To Tame a Highland Earl (16 page)

Halifax glanced wildly about at half a dozen
guns pointed at him. “Y-you cannot do this. Do you know who I
am?”

“
You are the man who
kidnapped another man’s fiancé, then tried to rape her in order to
force her into marriage,” Erroll said.

“
Rape?” Grace Crenshaw
repeated.

Halifax shook his head. “No, it is a mistake.
That is not what happened.” He jerked to the left where the elder
sister stood beside Somerset. Somerset drew her aside as if to
shield her with his body. Halifax’s eyes widened. “Miss
Crenshaw—Eve—tell them. It was a jest. Nothing more.”

“
A jest?” Erroll repeated.
“I found you on top of her.” In one fluid action, Erroll yanked up
his pistol and drew back the hammer as he leveled the gun on
him.

“
No!” Halifax cried. “Tell
him, Miss Crenshaw. It was a jest and when you found us, we had
fallen on the floor.”

Erroll kept his pistol steady. “Was it a
jest, Miss Crenshaw?”

She hesitated and anger stabbed through
him.

“
It started out innocently
enough,” she said.

“
Innocent?” Erroll took a
step toward Halifax, his pistol aimed at the man’s
heart.

“
He deserves to be shot,”
said the man acting as Halifax’s second. “But a jury will be more
compassionate with a fair fight than an unarmed man who is gunned
down while the whole town looks on.”

Yes, there was that, and Erroll’s military
rank—along with the fact that it would be a Scot—even a wealthy
Scot whose mother was the daughter of an English duke—who had
gunned down an English nobleman. All of which would guarantee a
conviction. He might still receive the conviction even in a fair
duel.

“
My lord,” Miss Eve
Crenshaw pleaded. He glanced at her. She gave a tiny shake of her
head. “Please.”

“
You know very well he
intended to embarrass me by ruining you.” Erroll pointed his pistol
heavenward and released the hammer. “I would have survived. But
you…have you no concern for your reputation—or your
honor?”

Her expression darkened. “Honor, you
say?”

Too late, Erroll realized his mistake.

“
You are a fine one to talk
about my honor, when you sneaked into my room in the dead of night
and accosted me.”

Laughter erupted in the crowd.

“
I did not accost you.”
Memory of the pleasurable discomfort as his face was mashed between
her lush breasts followed with startling—and potentially
embarrassing—intensity, and he said in irritation, “It was you who
pointed a gun at me.”

“
Christ,” Graham muttered,
“and you English call us barbarians.”

She snorted. “If you had not barged into my
bedchambers, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“
That was not my fault,”
Erroll said. “Neither is this. I am not the one who plotted to have
a man kidnapped.”

This time she didn’t blush. “Lord Halifax did
not kidnap me because of that.”

“
You are correct, madam.
Your kidnapping is entirely my fault, but I plan to rectify that.”
Erroll turned his attention to Halifax. “If the dear earl does not
take up his pistol, I will publish in the London Times that he
kidnapped and raped you. Then I will visit every club and hell in
London and repeat the accusation.”

Halifax’s mouth twisted in rage. “That is a
damned lie.”

Erroll shrugged. “Not for lack of trying on
your part. I feel certain the tarnish to your reputation will never
quite disappear, particularly if I avail myself of every
opportunity to recount the story.”

“
All right you Scottish
bastard,” Halifax snarled. “You will have your duel, but instruct
your kinsmen to let me go once I put a bullet through your
heart.”

A collective gasp went up in the crowd.

“
Wait,” Halifax’s second
said. “Rushton—Erroll MacLean, your father is the Marquess of
Rushton?”

“
At your service,” Erroll
said.

“
It would seem we Scots are
barbarians after all,” he said.

“
But not barbarians who
rape women.”

“
Aye.” The man looked at
Halifax. “His lordship is right. We cannot conduct a duel in the
square. Move along.”

“
Really, sir,” Eve Crenshaw
said, “is getting shot twice in one week a good idea?”

Graham whooped. “By God,
she
is the
woman who shot you?”

