His large body was very warm. His heat soaked though the bodice of her dress.
Tibby stared ahead. Her hair streamed out behind her, catching in his face. Once or twice she felt him brush it aside, and she burned with embarrassment and tried to tuck it into her collar. She couldn’t think of the last time she’d been out of doors with her hair uncovered, let alone unbound. It felt so…so shameless.
The horse was tiring. They slowed to a canter. A smart gray curricle came around the corner up ahead and his arm tightened around Tibby, almost squeezing the breath from her.
“What the devil—” he exclaimed. “She’s goin’ the wrong way! And where’s the lad?”
Tibby gasped something and he looked down. “Sorry,” he said, and the steel band loosened. “Don’t know me own strength sometimes. Are you all right?”
Tibby nodded, gasping in great quantities of air, then realized that the curricle coming toward them was being driven by none other than Callie in a man’s coat and hat.
“Tibby!” Callie called out as soon as she was close enough. “Oh, my dear Tibby! Thank God you’re all right!”
The moment the curricle stopped, Ethan came aside and dropped Tibby into it, cutting across the ecstatic feminine reunion with, “I don’t know what you’re doing here, ma’am, or what you’ve done with your boy—”
“He’s safe, of course! I wouldn’t be here, otherwise!”
“The captain’s not going to like this, ma’am. He expects his orders to be followed to the letter.”
“Well, I’m not one of his soldiers. It’s my fault Tibby and you and he were endangered and I am not going to run off with the only weapons.”
“Not the only weapons, ma’am. With respect, you haven’t seen the captain fight. His bare hands are weapons. Now, I’m heading back to help him—and no, you’re not going,” he said as she picked up the reins, looking all set to follow.
“But—”
“Ma’am, you can’t fight: fighting is men’s business. The captain and I have been in more fights than you’ve had hot dinners—”
“But—” She looked mutinous.
“You’ll only get in the way. The best you two can do is go back to the Grange. You take Miss Tibby back there and give her a nice cup of tea. Tell Barrow what’s going on. I’ll get back and help the captain!” He wheeled his horse and prepared to gallop back.
“Take the guns!” Callie shrieked.
He hesitated, then said, “No. Captain’s orders were that you have ’em to protect you. We’ll do as we are, never you fear.” He urged his horse back the way he’d come off.
Both women watched him. “Men are so thickheaded,” Callie fumed. “Going off to do battle and leaving me with the guns!”
Tibby was equally cross. “Nice cup of tea indeed!” She looked at Callie. “Where’s Nicky?”
“Safe,” she said. “I left him with the Barrows. Tibby, how many men were in your cottage?”
“Four,” Tibby told her.
“Four against one!And Mr. Renfrew with no weapon and Mr. Delaney a knife!” Callie swallowed and looked at her friend. “Tibby, would you mind very much if we went back to your cottage? I won’t be packed off tamely, not when I have guns, and when he is outnumbered four to one! Particularly since I am the cause of all this trouble.”
“It’s not your fault and I don’t mind in the least,” Tibby said instantly. “I wanted to go back and help, only Mr. Delaney wouldn’t allow it.” She snorted. “I’ll give him anice cup of tea!”
The grays moved off at a smart clip. “The pistols are in that case there,” Callie said. She snapped the reins and the grays picked up speed.
Tibby opened the case and examined one of the pistols out with great care. The curricle bounced and swayed and she put the gun back hastily in case it went off. “It looks quite straightforward,” she said briskly.
“Have you ever shot a gun?” Callie asked.
“No. I thought you were terrified of horses.”
“I am.”
The two women exchanged glances and burst out laughing. “Tibby darling, you haven’t changed a bit! I will hug you properly after this is all over, but oh! How glad I am you are here!”
