Page 87 of Avenging the Earl's Lady
He attacked then with a flurry of thrusts and parries, the other man answering as if he hadn’t been touched.
When the Duque’s blade pierced his shoulder, he tripped and fell back.
Crawling over the bumpy road,the carriage came around a bend.
Jane craned her head out the window and spotted them.
Shaldon was stripped down to a black shirt and trousers, his sword whizzing and clashing with that of the Duque in his white frills.
She shoved the rolled canvas under her arm, kicked open the door, and jumped out.
A large body blocked her.
“You,” Jenny cried.
Kincaid’s Scotsman glanced over Jane’s shoulder and his face lit.
Jenny shoved to the front.“Move out of the way, right now, Fergus MacEwen.”
Jane darted around the hulking man and spotted Bakeley and Kincaid standing a short distance from the battle.
Her vision tunneled on the pistol in Bakeley’s hand.Neither man saw her.
She hurried up, wrenched the gun away, and ran.
The frenzy increased, blades flashing and clanging, the wild thrusting and parrying accelerating.They didn’t see her.
“Stop,” she cried.A hand gripped her elbow and pulled her out of the way of the Duque’s wild swing.Shaldon attacked, and the Duque dodged and came around thrusting.His sword came back bloody, and Shaldon fell, scrabbling away on his bottom.
The villain drew back his arm with a tight smile.
“Stop.”She shook off the hand grasping her and stumbled between the men, raising the pistol.
Rocks clattered behind her.“Jane—”
“Look here, Duque.”Shaldon could wait.She held up the canvas and waved it.
The Duque’s eyes widened and then narrowed on something over her shoulder.
“I’m all right Jane,” Shaldon murmured into her ear.“Kindly move out of the way.I fear you are in danger.”
“No.” She took a deep breath.
“Youshouldmove, madam,” the Duque said.“His lordship is attempting to recover your honor.”
The blackguard.The villain.The traitorous pig.
She took another breath.The pistol was heavy.Her gun hand was shaking.
The weapon was not needed, was it?They’d stopped, hadn’t they?
Not even she would commit murder on her own account this day.No one would die.Too many men had died.She would see this to a peaceful conclusion, whether Shaldon liked it or not.
“What utter rubbish you talk, Duque,” she said.“My honor is completely intact, with or without this fighting.Now.I have something here that you want.”Fumbling one-handed with the canvas, she let it unroll.
The Duque froze, his gaze fixed on the dark image.
“I am taking bids,” she said.
