She assumed the icy-blond gentleman with him was the marquess. He just appeared bemused, as he should be if he knew German.
“Good of you, Craigmore,” the marquess said noncommittally. “Should you not follow up the lad’s suggestion and save yourself the reward money?”
“They’re on their way to Newcastle!” Mortimer cried. “I’m too old to catch up with them. Your lot are better equipped to follow.”
In other words, the reward money wasn’t his to save, and he lacked the coin to buy a ticket to Newcastle. Iona had anticipated that.
“I’ll handle this, Rainford,” Lord Ives said, shoving his way past Mortimer to get at Iona, a furious gleam in his eye. “I’ll take the baron to the tavern so he can explain what he knows to our friends.”
He had his hand around her elbow and was practically dragging Iona toward the door. Since she was eager to escape, she allowed it.
“Excellent, thanks, Ives. Tell Drummond I’ll finance his journey if he leaves tonight.” Rainford tipped his hat and escaped up the stairs.
“Wait a minute—” Mortimer cried as earl and marquess parted ways in different directions. “I want you to meet—”
Before her stepfather could say what he wanted, Gerard all but carried Iona out the door to the street, avoiding being introduced to the American, she assumed.
“I swear, I should leave you to the purple-vested pig,” he grumbled, dragging her down the busy thoroughfare. “Your mother didn’t spank you often enough.”
“She never spanked us. Our talents often came in useful. You’re the only one who sees through me. How could you know it was me behind these wretched pillows?”
“Only a blind man would be deceived!” he shouted. “Baron Twaddle, indeed. Mortimer is a complete and utter fool.”
“Well, yes, on this we can agree. That’s why I did it. I couldn’t resist when we ran into him on the street. By the way, whatever you’re paying your valet, it’s not enough. This really is a better disguise than I could have created. And we found it all at the second-hand market.”
“I’ll sack Lowell for this,” the earl muttered, signaling for a hansom. “Then I’ll kill him. Even university students have whiskers.”
“Not necessarily.” She rubbed her smooth cheeks. “And if you sack Lowell, I will hire him. Where are we going?”
“You don’t have tuppence to hire him. We’re going to Dare’s. Where did you stash Lowell and your baggage?”
“He’s right behind us, acting as a proper guardian. I do believe he carries a pistol.” Iona refused to climb into the carriage until the servant caught up.
“You are not redeemed,” the earl said coldly to his valet. “Guarding her should mean keeping her out of trouble.” He swung into the hansom and took the seat beside her.
The gray-haired valet implacably handed up Iona’s parcels. “If you will give me direction, my lord, I will meet you there.”
“Nonsense, Lowell. If the earl will quit sprawling in the seat, we can squeeze you in. I’m sure it’s just a short distance, and I cannot hold all these packages myself.” Iona elbowed his lordship.
The earl scowled and handed his servant coins. “You carry the rest of her loot. We’re heading for Viscount Dare’s on George Square.”
It was Iona’s turn to scowl. “You should not be so mean. Lowell showed me the most marvelous market where I could buy pretty gowns so cheaply I needn’t sell more pearls! He’s a gem among men.”
“Pearls? You have pearls to sell?” His lordship looked as if his head might blow off. “Are you receiving anywhere near a fair price for them?”
“Of course. I asked around first. The pearls are precious to me, and I do not part with them easily.” Iona settled back on the cushions, adjusting the uncomfortable trousers over the pillow padding as the horse trotted down the street.
The earl rubbed a tic in his jaw. “I suppose you are selling family heirlooms everywhere you go. And you don’t think Mortimer will recognize them?”
“If he knew we had them, he would have sold them himself. Besides, he doesn’t even recognize me. Didn’t I just prove that? He’s a blind drunkard who spends so much time thinking of himself that he has no time for anyone else. If I walked in wearing a gown and in accompaniment with you or another Malcolm, he might look twice, if only to see what advantage he could take. Therein lies the danger of being seen with any of you.” She sat back against the cushion and fiddled with the string on her package.
She could scarcely breathe with his lordship filling up all the space with his sprawling, masculine presence. She had not realized hansoms were so very small. Or perhaps she had thought herself small when she’d last been in one and had learned a better sense of herself since.
“Give me a list of places where you sold your pearls,” he said wearily. “When I have the reward, I’ll buy them back for you.”
“When I have the settlement, I can buy them back myself,” she said stiffly, although her heart melted just a teeny tiny little at his offer. She glanced out as the horse pulled them across an enormous bridge, taking them from the fancy establishments on one side of the train tracks to towering ancient tenements and shadowy, narrow streets on the other. “Where is this George Square?”
“Near the university. Don’t worry, the area isn’t as old as these slums. Have you ever been to Edinburgh?” He took the paper-wrapped packages she was holding and squeezed them on the seat between them, providing a buffer.
A few packages didn’t erase his presence, but Iona appreciated that he might be having the same difficulty as she. They should never have exchanged kisses. Apparently, they were addictive.
“When my mother was still alive, we’d come here occasionally. We stayed in a small hotel accessible to the shops and didn’t explore much. She’d do her banking and buy us school gowns and new clothes. Nothing fancy, mind you, because that would look like
