Page 120 of Ravished

Rushton raised the chisel in his fist as Gideon fell on top of him.

"I will kill you the way I killed your brother. You were supposed to marry my Deirdre. It is all ruined." Rushton screamed with rage as he drove the chisel toward Gideon's eyes.

Gideon put up his arm and blocked the blow at the last instant. He forced Rushton's hand to the stone floor and then he twisted his wrist until Rushton released the chisel.

Gideon straightened to a sitting position and slammed a huge fist into Rushton's jaw.

Rushton went limp and unconscious.

For a moment Harriet could not seem to get herself unstuck from the floor.

"Gideon." She raced toward him, throwing herself into his arms as he got to his feet. "My God, Gideon. Oh, my God."

He crushed her fiercely to him. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. Gideon, he killed her. He shot Deirdre."

"Yes."

"And he murdered your brother."

"Yes. Damn his soul."

"And he was the master thief all along. Poor Mr. Humboldt. We shall have to see that he is freed immediately."

"I will take care of it."

"Gideon, you saved my life." Harriet lifted her head to look up at him at last. He was holding her so tightly she could barely breathe, but she did not mind in the least.

"Harriet, I have never been more afraid in my life than I was a few minutes ago when I realized Rushton had followed you into the caves. Do not ever,everput me through such an experience again. Do you comprehend me, madam?"

"Yes, Gideon."

His big hands framed her face. His tawny eyes were stark with emotion as he glowered down at her. "What the devil did you mean by leaving our bed this morning at such an early hour?"

"The tide was out and I could not sleep," she said gently. "I was eager to get to work."

"You should have awakened me. I would have come with you."

"For heaven's sake, Gideon, I have been going alone into these caves for years. They have never been particularly dangerous until now."

"You will never go alone into them again. Is that quite clear? If I am unable to accompany you for some reason, you will take a footman or someone else from the estate. You will not work here alone."

"Very well, Gideon," she said soothingly. "If that will make you feel better."

He pulled her close again. "It will be a long while before I feel better. I may never recover from the sight of Rushton holding a pistol on you. Good God, Harriet, what would I have done if I had lost you today?"

"I do not know," she said, her voice muffled against his chest. "What would you have done? Would you have missed me, my lord?"

"Missed you?Missed you? That does not even begin to cover how I would have felt. Damnation, Harriet."

Harriet managed to raise her head again. She smiled up at him, her heart soaring. "Yes, my lord?" And then her gaze fell on the cavern wall behind his shoulder. "Oh, my God, Gideon. Gideon,look."

Gideon released her and swung around in a split second, prepared for another battle. He frowned when he realized no one was standing in the cavern entrance. "What is it, Harriet? What is wrong?"

"Just look at him, Gideon." Harriet took two steps toward the cavern wall, transfixed by what she saw.

Rushton's pistol shot had dislodged a slab of rock which had sheared off the wall along a broad plane. The shards of stone had fallen away, revealing a fresh layer of rock.

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