To Tame a Highland Earl (15 page)

Lord Halifax would be worse than the two put
together.

“
Lord Halifax, I will not
marry you.”

He shrugged. “I can bribe someone to marry
us. These Scots allow anyone to claim they are married as long as
there’s a witness.”

“
I do not understand,” she
said. “You expressed no wish to marry. In fact, you have vigorously
avoided marriage for thirty-eight years.”

“
Yes,” he agreed. “I admit
that I have no love for the institution, but—” The carriage slowed
and he lifted the curtain and looked outside. “Damn, I see the
church spire in the distance.” He dropped the curtain. “We had
better get this over with.”

“
This?” Eve repeated, but
needed no explanation when he shifted onto the cushion beside her.
She scooted closer to the door. “This has gone far
enough.”

“
We both know this isn’t
the first time you’ve spread your legs for a man in a carriage.
Everyone knows Blane took your maidenhead during your
last
trip to Gretna Green and there is no telling how many other men you
have accommodated since.”

Eve slapped him. His eyes widened, then
narrowed, not with anger, but with a shrewd glint that frightened
her.

“
Had I known of your
predilection for violence, we would have done this long
ago.”

“
I will not agree to be
your wife,” she snapped. “Nor will I...do anything
else.”

He gave her a malicious smile. “But you will,
for your father won’t believe you
didn’t
beg me to fuck you
in order to ensure I married you.”

Eve’s shock at his crude language was shoved
aside by the chilling realization that Lord Halifax had concluded
what she should have deduced the moment he kidnapped her: her
father would kill him.

Panic sent her heart pounding. My lord, you
need not concern yourself about my father. He will not take to
heart this jest.”

“
Do you think I am a fool?”
Lord Halifax yanked her against him. “We have little time, so you
will forgive me for not savoring you this first time.”

“
Have you lost your mind?”
Eve tried to twist free, but his arms tightened painfully around
her. “I will have you thrown into Newgate.”

“
A husband can do with his
wife what he chooses.” His hot breath washed over her
face.

“
You will never be my
husband.” She drew a breath to scream and he gave her a rough kiss
to the mouth.

Eve jerked her head aside, but he grabbed the
side of her head and forced her still as he shoved his tongue into
her mouth. She half screamed, half gagged, and he groaned in
response. He yanked her across his lap and pinned her against his
body with one arm while he jammed his free hand between her legs.
Eve instinctively clamped her legs together, but his fingers were
like iron and rammed between her clenched thighs.

She bucked and became aware of his hard
length beneath her buttocks. Her stomach roiled. She yanked her
knee up and, in the instant before her knee made contact with his
cheek, felt the cruel, hard probe of his fingers in her tender
folds. Pain radiated up her leg when her kneecap made contact with
his cheekbone. He cried out and his hold loosened. Eve shoved away
from him and thudded to the floor onto her backside.

“
Damn you.” He seized her
arm.

“
Re-lease me!”

A cry went up from the driver. Eve thought
he’d heard the commotion. She knew a sudden urge to cry in
relief—then the carriage sped up. Lord Halifax tumbled from the
seat onto her. His weight knocked the breath from her and she
gasped for air. He grabbed her shoulders and pinned her to the
floor. Eve had the fleeting thought that he couldn’t possibly lay
between her legs on the small space of the floor and she thought
she heard another shout, this one some distance off.

“
I will beat you,” Lord
Halifax hissed.

Eve clawed at his face. He screamed like a
schoolgirl as she raked her nails down his left cheek. Another
shout outside, this one louder, and the carriage listed hard to the
right, then rocked to a stop. The door flew open. Lord Halifax
blocked her view, but Eve saw large fingers seize his coat at the
shoulder, then he was up and off her as he tumbled backwards out of
the coach.

Eve scrambled to her knees, then grabbed the
handle near the door and shoved through the opening, nearly falling
out and onto the ground. She righted herself and took in the few
thatched roofs, clay cottages, an inn, and church that surrounded
them. She gave a small cry when Oscar and Lord Somerset jumped from
their horses while Lord Rushton yanked Lord Halifax off the ground
by his collar.

