Page 11 of Charlotte's Kisses

The damnable punch hurt like the deuces.

“Alexander,” Charlotte cried.

Hugh probably deserved that. As he rubbed out the sting, someone tackled him from behind, taking him to the ground. Hugh hit the earth with athunk.

“Fuck. I will kill every last one of you,” he spat out between spasms of pain.

“I believe you are outnumbered,Mr.Fletcher,” Alexander said. Someone else kicked him in the stomach. He’d wager Nash.

Feet and fists pummeled him. The last thing he heard before his world went black was his firefly’s pleading cries.

Chapter eight

Ignoring her desperate pleas,the men punched and kicked Hugh until he passed out. “He is outnumbered, you brutes,” Charlotte yelled over and over to no avail. With no other recourse, she grasped Alexander’s arm and screamed into his ear, “Stop!”

Ignoring her, he remained bent over Hugh’s body. He pulled back his fist, winding up to land another blow.

“Alexander.” She clutched his forearm and tugged with all her might.

Finally, he straightened and looked at her. His pupils were unfocused, as if he were in a dream or intoxicated by power. Why were men such feral beasts?

She clasped his face between her palms and stared into his eyes. “Alexander, are you in there?”

He blinked and shook his head before focusing on Hugh’s supine body. At last, Alexander seemed aware he was beatinga man to death. He positioned himself in front of Hugh and spread his arms wide in a protective stance. “Stop,” he demanded.

His command was no more effective than Charlotte’s appeals, so the men continued their savage attack. Unfortunately, she and Alexander would have to stop these out-of-control monsters one at a time. Grasping Leon’s cape, she tugged on the hood until the neckline choked him. Fortunately, the blasted capes were good for something.

Before she could persuade Leon to call off his men, Lord Nash lifted his foot, preparing to stomp on Hugh’s face. Charlotte charged forward, plowing into him. She bounced off his chest and tumbled backward, landing on her buttocks. At least she had kept Nash from smashing Hugh’s face.

Alexander rushed to her side. “Enough. My sister has been injured.”

Although Charlotte was not injured, the warning came out so desperate and deafening that the men halted their barrage.

“My lady,” Leon said, scoping low to pick her up.

Alexander intervened and pulled her onto her feet. Once he steadied her, he faced the enraged rabble. “Will someone tell me what is going on?”

A man with a mustache that curled up on each end answered. “His lordship said we was to fetch him and bring him here uninjured.”

“Maybe you should have thought about that before you did this.” Charlotte dropped to her knees beside Hugh. Blood pooled from his nose. Tears stung her eyes as she gently ran her finger over his battered jaw. Moments ago, she’d been kissing him. How had things gone so wrong?

A tall manin a grimy coat scratched his nose. “We kept tellin’ 'em we didn’t want to hurt 'em, but he kept fighting us, so what was we supposed to do?”

Apparently, her father had hired imbeciles.

“He needs medical attention, and we cannot take him into the house while there are guests,” Alexander said.

Looking up at her brother, Charlotte tried to dry her eyes—a pointless endeavor because tears cascaded, soaking her cheeks. “We have to help him.”

Alexander sighed. “Carry him to Reginald’s cottage. Charlie, go with them. Nash, you come with me. We will somehow get my father to leave the masquerade and speak with us so that we can decide what to do about this matter.”

“What about Lady Chesterhill?” Leon asked.

“We will keep her out of this until we discover what in the deuce is going on.” Alexander glared at Leon. “Do you hear me? Keep my stepmother out of this.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Interesting. Alexander usually seemed oblivious to their stepmother’s maleficence.