Kit was still in the doorway, his body tense. “She has nothing to do with this. I’m the one you want.”
“I do want to see you dead,” Holbert assured him. “And I will. You don’t cross me and walk away. Do you understand?”
Elise looked to Kit, half expecting him to make some quip, but he didn’t. He had never looked so serious.
“Understood.” Kit raised his hands as if requesting calm. “Now release her and we shall settle this as gentlemen.”
“Gentlemen of swords, right?” Holbert said with a laugh. “I don’t trust you any more than you trust me. But I will say, this one is lovely. Been hearing you had a woman with you that turned heads. They said she was a nice filly, and they weren’t lying. I’m partial to yellow hair.”
“Actually, I didn’t know your partialities,” Kitreplied. “However, now that I do, let her leave the room.”
Holbert walked to stand in front of Kit. “No, Cox. Since you helped my gel escape, I’m takingyours. This one is prettier. Brothels pay double for yellow hair.”
“Trust me, you don’t want this woman. She is a handful,” Kit said, and as he talked, his own hand came down and touched his leg—
Suddenly, the man holding Elise screamed. Tamsyn had seen Kit’s silent command for action and had sunk her teeth into the man’s calf. His hold loosened. Elise didn’t hesitate to shake herself free.
The man reached down to hit the dog but Elise gave him a push, costing him his balance. At the same time, Kit took advantage of the distraction and swung his fist at Holbert, punching him sharply in the center of his face.
And then he turned his attention to Elise. Kit pushed her out the door.“Run.”
Elise didn’t question the command. She started down the hall. Tamsyn charged out of the room, racing right on her heels. Elise reached the stairs and started down them when she realized Kit was not behind her. He’d stayed up in that room with those terrible men.
The door to the room slammed shut and what sounded like a body bounced off it.
However, before she could act, a tall man dressed in black from head to toe started upthe stairs toward her. She looked down at him. “Please, you must help me. They are going to kill him—”
Sudden recognition in the dawn’s thin light stopped her. “Mr. Steele? What are you doing here?”
“Your sisters sent me.”
Elise’s heart gladdened. The fabled Mr. Steele was here to help. She didn’t care what his presence meant. People whispered that he could solve all problems. She hoped so. She and Kit needed support now.
Tamsyn growled at him. “Stop,” she said to the dog. “Mr. Steele, there are some men who will kill my friend. Please, come help—”
Before she realized what he was about, Mr. Steele picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. “Miss Lanscarr, the time has come to return home.”
He began carrying her back down the stairs and Elise went wild.He must help.Those men would kill Kit.
She curled her fingers into talons and ripped into him. His step faltered but he kept going. Downstairs, she rose up on his shoulder and tried to buck herself off. Meanwhile, Tamsyn attempted to bite him.
Mr. Steele kicked at the dog. “Down,” he ordered, but he could have been speaking to either one of them. It didn’t matter. Elise wasn’t going to listen, and neither was Tamsyn.
Kit needed them.
***
It had been a long, frustrating journey.
Beck Steele had gone to Liverpool. He’d stopped at every village, every posting house along the way asking for Elise Lanscarr. No one recognized the name or her description.
Finally, he’d discovered the driver who had come across the wrecked coach. The man told him that the only two bodies were the driver and guard, and that there’d been a couple who had survived the wreck, but he’d had no room to take them on their way. So, he’d left them to make their way to the George.
Beck chose to ride back to the last place where a woman matching Elise’s description had been seen. It was assumed the couple were man and wife, but what if they weren’t?
What if some bastard was taking advantage of her?
He owed it to Gwendolyn to discover the truth. He’d returned to the George and asked more questions. This time, about the man and wife. The innkeeper Sarver told him that they’d said their family name was Cox, but he knew nothing more. He’d thought they had planned to take the next stage. Instead, they had chosen to continue along on foot.
