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tray to be sent to your chambers.”
     Kate was amazed the driver had uttered more than ten
words to her. He hadn’t seemed at all that pleased with his position in the
first place.
    “Thank you. You must be feeling poorly being out in the
rain like that.” She reached into her pockets and pulled out some coins. “I
would appreciate it if you brought my trunks inside after me and then obtained
a good meal for yourself.”
    The man shook his head and pushed the money back into
her gloved hands. “Your brother already paid me, Miss, and I’m sorry to say,
one of them wheels don’t look so good. I should have stopped a while back. But
you see, me wife and I had a bit of a spat this morning, and I came to be
thinking about her instead of me driving.”
    Kate pressed the coins into his large hand, realizing
the reason for his snooty behavior earlier. “Take them. Please.”
    “Thank you kindly, Miss. Now, if you want to be waiting
until I can escort you there – ”
    “No, no,” Kate said, clasping her hood and birdcage with
each hand, “I can see to it myself.”
    The man pursed his lips just like Matthew would have
done when Kate did something wrong. Kate felt the color rise in her cheeks. It
was obvious she had left her chaperone back in London, and the man didn’t
approve.
    She lifted her chin. “Truly, I am quite capable.”
    The man rubbed his red nose with a gloved hand and
glanced at the yellow draped cage. “I’ll be along as quick as I can, Miss.”
    With birdcage in hand, Kate plodded down the muddy lane
to the inn. She squinted at the sign above her, The Hunting Fox Inn ,
vaguely remembering the quaint little place from when she’d visited her aunt
and uncle ten years ago.
    It was less than a half-day’s ride from Ridgewater Manor.
Oh, why hadn’t the storm waited another few hours? But then again, if she
hadn’t dropped Mrs. Hollingsworth off at her cousin’s townhouse, she probably
would already have been situated at Ridgewater Manor for the night. Matthew
would have an apoplexy if he could see her now.
    Kate took a last glance over her shoulder at the fallen
tree that had decided to interrupt her plans. The rain slapped against her
face, and her bottom lip trembled. Her predicament was partly of her own making.
Her impulsive nature always seemed to steer her into trouble, her father would
say.
    And at this point, she realized she would rather take
her chances with Matthew and his list of insufferable suitors than go into that
ghastly place where that man was staying. She had no wish to meet up
with him again.
    Drawing
in a courageous breath, she opened the door of the inn, stepping across the
threshold. A strong gust of wind whipped across the tables.
    Scowling,
she whirled around to push the heavy door closed.
    The
rowdy customers, all men, except for the servants, stared at her as if she were
Napoleon himself. Still dazed, she tried to focus her gaze inside the dimly lit
taproom.
    An
unpleasant taste filled her throat as she caught sight of the questioning eyes still
peering her way. Smoke, sweat, and spirits filed past her nose. Her knees began
to weaken, but pride forced her to stiffen her spine and hold her chin high.
    Her eyes darted about, searching for a seat before she
fainted from pure exhaustion. Observing an empty table near the fire, she
skirted past the ogling men and sat down, the covered birdcage resting beside
her. She needed a room, but first she needed to catch her breath.
    She
could remember sitting in this same inn with her father and uncle years ago. The
place had been overflowing with people.
    Surely,
someone would know the duke. Yet it was not as if she wanted anyone to know she
had traveled without a chaperone. If Matthew found out about her little
escapade, she would be married in no time. She would have to keep her name a
secret, at least for now.
    Heaving a tired sigh, she lifted her eyes from beneath
her soggy hood. Her stomach rose to her throat. She had not seen