Page 63 of The Rogue's Runaway Bride
“I knew then that I had no choice. I had to get away. They did not intend to let me go. I would be forced to marry Gideon. Or so they thought. Even if I refused, they could extort funds from my father in exchange for their silence.”
“Oh, my,” Ellie said, her tone hushed.
“I was able to create a distraction,” Belle went on. “I escaped through the kitchen. And I ran.” She sighed. “I kept going until I came to the tavern. Until I saw Jon.”
“I doubt I could’ve been so brave,” Ellie said.
“I was not brave.” Belle shook her head. “I was terrified.”
“Miss Frost, ye showed true courage,” Mrs. Johnstone said. “And now, I am here to help ye to learn certain skills... skills ye may need if the jackals dare to come after ye.”
Chapter Eighteen
Jon returned tohis home following a thankfully uneventful day to the sound of Carrie’s cheerful voice singing a tune. But on this evening, the tune had nothing to do with a nursery rhyme. Rather, the child sang out the word “stomp,” followed by a giggle and the word “kick.”
Bloody peculiar, that.
He followed the enthusiastic, off-key notes to the sitting room. The door was open, so he watched the scene from the entry.
“Poke.” Belting out the word followed directly by a giggle, she jabbed her bent arm backwards, as if to elbow an invisible person.
“Very good, Carrie,” Mrs. Johnstone said. “Tell us what comes next?”
“Punch,” she said, acting out the word with her right hand clenched into a small fist.
He propped an elbow against the doorframe and took in the scene. After Carrie followed her punching with another top-of-her-lungs rendition of the wordstomp,he deduced what was going on. And he had to admit, he was bloody pleased to see it.
Mrs. Johnstone stood in the middle of a space created when the women had slid the furnishings to the perimeter of the room. Carrie stood before her, practicing her stomping and kicking and jabbing and punching with an imaginary opponent while Belle, Ellie Blake, and Mrs. Gilroy looked on with pride.
Glancing his way, Mrs. Johnstone flashed a half-smile that told him she’d known he was there. “I see ye’re impressed,” she said as Carrie rushed up to him.
“Cousin Jon, did you see me stomp?” The girl gave him a hug. Thankfully, she did not utilize his feet in a demonstration of her new skill.
“I did,” he said with pride. “Well done.”
“As ye can see, we’ve been busy,” Mrs. Johnstone said. “Carrie is a quick study.”
“Indeed,” he said. “I hadn’t realized you could teach a child such tactics.”
“I see no reason why the girl—and every woman in this house—should not have a means of defending herself.”
“I am impressed,” he said. “But I cannot say I am surprised at your capabilities. You come highly recommended.”
“Is that so?” As Mrs. Johnstone smiled, he spotted Belle biting back a little grin. “It wasn’t that long ago that yer new brother-in-law, Finn, also called upon my services.”
“I recall Macie mentioning the instruction you provided.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “Sadly, the instruction has been lacking in one aspect.” She’d narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt a creeping suspicion he was not going to like was coming, especially given the way she was looking at him the same way a lioness might eye up some unfortunate animal in her path.
“And what might that be?” he asked.
“A true demonstration with an attacker... a man-sized attacker.”
Good God.
Finn had complained about his creaky back for a full three days after serving as Mrs. Johnstone’s demonstration attacker. This was most definitelynotwhat he’d had in mind.
“Will you be back tomorrow? I’ll send my assistant. Mr. Bennett won’t know what hit him.”
