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Surprise turned to unease as she surveyed thedark eyes, and dressed in sailor’s attire—had two pistols tucked into his belt Her alarnised neither that arbed and armed compatriots—several of whom had neckerchiefs pulled up to conceal their faces
They lers—few farmers could afford such expensive matched weapons and none would need to hide their identity But ere they doing here, far above the beach where goods were norht?
‘Well, what have we found?’ the leader said, interrupting her racing thoughts ‘What a winsome prize to collect on a chill winter day!’
Wondering uneasily how far behind her Jenkins was, Amanda tried to instil her voice with a calm she didn’t feel ‘Please let me pass, sir My man and I have important business in town’
The black-haired banditfrom side to side ‘Man? Don’t see noone, eh, boys?’ he said, earning a laugh from his followers
Trying to quell the fear rising queasily in her belly, she replied, ‘My groo just behind; he’ll arrive at any minute’
Grinning, the black-haired man leapt from the saddle and caht now I’ve an itch I wouldn’t ’
One of his ot business to accomplish’
‘When I need advice, I’ll ask, Kip,’ the leader threw over his shoulder Turning to her, a smile on his crudely handsome face, he said, ‘This lady and I will do some business first’
At thatof alarasp of horror This must be thethe local citizens and had beaten Betsy’s brother senseless
Her pulse ha with fear, she was frantically considered what to do when a man in farling chief ‘There’ll be willing daoods and be gone’ Leaning closer, he said in an urgent undertone, ‘She’s Lord Bronning’s daughter
Her ler replied, ‘Is she? Even better I iet his daughter back…only a little used’
At that ed-for sound of hooves approaching It must be Jenkins!
The leader heard it, too, angling his head to look behind her Taking advantage of hiscrop down on the hand holding her bridle and urged Vixen into motion
Black John cursed, but rather than releasing his grip, in an unnerving display of strength, he held on He yanked down sharply to halt the mare before she could move
After inspecting the blood welling up in the welt on his hand, he looked back up at A sive you more than a bit of use for that’ Then, as Jenkins appeared over the rise and trotted towards them, he said, ‘Pull him down, men’
Jenkins put up a strong resistance, but against soand fighting from the saddle, he ended up with his are silenced by a kerchief gag With her last hope of help subdued, Amanda could only stare back in silence at the ruthless commander
He gave her another of those e, little lady Time to taste your sweetness and determine your worth’
Meanwhile, down in the village of Salters Bay, Greville was hoisting a unner’sthe Coastal Brigade office alone, the lieutenant having departed aboard one of the cutters the previous night
There’d been a rumour of troubles ahead this day, Porter told hihts flashed from the cliffs across the Exe to Dawlish Warren, where the ferry boatathered at the Mount Pleasant Inn, one of the lers’ taverns Belcher had ordered all available cutters to sea to patrol the coast in anticipation of an atteo