“Who are you?” Dill demanded.
Ambrose shrugged out of his coat and dropped it and his hat to the floor. He then peeled off his gloves, and they followed.
“What are you doing?” Tilly demanded. “You can’t fight a man such as him.” The fear in her voice was real.
“Do you believe I am too gentlemanly, Miss Wilson?” Ambrose did not take his eyes off them from the doorway as he spoke.
“I believe you are mad to contemplate it. The man is the size of an ox,” she said, coming to his side.
Ambrose wasn’t sure whether to be pleased about her worry or insulted by the fact that she didn’t think he could hold his own.
“Step back and care for Ruby, Tilly.” When she didn’t move, he snapped, “At once.”
For perhaps the first time since he’d met her, she did as he asked. He heard her murmuring something to the injured woman.
“Who are you?” the brute in the doorway demanded again.
He’d met this sort before. Deliberately intimidating and a bully.
“Lord Talbot.” Ambrose used his most pompous voice.
“Why are you with my woman?” Dill demanded, not impressed by his title one bit.
“Now there is where, I believe, Miss Little differs with your assessment of your relationship with her.”
Dill frowned.
“Sorry, let me rephrase that so you have a clearer understanding. Miss Little, Ruby, has no wish to be in a relationship with you.” Ambrose watched the man closely, waiting for a sign that he might strike.
“She’s mine!” Dill bellowed.
“I’m not!” The words came out of Ruby with surprising force, considering the pain she was in.
A low growl had Ambrose looking down to see that the dog was now at his side, teeth bared, glaring at Dill.
“Easy boy.” He settled his hand on the dog’s head. Ambrose had no wish for a stray kick to harm him, even as a dog bite would serve the man right for hurting Ruby.
“She’s mine, and no one’s saying different!”
“I’ve always found men who would harm a woman to be cowards. Weak-kneed imbeciles who cannot get a woman’s attention without using their fists,” Ambrose said. The dog made a sound that to him sounded like agreement. “Are you deficient in other ways, perhaps?”
Dill frowned, but Ambrose was not about to embellish on that, as women were present.
“I’m going to kill you!”
“Well then, Dill, I think we should take this outside, as there is surely not enough room in here for me to teach you a lesson in manners,” Ambrose said, wanting to get the man away from Tilly and Ruby.
“I ain’t going nowhere without her.” Dill jabbed a beefy finger in Ruby’s direction.
“No, Ambrose. Please don’t do this,” Tilly said, and he could hear her desperation.
“He won’t leave until I teach him some manners, Tilly. All will go well, I promise.” He bent to retrieve the bill clip that held bank notes from his pocket. “If you win, I’ll give youthis, and we’ll leave. If I win, you leave and never touch her again.”
“I don’t trust men like you.” Dill jutted out his jaw.
“And yet it is not I who has used his fists on a woman much smaller than himself, so perhaps it is not you who could be termed a man. In fact, bully, thug, and coward suit you a great deal better.”
Color flushed Dill’s cheeks. “Right, I’m killing you!”
