Page 28 of A Courtesan Countess Worth the Scandal
Between the fog, the darkness, and the cold, Liam was beginning to regret the decision to ride all the way north to Keswick Manor. He had not ridden for an extended period in five years, and it showed in the ache of his back, the burn in his thighs, and the stiffness of his neck.
“What was I thinking?” he grumbled, with nothing but his raised lantern to see by. He had left so quickly that there had been no time to contemplate the stupidity of his actions. Indeed, he had not even stopped to tell Denninson and Carlton where he was going; he had left that duty to his butler. Now, he wished he had invited them to come with him, so he would at least have someone to talk to and distract him from the strange sounds and moving shadows of the countryside.
A short while ago, he could have sworn he had heard a woman’s scream, but knew that fog could manipulate and distort everything around him. It had likely been nothing more than foxes screeching in that jarring way that they did, sending a chill up his spine.
“We should have stopped at an inn,” he said to his horse, a chestnut thoroughbred that he had purchased at Carlton’s insistence, when he returned to England.
The horse whinnied and tossed its head, but he was not sure if it was in agreement. After several hours of riding, the two of them were not yet entirely used to each other, and Liam had been forced to fight for control of the reins a couple of times. Usually, when something skittered across the road and spooked the horse.
Liam squinted through the fog and raised his lantern higher, to try and see more of the road farther ahead, but the rolling haze was not forthcoming. Part of him already wanted to turn back, but he would only have found the same difficulty behind him as ahead of him.
Remember why you are doing this. Your Uncle is in need. He said he was not, but he would not have written in such a panicked manner if there was no concern to be found.
Shuffling off his discomfort, he continued on, trying not to jump in fright every time the hedgerows appeared like hulking thugs on either side of him, or another creature rustled, or howled, or shrieked into the night.
Suddenly, a heart-stopping sound pierced the air.
“Help! Someone, help!” a woman’s voice screamed. A strangely familiar voice. “Help me!”
He realized the scream he had heard earlier had not been foxes at all, but a woman. The horse became skittish beneath him, pawing at the ground like it intended to bolt. Liam tightened his grip on the reins, refusing to give the thoroughbred its head, in case it ran.
Where are you?
He scoured the fog, but could barely see the horse’s ears flicking in front of him, let alone any other part of the landscape.
“Help! Anyone… Help!” the woman shrieked again, her voice high pitched in desperation and panic.
Liam’s ears pricked up, homing in on the sound. Squeezing with his thighs, the thoroughbred reluctantly continued to walk forward through the chilly haze. The woman sounded like she was close by, but he could not trust the way the fog carried her cries for help. The only thing hecouldtrust was the fact that there was only one road, and she had to be along it somewhere.
A few minutes later, he spied blurry lights bobbing in the fog and knew he had found what he was looking for. But nothing could have prepared him for the actual sight, as he neared and the fog seemed to clear, to give him a better view of the situation.
Three hooded, cloaked figures were gathered around a stationary carriage. Two of them were beside it, on the left—one held the arms of a young lady, whose face was partially hidden by a dirty hand. The other sat astride the lady, tugging at her skirts. Meanwhile, the third seemed to be fighting with somebody on the driver’s box, though it was hard to be sure.
“You there!” Liam barked. “Unhand that lady immediately!”
The two assailants on the ground twisted around, their beetle-black eyes glowering at Liam. Without hesitation, Liam took out the loaded pistol that he had brought with him, for safety, and aimed it at the brutes. In return, they raised theirs.
“I shall give you one more opportunity to get away from that lady!” Liam swallowed the fear in his voice as he pulled back the flintlock of his pistol.
The two men got to their feet and prowled toward him, while the third, who had been fighting at the front of the carriage, came around the side to join the attack. No sooner had that third wretch moved away from the driver’s box, than the driver himself snapped the reins and the carriage took off at a breakneck pace, disappearing into the fog.
“No! Go back! We can’t leave her there!” Liam heard an unknown voice bellowing, but the driver evidently had no intention of listening.
“And who d’you think you are to make commands, eh?” The highwayman in front lifted his pistol. “Why don’t you just ride on before we decide to put three holes in you?”
The second man clicked his tongue. “Though that’s a mighty fine-looking animal. Could fetch a fair sum.”
“Aye, I’d say you’re right.” The first man canted his head. “Lads, drag him down and show him what we do to folks what interfere with our business.”
Liam felt a blade of panic cut through his chest as the three men approached on all sides. Even if he could shoot one, the others would get to him before he could reload the flintlock pistol, and his ammunition and powder was in the saddlebag to his right. Rummaging around for it would only add additional time that he did not have.
The highwayman on Liam’s right, coming from where the front of the carriage had been not a moment ago, lunged to grab at his leg. Without hesitation, Liam pulled the trigger of the pistol and fired at the assailant. It caught the man in his shoulder, prompting him to stagger back, but it was not enough to keep the other wolves at bay.
“Get him!” yelled the leader.
With his accomplice at his side, they both charged at Liam and grasped for any loose clothing they could get their hands on. Liam fought back, bringing the butt of his pistol down on the leader’s head, but the fellow either had an iron skull or he was more concerned about his payday escaping.
“No use playin’ silly buggers with us,” the other highwayman warned, with a smirk, as he loosened Liam’s foot from the stirrup and tugged.
