Hide in Time (38 page)

“Whatever, it’s called, it
more than doubles our effectiveness. Yet tomorrow I should go alone.”

“Why? Who is to be avenged?”

“The tenants on the Carpenter
estate.” Adam was not one to show all his cards at once.

“Why?” she repeated. “Apart
from the one-hundred-and-one obvious reasons.”

“I’ve heard their rents
have been increased twofold to cover the expense of Jack and
Charlotte’s hasty marriage celebrations.”

Alexandra looked indignant.
“Excessively lavish, rowdy and…” she stopped. They
were after all, her brother-and-sister-in-law now.

“Quite,” said Adam with one
eyebrow raised. “The grant of a few barrels of ale shared by
all the tenants hardly compensates for the rise in rents.
Furthermore, they are required to pay immediately. Carpenter’s
timed it to coincide with the harvest so they have money available.
The collection takes place tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow it is then,” said
Alexandra.

Adam’s expression showed he had
given way to her. He could not imagine Laura insisting on coming
however much she would have liked to. Alexandra had been so like
Laura when she’d first arrived but now it was as if she’d
found her raison d’etre and enjoyed it to the full. “I
wonder if Billy would help us?”

“How?”

Adam paced around, clearly planning.
“It would be safer if we could hold up the coach in darkness,
yet the collections are usually finished by dusk. Perhaps Billy could
arrange a diversion? Delay them a while.”

“I’m sure he could! He’d
love to.”

“I’ll have a word with
him.” Adam thumped his fist into the other palm. “We
shall have only this one opportunity because Carpenter’s
bailiff will be in high dudgeon. He’ll not let it happen
twice.”

“You sound as if you haven’t
finished planning yet, Adam.”

“Ax, I will only take back what
is being taken dishonestly and so I must be sure of my facts.”
A smile, widening to a huge grin, flooded his face. “On this
occasion, I think it would help to compensate his tenants for the
anxiety it has caused if they received invitations to a party in the
Carpenter’s gardens at the same time as we return the full
rent.”

“Might it be poor timing?
Charlotte did miscarry. Jack must be furious.”

“Oh I wouldn’t say that,”
said Adam moving towards her. “There are plenty of reasons why
they were right to marry each other, don’t you think?” He
kissed her on the cheek and held her firmly in his arms. “And I
think any tenant of the Carpenter estate would need some light relief
occasionally. I’ll speak to Jack; he’s asked for his
pianoforte – says he misses it – a good sign and to be
encouraged. I’ll arrange for it to be transported to him so
long as their estate pays for lavish food and rowdy music.”

“But surely he will know who has
taken the rents?”

“He knows who the highwayman is,
but the Carpenter family doesn’t. He cannot own up to his own
personal Waterloo.”

Alexandra’s smile said it all.
What fun! How she loved this man. She knew that whoever she was
before, she was now who she was meant to be.

“Do you know what Catherine said
to me this morning?” Adam’s eyes danced. “She said
you had arrived ‘just in time’.”

THE END

LAURA YAGER:
Born in 1796 and
shipwrecked in 1814, she must spend the rest of her life in the
twenty-first century. Owner of an introduction agency

XANDRA RADCLIFFE/MULBERRY:
Pursued by a murderous gang, Xandra needs Laura's help. Client of the
introduction agency

MATTHEW REDFERN:
Discovered
Laura when she first entered the twenty-first century. Friend and
mentor to Laura. Psychologist

JEEVES:
His preferred name to
denote his aspiration to be the best. Devoted to Matthew Redfern

ADAM LEIGH-FOX:
Younger son of
Benjamin Leigh-Fox, brother of John (Jack) and Catherine

BENJAMIN LEIGH-FOX:
Nicknamed
Father Fox. Apparently world-weary and ineffectual

JACK LEIGH-FOX:
(John) Elder son
of Benjamin, brother to Adam and Catherine

CATHERINE LEIGH-FOX:
Youngest of
Benjamin Leigh-Fox's children

RAFFLES:
Parson Emmanuel
Raffles, friend of the Leigh-Fox family, employs Martha

MARTHA:
Widowed, kindly,
illiterate and in training to be a member of Parson Raffles'
household servants

BILLY:
Homeless ex-soldier in
the twenty-first century, becomes trusted servant to the Leigh-Fox
family and devoted to Alexandra

WILLIAM:
Adam's mute and trusted
groom

CHARLOTTE CARPENTER:
Daughter of
wealthy, local family. Keen to marry

EMMELINE CARPENTER:
A poor
relation and chaperone to Charlotte

JOHNSON, JONES, MRS LAMB, MILLIE:
Leigh-Fox household servants

et al

My thanks to my writing friends for
their patience and advice

Lexi Revellian:
www.lexirevellian.com

N.J. Benson:
www.timberati.com

Alan Hutcheson

Cathy Frontera

Cover Design by Lexi Revellian

www.annafaversham.com