“He touched you.” Sin clenched his bloody hands. An ache made itself known in his right hand, but he ignored it. “They were trying to rob us.”
“I know, but you picked him up and threw him like he weighed nothing.” Her gaze slid up and down his body. “And you were in a such a rage.”
“Blood—” Sin reined in his irritation. “Of course, I was angry. He was a threat. You’re my wife.” How was she not understanding this?
“Still …” Her gaze turned wistful. “I suppose as a man more is allowed.”
He drew his eyebrows together. “What—”
“Milord?” The driver kicked the conscious thief, and the man fell forward onto his hands. “What should I do with this one?”
Taking the man behind the hill and shooting him probably wasn’t the best option, though it would be the easiest. “Have you anything to say for yourself?” Sin asked.
The man spit onto the dirt. “An empty belly causes a man to do many things he shouldn’t. I dunnae have more to say than that.”
Winnifred picked up Sin’s bruised hand. She pulled a dainty lavender handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed at his split knuckles.
He kept his eyes on his wife. “Tie him up. Tie them both up.” Although he didn’t think his man would need the restraints. He probably wouldn’t be gaining consciousness for hours, if at all. “Put them by the side of the road. When we reach the next town we’ll send a member of the watch back for them.”
“We’re going to leave them here?” Winnifred asked. “What if animals get to them?”
He could only hope. “They’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know if we’ll make the next town, milord.” Dugald bent his legs, gripped a limb of the tree, and put his back into trying to move it. He failed. “We’ll need more men to move this monster. And with all of these branches digging into the ground, I don’t even think the horses could drag it off the road.”
“We could turn back,” Gregor said. He finished tying a knot in the leather bound around the thief’s wrists, an extra rein they carried in the supply chest. “The last town we passed was probably only ten miles ago.”
Winnifred stepped around him, skirted the unconscious man, and stood next to the valet.
“We don’t have a saw to cut off some of these branches?”
“Not on this trip, milady.” Dugald’s lips twitched.
Gregor stepped next to her. “I say my horses can do it.”
“They’re going to have to try.” Sin removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.
Winnifred’s gaze flicked to his chest, his arms, then dropped back to the tree. She opened her mouth, shutit.
“Something you wanted to say?” Sin asked.
She shook her head.
“Then perhaps you’d be more comfortable waiting in the carriage.” He grabbed one of the tree’s limbs and heaved. It didn’t move an inch.
Winnifred remained where she was. “It’s only ….”
Sin planted his hands on his hips and glared at the tree. “Speak up, woman.”
“Well, you see that tree?” She pointed at the fallen tree’s twin, another large oak which rose across from the stump of its brethren. They had once stood as two proud and lonely sentinels on his drive home.
“The only tree left standing for ten miles along this road? Yes, I see it.” Vexation curdled his stomach at the destruction in order to lay a trap for travelers. He glared at the highwayman.
“Yes, well if we create a pulley system over it, you see where the trunk separates into two limbs? Then the horses should have an easier time lifting the tree from the road. At least move it far enough to allow our carriage to pass.” She clasped her hands together. “But it will require a fair bit of rope.”
“Rope we have.” Sin eyed his wife. “That might work.”
“Aye, it could save us hours of back-breaking work,” Gregor agreed.