“
News travels fast,” Erroll
muttered, and wondered how quickly this newest turn of events would
reach his father’s sharp ears.

“
News like this does.”
Graham laughed. “This outdoes even your reputation,
MacLean.”

He was more right than Erroll liked.
“Halifax—”

“
Come now, Rushton,” he cut
in. “The lady is unharmed. We are in Gretna where you can marry her
and circumvent all gossip. Surely that is what you had in mind when
you disappeared with her into the gardens at Lady Grendall’s party.
Our tempers have cooled enough to see that it is best to part on
good terms. If tomorrow, you feel the same, as is the custom, have
a letter sent round my way. You must admit, forcing a duel like
this is highly irregular.”

“
It is, indeed, highly
irregular—for a gentleman to kidnap another man’s intended wife.
But you mistake a cool head for a lack of conviction. The only
thing that kept me from shooting you on sight is the fact I stopped
you from doing Miss Crenshaw any real harm.” Erroll swung his gaze
onto her. “I did succeed?” It hadn’t occurred to him that he might
have stopped Halifax from raping her a second or third time. Maybe
Halifax hadn’t waited as Erroll assumed.

“
He did nothing more than
tear my dress,” she said.

“
That will suffice.” Erroll
shifted his gaze back to the earl. “Now, Halifax.”

*****

The fear Eve saw in Lord Rushton’s eyes when
he’d said
“I did succeed?”
was matched by the cold fury
evident in the simple words,
“Now, Halifax.”

She racked her brain for a way to stop their
march past the cottages and into the field. It seemed the entire
town followed, with her, Lord Somerset, Oscar, and Grace close
behind. Grace’s presence worried Eve. If Lord Rushton wasn’t to be
stopped, then he couldn’t afford any distractions. It would be like
Grace to scream or utter some dramatic exclamation as the two men
turned to face one another.

Lord Rushton at last stopped and Eve took
several paces left, toward Grace. Grace cast her an anxious glance
as the two men faced each other.

“
One shot,” Halifax said.
“If you miss, this is finished.”

The earl canted his head in agreement. “So
long as you agree that you will never again approach Miss
Crenshaw.”

Lord Halifax gave a condescending snort. “No
need to worry.”

Lord Rushton turned to Halifax’s second,
“Should the need arise, you will see to it the ladies reach home
safely?”

Eve knew what ‘should the need arise’ meant
and the burn of tears pricked her eyes.

A corner of the man’s mouth twitched. “I will
personally see them home—along with the entourage that accompanied
the other lady.”

“
You leading that band back
to England would be the finishing touch,” Lord Rushton
said.

As the two men turned back to back, Eve
leaned close to Grace and said, “Do not utter so much as a peep.”
Grace opened her mouth, but Eve seized her arm and jerked. “Grace,
he could die.” Grace’s eyes widened and Eve feared she would cry.
“Get a hold of yourself,” Eve hissed under her breath.

Grace gave a jerky nod as Graham called
“One,” and she grasped Eve’s hand as the men took a pace with each
count.

Eve’s heart pounded and her mind searched
wildly for something—anything—that would halt this madness. But
even as Halifax’s second counted
twenty
, Lord Halifax
whirled. The report of his gun broke across the soft chirp of birds
as Lord Rushton turned, arm outstretched, pistol pointed at the
earl.

“
No!” Lord Halifax cried.
The pistol fell from his grip and he took a faltering step back as
Lord Rushton pulled the trigger. 

Chapter Nine

A shot rang out and Lord Halifax clutched his
stomach. A moment of expectant silence passed. Then the earl
dropped to his knees, blood seeping through his fingers.
Pandemonium broke out and Erroll allowed the arm gripping the
pistol to drop to his side. He crossed to Halifax, scooped up his
pistol, then stood aside for the doctor, who followed two paces
behind, along with half a dozen other men. Duncan knelt beside the
earl and felt for a pulse at Halifax’s neck. He removed Halifax’s
limp hand from his belly and unbuttoned his shirt to examine the
wound.

