Patricia Wynn by Lord Tom Read Free Book Online Page A

again or I might have to invent countless bouncers to scare away your admirers.”
    “Nonsense,” she said, in a trembling voice. His words had implied more a compliment than a caution. From beneath her veil, Susan could see the amused twinkle in his eyes. “You had better move along now,” she reminded him. “It would not do for me to appear to be speaking to my groom too long.” Tom answered with an impudent bow and another pull on his forelock.
    “No, mum. Your servant, mum,” he said. “But I shall be nearby if needed again, mum,” he added in an undertone, and Susan could hardly keep from laughing as he backed away from her with servile courtesy.
    There were no more incidents aboard the ship to threaten her serenity and within record time, the ship had pulled into harbour at Dover. Here, indeed, she reflected, would come the true test of Lord Harleston’s plan as she was obliged to undergo the scrutiny of His Majesty’s customs officials.
    With Tom behind her carrying her bags and boxes, and Peg swaying close by his side, they made their way slowly through the line as, one by one, the foreign passengers were questioned and harassed and their baggage examined. Earlier, Tom had expressed the opinion that her widowed status would awaken the officers’ pity and afford her some protection from their well-known tyranny, but as soon as they reached the gates, they could tell this would not be the case.
    Whether the official they faced had some personal grievance against Napoleon, or whether he merely felt he had not done his part to defend the Crown in the recent hostilities, they would never know, but upon reading Susan’s passport he assumed an immediate gleam of vengeance.
    “Mrs. Faringdon, now, is it?” he asked as though her very name were suspicious.
    “Yes, monsieur,” said Susan meekly.
    “And a widow, are you?” he asked quickly, trying to catch her off guard.
    His apparent suspicion about even the slightest matter did disconcert her and Susan hesitated as she looked quickly about her to make certain that her English admirer was nowhere near to cast doubt on her present story.
    “That’s right, sir,” spoke up Tom to hide her hesitation.
    The customs official bristled immediately. He drew himself up to his full height and thrust out his chest, saying, “Nobody’s asking you, my lad, so just you keep your nose to your business.”
    Tom answered humbly, “Beggin’ your pardon, sir, for the impertinence, but it’s just that her English is that bad, sir, that sometimes I has to speak for her.” He bowed as he made his apology.
    “Humph!” put in Peg saucily. “Not much need she has for you to help her.” But at the same time, she put her hand to her hip and gave Tom a coy look that said just who would be the better for a bit of his help.
    “Here, here, now,” said the official. “You stop your flirtin’, my girl. This is no place for your impudence. Now let me see those bags.”
    Susan grew suddenly more nervous. Although some of the captain’s last belongings were in her boxes, there was nothing that would identify her precisely as Captain Johnstone’s daughter. But neither were her possessions such as to convince the official that she was who she pretended to be.
    She threw a hasty look at Tom, which he could not see because of her veil, and began to unfasten her first bag with trembling fingers. But his keen eyes perceived the distress in her movements and he whispered a warning as he quickly bent to pick up another bag.
    “Remember your cue!”
    Susan had no time to wonder what he meant before he reached for the other bag and unceremoniously dumped its contents on the ground. She looked up, completely stunned, to find him gazing back at her with his eyes widened in fear.
    Suddenly aware of his intentions, she rose ably to the occasion, spurred by her own urgent sense of the need for action.
    “Imbécile!” she cried, startling them all with the vehemence of her shriek. “ Non,