Page 7 of The Secret of the Dashing Detective
“Very well,” she said, and then stepped back and brought her fist forward with all of her might.
Matthew had to work to contain his slight grunt.
“Good,” he said. “We’ll work on it, along with a few other things.”
“Such as?” she asked, some intrigue sparking in her eyes.
“You are interested now?”
“I am interested in not being a victim again,” she said, her jaw setting in determination. “If you are able to help with that, then I will take it.”
Matthew grinned. Perhaps this was going to be more entertaining than he had first imagined.
CHAPTER3
This was more than likely a very bad idea. And yet Juliana couldn’t help the slight thrill that ran through her at the prospect of, for once, being able to protect herself.
Even if she had to learn from Matthew Archibald.
“How were you taken last time?”
Juliana swallowed. She always tried not to think of that event. Her abduction had been the most horrible two days of her life, even though she knew she had been lucky that nothing worse had happened to her than being hungry and tired and panicky at the thought she might never escape.
“A hood was put over my head, and arms wrapped around me from behind,” she said, unable to look at Mr. Archibald as she said it, for she didn’t want him to see how affected she was.
“What did you do?”
“I tried to kick backward, but he held me too far away from his body to do anything. His hand was over my mouth so I couldn’t even scream.”
Mr. Archibald nodded. “That makes sense. I will tell you what do if it ever happens again – not that it will, as I should always be with you. But it is good to be prepared.”
“Very well,” she said, swallowing hard at the thought of another threat.
“Drop your body weight – go limp,” he said. “Then, if you are able to, step on his foot with all of your might. If you can’t reach it, try to grab his fingers – the index and middle finger of each hand, and pull as hard as you can. If you cannot reach his hands, try to dig your elbows into his abdomen, or if you can get a hand up, pull on his ear. There are options, depending on what is available to you in that moment. Use all the strength that you have.”
She nodded, trying to process it all. “That is a lot to remember.”
“Learning is best done by doing,” he said. “Come away from the fence, and we will practice.”
He led her deeper behind the hedgerows and then stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened in memory of the last time someone had done this, but he murmured in her ear, “It’s just me. You’re safe.”
She nodded, surprised at how comfortable she did feel in his grip. If nothing else, she knew that he was a man of his word and was skilled at what he did.
“Now,” he said. “What are you able to do?”
She tried going limp in his arms, but nothing happened – he was too strong. She remembered his words and reached for his hands. He anticipated her move and wrapped his arms tighter around her. In doing so, she realized he was focused on her arm movements, and she lifted her leg and stomped down on his boot as hard as she could.
“Good,” he said. “Now I’m distracted, so try digging your elbows into my abdomen.”
She did, and his grip slightly loosened.
“Now turn,” he instructed, and when she did, she found she had enough space to face him. “Remember that punch?” he asked, and she nodded.
“You do the same punch, but right here,” he pointed to his throat. “And then you run like hell.”
She knew her eyes widened somewhat. Most men would never speak like that in her presence. But then, he was not most men.
“I can do that,” she said, and he eyed her with a challenge.
