Free Supervising Sally by Marina Oliver

commands of her younger brother, is she?’
    The impertinence. ‘I should not have to remind you that I am the head of her family.’
    â€˜Surely not? She has a husband.’ Suddenly Phoebe laughed. ‘If brothers and sisters retained authority over
their siblings even after they were married, I should never escape from my sister Jane!’
    â€˜Are you betrothed, Miss Kingston? If you are, I cannot applaud your fiancé’s sense in being so complaisant over this jaunt to Brussels.’
    She chuckled. ‘You see? You believe a fiancé should already have more authority over me than my mother, who was quite happy with the notion of this jaunt, as you call it.’
    He ground his teeth together, but did not pursue the question. Beatrice would tell him. If she was betrothed, he pitied the poor man. Perhaps he would not ask. It did not concern him, and he had no interest in knowing.

    They had to change horses twice, and the second time they found traces of Sally and Cowper, who had hired fresh riding horses only an hour beforehand.
    â€˜They must stop soon,’ Phoebe said. She was becoming worried. It was almost dark, still raining, and they had come much further than she had expected Sally to ride. ‘Why would they need fresh horses now if they meant to spend the night nearby?’
    â€˜They would not wish to stay at a busy posting inn, where there was a chance of meeting someone they knew. Perhaps they want fresh horses so that they can set off early in the morning. We will ask at every inn we pass from now on.’
    â€˜Won’t that delay us?’
    â€˜Better than risking not finding them.’
    To Phoebe’s relief making these enquiries took little time. The earl had asked for descriptions of the hired riding horses, and one was a grey, the other spotted. At every inn where they halted his tiger leapt nimbly from his perch and vanished into the stables. A quick look, a word with the
ostler, and he would come back shaking his head. Then he came running out from the yard of a large posting inn.
    â€˜They was seen passin’ no more’n ten minutes ago, guv,’ he reported.
    â€˜Then they’ll most likely be at the next inn.’
    The next one they came to was a poor place, with an ancient painted sign swinging crookedly from a pole protruding from the wall over the entrance. Here the tiger was back within seconds, nodding vigorously. He took hold of the bridles of the earl’s horses and asked if he should stable them.
    â€˜Yes, for the moment. If they have room we must stay the night.’
    He helped Phoebe down. She was stiff from the long drive, and despite the rug, freezing cold from the rain which had not ceased all day.
    â€˜Thank you,’ she said, almost falling against him as her cold feet gave way when she stepped from the curricle.
    â€˜Are you all right?’
    He sounded concerned, but no doubt he did not wish to have to deal with an ailing female who had forced her company on him.
    â€˜I will be in a moment, thank you. My feet are so cold there is little feeling in them.’
    â€˜Then let us hope they have a good fire.’ He took her arm. ‘Come, we’ll go in and confront the culprits.’
    The inn had just one room, the door opening straight into it. It was low-ceilinged, with only one small window which let in almost no daylight. In any case, Phoebe reminded herself, it was dusk outside, and gloomy because of the rain. The only light, and Phoebe was relieved to see it, came from a huge fire roaring in the fireplace. A young boy was crouched to one side, turning the spit on which a haunch of venison and a couple of chickens were being roasted. Phoebe’s mouth
watered. They had halted only for a cup of coffee during one of the changes of horses, and carried away some slices of bread and hunks of cheese to eat as they drove.
    It was a moment before her gaze penetrated the gloom of the rest of the room, and