6

Chapter 6

Before Tiernan had morphed from tender lover to tyrant, she had briefly wondered how he and his troops had traveled to Graceport, since there weren’t enough steam vehicles in all of the surrounding area to ferry more than fifty people. Her mild curiosity had faded, but she still got her answer as Blaney’s driver brought the big station wagon to a halt near a train platform. Disdaining the hand the commander offered to assist her from the car, she slid out behind him and moved aside so Cleo and his personal chef could exit.

He gave her no choice about walking beside him by reaching out to grasp her wrist and pull her along at a brisk pace. Perhaps he feared she would try to flee into the surrounding woods. Perceptive. The thought had crossed her mind, only to be discarded before he ever took hold of her. There were too many soldiers—who must have marched here earlier in the day to await Archer’s arrival—and she was still too close to home to risk an escape attempt.

With as mu