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These h and worn She had a miniature of her cousin in her reticule that she clutched in her fisted hand She’d thought to show it to people in the hopes one nize Fenton, but she wasn’t sure she dared to ask a single passerby And so she stood, rooted to the entrance of an alley where she ht remain unnoticed

Finally a h he could help her ca, and rather portly as he walked quickly by, glancing over his shoulder

Tricia stepped out to flag hiet nowhere if she didn’t ask someone

Several men exited what appeared to be a pub across the street Tricia gave thelance as she stepped out Their clothes were finer than most she’d seen on the street but their loud tone told her they’d i theentleman as he passed, “Excuse me”

She saw his head jerk He’d heard her But he paid her no mind as he moved faster down the street It briefly occurred to her that she’d never seen a man of his size move with such speed

Tricia bit her lip It was a nervous habit of hers that her mother detested She’d left the safety of the alley and was now exposed as the group ofthenore

“What do we have here?” one leered her way

There was nothing to do for it now, Tricia realized She entlemen” She took a breath “Perhaps you can help ers she pulled the miniature from her reticule

“Oh I can help you,” the sa like you, I could help over and over”

Several of his cohed and the nervous knot in the pit of her stohter

Another e to back away She’d be brave now “I’ll help ye too, lass,” his Scottish brogue was pleasant to the ear, though the look on his face was anything but It isted in hard lines, his eyes dark and dangerous

“I’ for this man Have you seen him?” she asked as she held out the miniature

The Scot barely glanced down before he shook his head and moved closer “Ye don’t need to find him What ye need is a erous place, ye ken A lovely little thing like you could fall into the wrong hands”

Did he jest? The only thing dangerous that she could see was hiripped her upper arm like a vice “He…he…didn’t leave me alone I just need…need to find hi her near sick She wondered if she heaved on his shoes, he ht let her be

His breath stank as he leaned in close and his other hand began grabbed at her waist, pulling her closer “What a sweet morsel like you needs is—”

“What she needs is for you to take your hands off of her,” a deep baritone growled from behind her But before she could turn and look, the barrels of two pistols came into the periphery of both sides of her vision

“Now, I didn’ttheroup of ht to mind yer woman She shouldn’t be in a place like this all alone”

“No, she shouldn’t” The deep voice ruain

Her breath was still coer in front of her had abated, she had no idea w

hat trouble was just behind But she knew that trouble held two pistols