“
John, Angus, come on,” he
called, then pushed to his knees. “You too, lads,” he addressed two
others. “Carry him inside and put him on the table.” Duncan looked
at Erroll. “He isna’ dead, but he may yet meet his
maker.”

“
You will keep me
apprised,” Erroll said.

“
You may not know for some
time, but if he dies in the next few minutes…” Duncan
shrugged.

“
I will await your word.”
Erroll turned and scanned the crowd for the owner of the Scottish
pistol. He spotted him talking with another man and strode to his
side. The man stopped talking when he arrived, Erroll handed the
pistol to its owner, and said, “Thank you.”

The man nodded and Erroll joined the two Miss
Crenshaw’s, who stood with Oscar and Somerset.

“
Oh my lord,” Miss Grace
Crenshaw said. “How gallant of you to protect Eve’s honor. That
blackguard deserved to be shot. But I am immensely relieved you are
unharmed. ”

“
You bloody fool,” the
elder Crenshaw sister snapped. “Is he dead?”

Grace Crenshaw gasped. “Eve, do not talk to
his lordship that way.”

Her sister cut her a scathing look. “He is
not to be congratulated.” She looked at Erroll, “Well, sir?”

“
I did not manage to kill
him.”

“
Have you lost your mind?”
she seethed. “That was one of the stupidest things I have ever had
the misfortune to see.”

“
Would you rather I had let
Halifax get away with rape?”

“
You could have dragged him
in front of a magistrate. Where is your good sense?”

“
You mean ‘good sense’ like
having a man kidnapped and forced to marry a sister?” Erroll
remarked.

“
That plan did not include
a duel.”

“
Lord Somerset might
disagree—as would your dear Oscar. Both were ready to send me to my
reward.”

She gave a deprecating snort. “Neither would
have carried out their threats.”

“
You are wrong. Oscar would
have made a point of it.”

“
Eve,” her sister cut in,
“you have no right to be angry with his lordship. He was perfectly
correct in dealing with Lord Halifax. Good heavens, what prompted
him to kidnap you?”

“
That would be Lord
Rushton’s doing,” the elder sister retorted.

Erroll gave a slight bow. “Guilty as charged.
Next time, I will stay out of Neville’s business.”

“
That isn’t what I mean and
you know it,” she retorted.

“
Madam, I have not the
slightest idea what you
mean
. But I am reminded that no good
deed goes unpunished.”

“
Rubbish,” she muttered.
“But never mind, we should be on our way,”

“
Not just yet. I must wait
for the doctor’s report.”

Her mouth parted in surprise. “You said Lord
Halifax wasn’t dead.”

“
Not yet,” Erroll
replied.

“
My God,” she blurted.
“Then we must be going. If he dies—”

“
He is likely to live,”
Erroll interrupted. “The man doesn’t have the good grace to die
like a man.”

“
You should pray he lives.
A murder charge is no small matter. How in God’s name did you
discover he kidnapped me?”

“
Ahh, so it was
kidnapping.” Her eyes narrowed and he quickly added, “I heard a
rumor that you were seen with the earl in his coach.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh dear.”

“
Papa will have your head
this time,” the younger sister said.

“
Yes, he will.”

“
There is one way to solve
all our problems,” Miss Grace Crenshaw said. “I will marry Lord
Rushton, and Eve will marry Lord Somerset. He has asked for her
hand a dozen times.”

“
Not a dozen.” Eve cast an
embarrassed glance at him, then Erroll.

“
I would be honored to
marry Miss Crenshaw,” Somerset said.

“
Surely you see the wisdom
in the plan,” Miss Grace Crenshaw never took her eyes off Erroll.
“Papa has already ordered that you marry one of us.”

“
I believe it was your
sister he ordered me to marry,” Erroll said.

“
That was his second
order,” she said. “He did intend you marry me first. He cannot very
well shoot my husband.”

“
I wouldn’t say that,”
Oscar said. “You father doesn’t like being disobeyed.”

“
Nonsense,” the younger
sister said. “If Eve marries Lord Somerset, then there will be no
need for papa to be angry on any account.”

Halifax’s second joined Erroll. “Seems ye had
better be on your way.”