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“I am slightly, but not overly, comforted that you would not
simply leave me by the side of the road to fend for myself.  Do not worry, I’ll
be fine.”  Arthur looked around, hoping to find a pile of leaves that would
offer at least some insulation.  The night air was already quite cool and he
wasn’t looking forward to bedding down in such conditions.  Perhaps Merlin
could be persuaded to let him sleep close.
    “You will share my blanket, Lord Arthur,” said Vanessa as
she lay her bedding on the ground in a spot sheltered from any wind.  “It is
the only way to ensure you are rested enough to ride in the morning.”
    “Aren’t you afraid I’ll attempt to seduce you?”
    “While you no doubt deserve your reputation as a rake, I
know you to be a gentleman at heart,” she said.  “I also carry two pistols and
a knife, which will all be within reach.”
    She set about dividing the food between them, as he tried to
get his mind off the coming night.  “Tell me about this man we’re going to see,”
he said.
    She responded to his question eagerly, her tone one of awe. 
“Dr. Dumbarton is a professor of mathematics at Cambridge, but he’s a veritable
wizard when it comes to code breaking.  I’ve consulted with him quite often.  If
anyone can break the code of these papers without the chest, it is he.”
    There was something about her enthusiasm that grated on
Arthur’s nerves.  “A professor, eh?  No doubt he’s a fusty old man.  A
doddering bore who rattles on about maths.”
    “Not at all.  He is slightly older, but still quite hale. 
Nothing about him could be described as boring.  And he’s positively brilliant. 
You’ll be most impressed.”
    It was obvious she was most impressed, which made Arthur
resolved to be anything but.  “Won’t this detour put us further behind
schedule?”
    “I believe it is our only hope of discovering what is spelled
out in the documents.  The chest would certainly help, but if Professor
Dumbarton can crack the code, we might not need the chest at all.  He is a
genius, you know.”
    “So I am to understand.  But once Mortimer and Cassidy
realize the papers you gave them are fake, won’t they turn back to find you? 
Do they know you’re likely to go to Cambridge?”
    “I don’t know how they could.  Very few people know of
Professor Dumbarton’s work with us.  Even if there is a traitor in the Home
Office, the chance of Mortimer and Cassidy tracing us to Cambridge is slim. 
But I must risk it regardless.” 
    “We will risk it, you mean.”
    “Yes, if you insist.  We will risk it.”  She finished her
last bite of bread.  “I have not thanked you for coming to my aid.  I still
have misgivings about the situation, but I do want you to know I appreciate
it.  Not many people have looked out for me during my life.  It is a lovely
change in circumstances.  Even if you are most exasperating at times.”
    Arthur looked at the woman so close to him, but whom he
could not touch.  The moonlight made her blue eyes look like the darkest sea. 
Her face seemed to be made of the finest pearl and the curls which had finally
escaped their pins lay invitingly about her neck and shoulders.  He longed to
reach out and run his fingers through her hair, draw her close, then spend the
night between her two thin blankets warming each other in the best possible
way.
    But if he had any hope of keeping her alive, it must not
happen. 
    Vanessa stifled a yawn as she put away the rest of the
food.  As she efficiently tucked herself into the makeshift bed, she indicated
the place where Arthur would lie.  The blankets were not overly large, so they
would have to lie on their sides to ensure they both stayed covered.  She
turned away from him, then a moment later he joined her, only inches away.
    *                    *                    *
    Vanessa had no idea how she was ever going to fall asleep.  Heat
seemed to