He finally smiled. “I will be delighted to demonstrate at another time.”
Anthony might have said more, but the highwayman made his appearance just then, yanking the door open and thrusting his head inside. Roslynn gave a little start. It was one thing to talk about being robbed even when you were about to be robbed, but quite another thing to meet the robber face-to-face.
The coach was high enough off the ground that only the man’s upper torso was framed in the doorway, but it was a huge torso, great-brawny shoulders in a too-tight jacket, dark, scraggly hair on a large head wrapped in a dirty scarf. Fat fingers gripped an old, rusty pistol, also thrust into the coach and pointed directly at Anthony.
Roslynn could do nothing but stare at the pistol,her heart beginning a drumroll. This was not how she had imagined it…well, she hadn’t really imagined anything. Not knowing any highwaymen personally, how was she to know how very dangerous they could be? But she had goaded Anthony into doing something, so it would be her fault if he got shot. And for what? Some stupid jewels that were replaceable?
She glanced at Anthony, wondering how she could tell him to forget it, when the highwayman spoke up. “Evenin’, m’lord,” he said congenially enough, his voice muffled behind the scarf. “Good o’ ye t’ sit tight and await me, it was. ‘Ad a bit o’ trouble wi’ me ’orse after lettin’ yer driver know what’s what. But I’ll be relievin’ ye o’ yer—cor!”
It was at this point that the chap caught sight of Roslynn in the dim light. It took only a moment more for Anthony to grab hold of his wrist and jerk it forward, which brought the fellow’s face slamming into Anthony’s fist.
It happened so fast it was over with before Roslynn had time to be alarmed that it was the hand holding the pistol that Anthony had grabbed. The highwayman, unsuspecting lout, was out cold, facedown on the floor. And as calmly as you please, Anthony placed a foot on his back to keep him from sliding out the door while he pried the pistol loose.
“Be a good girl and stay put while I see if he rode alone or has chums lurking about.”
Before Roslynn could say a word, Anthony was out the door, the highwayman slid out the other one, and she was left in the empty coach, the words dying on her lips. She had never been so frightened in her life, not even for herself. Anthony in danger was a revelation. She found she couldn’t stand the suspense, waiting to hear more shots fired.
Fortunately, it was only a matter of moments before he was back, smiling now. “According to our very shaken driver—it seems this was his first robbery too—the chap was alone.”
Roslynn’s relief came out in an explosive “What the devil do you mean, scaring me to death like that? You could’ve been killed!”
Both brows shot up in amazement at her vehemence. “My dear girl, what did you expect me to do when you demanded Idosomething?”
“I didna mean for you to get yourself killed!”
“Glad to hear it,” was his dry reply. “But it’s done now, so enough.”
“Dinna be telling me—”
He yanked her across his lap and smothered her words with a very forceful kiss. A moment later it became soft nibbles, and finally he grinned at her.
“That’s better. Now you have something else to think about, and you can be sure we’ll continue this later.” He set her gently back on the seat beside him and reached for the bottle of champagne. “But right now I could use another drink, and you can go back to sleep.”
“As if I could,” Roslynn retorted, but the steam had gone out of her anger.
“You’d best try, sweetheart, because I promise you, you won’t have much opportunity to sleep later.”
She said nothing to that but waited until he sat back with glass in hand and settled herself against him again. Her heart rate had returned to normal, although she could have done without the experience. This was her wedding night, for God’s sake. Things like this just didn’t happen on one’s wedding night.
Peevish now that she had gotten so frightened for nothing, she said, “Next time pay me no mind anddon’t be so heroic. The jewels weren’tthatimportant.”
“Perhaps, but it would have fallen to me as your husband to replace them, and I would rather not so dent my pocket.”
“So youdidmarry me for my money?”
“Why else?”
With such irony in his tone, she glanced at him to see his eyes fixed on the bodice of her gown, which she had yet to raise. She nearly laughed. Why else indeed! The man was a rake through and through, but she had known that, knew too that there was no hope of changing him.
She sighed, briefly wondering if she ought to tell him that if he had married her for her money, he would be pleasantly surprised. Her marriage contract dealt very generously with him. And even though Anthony was obviously well-to-do enough not to have to work for a living, he was still a fourth son and couldn’t possibly be rich enough to scorn what she had brought him through the marriage.
She would have to tell him, but not now. The excitement of the attempted robbery had drained her. Within moments, she was fast asleep again.
Chapter Twenty-two
Anthony shook Roslynn awake as they turned off the King’s Road onto Grosvenor Place. They were nearing Piccadilly now, where his town house was located across from Green Park. He hoped that James would still be out for the evening and Jeremy would be in bed, because, as late as it was, the last thing he wanted to do was tender explanations. Besides, he had spent the whole of the ride home, less the short interruption by the highwayman, contemplating the delights of his bed. He didn’t think he could wait much longer.
Roslynn couldn’t have cared less at the moment. She had slept soundly this second time and couldn’t seem to rouse herself sufficiently to appreciate that they had finally arrived. She just wanted to continue sleeping. Thoughts of her wedding night, of her new husband, of anything, were far removed. And yet someone continued to shake her.
