KATEY RODE QUICKLY BACK to Northampton despite the rain. Halfway to her destination, she rode out of the storm. Although the road ahead of her was completely dry, the solid bank of clouds wasn’t breaking up. And while the clouds weren’t as dark as they were farther south, the rain could still drift north and drench her again. But that was the least of her worries.
The storm clouds were probably making it seem later than it was, but the day was still nearly gone. There was no way she could gather up her servants and her belongings and reach London before nightfall. She was afraid to travel that same highway again anyway because she didn’t want to risk running into Boyd again.
She’d delayed him by taking his horse, so she didn’t expect him to be right behind her. But she didn’t expect him to give up and go home, either. He’d proven to be too stubborn for that. But he wouldn’t find her in Northampton again. She’d leave his horse there for him to find, not that she felt the least bit guilty for taking it after what he’d done, but she’d have no further need for it once she was on the road in her coach again—heading in some other direction.
She made quite a sight riding into town wet and bedraggled, wearing a man’s jacket. Even her hair had come loose, and she hadn’t wasted time to stop to rebraid it. She probably should have. She was attracting far too many curious looks, though that might be because her calves were showing. Embarrassed, she dismounted so her legs would be properly covered again.
Leading the horse behind her now, Katey walked by the town’s marketplace, which reminded Katey just how hungry she was now.
The market was closing down for the night, not that she had any coins to buy anything. But a few customers were still making their purchases, and one woman was shouting at a fruit seller whose stand Katey was passing.
“Just point me toward the nearest docks, mon!”
“I’ve already told you, you dafty woman, we don’t have docks.”
“I ken ye dinna hae any, but which way tae the nearest town that does? Did I no’ say my husband is trying tae kill me? I hae tae leave the country, ye ken?”
Katey stopped in her tracks. She wasn’t just hearing an interesting shouting match. Was that the same Scotswoman she, Grace, and Judith had spent half the morning trying to lose? With the woman’s back to her, she couldn’t be sure. But having twice been accused by Boyd of being Geordie Cameron’s wife, she had a name now to put to Judith’s abductor. And here was a Scotswoman trying to escape her husband, which made her think of what Boyd had mentioned about Anthony Malory beating Cameron senseless over what the man’s wife had done.
Katey didn’t really have any doubts by then, which was why she stopped a young boy running past her and whispered for him to fetch the constable. She’d detain Mrs. Cameron until he got there, and she was angry enough not to care how she did it. The woman had stolen and mistreated a child, chased them all over Northampton and the surrounding area trying to get the child back, and if it wasn’t for her, Katey’s memories of Boyd Anderson wouldn’t be utterly ruined now. The woman wasn’t going to walk away from all the trouble she’d caused without retribution if Katey could help it.
She approached the woman from behind. “Mrs. Cameron?”
The Scotswoman swung around immediately. Katey almost laughed at how quickly the fruit seller took off in the opposite direction to escape any further harassment. And Katey had no trouble recognizing her now. Her hair was still in wild disarray, and her eyes had a wild look to them as well.
“How’d ye know my name, eh?” she demanded in the same belligerent tone she’d been using with the fruit seller. “From the inn? We paid for that room, though we should’ve got our money back. Bluidy lock was broken on the door!”
Katey realized the woman didn’t recognize her, but that didn’t surprise her. Her clothes soaked and disheveled, her hair wet and windblown, Katey looked nothing like she did that morning, and in fact, she probably looked as wildly unkempt as the Scotswoman.
“I’m not from the inn.”
Katey didn’t point out who she was, though. She needed to detain the woman until the constable arrived, and engaging her in a conversation seemed to be the best way to do that.
Mrs. Cameron squinted her eyes at Katey. “Then where do I know ye from? Ye seem familiar tae me—never mind. If ye can tell me which way tae the nearest docks, I’ll be thanking ye. Otherwise I’ll be finding someone who can.”
Common sense would suggest heading to the nearest coast, but Katey merely said, “I’m afraid I can’t help you there. I’m not all that familiar with this part of the country.”
The Scotswoman snorted with impatience. “Then I dinna hae time tae waste chatting at ye. Good day.”
Interesting how she’d put that, as if her words were the only ones that mattered. And she was already glancing around for someone else to accost with her demand for directions. But Katey needed to keep her talking. She’d rather wait to accuse her until the constable was there to arrest her.
“What’s your hurry?”
“None of—”
Katey cut her off, “Did I actually hear you tell the fruit merchant you were running away from a husband determined to kill you? That was quite an exaggeration.”
“That was the bluidy truth, womon. He took a beating that’s made him dafty in the head. I barely recognized him. And now he wants tae take it oout on me.”
“Take what out?”
“That he got blamed for what I did. Chased me down the road, he did, swearing he was going tae kill me afore the Mal—er, afore they got their hands on me like they did him. But here now, this isna any of yer business and I’m oout of time. Geordie will be riding intae town any minute.”
She started to walk away. Katey glanced anxiously behind her, but there was no sign of the constable yet, or the boy that she’d sent for him.
“Wait, Mrs. Cameron. I look familiar to you because you stopped me on the road earlier today. You were looking for your daughter, which we both know was a lie. You don’t have a daughter any more than I do.”
Mrs. Cameron swung back around. Her expression was momentarily surprised, but quickly turned angry as she poked a finger at Katey’s shoulder. “Sae ye did steal her from me? I’d hae my fortune now if no’ for ye. Where is she?”
“She’s back with her family, where you won’t be getting your greedy hands on her again. The constable is on his way to apprehend you. Did you really think you’d get away with this?”
Katey braced herself to stop the woman from taking flight, but Mrs. Cameron actually looked thoughtful, then amazed Katey by saying, “Aye, that’s no’ a bad idea. Gaol will be a safe place tae hide from Geordie, I’m thinking.”
Katey was thinking that Geordie Cameron might be daft for marrying this woman, but if anyone was really crazy, it was her.
“Come on then,” Mrs. Cameron continued, and she even grabbed Katey’s arm to take her with her. “Let’s find yer constable, eh? I’ll be needing ye tae say I’m guilty. They’re no’ likely tae believe me if I’m the only one saying it.”
That was doubtful, but Katey had expected to have to make the charges. She hadn’t expected the woman to insist on it and be the one to lead them eagerly to the constable’s office. And a good thing she did, since Katey spotted the boy she’d sent off for the constable playing at the end of the square with a dog. A coin might have got him to do as she’d asked, but without one, he’d simply ignored her request!
She was still suspicious of the Scotswoman’s motives. Could she really prefer a jail cell to facing her husband’s anger? Apparently so. But what she should have been suspicious of instead was why Mrs. Cameron insisted that she go along with her.