-14- Little Upsets and Delays

Uncle Simon awoke with a start, his hands flying up to hold his aching head. “Ouch!” he exclaimed. The carriage had abruptly stopped and Higgins immediately awoke from the little nap he had been having. He saw that his master looked drawn and turning toward Lady Winter suggested, “Lady Winter, your Uncle does not appear strong enough to continue much further." Turning back to the older man, who was now emitting small sounds of someone who did not feel very well, opened the carriage door and assisted him to step outside. Almost at once, the older man bent over and relieved himself of what he had eaten earlier. Pale and shaken, he allowed Higgins to assist him to sit down on a large tree trunk.

Observing this, Lord Stanton rode his horse close to the carriage. Upon seeing the distress upon the faces of the ladies said, “Lady Winter, there is a posting inn a little further in the town of Crawley. We can put up there for the night and send the servants ahead with the baggage carriages.”

“Yes. That would be the wise thing to do,” she agreed. “I leave it all in your capable hands Lord Stanton.” She sat back and held Laura’s hand in hers. “We will stop ahead and give Uncle Simon time to rest and recover himself. Sometimes when there has been a head injury, it upsets the stomach,” she explained. Although she wondered to herself if she sounded as convincing as she tried to. It would not do to get her niece upset, too.

Lady Laura turned her head to look out the window, just in time to see her Uncle become ill once again. “Oh Aunt Minerva, he is retching once more. Poor, poor Uncle Simon. I hope he will feel better soon,” she said.

By this time, Horton, Sir Harry and Lord Stanton were standing close by the elderly gentleman. He seemed to be getting some color back into his cheeks and he was not shaking very much anymore. “It might be better if your Uncle could stretch out across the seat and Higgins can keep a bucket close by, just in case he becomes ill again,” he confided in the ladies. "Laura, would you be willing to ride up before me on my horse?”

“But of course Godfather,” she readily agreed. Sir Harry assisted her to alight and as soon as Uncle Simon was settled back in the carriage, Lord Stanton mounted his horse. Sir Harry lifted Laura up to be positioned in front of Lord Stanton, across the saddle. She arranged her skirts while Sir Harry mounted his horse. Once more the entourage was en route.

The lone rider, who had been following in their wake, kept a discreet distance. "This is most fortunate indeed. There is a good possibility that tonight I can recover what is mine." The words were softly spoken and a pleased expression flickered over the rider's face.