Nick said the following morning as he and Dexter Anstruther rode down to Peacock Oak village on their way to the Skipton road, “you have now had two days in which to assess our fellow guests. What do you think of them? Are there any that strike you as potential highwaywomen?” “Only Lady Hester Berry, sir,” Anstruther said, laughing. “I believe she would be capable of anything. She is very wild. Riding astride, staying out all night…” “The sort of woman your mother warned you against, eh?” Nick said. “I saw her flirting with you at the card party the night before last.” “I think that Lord Teague would probably call me out if I responded to any of Lady Hester’s overtures,” Anstruther said, turning a little pink about the ears. “But I cannot envisage any of the other ladies as part of the Glory Girls. It seems an absurd idea.” “I agree with you,” Nick murmured, “but we must be open to all possibilities. The Duchess of Cole, for example. I hear she rides exceptionally well.
