Page 70 of Once Upon a Reckless Rogue

He pulled a pistol from under the seat. Cocked, he passed it to Elena. “We have been pulled up by highwaymen it looks like. Keep it under the blanket for now but hold on tight to this, and if you feel like you are in danger pull the trigger.”

“What if I kill him?”

“We will deal with that if it happens. Stay here.”

Thomas pulled another pistol out and got out of the carriage. This was all they needed. There were many desperate men on the roads hoping to make a quick fortune. A lot of them were soldiers.

Two men dismounted from their horses. One trained a pistol on the driver and the other sauntered over to Thomas.

“Well, well, well. Isn’t it a fine morning, Your Grace?”

Your Grace? Of course; they were traveling in the duke’s carriage. He decided to play along. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Don’t worry about yourself, duke. It will be a very quick transaction if you do as you’re told. We just want your money and your jewels. I assume the duchess has many fine pieces.”

“She does not travel with jewels, sir, but I am happy to hand over what I have in terms of money.”

“Hand it over then,” the man said, his kerchief sliding off his face whenever he talked. Shoving it back in place, he put his hand out. Thomas stepped forward until he was an arm’s length away.

“This is deuced inconvenient,” he said, patting down his coat with one hand.

“Do I look like I care? Hurry up about it.” When the man adjusted his kerchief again, Thomas took another step forward and pointed the pistol into the man’s chest.

“I think you should learn the art of patience, my friend.” Thomas then took the man’s pistol.

“Cecil, he’s got my pistol,” the man yelled to his accomplice.

“Oi, what did ye say?”

“He said that I have his pistol and that he is regretting his decision to try and rob us,” Thomas shouted towards the man with the other pistol.

It was distraction enough that John Driver was able to get his own blunderbuss out and shot at the man, Cecil’s hand, causing him to drop his weapon. “Don’t even think about it, you bastard.” John got down from the carriage, and together they tied the two men up. “What will we do with them, my lord?”

“I would think the decision would be mine,” said a voice from behind them. A French voice.

Thomas turned slowly to find three men standing behind the carriage. And they had Elena! She had a hand over her mouth but was doing her best to fight them. How could this be?

“What do you want?” Thomas asked, his pistol aimed at them.

“Why you, of course, Captain Markham. We have been following you since London. You and your pretty wife here.”

“Let her go. Any grievance you have with me has nothing to do with her,” Thomas spared a quick glance at Elena. Her eyes were huge with fear.

“She is the Spanish bitch who helped you escape. And you killed Dushard. That is two reasons alone to kill you and her,” one of the men said as they stepped closer.

Somehow, John Driver had inched his way in front of the horses, his blunderbuss at the ready. The French were so intent on Thomas they had forgotten about the carriage driver. The two other men sat, their heads moving from Thomas to the Frenchmen and back again.

“What do you plan to do with me?”

“Why, kill you of course, and leave you at the side of the road like you did Dushard. We will kill your wife too, eventually. After we have had our fill of her.” The three men all laughed.

Thomas’s blood was at the boiling point, but he had to keep calm. Elena’s life was in danger. He had not expected Dushard’s men to come after him. “It is a long way to come for revenge,” he said.

“We were already here, but when we heard what you had done to Dushard, we decided it was in our interest to get rid of you.”

Elena was trying to say something, but the man holding her clamped his hand around her mouth harder.

The tallest of the three, most likely their leader, raised his pistol, aiming it at Thomas. “Where would you like my bullet? Your head or your heart? I am happy either way.”