Knowing Cobby always carried two pistols, he grabbed the second from the man’s trousers before he could get his wits about him and held it over him. “You’re done hurting women, Cobby.”
The man held his middle, trying to breathe through what was no doubt broken ribs. “You can’t…tell me…what I can…do. Not…my captain.”
That Cobby had no regret proved how thoroughly depraved the man was. “I don’t have to be your captain. I’m simply a subject of the crown who has discovered a criminal.”
“Ouch! Cobby, she’s hurting me.” At Stiff’s complaint, he glanced back to see the duchess tying the man’s feet. The duchess?
“A knife! Marcus!”
At Mariel’s warning, he turned, caught the gleam of the sun on the knife in Cobby’s hand and without hesitation, shot. The weapon about to be thrown at him fell to the ground from Cobby’s lifeless grip.
“Marcus?”
He turned in time to catch Mariel to him as she threw herself into his arms. She smelled of orange blossoms and all that was good, and he grasped her tightly, relief flooding him. When she lifted her head, he didn’t wait for an invitation but kissed her with all the love he had inside him.
“Mariel, are you bleeding?”
At the worried sound of Lady Sommerset’s voice, he broke the kiss.
Mariel stepped back. “No, but Marcus is. We need to dress the wound. Joanna?”
He looked past Mariel to find the duchess, finishing a knot on the rope tied around Stiff’s ankles.
“I’m almost finished here.” Lady Northwick motioned with her head. “Amelia, find a place for him to sit down.”
Within moments, he found himself seated on a downed tree at the edge of the clearing with all three sisters gathered round.
Lady Northwick knelt before him. “I need clean linen. We’ll pack the bullet wound and wrap his wrists.”
Mariel sat next to him and lifted up her dress. She held her hand out to Lady Sommerset who stood in front of them. “Let me have your knife.”
The lady pulled a knife from her boot and handed it to Mariel, who proceeded to rip her shift.
With so many unanswered questions, he asked the first that came to mind. “You carry a knife in your boot?”
Lady Sommerset grinned. “I do. I never know when I’ll need to sharpen a pencil. And before you ask, yes, I always have a pencil with me.” She bent to her other boot and lifted out said pencil.
Mariel handed back the knife and lowered her wedding dress, which was stained in his blood.
This wasn’t the wedding day she’d planned on, and he knew how she hated when her plans went awry. “I’ll buy you a new dress.”
She took his hand. “I don’t need a new dress. All I need is you.”
Her green gaze was so filled with love that he started to lean in for a kiss, when a sharp pain hit his other shoulder as his tailcoat was pulled off. “Och.”
“I’m sorry, but this can’t be helped.” Lady Northwick didn’t actually sound very apologetic. “The bullet went straight through, but I need to pack the wound, or you’ll lose too much blood by the time we get back to your home.”
He gritted his teeth as his shirt was ripped open and Lady Northwick expertly wound his shoulder up.
“Mariel, let go of his hand.”
Reluctantly, he let her go as both his wrists were wrapped.
Lady Sommerset, who’d wandered off, returned. “Mare, I think you’ll want this.” She opened her hand to reveal the garnet necklace. “I know how much it means to you.” Then she looked at him. “She never took it off the entire time you were away.”
The slight rebuke in her tone was noted. “So I have come to understand.”
Lady Sommerset then gave him one of her secret smiles before dropping the treasure into Mariel’s hand.
