“I know,” Temple murmured as if reading his mind. “We’d never win in a shootout, so use it only if you must.”
“Do I get a gun?” Piper wanted to know.
“Do ye ken how to use one?” Connor inquired in surprise.
“No,” she admitted with a disappointed pucker of her lips.
She used to carry a knife in a little sheath strapped to her ankle. Albert had given it to her, shown her early on how to use it. As she had in many areas, Piper had gotten comfortable. Sloppy. And stopped carrying it. She hadn’t needed it with Connor. From the start, she’d known it.
She wished she had it now, even as nothing more than a token of reassurance.
“Here.” Connor took her hand and curled her fingers around a smooth wooden handle. For a moment, she thought he entrusted her with the gun anyway. A split second later, she realized it was her valise. “Follow us but stay well back.”
She nodded at the command and trailed behind the two men as they crept down the corridor toward the kitchen courtyard door. Her foot hit something solid and she jumped in surprise before comprehending it was an unconscious body. Mild-mannered Temple was proving himself to be a man of hidden talents.
At Connor’s whispered command, she waited in the portal while they continued on. The moonless sky faded to a dark purple near the horizon. The sun would be up soon. They needed to hurry.
Making out Temple’s shadowy signal, she watched Connor veer off to the right side of the kitchen court. He merged with another dark silhouette, and she could make out a struggle before, with a dullthunk, the other man slipped to the ground. Connor returned to her side, tucking the pistol into his waistband.
“Shame when you can do nothing more permanent than pistol whip a man,” Temple complained as he joined them. “Come.”
Connor retrieved her hand and they followed him around the perimeter of the courtyard and through the east gate.
“How far is the bridge?”
“Not far if we take one of the footpaths.” Piper gestured to the left. “If we can get to the one at the edge of the tree line, they won’t be able to follow in the dark.”
The two men fell silent, judging the distance. While it was dark still, crossing the drive and an expanse of lawn would leave them exposed. It was possible one of group of men who milled around the well-lit main doors to their right might take notice and sound the alarm. They retreated back inside the courtyard.
“This isnae going to work. We need a diversion.”
Yes, they did. Though what could they do, Piper wondered.
“Wait for my signal.” She froze in shock as Connor put her hand in Temple’s. “And by God, ye’d better take care of her.”
“What?” She caught Connor’s shoulder before he could abandon her. “What are you going to do? You can’t just leave me.”
“In minutes, it will be light enough that someone could spot us,” he rasped out. “We need to distract those men.”
“Let Temple do it.”
“He isnae known to them.”
“Then we stay here. I’ve hidden here for years without detection,” she insisted. “I can do it again.”
“A hundred rooms to hide in when nae one kens yer about is one thing. It would be a different story under a concentrated search of the building.” He hugged her hard. “I ken ye feel as if ye cannae trust anyone, lass. I’m asking ye to trust me.”
“I do trust you.” Despite the assurance, she clung to him. “Please come with me.”
“I will catch up wi’ ye before ye reach the train station.” His lips brushed her cheek. “Yer safety is—”
“Don’t say it,” she warned him.
How was she supposed to leave him behind? Even for a moment.
“When I ran the first time, I didn’t even have one bag to carry with me. No clothes. Nothing,” she whispered in a rush. “Nor did I leave anything that I couldn’t do without. There was nothing in that house that was precious to me. This time I will leave behind everything I hold dear.”
“Yer friends will understand. Ye maun go.”
