“I ’eard of their plan,” bit out Cleavers, “got ’ere quick as.”
Hugh clapped him on the back. “And thank hell you did.” He twisted to Darnell. “Rather desperate, no? To attack in broad daylight?”
The man groaned and eyed Hugh and Cleavers with mortal distaste. “Bluidy traitors. We’ll get ye all,” he rasped. “And the Miss too. I’ll carve ye up like–”
Leather creaked as Cleavers tightened his grip on the brute’s throat, woollen jacket straining at the seams. “Nah, yer won’t.”
Hugh dusted down his buckskins. “Have we compromised your mission?”
“Nah.” Cleavers winked. “No one knows I’m ’ere, and not a sparrow’s tweet gonna be heard from where he’s goin’.”
Amelia reached up to his shoulder. “We owe you.”
“Aye. Add it to the bill,” he said with a wink, before in a swirl of black cloak, he grabbed Darnell’s collar and dragged him off through the deserted park.
Spring leaves quivered in a gust; a hoop lay abandoned.
Amelia closed her eyes. “He could have…have killed you. How did you see…”
“I caught a glint of sun off the barrel but…” He cupped her cheek with one hand; her lashes raised to reveal bright amber eyes. “Where the hell did you get that book…gun…contraption?”
“I made it,” she said softly. “I needed a weapon a governess could carry at all times without drawing attention. The bookmark is metal and hooks to the trigger. The spine is the sight, although I required your shoulder for steadiness. Rather a waste of a good book some might say, but I’d no othe–”
Hugh kissed her – voracious and carnal.
There in the middle of the park, pelicans squawking their return overhead.
Amelia’s forehead met his, the wind still gusting the odd blackened shred of paper until with a deep exhale, she drew back and placed a trembling hand to his sleev–
“Hugh? You’re bleeding!”
He nodded. “Bullet caught me. Just a scratch.”
“You should have told me!” Amelia slapped his shoulder.
“Ouch.”
She glared. “We need to get you to Mrs Dawkins and–”
“No, no. It’s naught and she’ll only fuss.” He clasped her hands within his. “This is not over, Amelia. We are close to finding Ross’ murderer so let’s go somewhere to gather our thoughts.” He drew her near, felt her body curve to his. “Some calm before the coming storm is in order. I’ll clean this up there and…” His lips curved. “’Tis on the other side of London but I know the perfect place.”
