Charlie closed the curtains on the window. “Stay inside. Do not, under any circumstances, leave this carriage. Am I clear?”
“Highwaymen?” Liza’s voice wavered despite her obvious attempt to sound calm.
“No. But I shall handle them.”
Charlie burst through the door and slammed it closed, and his voice rang out in the still air. “Be gone,” he bellowed. “I will warn you only once.”
His anger frightened me. If not highwaymen, who were those men? Did they wish to hurt us? I peeled back the curtain and peeked out. Three men with black handkerchiefs covering their faces stood at the side of the road. Their horses they’d left to wander. Whoever they were, they had an agenda.
Something banged hard against the carriage, jolting it sideways, and I held fast to the walls to keep steady.
“Get off me,” a man’s voice yelled.
Another jolt and another harsh yell. The door swung open, and a hidden face with beady black eyes jeered at us. “Two women inside, just as expected,” he growled over his shoulder. “Does he want them to pay regrets as well?”
“We have no money.” My voice shook. “Nor have we traveled with jewelry.”
“We do not want your money,” he spat. “Langdon wants anything that makeshimsuffer.”
Charlie.
These were Lord Langdon’s men. The man grabbed my arm and yanked me out. My feet caught on the carriage floor, and though he held me up, I fell hard on my knees to the road.
I cried out as pain shot up my legs.
“Get up,” he sneered, tossing me aside. Then he reached inside for Liza. She screamed, and I stood, ignoring the searing pain and every sense that told me to run.
On instinct, I kicked behind the man’s knees in the same fashion I’d seen Ben fight with Jasper and Nicholas. Then I made a proper fist and beat upon the man’s shoulder and his side with every ounce of strength I could muster.
Liza must have seen me, for she used her feet to advantage and kicked, pushing the man backward. I slid to the side, and our driver appeared from behind the carriage.
He grasped the man’s shirt and heaved him back, away from Liza and me, and the two of them wrestled for control.
Liza’s sobs were uncontrollable.
“Stay here,” I pleaded. “I’ll find Charlie.” I shut the door and spun around.
My feet took control, and I raced around the carriage. Eyes wild and searching, I stopped short.
Charlie stood a distance away, his bare fists raised against a man twice his size. They rounded one another with quick steps, locked in a dance. One would move and the other would dodge or block, like they were toying with one another. Charlie twitched his left arm, but in a flash, he threw a blow to the right and knocked the man’s head sideways.
I sucked in a breath and covered my mouth. But I could not look away.
The hit hadn’t stopped the man from moving, and he rounded even faster on Charlie, ready to retaliate. He thrashed out, but Charlie dodged low, narrowly avoiding the hit.
I recognized the movements as the same ones Charlie had taught me in the grove. I could hear his voice in my head:“Can you anticipate his moves? Where will he aim?”
Charlie faked right, then threw left, connecting his bare fist with the man’s jaw.
But the beast only shook his head, blood spraying in the air, and again raised his fists. He turned wise and guarded every hit Charlie attempted.
I saw no end. Only two men, and one would surely tire soon.
He never loses.I could hardly breathe.Charlie never loses.
They danced and blocked and tricked one another until the man, in evident frustration, barreled forward with all his weight and threw an earnest fist, striking Charlie so hard on his left side that he stumbled back.
My stomach bottomed out, and I spun around, helpless and alone. I had no weapon. Nor aid to call upon.
