing. She had been trembling when he’d entered and near to tears, but now she was better—a lot better. “How about a glass of port, Captain?”
He knew she understood, and it made him feel good. “I’d rather have a song. A song just for me.”
“Ha!” she said, but she was smiling. “You must slay dragons for that reward. Tonight all you deserve is a glass of port. But it is the finest port in the world.” It pleased her that he’d gone from ridiculing her singing to wanting her to sing for him.
“Then I’ll have to take what I can get, but I mean to earn that song.”
She poured the rich liquid into two crystal glasses that she kept in a box specially made to hold and protect them.
“To truth,” he said, raising his glass.
Maddie drank the toast, but she fully expected to be struck dead on the spot. She gave him a weak smile over the top of the glass and vowed to not give him another piece of information.
The next day they traveled and Maddie was once again stuck inside the rocking coach with Edith, who slept and snored. Captain Montgomery had asked to be allowed to ride inside with her, but she’d refused. She would very much have liked his company, someone to talk with, but he’d gotten too much information out of her.
At midmorning Frank stopped the coach and the captain came to the window. “I’m afraid I have a favor to ask of you. Toby isn’t feeling well, so could he ride inside the coach?”
“Of course. He can sit by Edith.”
“That’s the whole idea,” ’Ring said softly.
“I beg your pardon.”
He motioned for her to lean toward him. “I think they’re in love,” he whispered in her ear.
“Oh?” She straightened and looked from Edith to Toby, who looked perfectly fit.
’Ring motioned her down again. “They want to be alone.”
She still wasn’t understanding.
“You can ride with me.”
“I see. If this is an attempt to get me alone with you, you can forget—”
“You can ride my horse.”
She didn’t question how he’d known she could ride his stallion, or that she was greedy to do so, but she wasn’t going to turn down the offer. She flung open the coach door so quickly she caught Toby on the shoulder.
“I’m sorry, I—”
’Ring practically lifted Toby and thrust him into the coach, then slammed the door behind him. “Edith can take care of him.” He moved his arm in a sweeping gesture toward that gorgeous horse of his.
She smiled up at the animal. “Here, Satan,” she called, but the horse didn’t move. “Satan?”
’Ring took off his hat and scratched his head. “Try, ah…Buttercup.”
She looked at him. “Buttercup?”
“It wasn’t my idea. My little sister named him. He eats anything. My brothers wanted to name him Sawdust, but I thought Buttercup was the lesser of the two evils.”
“No Satan?”
He looked down at his hat. “I would have been laughed out of my family. You ready to ride him?”