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trail after them.
    ***
    Justin surreptitiously watched Clarissa from half-closed eyes.   Her pointed chin raised a notch in defiance of the situation.   A few feathery tendrils of her silvery hair escaped the bonnet to frame her elfin features.   Her eyes held a determination that belied her circumstances, and the brown sparkled with flecks of amber.  
    She was much stronger emotionally than he had originally thought.   He did not know about physically, but she had escaped Franklin in some manner.   Justin would have chuckled over her expression when she ran into him, but he wanted her and Gertrude to believe that he slept.   His shin still smarted from where Clarissa had kicked it earlier.   She packed quite a punch for someone so small.
    He needed to put a plan in place.   As long as they were on his estate, they would be safe.   King and Prince, his two wolfhounds, would see to that.   After making certain the two women were securely placed there, he would head to London for his meeting with the Director.   He would also send out some dispatches to find out as much as they could on Lorraine and Franklin Montmorency.
    Deciding he really did need the rest if he had to travel to London tonight, Justin relaxed his body and let the rocking motion of the carriage help him drift off to sleep.
    ***
    The man had actually fallen asleep.   Clarissa fumed inwardly.   How could he?   Her father had disappeared, she had almost been kidnapped - twice, they were being followed, and Southerby slept.   Snored, in fact.   Rage simmered below the surface.   She looked over at Aunt Gertie and noticed that even she had nodded off.   Was she the only one that cared what happened to them?   Evidently.
    When Franklin had grabbed her in that alley, she truly thought her life was forfeit.   Sheer panic made her bite his hand.   Thank goodness she had good, strong teeth.   She hoped his hand still throbbed as well as another part of his anatomy that she had struck with her knee in a moment of anger-laced fear.  
    Why did Papa have to get taken in by that unscrupulous woman? She lamented, not for the first time.   She wanted him to have a relationship, encouraged it, in fact; however, she never expected him to choose someone like Lorraine.   She had thought he would court one of the widows of the ton , but instead he had chosen that she-devil.  
    Clarissa thought back on one of their conversations about he matter.
    “Papa, why won’t you remarry?”
    “Your mama was the only woman for me, princess.   And now you are.”
    “Well then, I guess I will just have to stay here and take care of you forever.”  
    “No, you will find some fine, upstanding man, marry, and have lots of children.   Then I’ll have lots of grandchildren to bounce on my knee.”
    “Papa, I’ll never find a man as good you.   I would rather just stay with you and not marry at all.”   Then his brow would crease as if something concerned him greatly.  
    Clarissa rested her head on one of the squabs and stared out the window.   They had just had one of these conversations shortly before he started courting Lorraine.
    Had she pushed her father into that woman’s arms?   She never meant to worry him.   And she had always meant what she said.   She would rather be with her Papa than do anything else.   Clarissa loved their time in the country where she could read and ride.   Oh, goodness, she had caused all this.   Whatever her father currently suffered, regardless of if Lorraine was behind it, Clarissa blamed herself.   Clarissa bit her lower lip hard to try to stem the tears she felt building behind her eyes, but for once it did not work.   They fell silently from her golden lashes and lightly ran down her cheeks.
    Clarissa heard a gate creak open, and soon they were passing through with two hounds chasing and barking after them.   She bent her head and quickly dashed away any signs of the tears.   No more crying.   Tears will not