“Bitch!” The man rubbed his leg. “I’ll make you pay for that!”
“She needs to be taught a lesson.” She felt a hand on her shoulder. Walter rose to his hind legs and bit it. Another howl of pain filled the air.
“Get her!”
Dimity swung her fist hard at the man who advanced; it connected with his jaw. An arm wrapped around her waist, and she was lifted off her feet. She lashed out with a heel.
“Perhaps we should take her home and teach her a lesson.”
“Help!” she screamed before a hand clamped over her mouth. She bit it, hard.
“Release her!” The word was like a roll of thunder.
Dimity was dropped, landing hard on her bottom. Hands lifted her to her feet.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes.” She looked into the dark, angry eyes of Lord Raine. “They tried to harm Walter. That man was choking him!” She pointed to the man, who now stood in a line with his friends. “Walter and Romulus bit them, but they deserved it.”
“Raine,” her attacker said with a mocking look on his face. “You know this woman, clearly?”
Lord Raine let his eyes pass over Dimity before pushing her behind him.
“Don’t kill them,” she said.
His sigh was loud enough to reach her.
“No, really. I know what you can do, and I have no wish for you to harm them. I don’t want you being a hero for me again and them ending up groaning on the ground.”
He shot her a smile over his shoulder, boyish and full of trouble. Dimity had never seen that look on his face before. “Shall I just use my fists then and defend your honor in the traditional way?”
“I think that would be for the best,” Dimity said solemnly.
“Are you well, Miss Brown?” Mr. Sinclair had arrived.
“I am, thank you, sir.”
His smile was gentle, but the look in his eyes was not as he passed her to stand at Lord Raine’s side. Suddenly the man who’d readCaptain Broadbent and Lady Nauticusin a mocking voice while wearing material over his head was no longer in evidence.
“Are you all right?” Next came Michael Deville. He touched her shoulder gently.
“I am, thank you. That man was hurting Walter.”
“Well, we cannot allow that to go unpunished.” With a final squeeze of her shoulder, he moved past to join his brother and Mr. Sinclair.
Dimity took her place at their side.
“Get behind me,” Lord Raine demanded.
“I behaved last time. I have no wish to this time.” She pushed his hand aside. “Besides, I know you’ll win.”
“Mouthy shrew,” he whispered.
“I have sisters like that,” Mr. Sinclair said. “Willfully disobedient, I call them, but only with a door between us.”
“She is a friend, Harding,” Lord Raine said.
“Ah.” The man called Harding gave a mocking smile. “A friend.”
