Our heroines, seemingly behind the eight ball, will have to get creative in their next move to make it safely to Darlington Hall, to give the French a taste of good English.

Carrie and Laura, as always, I am absolutely bowled over by your creation!  (Also, billiard balls.)  I adore Miss Gwen’s purple accessories.

For your amusement, here’s the relevant passage from The Passion of the Purple Plumeria:

“They’re still gaining on us,” said Miss Wooliston.

“Who are they?” demanded William.  And, more importantly, “Why are they after us?”

“Someone doesn’t want us getting to Selwick Hall,” said Gwen.  She looked over him at Miss Wooliston, her gray eyes glittering.  William wouldn’t want to be on her bad side just now.  That was an expression that promised mayhem. “I’ll just open the special trunk, shall I?” 

Wiggling her way off William’s lap, she jammed herself  back through the window.  “Legs!” came an imperious voice from outside.

William’s arms automatically clamped down on the backs of Gwen’s knees.  “The—”

“The special trunk,” said Miss Wooliston serenely.  She was calmly loading another pistol. 

Everyone in the bloody carriage had gone mad but him.  “What in the blazes is going on?” William demanded.  “Why would  someone want to stop us going to—wherever this place is?”

Before Miss Wooliston could answer, a hail of hard projectiles pounded down the back of the carriage, bouncing off the back of the coach, ricocheting off one another.  There were billiard balls, dozens of billiard balls, streaming down from the now open trunk onto the road. 

Gwen wiggled her way back into the window, plopping down onto William’s thigh.  The exertion had loosened her coiffure, which straggled down on the right side of her face.  She shoved her hair back behind her ears, saying breathlessly, “That should hold them.  For the moment.”

Behind them, horses shied and riders cursed.  A shot went wide, nearly hitting one of the other riders.

Miss Wooliston turned to William. “How well do you ride?”

Was she really asking him that?  “I was a cavalry officer,” said William. “Over thirty years in the cavalry.”

“I’ll take that as a yes, then.”  Miss Wooliston turned back to her chaperone.  “I say we take two of the horses, send the chaise off as decoy, and ride to Bunny-on-the-Wold.  We can stay the night at Darlington.”

They were speaking a foreign language.  “Bunny on the what?”

“It’s a small town in Hampshire,” said Gwen helpfully.  Which, to William’s mind, explained nothing.  “If Dorrington is in residence, we can pick up reinforcements there.”  She turned back to William.  “Are you ready to ride?”

“What I’d like is for someone to tell me what the devil this is all about!”

“Later.”  A bullet ricocheted off the side of the carriage.  “Blast!  I knew we should have packed more billiard balls!”

And with that, so many kudos to Carrie and Laura, watch out for all those billiard balls, and stay tuned for Pinkorama #2, coming up tomorrow!