Two men rushed from the nearest cottage as
the earl drove a fist into Lord Halifax’s stomach. Halifax doubled
over with a groan. He retreated and Lord Rushton matched him step
for step, throwing a punch to his chin, then another to his
stomach. More men emerged from cottages, but no one tried to stop
the fight and Eve realized with growing horror that they were
accustomed to the sight of brawls in their square when an angry
parent or brother caught up with a would-be groom.

Lord Halifax held up one hand, palm facing
Lord Rushton. “Enough,” he wheezed.

“
Not hardly.” The earl
pulled a pistol from his waistband and Eve’s heart jumped into her
throat.

“
There are witnesses,” Lord
Halifax cried—and there were, a dozen more than before. “You can’t
murder me in plain sight of the entire town.”

Lord Rushton swung his gaze onto the carriage
driver, who remained motionless atop the vehicle. “Get down here.
You will act as Halifax’s second.”

The man didn’t move.

Eve’s heart thundered. “My lord,” she began,
but Lord Halifax cut her off.

“
This is outrageous. We
cannot conduct a duel in the town square. Dueling is against the
law.”

Lord Rushton didn’t take his eyes off his
pistol, which he was inspecting. “You will count your paces and do
your damnedest to shoot me, Halifax, or I will shoot you
outright.”

The lack of emotion in his voice sent a chill
through Eve. Lord Halifax must have heard it too, for he shouted,
“Someone call the sheriff!”

“
I have no doubt he is
already on his way,” Lord Rushton said.

“
We dinna’ allow dueling in
Scotland, any more than you do in England,” a man in the forefront
of the crowd said.

Lord Rushton lowered the weapon and looked at
the man. “Do you allow men to kidnap another man’s fiancé, then try
to rape her?”

Startlement flashed across the man’s face. He
looked at Lord Halifax, eyes fixed on the scratches down his cheek,
then shifted his gaze to Eve. She kept her eyes level with his and
prayed the churning in her stomach didn’t reflect in her
expression, but his gaze dropped from her face and she glanced down
and gasped at sight of her dress’s torn sleeve.

The man took a step forward and stopped
beside Lord Rushton. “I will act as his second.”

“
You said yourself, dueling
is forbidden,” the earl replied. “Halifax’s driver can stand
in.”

“
If you kill his lordship I
will swear it was a fair fight,” the man said. “I will be believed.
The driver will no’.”

“
I accept,” Lord Rushton
said.

Eve took a step forward. “Lord Rushton, there
will be no duel.” For the first time, he looked at her. “I am all
right, sir.”

“
You call being kidnapped
and accosted all right?”

“
I am none the
worse.”

“
Your dress and his face
say otherwise.” His mouth thinned and she had the terrible feeling
he sensed the tremble working its way through her body. “I assume
the scream we heard was when you wounded him?” he asked.

For an instant she didn’t understand his
question, then recalled Lord Halifax’s scream when she scratched
him. “Yes.”

“
You were right, Oscar,”
Lord Rushton said, then added, “Please escort Miss Crenshaw into
the nearest cottage.”

Oscar didn’t move.

“
Oscar.”

Oscar glanced at her, but still didn’t
move.

“
You threaten to put a
knife through my heart and shoot Halifax, but that slip of a girl
frightens you?” Rushton demanded.

“
Oscar,” she cried. “Say
you did not make such threats.”

He glanced at the ground like a schoolboy. “I
did, Miss.”

“
Shame on you,” she said,
then to Lord Rushton, “As for you, I am no slip of a
girl.”

“
No, madam, you are not.”
He turned to Lord Somerset. “Somerset, if you have the bollocks,
see to Miss Crenshaw. As for you, Halifax, have you a
weapon?”

“
I do not,” he
snapped.

“
I have one.” Another man
stepped from the crowd as Lord Somerset reached Eve’s side and
grasped her arm. The first man stopped beside Lord Rushton and
withdrew the pistol stuffed into his belt.

