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He straightened instantly, thrusting hiirl he ravished there
Horrified, A her parasol behind Her sobs echoed off the rear of the stores, but she heard hiardless That deep voice, so different fro as if he cared that he’d broken her
Which he didn’t, she knew
She ran faster, the thudding of her panicked boot steps lost in the sound of blood rushing in her ears
But even running her fastest, she could not outrun the memory of what she had seen
"Will you please all ow me to handle the matter?" Simon murmured, his head next to Maria’s as they both stared out the s coach
"No, no," she insisted, her foot tapping impatiently upon the floorboards "It will be less erous"
"Nonsense," she scoffed "If you approach the man, you will end up in fisticuffs, which will draw attention In order for this to succeed, ill need to depart as quietly as we arrived"
He sighed audibly and fel back against the squabs with high dra the part of the exasperated hed, then ie form appeared from the mews behind the St John household "Is that one of theain "Yes But I suggest ait for one of the s to herself that she was quite inti, unkee trolHe walked away fro stride that she was certain shook the very ground beneath hiht of her sister Maria had already questioned all of the ht she failed to retrieve Aained fro her Christopher’s ht have been more inclined to absorb the whole scene Therefore, she had to question at least one of theth required to abscond with a behe open the door, Maria stepped down before she could co out for his assistance such as a helpless, needy feiant paused and turned with a scohich quickly turned to rew into wariness as she pulled a pistol froreeted with a wide s for his heart "I would enjoy your coaze narrowed "Are ye daft?" he rumbled
"Please don’t make me shoot you I will , you know" She widened her stance in preparation for the resulting kick of the discharging weapon It was all for show, of course, but he couldn’t know that "I would deeply regret putting a hole in you, as you helped to save reat deal for that"
His eyes widened with recognition, then he cursed under his breath "They’l tease me for the rest of my life for this," he muttered
"I am sorry about that"
"No, yer not" He sto earth "Where?"
"My coach is around the corner"
He reached it and yanked the door open, revealing a wide-eyed Simon
"Good God!" Simon blinked "That was too easily done"
"I’d take ’er over iant rumbled, "but St John would ’ave e and took up an entire squab, causing the equipage to creak in protest Crossing his arriped, "Coun and stepped up unassisted "Your cooperation is greatly appreciated, Mr--?"
"Tilared "Just Ti seat next to Sied her skirts as the coach lurched into hton, Ti I’l like is to know that you tor over conspiratorial y, she whispered, "I arinned frohton fine, then"
The setting sun cast the ocean in a reddish glow that turned the water toit into shape, the rhyth Christopher as it always had He stood on the high cliff, his stance wide, his hands clasped at his back The salty sea breeze gusted against hi strands of his hair free of the queue that contained them
Beyond the horizon one of his ships waited, its bel y ful of spirits and tobacco, rich ht fel , the vessel would draw closer, searching for the winking light his creould use to signal them into the proper position
It was then that his rivals would strike, disrupting the transport of contraband to the shore Tonight they would receive what they had truly been spoiling for--a fight
The anticipation for the confrontation ahead thrumer This was a necessary task, nothing more
"We stand at the ready," said Sam, who took up position beside hi the cliffs and beach, others in the caves and vil age His hands unclasped, all owing his shirtsleeves to flutter violently in the wind He gripped the hilt of his foil and inhaled sea air deep into his lungs