Worse, even though he bested the one man, he soon discovered there were three more with guns. Threesmartthieves who hung back and laughed as he beat the man who’d opened the carriage door.
Eventually he escaped the confines of his blanket. Eventually, he rolled to his feet though he swayed with dizziness. And when he finally looked around, he saw the other thieves on their horses with their pistols pointed straight at him.
He lunged forward anyway and got a boot kick straight into his gut. Nausea overwhelmed him and he stumbled sideways. He would have still fought. Indeed, he’d gotten much worse damage during festival games. But he was ill, and his body rebelled. To his humiliation, he fell to his knees and began casting up what little was in his stomach.
“Out ye git,” said the nearest one, his tone indicating he meant the women who still hid inside the carriage. At least that’s what Connall thought he said.
“Don’t hurt him. He’s got a fever,” said Sadie as she and her maid stepped out.
“I’ll not touch a hair on his head,” said the man on the horse, “if you give us your coins and jewels.” Then he gestured to another who dismounted and approached, pistol at the ready. And why the hell couldn’t he see clearly? Was it nearing dusk?
A quick look around told Connall that a man pointed a gun at the coachman, and that it was indeed nearing dark. As for options, he didn’t see any. They were caught. He’d failed to protect his cousin, and why the hell hadn’t he asked for Reuben to meet them in Edinburgh? The answer was sheer arrogance. His carriage and coat of arms were well known in Scotland. It would take an exceptionally bold highwayman to attack him on Scottish soil. But they weren’t in Scotland, right now. They were at the northern tip of England, and he’d been a bloody idiot.
“I’ll get you coin,” he rasped. “Leave the ladies alone.”
Too late.
The nearest bastard was already touching the maid. He lifted her chin and seemed to inspect a face that was tight with defiance. Made her look like Mairi, he thought. But then the villain scooped up a necklace and the gold pendant flashed in the sunlight.
“That’s a pretty bauble,” he said as he jerked it off her neck.
“No!” she cried, trying to grab it back. He shoved her away while Connall stumbled to his feet.
Damn it, he knew that necklace, as did most true Scots. Worse, he finally remembered the woman’s face. Sadie’s maid was none other than Iseabail Spalding, ward of the worst laird in Scotland. Baron Bain was crude, always looking for a fight, and kept his niece under lock and key. Hell, if her uncle found out that Connall had Iseabail, the man would waste no time in declaring war. And that was the last thing that anyone needed.
“Give it back!” he ordered the highwayman, though his voice was nearly as weak as the rest of him. He’d put all his strength into his fight with the one robber. Now he could barely stand. “I’ll get you coin.”
“Ye’ll get us both,” the man with the necklace responded. “Or we’ll do much worse.” He was still looking at Iseabail with hungry eyes.
“I’ll get it!” Sadie said, her voice thick with hatred. “And be damned to you.”
She turned to go back into the carriage. She knew where the secret compartment was. The one that contained all his coin in a small lockbox.
“Sadie,” he rasped. “No.”
He didn’t care about the coin, but it was all he had to bargain with. Giving it over now would end any chance to negotiate. But he couldn’t stop her. The best he could do was stagger between her and the nearest highwayman. Anyone who came near either of the women would get a taste of Connall’s fists. At least until someone put a bullet in his brain.
He watched with dismay as Sadie slid open the hidden latch with a flick of her wrist. Odds were strong that the thieves would have found the compartment anyway, but it still hurt to see her grab the lockbox and hold it aloft.
“Here it is!” she called. Then she threw it with all her might, straight at the man on the horse.
The woman had strength, that was for sure. The box hit the bastard straight in the chest and he fumbled trying to catch it. Meanwhile, Connall launched himself at the thief with Iseabail’s necklace, but the man was ready. He blocked Connall, then kicked out. Connall took the blow straight in his chest and still tried to grab the man’s leg. He caught it, but it was a losing battle. He didn’t have the strength he needed to—
Bang! Bang!
Connall tensed, expecting bullets to rip through his body. They didn’t. Instead, he heard the thunder of hooves coming up the road fast. Were the bullets from the oncoming riders? He had no idea and no time to wonder as he scrambled for the thief with Iseabail’s necklace.
He got a boot in the face instead, then the thief jumped on his horse and rode off. So did the others. His coachman had managed to punch his attacker in the face, but no more than that. By the time Connall recovered his breath, the thieves were gone, and they were quickly surrounded by…
Connall blinked in the evening gloom.
“Reuben?” he asked as he rubbed his aching jaw. “We’re supposed to meet—”
“In Halifax, I know. But I got bored waiting for you and thought to come up here.” The man grimaced as he looked around. “Bold as brass, they are, to do this before full dark.”
Connall agreed. At least the bulk of his coin was safe. When Sadie had thrown the thing, it had bounced off the thief to shatter on the ground. His purse was right now spilled into the dirt.
“How bad are you hurt?” Reuben asked as he jumped off his horse.