Page 16 of The Heir's Fortune
“How upset was Cassandra?” Gideon asked as they continued single file on what was now a path that had been created by multiple foot treads. Besides their voices, the only sound around them in the crisp autumn air was their feet in the dry leaves beneath them and the dog panting beside them.
“Actually,” Devon said, tilting his head in contemplation, “she was not nearly as irritated as I thought she might be.”
Gideon looked toward him. “Should we be concerned?”
Devon sighed, but there was a smile on his face. “Likely.”
Gideon was, not for the first time, grateful that a man like Devon was the one who had married his sister despite his initial reservations. There weren’t a lot of men who would have not only allowed her to be her true self but would actually love her for it.
She had no care for the conventions of the era – much like Madeline, he contemplated, although why he would think of her, he had no idea.
“What do you think the treasure will be?” he asked Devon, finally allowing himself to consider the outcome, but before Devon could answer, Scout abruptly stopped, his ears standing straight up and back on his head as he turned around to look behind them on alert.
“What’s wrong, boy?” Gideon asked.
“A squirrel or rabbit?” Devon suggested.
Before they could determine what had captured his attention, however, Scout took off back the way they had come, barking as though he was on attack.
“Scout!” Gideon called after him. “Come back!”
He looked at the path they had been following with regret, but as much as he hadn’t wanted to allow himself any attachment to this dog, he had no wish to lose him. He had begun to like having the little guy around and he started behind him at a quick pace.
“We’ll see what’s bothering him and then return,” Gideon called over his shoulder to Devon as they broke out of the trees into the sunlight.
Scout was already out of sight over the rise before them, but they could still hear him, his barks only becoming angrier.Gideon and Devon pushed themselves to the top of the incline, breathing heavily as they stopped and looked out over the landscape before them.
The scene that awaited him had Gideon’s heart pounding. Four men on horseback stood below them in a defensive semicircle. But that wasn’t what had Gideon so upset. It was why the fifth horse was without a rider.
For the rider was standing on the ground, a woman in front of him. Her cloak covered her dark green dress, her nearly black hair glinting in the sunlight while her hat lay on the ground at her feet.
And a pistol was leveled at her head.
“My God,” Devon said under his breath beside him as they watched Scout bark in anger as he dove toward them.
Unlike any other time in his life, Gideon didn’t stop to think – instead he sprang into action, allowing his legs to churn under him as he took off after the dog. He assumed Devon was behind him, and he remembered that he had brought his weapons – but they would be useless when it was only the two of them against this number of men.
The only thought that flew through his mind as he ran down the hill was that he could not allow anything to happen to Madeline, no matter how helpless he felt.
Not now.
Not ever.
CHAPTER 6
Madeline closed her eyes and tried to breathe after she let out a gasp when she realized that she had been holding her breath.
“Who are you?” she demanded again, but the men said nothing, only holding her tightly as they waited – for what, she wasn’t entirely sure.
Then she heard Scout’s bark and a tear leaked out of her eye, although she wasn’t sure whether it was in relief or despair that it could put him in danger – as well as the men he was with.
Men that, despite how much they aggravated her at times, meant something to her as well.
“Call off your dog!” One of the men on horseback shouted in heavily accented Spanish, and Madeline drew in a breath. Were they back? The same men who had attacked Faith and Eric? “If you do not stop him, I will shoot him!”
Madeline had to clamp her lips shut to keep from calling out or sobbing, but she refused to give them any satisfaction.
“Scout, back!” Gideon called out, enough desperation in his tone that the untrained dog understood enough to stop. Although what that meant for her, Madeline had no idea.