“
That’s a Scottish pistol,”
Halifax said in obvious horror. “It must be twenty years
old.”

“
Thirty-two to be exact,”
the man said.

“
You have an advantage with
that new French pistol of yours, Rushton,” Lord Halifax said. “It
isn’t a fair match.”

Lord Rushton handed his weapon to the man.
“The earl will use my pistol. I will take yours.”

The man’s brows rose, but he said nothing and
handed his gun to Lord Rushton while Rushton his newer pistol to
Lord Halifax’s second.

“
I will act as your
second,” Lord Somerset said to Lord Rushton.

“
You have enough to deal
with.” He frowned. “You should be inside, Miss
Crenshaw.”

Anger shot through her. “Lord Somerset may
have the bollocks to grasp my arm, but I doubt he can manhandle me
into a cottage.”

His frown turned reproachful. “Madam, we are
going to have a talk about your language.” He flicked a glance at
Lord Somerset, then said, “I doubt it is worth him fighting to get
you into the carriage. You will, however, remain quiet.”

“
Sir,” she began, but he
turned his back and addressed the owner of the pistol.

“
I trust your weapon works
properly?”

“
As good as the day I
bought it.”

He nodded, then said to Halifax’s second,
“What is your name, sir?”

“
Graham.”

“
Graham, have you a doctor
nearby?”

“
Duncan.” The man nodded
toward the crowd.

Lord Rushton looked over his shoulder as a
short, stout man emerged from the crowd. “If you would be so good
as to stand ready,” he said.

“
I will,” Duncan
replied.

Lord Rushton faced Graham. “Please check my
pistol, then hand it over to his lordship, so we can be done with
this business and be on our way.”

“
Ye have at least twenty
minutes before you have to
be on your way
—if anyone bothered
to sound the alarm,” the man said.

Twenty minutes? Fear brought the sting of
tears to Eve’s eyes.

“
Then we have no worries,”
Lord Rushton said.

The man examined the pistol, then walked to
Lord Halifax and handed it to him.

“
How do I know I can trust
you?” the earl demanded.

The man gave him a cold smile. “Because I am
hoping your friend misses.”

Lord Halifax’s mouth parted in surprise.

“
Don’t misunderstand,” the
man said. “I want you to miss him, too. Then, I will shoot ye
myself.

“
A duel?” wailed a familiar
female voice. The crowed turned as Grace pushed past two men and
said, “Eve Crenshaw, what have you done?”

*****

Memory of that same high-pitched cry caused
Erroll to whirl toward the female who had uttered the sound. Miss
Grace Crenshaw stood in front of the crowd, those perfect breasts
heaving as they had… How many days ago had it been?

“
A duel?” she cried. “He is
fighting a duel over
you
?”

Erroll shifted his gaze onto Miss Eve
Crenshaw. “Your handiwork, madam?”

She had the good grace to blush and he
satisfied himself that her reaction was a good beginning for the
retribution he had in mind. Erroll turned his attention to the
brute. “Oscar, I beg you, please tell me you have the nerve to deal
with the younger Miss Crenshaw.”

Oscar didn’t hesitate, but strode to the girl
and grasped her arm.

“
Take your hands off me,”
she ordered.

“
For pity’s sake, Grace,”
her sister said, “be quiet.”

“
How dare you?” the girl
seethed.

“
I warn you, Grace, I will
take you over my knee myself.”

The younger sister’s eyes widened while the
elder sister’s eyes narrowed.

Miss Eve Crenshaw hadn’t lied. She was none
the worse for wear, but that was due to the unbelievable good luck
that Halifax had waited until they reached Gretna Green to yank
from her the last vestiges of her honor.

“
Halifax, there are too
many people in the square and we cannot chance a bullet going
through one of the cottages,” Erroll said. “We will settle this in
the field yonder.”

Halifax tossed his pistol to the ground. “I
will not duel.”

The click of hammers being pulled back on
several guns resounded in the quiet. “We think ye will, laddie,”
said one man.