Chand-a-la was staring at her from the other side of the room. There was something about his posture that seemed familiar, but she could not place thememory.
With a sigh she turned to leave. Poor Wild Man, so far from home. She hoped the scholars treated himkindly.
Chapter4
Dominick staredat Roxanne's retreating figure, unable to believe that she was leaving so soon, before he had a chance to speak with her and reveal his identity. Damnation, he had never even looked intoherface!
She seemed so small, her movements and dress subdued, as if she were a docile wren. He needed to get her away from this place and these people so he could find the real Roxanneagain.
He gave a wordless bellow and bounded across the room. Sweeping her up in his arms, he darted into the hall. A chorus of shouts rose behind them, but the longed-for feel of her slim body emboldened him. This time he would not let hergetaway!
Roxanne gave a strangled squeak as powerful arms swooped her into the air. Merciful heaven, the Wild Man was carrying her off! For an instant she was paralyzed withshock.
She began to struggle. Her arms were pinned to her sides, but she kicked out with her feet futilely, until she realized that she was exposing her limbs all the way to the knees. For decency's sake, she stopped thrashing. He couldn't possibly take her far, and she didn't sense that he intended to hurt her. He was simplycurious.
As they whipped down the hallway, her gaze fixed on the small, delicately tinted shells that were woven into his beard. The effect was rather pretty. She had noticed that he didn't smell rank and primitive as she had expected. His scent was clean, with a hint of spiciness. Did savages bathe and use cologne the way civilizedgentlemendid?
A customer was just entering the hall from the rear of the inn. As he gawked, open-mouthed, Chand-a-la shouldered past and burst through the door, bounding down the short flight of stone steps with a force that jarred Roxannebreathless.
The coach yard was deserted. Increasing his pace, the Wild Man bolted into the stables, his captive clutched against his chest. Roxanne felt numb with shock, the familiar scents of hay and horses totally at odds with this bizarreabduction.
With a flourish Chand-a-la set her on her feet, snatched a bridle from a nail, and unlatched the door to a stall. Then he guided her into the stall ahead of him so she could not escape. The bay gelding inside shifted nervously as the Wild Man deftly removed its halter, then slipped thebridleon.
Though Roxanne knew he could not understand, she said urgently, "Please, Chand-a-la, don't do this! There's nowhere to hide, and they might hurt you when they catch you." She placed a pleading hand on his arm. "Come outside withmenow."
He glanced down at her hand, and she felt the muscles in his forearm tense. It was an odd moment that ended when shouts arose outside thestables.
He raised his hand and fumbled at her throat. She gasped and tried to retreat, stopping when she backed into the wall. Surely he couldn't be trying to molest her right here in the stable, when rescuers were just a few feet away, she thought wildly. But what did she know about how a savage's mindworked?
With a quick yank he untied her bonnet, tugged it off, and flung it aside. Then he brushed her head with a gesture that was oddly like a caress. Her hair loosened and fell in thick waves around her shoulders. His black beard shivered. Was that a smile behind theshrubbery?
He murmured a few words. Though it was hard to make them out because of the shouting outside, it sounded like, "Don't fear,wahine." But that couldn't be, since he didn't speakEnglish.
Timidly she looked into his face for the first time. He was so tall and the stall was so shadowy that it was hard to see his features clearly. She did discover that his eyes were surprisingly light-colored, not black as sheexpected.
The door to the stable opened with a squeal of rusty hinges. Swiftly Chand-a-la lifted Roxanne onto the horse's bare back, setting her astride so that her skirts crumpled indecently around herknees.
Then he swung up behind her. Controlling the horse effortlessly, he rode outside, one hand on the reins and his other arm locked around Roxanne's waist as he brushed past the stable boy who had openedthedoor.
A dozen men were in the yard, several heading purposefully toward the stables while the others milled about in confusion. For a suspended moment everyone stared at the sight of Chand-a-la and hiscaptive.
Sir William was in the midst of the group. Looking more irritated than alarmed, he barked, "There they are." He began striding forward. "Unhand my daughter, you ignorantaborigine!'
An onlooker said with surprise, "Miss Mayfield's hair is quite splendid." Another man said admiringly, "For a savage, that fellow has a dashed good seat on thehorse."
Ignoring the comments, Chand-a-la set the horse into a trot, heading for the arch that led to the street. A man cried, "Quick, kill the brute before heescapes!"
A portly gentleman who carried a fowling piece raised it and aimed at the Wild Man and his captive. As he pulled the trigger, Sir George swung his arm, knocking the barrel skyward as it discharged with a boom. "For God's sake, man!" Renfrew roared. "You mustn't kill Miss Mayfield while trying tosaveher!"
With acrid smoke filling the yard, the Wild Man put his heels to the horse and they broke into a gallop, whipping under the arch and into the street. Turning the horse to the left, Chand-a-la began galloping toward the outskirts of town as if the hounds of hell werepursuingthem.
Roxanne clung to the gelding's mane helplessly as they swerved around drays and shrieking pedestrians. The wind whipped her hair free so that it lashed across her captor's chest. It was terrifying to ride without the security of a saddle. If it hadn't been for the firmness of Chand-a-la's grip, she would have been pitched to theground.
She caught glimpses of white, shocked faces as they roared down the street. Dodging a woman carrying a child, the horse clipped a basket and rosy applesspilledout.
Dizzily Roxanne watched the fruit roll across the cobbles, then raised her head to see a pony cart loaded with hay blocking the street crosswise ahead of them. She gave a muffled shriek, sure a lethal accident wasimminent.
Instead of swerving or pulling up, Chand-a-la set the gelding into a suicidal jump. Even though she was convinced they were doomed, Roxanne automatically tightened her legs around the horse and held still so as not to throw the beast offbalance.
