And his final mistake was to approach where Jasper stood, only a few feet from the carriage and the precious cargo inside it. Not a single shot could be allowed because a wayward one could pierce the walls of a coach.
The man lifted his gun, but before he so much as took aim, a low thump sounded. The leader of this two-man brigade’s eyes opened wide even as his arm went limp and the pistol fell to the ground.
Peters’ knife had landed in the middle of the highwayman’s shoulder joint. “What the devil?” The man stared down at the blood soaking through his jacket.
He’d not live long, Jasper knew. The placement of the knife had been quite deliberate, and that blood was spurting from a crucial artery.
“You were warned,” Jasper said.
The other would-be robber threw his gun onto the ground at Jasper’s feet. “I’ll go,” he said, already backing up his horse, his expression gripped in horror.
“Don’t move, Mr. Nebs,” Jasper commanded, and the man froze. Even his horse stood still, apparently comprehending the seriousness of the situation. The intelligence of animals never failed to surprise Jasper.
“What do you want, mister? I’ll do anything.” Nebs’ gaze flicked to his partner, who lie dying on the ground, and then back to Jasper. He’d gone pale as a ghost.
“If you wish to live, I’ll have your promise you won’t bother other travelers in the future.” Jasper was a reasonable man, and the younger robber appeared to have some potential for rehabilitation.
“You have it. I was working in a stable until last month. Luke promised this would be easy money, but it’s not worth it. I promise. I’ll find something else. You have my word.”
The man’s gaze shifted to behind Jasper, and Jasper didn’t need to see in order to guess that Nia, no doubt, was peeking out the window. Did she need to learn yet another lesson?
“Take you and your friend’s horses to Hope Downs, the Earl of Winterhope’s stud farm just north of York. Tell him West sent you.” The young stallion, which Jasper suspected to be a thoroughbred, had obviously been stolen and possessed the characteristics of a racer. If Winterhope couldn’t locate the original owner, he’d at the very least provide a suitable home for him. “You might ask him if he’s any positions available. But don’t lie regarding how the two of us are acquainted. And if I learn that you’ve returned to a less honorable occupation, you’ll suffer a similar fate to Luke here. Horse theft is a hanging offense, as I’m sure you’re well aware. Understand?”
“Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Hope Downs. I’ve heard of it. Can I move now?”
Jasper nodded. “Slowly.”
The younger man dipped his chin, and then walked his mount across to the bay, took the reins, and rode away. Jasper figured there was a fifty percent chance the man would follow through with his promise, but he had done his best.
Peters walked across the road and removed his knife from the dead man, and Jasper turned back to the carriage, where Nia was, in fact, watching the entire conflict play out.
He opened the door and, seeing her on her knees, scowled. “I thought I told you to keep down.”
“You told me to get on the floor and stay put. You didn’t say I needed to stay below the windows.” She blinked, looking ridiculously innocent. “I did exactly what you told me.”
Oh, hell. “Touché,” he said.
Fearing for Loved Ones
Nia and her mother had been stopped by highway robbers once before, on the road between Bath and her father’s country estate. Their driver had dropped to his knees at gunpoint and the outriders had allowed one of the villains to rummage through their trunks, their reticules, and even removed the rings from her mother’s hands.
Nia had been certain they were going to be killed.
But today, Jasper had been in complete control of the entire situation. She’d been afraid at first—for Jasper—who’d faced both guns as though they were harmless.
He had not been afraid, and if he had been, he’d hidden his fear completely.
Admittedly, her heart had skipped a beat when the meaner-looking of the two robbers moved forward, but then that knife had appeared as though it emerged from the robber’s own shoulder.
“Is he dead?” Nia asked. She had little sympathy for the robber. He’d have possibly killed all of them, given the chance. And she’d not liked the way he had moved toward Jasper.
“His corpse will make a good meal for the crows.”
Nia winced at such a comment, but her throat thickened. Regardless of the nonchalance Jasper had shown, he had been in mortal danger. And if anything happened to him she’d never forgive herself. Because he would not be on this road if not for her.
A man, despicable as he might have been, was dead because he’d stopped their carriage. And they would not have stopped their carriage on this particular day if she’d not fled from her wedding.
Twice.
