Ladies of Deception 03 - Betraying the Highwayman Read Free Page B

she noticed a coin lying in the road. It must have fallen out of the carriage. Elenore scurried into the street and bent to retrieve the coin. It was only a shilling but she dusted it off and dropped it into her valise nonetheless. Just as she was turning to head back to the inn, she heard the sound of a whip cracking the air with the accompanying sound of horse hooves.
    She turned just in time to see the horse and rider come barreling directly at her. She took a step back and gasped, closing her eyes in fear, her body freezing in terror.
    ***
    The man cursed under his breath, as the black mass in his path made no effort at getting out of his way. He knew it would be futile, but he attempted to pull back on the reins and bring his horse to a halt to avoid a collision. Although at the speed he was currently traveling, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop in time. Making a split-second decision, he grasped both reins tightly in one hand and slipped to the right side of his saddle, bending to scoop the mass up into his arms as he passed.
    He was grateful that the personage wasn't very heavy, as he hoisted them up onto the saddle in front of him. His horse, Calvin, faltered momentarily under the unexpected movement and added weight, and once more the man cursed, knowing he couldn't afford to lose any more time in his pursuit. The carriage he was after was slipping further and further out of reach, and with the addition of an unexpected passenger, he wasn't sure how he was going to accomplish his mission anyway.
    He groaned in frustration, as he pulled Calvin to a stop, the person in his arms twisting angrily to get a glimpse at her captor. The minute the girl turned and looked at him she immediately began screaming. Clenching his jaw in frustration, he clamped one gloved hand angrily over her mouth. The last thing he needed was to draw any attention to himself. He looked down at the squirming bundle in his arms and gasped—heaven help him, she was a nun!
    His mind raced with what he was going to do, when he felt her mouth clamp down on his hand. And even through the leather glove he was wearing, he could still feel an incredible amount of pain as her jaw clamped down tightly on his palm, her teeth attempting to tear into the flesh of his hand. He dropped his hold on her, instantly pulling his hand back at the presence of pain her bite had caused.
    “What in the devil are you doing? I demand you release me at once.”
    He was stunned, speechless at the sound of a curse word pouring forth from a nun's mouth. “I said,” she spit out acidly, “to release me.”
    Finally, regaining his senses, he growled back, “No, not until I finish what I came to do.” He kicked Calvin into a gallop and said, “Which way did that carriage go?”
    “That way, obviously.” She indicated the path directly in front of them with her hand. “Where else would they have gone?”
    “I wouldn't know, since I wasn't able to follow, thanks to you. You really shouldn't make it a habit of lingering in the middle of the road. It's a very unsafe place to be.”
    “And you shouldn't make it a habit of abducting unsuspecting victims off the side of the road.”
    “You were hardly on the side of the road, but rather in the middle, right in the way of oncoming traffic. You should thank me for saving your life. If I hadn't scooped you up onto my horse, you would have been trampled beneath him instead.”
    Elenore knew what he was saying was the truth, but she wasn't ready to back down. “Regardless of who is at fault here, I insist you take me back to the inn at once.”
    “Unfortunately, I cannot. I recommend you cease complaining and hold on tight.” Without waiting for the nun's further complaints, he kicked Calvin in the flank and resumed a brisk gallop down the road, in hopes of catching up with the carriage he had been pursuing.
    ***
    They rode in silence for miles, Elenore sitting stiffly in the saddle in front of the strange man, her arms