"I can't believe you're telling me all of this." Matthew ran his hands over his face, momentarily knocking his glasses askew. "Leaving home is one thing, taking the Royce is another, but murder?"

"Trust me, I know how it sounds. We just need somewhere to lie low until we know if they've connected us to the shooting of the officers. If not, we'll be on our way again."

"In the same car? They'll just pull you over again."

"Not if you lend us one of yours."

Matthew looked at her with deeply furrowed eyebrows and a look of shock embedded in his features. Kit could hardly blame him. Since being invited inside, he couldn't believe the sudden shift in Emily's behaviour or the calm way she spoke about what she did to the two officers. She was calm, and controlled, and gave him the facts as they happened without faltering.

He wasn't sure what to make of her calm demeanour, especially after her initial hysterics, when they drove away from the scene. Kit was certain that if he had been the one to pull the trigger, he might not have been so calm. Taking someone's money or their valuables was one thing, but taking a life was another.

Although he didn't like it, he knew why Emily had done it. Without her quick thinking, they'd be dead. They both knew the risks of going on the run, but only she'd been brave enough to do something about it. He looked like a coward in comparison, especially the way he froze.

For his role, Matthew hadn't asked too many questions. He'd asked about Kit, and wanted to confirm that Emily hadn't been kidnapped, but let them tell the story with little to no interruptions. Matthew had fed them, dismissed the two staff members he had, and closed the curtains to ensure no one saw them, yet Kit wasn't sure he trusted him.

He could turn them over at any point. He could have sent his servants away with a message to send for the police because he had a kidnapper and a murderer in his house. Kit knew that if it came to telling the police that Emily had shot the officers, or pinning it all on him, Matthew would have no issue lying to them.

Still, Emily had trusted Rob, and he was willing to give Matthew the benefit of the doubt, at least for a moment. If it came to it, they still had the gun.

"If I do that, I'll be implicated. They'll know I helped you, especially if your father sees the dented Royce outside."

"Just say we stole it from you. We already stole one car, what's another? Right, Kit?"

"She has a point. They won't think anything strange about it if they do ask, but you would need to get the dent out of the Royce, just in case."

"I need to think about it." He raked a hand through his dark hair. "You can stay here for tonight, though. We can talk about it in the morning."

"Thank you, Matthew," Emily said.

"You didn't leave me with much choice, Em."

He showed them both to the two spare rooms in his property, each one furnished with a dresser, a large four-poster bed, and a large window that looked out onto the city. Kit stood in front of the window, the dull throb in his leg returning at full force now the initial excitement of their escape had worn off.

The London skyline turned an inky blue, almost indigo colour in the fading sunlight. He could still see the wisps of clouds moving through the sky and the plumes of smoke being chucked out of the chimneys. Kit dragged his aching leg over to the bed, perching on the edge of the mattress. He sighed, wondering just how their planned escape had turned so quickly.

If they were lucky, no one would have known who they were and they could make a clean getaway with a different motorcar. Except luck hadn't been on their side since the beginning of their adventure and Kit knew that at least one person had to have seen them, but had they seen enough? Had they seen their faces, or just the car? Did they recognise them in any way?

A soft knock at the door pulled Kit from his thoughts and he looked up, watching Emily step into the room. She still wore the borrowed clothing from Rob, but the cap was gone. Her red hair curled around her chin and gave her an almost manic look. He thought it suited her, given what she'd done.

"You alright?" he asked.

"I think so." She nodded, almost as though trying to convince herself. "I just hope Matthew will let us take one of his motorcars."

"Me too. If we drive out of here in the Royce, the police will have us in no time."

"Kit?"

"Hm?"

"I shot two people today."

"I know you did, but you had to. If you hadn't, I'd be marched down to Newgate with the noose already around my neck." He shook his head. "Try not to think about it. The sooner we can get on the move again, the better."

Emily stepped into the room and perched on the bed beside him, knotting her hands together in front of her. Kit wondered what she had done with the gun. "Do you think we can really get out of here?"

"I'm sure as hell going to try. Reckon we need to do the best with what we have. We've come this far, no point in giving up and I told you we'd make it to the seaside and have our freedom, no matter the cost."

"Even if we have to kill someone else?"

Kit paused. He knew those two officers might not be the end of it. How could they be? With a price on their heads, two murders on their backs, and the theft of the motorcar, they were more at risk of being caught. People would be searching for them, ordinary people who fancied themselves with a little extra money in the bank and who would stop at nothing to get it.

Emily had had the courage to use the gun without thinking about it, without considering what might happen. Could he do the same? Could he put all his morals aside for the sake of making it out of the city? He'd promised her a life of freedom and he was going to make damn sure he managed it, whatever the cost might be.

If he had to, if it came down to them or him, he'd do it. Freedom mattered more to him.

~~~

First Published - February 8th, 2024