Page 72 of The Secret of the Dashing Detective
“Hand over the reticule, and you will not be hurt.”
Juliana stopped in her tracks, sharply inhaling.
Was this actually happening to her?
She surreptitiously reached her hand into the pocket at the front of her dress, slipping the knife into her hand before she slowly turned around, her eyes widening at the man in front of her. At his voice, she had envisioned someone who had clearly lived a life harder than one she could ever imagine. This man, however, appeared to be rather well put together. His dress wasn’t so fine to be noble, but he had an air to him that told her this wasn’t the first time he had stopped someone to take a few coins or jewels off them.
“I would be happy to give you the coins I can afford,” she said calmly. “But I cannot give you all or else I might not be able to make my way home.”
“A far cry from Mayfair, aren’t you?”
Juliana tilted her head, eyeing him. He wore a black cloth with eye holes tied over his face so she couldn’t properly see him, although she was having difficulty placing his accent. He didn’t sound like any of the noblemen she knew, but nor did he seem to be a man without education. If she had to guess, he would be of similar class to Matthew, or to Dr. Lewis.
She hoped this didn’t mean her half-brother had any involvement.
“Why would you believe I am from Mayfair?”
“The fancy dress, of course.”
“Perhaps the same could be said for you.”
The man scoffed before advancing to her menacingly. “Hand it over.”
“Or what?”
“Or I will make things difficult for you,” he said, brandishing a knife in his right hand.
Afterward, Juliana could only explain it as time having gone still. She saw him inch toward her even as she reviewed her options, trying to think through all that Matthew had taught her. Should she run? Should she fight? Should she use her weapon? First, she should be smart.
“Very well,” she said calmly. “Take it.”
It really was just a few coins, after all, and it was hardly worth potentially losing her life over. She held out the reticule with her left hand, and he reached out for it. Only, instead of taking the reticule, he snatched her wrist instead.
“What are you doing?” she asked, looking around wildly for help, only this corner was rather devoid of people. Of course.
He leaned in, his mouth widening into a sneer.
“I am taking the greatest prize of all,” he said. “Do you think your brother will come for you again?”
Juliana was instantly awash with the ever-present fear that had been hanging just above her ever since the last time she had been abducted.
They had avoided anything like this ever happening to her again by having Matthew or one of his men shadow her every move. But Matthew wasn’t here right now. It was just Juliana, against this man who threatened to take her back to the one place she had vowed to never be again – in captivity.
She had deliberately held the bag out in her left hand, and she flicked the knife up in her right hand, preparing to strike. She was already lashing out before he even saw it, and when she dug the weapon into his knife hand, his eyes widened in shock as he dropped the knife to the ground before them. A sickening dread dug into her stomach, but she didn’t give herself time to realize exactly what she had done.
“What the—”
His surprise gave Juliana enough time to twist her hand in his grip, bringing her other arm down on top of his. Memories of her training with Matthew flashed through her mind, and she only hoped she could do enough to keep the man at bay.
He let out a yell, and before he could collect his wits and lash out for her again, Juliana did what Matthew had taught her – she ran.
She turned the corner and looked down the rows of doors in front of her. One of them was the Archibald residence, but which one? And if she went within, would she only be inviting trouble to their home? Just as she had decided that she must keep running past the door, a figure appeared at the other end of the street – one she would recognize anywhere.
“Matthew!” she yelled out in part-warning, part-relief, and she could tell when he saw her and the danger that threatened her, for his body crouched to ready for attack.
She instantly felt rather than saw the retreat of the man behind her, and she risked a glance over her shoulder to see him running the other way. She kept going, right into Matthew’s arms, which she jumped into as soon as she was close. He wrapped them around her, holding her tight, and she could feel the beat of his heart as it thumped against her chest.
The warmth of his breath hit her ear, and she could tell how much the entire situation had affected him, even while she needed his comfort more than she ever had before. Juliana couldn’t have said how long they stood there together, until he slowly eased away from her, setting her in front of him.
