“You, sir, are a spoilsport,” Temple interrupted, clapping Connor on the shoulder as he passed. “Forcing me to have Cavendish intervene just as it was getting interesting?”
“Ye wanted sport, ye shouldnae have let her get into the middle of it,” he growled in response. “I was more than willing to partake.”
Aye, he’d been eager to draw blood. To see Rutledge suffer as Piper had at his hand. And to expend his own vexation in the process. As much as he itched for a fight, Connor wasn’t idiot enough to risk Piper’s safety and that of innocent bystanders to get it. He was content to let the authorities deal with the duke, knowing Rutledge was in the hands of true justice.
Albert surrendered his shotgun to one of the constables with a wobbly exhale. “Well, I wasn’t. Thank God your friends were on the morning train as you anticipated. Jenny would have had my balls on a platter if I’d gotten shot. She likes all my bits as they are.”
“Aye, so I’ve noticed.”
* * *
The muddling anxiety that had gripped Piper since they rounded the corner and came face-to-face with the duke and his henchmen dissipated like a morning fog. She exhaled slowly, a hitch of reluctant amusement breaking the sigh. Men.
Connor slipped his arm around her shoulder as they walked a ways down the street. She was glad to put some space between them and the duke. Rutledge continued to spew vile promises of vengeance at Piper, and threatened those laying hands on him that they would endure his eternal wrath, and that of the prince, for their insolence.
“Tell me, were ye meaning to do it?”
“Do what?”
“Miss? Or were ye actually going to shoot him?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I wanted to.”
“As did I.”
She shrugged as if it were immaterial. “Does it matter? It’s finally over. You knew the authorities were coming?”
“Aye. As would ye, if ye’d paid attention to the plan,” he told her with a grin.
Temple had wired Cavendish, a lead authority with Scotland Yard, the previous day, Connor explained. Part of his plan to make good their escape and ensure it with Rutledge’s arrest. He’d left a message at the train station before Connor had caught up with him to be delivered the moment they arrived on the morning train.
She was mightily glad it had arrived on time and that they were on it as Temple requested. She could only hope Cavendish’s intervention would truly bring an end to her troubles.
“I somehow doubt the duke will ever face a judge or jury,” Piper said. “He was right about that. I fear being labeled a kidnapper, a brutalizer of women, and a coward may not be enough to bring him down.
“Dinnae fret, lass. Between Temple and the humiliation he’s suffered, Rutledge will never see a day’s peace—”
“No! Stop him!”
They spun back to see Rutledge shove a distracted guard to the side and run toward them, a pistol clutched in his manacled hands. Terrified cries and commands to stop him reverberated through the street.
Eyes wild and a battle cry on his lips, the duke leveled the barrel. “You will pa—”
Connor shoved Piper behind him as one deafening report echoed by another split her ears. A murder of crows took flight from the cemetery across the street. Their squawks of alarm drifted into the distance as Rutledge fell to one knee, holding his chest. Piper focused beyond the smoking barrel of the pistol Connor had taken from her to the one Temple held. The soldier-turned-spy lifted his gaze to hers with a nod and re-cocked his gun as he approached the falling duke.
Bobbies swarmed Connor and Piper. It took a moment to realize they meant to shield them from another possible attack, not detain him for shooting Rutledge. Connor handed his weapon to their commander when Cavendish ordered them aside.
“Apologies, Cavendish.”
“No worries. Dozens of witnesses.” Cavendish whipped out his notebook and scribbled furiously. “Everyone here can testify that Rutledge shot first. I believe there should be no problems unless the duke’s royal friends choose to debate the finer points.”
“I’ll make sure there is scandal enough spread regarding his sins that they wouldn’t dare associate themselves,” Temple assured them all.
Piper stared dazedly at the duke who was being laid out by Cavendish’s men.
“Is he dead?”
“Looks that way,” Temple offered wryly.
