Page 6 of Boxing With My Duke
Carlton placed a finger to his lips in warning.
“Stand and deliver,” a man’s raspy voice called out. “Now.”
Highwaymen! Catherine felt her legs trembling as she watched Carlton mouth a silent curse. Thank goodness the blinds had been drawn. At least the thieves couldn’t see inside the coach.
“We’re armed, in case yer thinking of doing anything stupid,” another nasally-sounding voice said. “One of my pistols is pointing right at your driver. And another at your carriage door. So, you’d better step out right now, or your driver won’t be livin’ much longer.”
Catherine thought he must have been pointing to another man. She breathed slowly, still trying to calm her fear.
“We’re no threat to you,” she heard his driver reply.
Catherine had seen an armed outrider for the duke’s coach when they’d set out. Where is he? Had he been injured or worse?
“Here, take this,” Carlton said, unsheathing a lethal-looking knife from his boot. “Keep it hidden. This shouldn’t take long to dispatch. But if something happens, aim for the gut.” He leaned across her, barely touching her hair with his chest, and slid open a small panel that opened under the driver’s seat. “How many, Morris?”
“Three of them, Your Grace. One’s hiding at the tree line. Two are on either side of the carriage. They look rough.”
Catherine wished she could keep her knees from knocking together. It didn’t help that Carlton was practically on top of her. Every breath she took was heady with his masculine scent of citrus and sandalwood. His nearness sparked a frisson of sensation that reverberated from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes. Never had she felt anything like it.
“Be ready—on my order,” Carlton whispered, sliding the panel closed. Moving away from her, he motioned for her to stand and lifted the bench seat, revealing a compartment.
“It’s completely hidden and large enough for you to hide,” he whispered. “I don’t want them to see you. I want you to get in and keep quiet. Hold on to that knife, but be careful. It’s sharp.”
“B-but I c-can help. I h-have the knife.” Her heart hammered in her ears and her head began to spin. She didn’t want to admit that the thought of climbing into that dark space terrified her.
“Look, I don’t have time to watch over you and fight off three armed highwaymen. For once, don’t argue with me. And just do as I say.”
His eyes were deadly serious as he spoke. Catherine was too anxious to even counter his insult that she was argumentative with her stomach in her throat. She nodded and obeyed his order.
“If you should need it, there are coins under my seat—in a small bag.”
Catherine felt faint as she scooted to the back of the secret compartment.
“Keep quiet. And don’t worry. I’ll be back for you,” he whispered, closing the lid and securing the seat.
She heard the carriage door open and Carlton stepping out.
He’s right. Get ahold of yourself, Catherine. This man is risking his life to save you and you’ve been nothing but peevish.
Why, oh, why did she insist on chasing after her brother? She’d behaved foolishly and rashly, and now she’d put them all in danger. Catherine clutched the knife, praying she would not have to use it.
“I’ll have yer purse, milord,” the raspy voice demanded.
“You’ve got competition. The men on the other side of Bath already cleaned me out.”
Catherine was amazed at how calm and confident the duke sounded.
The thief barked out a laugh. “That’s too convenient, milord. Look inside.” Catherine heard the raspy order. The carriage door opened, and she held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut—not that it could shut out any light. It was pitch black in the box. The air smelled like pine, she reflected, trying to keep the dark thoughts away.
“There’s not’n inside. Empty, like he says,” the nasal voice called out.
“Now!” she heard the duke command. Three shots rang out, and Catherine froze.
She was terrified. Terrified that Carlton or one of his men was hurt. Terrified that she would be discovered.
A few minutes passed, but it felt like hours.
She heard the carriage door open, and someone stepped inside.
