Blood dripped down Rothwell’s arm, the stain slowly spreading to his elbow.
Heart racing, Matthew looked for a gunman, but saw nothing. In every alley, shadows danced between the oil lamps. He staggered to his feet and sprinted to their phaeton.
Jasmine ran toward him. “What happened?! I heard a gunshot!”
He draped himself around her, shielding her with his body. “Stay near me.”
The windows in the buildings above them opened. On the other side of the street, a small crowd of people in their night clothes formed, whispering to each other behind their cupped hands.
The wooden clatter of a night watchman’s rattle came from nearby, followed by a bellowing, “What is the meaning of this?”
The approaching man had yellowing teeth, an unshaven face, and wore a uniform that didn’t fit his frame, but Matthew had never been happier to see law enforcement. Keeping Jasmine close to him, he walked to the watchman.
“Fortuitous timing,” he said. “This man has been shot, but the gunman may still be close.” He fixed his gaze on the crowd on the other side of the street.
The watchman knelt down and inspected Rothwell. Stepping back, he took in the scene with disgust.
“Dueling inpublic?”he seethed. “On Haymarket, no less!”
“We weren’t dueling!” Matthew raised his hands. “I didn’t shoot him!”
Rothwell whimpered, “He s-shot me, and he said he wouldn’t—”
“Good sir, this is a misunderstanding,” Jasmine cut in. “My husband did not shoot this man. If you would only—”
“Over a trollop no less.” He sneered and waved her off. “Take whatever pittance they gave you and get gone.”
Jasmine’s face turned red. “I am the Viscountess of Lincolnshire, and you will treat me with respect!”
“I don’t care if you’re the bloody Queen, dueling is illegal. As is prostitution! Get out of my sight before I arrestyou.”
“I hope you enjoyed being employed,” Jasmine hissed. “It’ll never happen again.”
A vein in the watchman’s temple bulged. He unfastened a pair of manacles from one side of his belt and unstrapped a wooden staff from the other. “Which one will it be,my lady?”
The manacles clinked together, swaying in the man’s hands as he rose his staff in the air. Matthew stepped in front of Jasmine, tamping down his outrage. On the other side of the street, the crowd doubled. The last thing he needed was for anyone to be harmed or for this to be made public.
He offered his wrists to the watchman.
“I’ll go with you, if you let the lady go,” he said. “We’ll straighten this out at the watch house with your superiors.”
“We certainly will.” The corner of the watchman’s lip curved. He held Matthew’s hands behind his back and placed a manacle around one wrist. The cold metal bit into his skin, its weight settling heavy as the watchman turned the key in the lock.
“I willnotstand for this!” Jasmine stomped forward. “Matthew, you must stop him!”
“Remember what I said earlier? I need you to do as I say. Go to Cassandra’s and tell Seth to find Blackmoor. He’ll take care of this.”
“No.” Her eyes watered. “You cannot ask me to leave you alone.”
“This isn’t the first time Blackmoor has gotten me out of a scrape. Trust me, and allow me to handle this.”
Matthew winced as the manacle closed tight on his other wrist.
After he was properly detained, the watchman yelled out to the crowd, “Are you all going to stand there and watch a man bleed or are one of you lurkers going to help?!”
Jasmine held Matthew’s face. “Please don’t go with him.”
He leaned in and rubbed his nose against hers. “Go. Hurry.”
