A shadow moved near the carriage door on the other side, and Evelyn paused before taking any rash action.
She closed her eyes, listening. Footsteps paused near her door, while, judging from the scuffles on the other side, Asher was involved in fisticuffs.
The handle on the side opposite Asher turned, and Evelyn knew in an instant that this was no accidental carriage robbery. This was a coordinated effort. Someone was after them.
She made her decision not a moment too soon. Taking a look around, she found one of the foot-warming bricks beneath the carriage seat. Fisting it in her left hand, she used her right to throw open the carriage door toward Asher, smiling grimly in satisfaction when it banged into one of the attackers, sending him flying backward, leaving Asher battling just one.
The foe turned his head toward her, giving Asher the time he needed to drive the man back with powerful, fast-moving fists.
“Evelyn, back in the carriage!” he shouted, but she was having none of that.
Especially not when the other man was returning, and footsteps were sounding from the opposite side of the carriage.
They couldn’t take them alone. But perhaps they just needed some assistance.
“Help!” she called out as loudly as she could. “We’re under attack!”
As the other man circled, she took a third brick and hurled it at him with all her might.
It missed him, but it gave her enough time to reload with another brick — and it seemed her calls had worked as people began filtering out of the few buildings around them, many she had assumed to be abandoned.
Evelyn had no idea whether the onlookers would be on their side, as this was a working-class neighborhood, but it seemed the number of witnesses was enough to drive these men away.
“This isn’t the end!” one man shouted over his shoulder as they ran off.
Breath coming hard, Asher swivelled around, his gaze landing on Evelyn.
She was also panting, especially as her gaze ran up and down his body.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“I am. And you?”
“Yes,” she said. “But I wasn’t the one engaged in fisticuffs.”
“I’m just fine,” he repeated.
A moment passed between them, and before she had time to think about it, she was moving, out of the carriage toward him. He took a step as well, and in seconds, his arms were wrapped around her, holding her close against him.
His body moved seemingly in time with hers as they stood, locked in an embrace, her head pressed against his jacket, while he held her tightly against him, as though he never wanted to let go.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “So sorry. I never wanted to put you in danger. Knowing you were in the carriage, that you were at risk of those men discovering you was distressing and then you… you…”
“Took one out?”
His laugh was shaky. “You were magnificent, even though you absolutely terrified me.”
“I couldn’t leave you alone out here with them,” she said, not wanting to tell him that she had actually been in greater danger than he had realized, as another had threatened her.
Silence crashed down around them long enough that the surrounding murmuring intensified, and when she looked over her shoulder, it appeared that some of the onlookers were stepping closer. Asher tugged on Evelyn’s hand.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said.
“But—”
“Look in the distance.” He pointed down the road. “Jacobs is returning, with help.”
“Will he not be concerned if we are no longer here?”
