A Marquess for Christmas Read Free

mutton-headed buffoon. Let us see if it does you any good
when all is said and done.”
    Violet
would have laughed if she could have. The sound she made came out as the
mangled chirp of a bird.
    The
ruffian quickly turned her about-face, his hand under her throat, and she could
now see her knight close up. Ebony hair fell almost to his shoulders and his
eyes were the color of dried cloves, dark and fierce. She noted the elegant cut
of his jacket and his muscular thighs, which were visible under his open
greatcoat. Definitely a wealthy gentleman from the looks of him.
    Her
gaze went from her savior to his gun. It was far too close for her taste, given
the two feet that separated them. Violet did not know much about pistols, but
the shiny silver barrel glistened, even in the dimming light of dusk.
    “Shoot
me and the lady will surely die.”
    When
she heard the click of the hammer on the pistol, Violet’s heart skipped. Good God, please let him be a crack shot.
    “I
have always been a gambling man. I shall take my chances.”
    He
was not serious. Would he shoot the other man and risk killing her? Violet
looked into his eyes. No. If he were going to shoot the thief, he would have
done so. The gentleman bluffed.
    Violet
decided to use the standoff to her advantage. She elbowed the assailant and
kicked hard behind her. The man groaned, but before she could push past him,
he’d grabbed a fist full of her hair. Ouch!
    The
carriage had slowed with no one at the reins, so Violet took this opportunity
to get the ruffian on the ground where the gentleman would have better
advantage.
    She
gripped his shoulders and thrust her whole body weight on the other side of the
carriage. They flew into the hair then landed with a hard thud. Her ribs hurt
from the impact and her hands and knees stung. Luckily, the thief had cushioned
her fall.
    He
lay still for a moment, groaning, and she scrambled out from his grip, nearly
tripping over his leg. He grabbed the corner of her pelisse before she could
get away.
    Struggling
to free herself from his grasp, she pulled and pulled, but he managed to yank
hard enough to pull her back down. It knocked the air out of her and before she
could catch her breath, the thief was on top of her.
    She
tried to push him off, but he was heavier than she realized. His hands were on
her, fumbling as he groped her, whether to search for coins or for a more
nefarious purpose, she was not sure and did not want to find out.
    “Get
off of the lady!”
    Violet
managed to slap the footpad as the rider came up to them, his pistol at the
ready. But before he could fire, the thief scrambled and picked up a fallen
branch on the ground and threw it at the horse. The impact landed on its shin,
causing the chestnut stallion to rear up.
    When
she heard the hard thump of the rider falling to the ground, Violet screamed.
Her nails dug into her palms and her heart pounded. What if he’d broken his
neck? She rushed to help him, but the thief was fast. He kicked the gentleman
and reached for the pistol. Luckily, her rescuer was able to grab hold of the
thief and pull him down before he could get the gun. The two men rolled on the
ground, punching and jabbing at one another.
    Violet
did not know what to do. She had nothing of use to knock out the assailant and
if she left to get help, she might come back to find the gentleman dead.
    All
she could think to do was to go after the gentleman’s horse and keep it from
running off. Her own horses were stopped in the middle of the road. She glanced
down the lane to see if she could spot Hinkley . Please come soon. We need all the help we
can get.
    With
soft words and a gentle stroke to his mane, Violet was able to coax the horse
over to her carriage and tied him to the vehicle.
    She
could hear the sounds of their grunts as the men bludgeoned each other with
fists, elbows, and knees. They rolled and twisted, still scuffling. She saw the
thief’s arm move and realized he’d grabbed hold of