Lily had been placed in a precarious situation with little to no means of escaping. None of that was her fault.
His thoughts raced along with his heart as they drew nearer and nearer to London. If Lily had gone anywhere, it was to her aunt’s house where she would feel safe.
Shots suddenly rang out, making Julian duck as he looked back.
The rest of the party seemed just as shocked as he was, but what shocked him the most was the sight of Eleanor riding behind a man who was brandishing a gun.
The man from the ball.
Julian realized with a shock that the man must have been Mr. King. “Pull to the side up ahead!” he yelled back before nodding to a thicker patch of trees beside the road.
Spurring his horse on, he dug his heels into the mare’s flanks and headed in the direction of safety. There was no use in attempting to outride a man with a gun when the four of them were out in the open.
His horse reached the thicket of trees just as another shot rang out. He pulled on the reins once they were safe and dismounted when the rest of the party was safely behind the trees. “Stay hidden and keep the horses out of firing range!” he yelled to Benedict as he drew his own pistol from his belt.
The roads leading up to London were well-known for targeting wealthy men and women, and Julian always carried a pistol for protection when traveling.
Benedict sprang into action and did as he was told, taking the women along with the horses to safety behind the trees.
Several more shots rang out as Julian waited behind the trunk of a giant oak. There was no telling what the man would do to him if he stepped out into the open.
The sound of the horse’s hooves drew closer, and Julian could hear Eleanor pleading with the man.
“Please, do not hurt any of them!” she sobbed.
Julian waited for the horses to come to a complete stop before daring to peer around the tree.
Another host rang out as the bullet missed Julian’s face by an inch. He jumped back, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. The man was utterly unhinged and meant business. It was no wonder that Lily had been scared of him.
“Come out, come out, Mr. Viscount! Or is the high and mighty Lord of Redding Hall scared of a gun? Huh! And here I thought you were a military man!” Oliver's voice rang out through the trees despite the ringing in Julian’s ears.
“Mr. King, please, this was not part of the agreement!” Eleanor wailed, her voice becoming more and more frantic with every word.
“Agreement? Do not speak to me of agreements when you were the one who summoned me here. Now get out of my way, girl!”
Julian heard Eleanor cry out as he looked around the tree again and saw that Mr. King had gripped her by the wrist and was now dragging her behind him.
“Come out, Mr. Viscount!” Oliver mocked. “Or do you wish to see your oldest and dearest friend dead? She went through somuch trouble to bring me here and ruin all of your lives!” He laughed almost sardonically as Eleanor began to sob.
Shock coursed through his veins as Julian realized just how mad the man was. He cared for nothing and nobody other than himself. Julian did not doubt that he would, in fact, harm Eleanor if he did not come out.
Taking a deep breath, Julian stepped out from behind the tree as he heard his sister and Arabella gasping from somewhere behind.
The look of triumph in Oliver’s eyes sent a chill down Julian’s spine as the man let go of Eleanor and tossed her aside.
She hit the ground with a loud thud, wincing as her knees and wrists sank into the mud.
“Now that is more like it…” Oliver said in a softer tone, raising his gun as he pointed the barrel directly at Julian’s chest.
Thinking quickly, Julian responded in kind and lifted his own pistol, aiming the shot at Oliver’s head. “Are you willing to see who can shoot first?” Julian asked, staring down his opponent.
“Huh! You are brave with your words. I will give you that, but only a coward would steal another man’s betrothed! Lily belongs to me and so does her money!” Oliver raised his voice again, tightening the grip on his gun.
Keeping an eye on Eleanor, Julian watched as she slowly got to her feet behind Oliver’s back. She seemed unharmed despite the sorrow and fear in her eyes.
Standing his ground, Julian held the gun steady. “Lily and her money belong to no man unless she says so. Have you not learned that by now? She was free to choose, and she chose me. Why carry on like this when you already know that the matter has been settled?”
Soft rain began to fall again, obscuring his vision as he blinked back the tears.