Over his shoulder, she could see Jane and Mrs. Hughes flee down the hall with Jenny. Toward safety. Regardless, she was safe now, wasn’t she? Not only because Albert had long seen to it. She was safe because Connor had been there to keep her that way.
He stood over the stranger’s prone body, dusting his hands off in a negligent motion similar to the one she’d seen him perform when he was done with a bit of work in the fields.
As if it had all been nothing of import.
To her it was, however.
To her, it was everything.
“Connor!” His name was wrenched from deep within. Without thought, she ran to him and flung her arms around his shoulders, burying her face, veil and all, in the crook of his neck.
* * *
Connor looked down at the bundle of black Chantilly plastered along his length, fighting the temptation to wrap his arms around her and hold her tight. To comfort her.
His heart had been in his throat when the clerkish fellow drew his derringer on her. His instinct had been to charge in with the warrior’s cry of his ancestors. He’d refrained, as he’d initially waited before entering the pub to assess what was happening within. Held himself back from leaping into the onset of danger to make sure he didn’t startle the man into firing upon the women.
All through the ridiculously short-lived scuffle, fury had held him in its grip. The few punches it had taken to trounce the man hadn’t been sufficient to assuage that rage. It burned in him still, for the attacker who threatened unarmed women.
And a fair share for Piper for putting herself in a vulnerable position.
To be fair, from what he could make out from the conversation he’d overheard, the man had been interested in Jane alone. Most assuredly to question her, and perhaps threaten her into answering. Why else bully her with a gun?
No, it made no sense to set upon Miss Langston with deadly intent. Unless she hid a variety of mysterious secrets beneath her façade of genteel ingénue—and he doubted it—the man had to have been intent on quite literally unveiling the most obvious secret in the room.
Which meant every fear Piper bore regarding discovery was not unfounded. And they were now likewise Connor’s fears.
He had every intention of determining the man’s purpose to ascertain the truth. Though, it would probably be best for him not to engage in this interrogation immediately. In his current temper, the fellow might not be able to talk for quite some time.
Peeling Piper’s arms from around his neck, he took her by the wrists and turned to Albert. He was glad he’d brought the groom along, otherwise he might not have located the tavern in a timely manner. And timeliness had been required.
“See Miss Langston and Mrs. Milbourne safely home,” he commanded.
He felt Piper’s eyes upon him, even if he could hardly see her face through that ridiculous veil.
“Connor?”
Ignoring her, he released her with a restrained nudge toward the groom, who nodded. Connor addressed the barkeep. “Hughes, is it?”
“Aye, m’lord.”
Connor’s eyes rolled skyward of their own will. “I’d like ye to accompany me when I take this man to the constable,” he explained. “I’d like to make certain he kens the gravity of the matter.”
Hughes scratched his head. “The gravity?”
From the corner of his eye, Connor could see Albert trying to convince Piper to leave. She stood firm, her focus pinned on him.
He knew she was hurt by his brisk dismissal but refused to allow himself to be swayed by it. If that were the smallest hurt she suffered this day, so be it.
“Aye, I ken the word of one stranger contrary to another in this town may no’ hold much weight. I’d like some assurance that this man will be detained until I can question him—”
His words were interrupted by Piper’s startled shriek. He spun around to see the gunman had roused from his stupor and climbed to his knees, steady enough to have caught hold of her arm. Stepping forward to save her from the madman once again, he was taken aback when Piper fisted her free hand and popped the fellow in his already broken nose. For good measure, she kicked him between the legs with enough force that it was felt by every male in the room. Especially the one who keeled over at her feet.
With a scowl for both her attacker and another for Connor, she stalked out of the room with Albert at her heels. He could have sworn he heard her mutter something about “helpless females.”
Surely, he was mistaken.
Chapter 14
