Page 41 of Honor Unbound

“Miss?” Their hackney driver looked as confused as she felt.

“Wait here.” Marie hitched up her skirts and made chase. Unfortunately, she was wearing slippers today and not boots, and she felt every stone in the road. In only a few moments, Brett turned down another street and disappeared from view.

Marie paused at the corner, pressing her palm into her abdomen. Brett was nowhere in sight. “Blast.”

A man passing by gave her a startled look.

She waved him off and started down the street at a more sedate pace. She could just hear Lady Mary: A lady’s companion must watch her language. She mustn’t gallop about like a racehorse. Being a lady’s companion sounded dreadfully dull, and she thought even Lady Mary would agree with that. Her mistress might know proper etiquette but she rarely followed it herself.

Marie looked into the shop windows as she passed but didn’t see Brett’s tall figure or his dark-blond head. She had almost come abreast of a side street when he stumbled out, slapping at dirt that caked his trousers.

She hurried up to him. “Are you all right? Why did you go haring off?”

His lips whitened. “I was in pursuit.”

He straightened, and Marie bit back a laugh. The dirt on his trousers was the least of his dishevelment. Stains marred his jacket and an oily substance coated half his cheek and disappeared into his hair, which stuck up at odd angles.

She pulled a handkerchief from her reticule and brushed at his sleeve. “What happened? Who were you chasing?”

“I’d felt as though we were being followed, and when I caught sight of the blackguard, I…” He pointed behind him. A pile of refuse filled the narrow alley, a bit flattened and scattered about now.

“You tumbled him down on a garbage heap?” She reached higher and rubbed at his cheek.

He flushed. “I would have done if I’d caught up to him. Instead I slipped on a rotting potato and went down.”

“I see.” Her cheeks ached from fighting her smile. That explained one of the smells that had attached to him. “Are you injured?”

Brett took the handkerchief from her and sighed. “The garbage heap did an admirable job of cushioning my fall.” A couple strolling arm in arm made a wide berth around them.

Marie could no longer control it. She burst out laughing, bending at the waist. “I think there’s an apple peel in your hair.” She pointed, laughing even harder. “You have a full meal represented on your clothes.”

Brett’s lips twitched. He bent, running his hands through his hair and shaking his head free of food scraps. When he straightened he was laughing as hard as she.

“This is not how I wanted to impress you,” he said, wiping his eyes.

Marie sobered. Her heart gave an odd little squeeze. “Do you want to impress me?”

The last of his chuckles tapered off. He looked her square in the eyes. “Very much so.”

She’d never noticed how lovely his eyes were. A soft, light brown, like lightly cooked taffy. And when they looked at her, she felt safe and warm, like being coddled in an extraordinarily large blanket.

She faltered back a step and tried to control her breathing. “We should continue our investigation.” That was what Lady Mary had asked them to do. Not to play at hearts. Catching a killer seemed simpler than trying to understand her own feelings.

Brett nodded. “As you say. This can hold until later.”

Marie pushed thoughts of what “this” might entail out of her mind.

He took her elbow and guided her back down the street. “I need to go home before we continue, however. Which is unfortunate, as that is in the opposite direction from Miss Rogerson.”

“We passed a public bathhouse.” Marie looked both ways before crossing toward their hackney. “You could try to clean up there.”

Their driver blanched when he saw them. “Sir, I had my seats recovered just last year.”

Brett held up his hand to ward off the driver’s protest. A dark trail of sludge oozed down the back of it, and he swiped at it with her now ruined handkerchief. “Calm yourself. We will go to that bathhouse to clean up. It’s only two blocks away.”

The driver shifted his weight. “Yes. It’s only two blocks away. An easy walk.”

Marie didn’t relish being in an enclosed space with Brett and his newfound aroma. She nudged his side. “Yes, let’s walk. You can tell me who you think it was that was following us.” She had her doubts on that score. She hadn’t seen anyone lurking about. But she didn’t have the heart to question his assumption now. His pride was likely already dented.