Page 56 of The Rogue

Chapter 32

“Wherein many things are broken, and much blood spilt.”

“There.” Lawrence felt his brother stiffen beside him, as he too saw the movement of someone closing in on the house.

“And there, look, three at least. What’s that, twelve now?”

Lawrence followed Alex’s gaze and cursed. That wasn’t militia. Which meant they wouldn’t give a damn about taking any innocent lives in their pursuit of him.

“Perhaps ...” he began, the inevitability of it sticking in his throat.

Alex snarled at him and grabbed him by the shirt, slamming him against the wall. “If you dare mention any fool notion about giving yourself up, I swear I’ll kill you myself!”

Lawrence scowled at him and pushed Alex’s hands away. “You know it’s the sensible thing to do,” he hissed back.

“I know no such thing,” Alex raged as loud as was possible, considering they were trying to keep quiet. “I have no idea if they are pirates after you, or a rival smuggling gang after me!”

Lawrence blinked, momentarily stunned. “What?”

Alex returned his attention to watching the garden, but not before giving Lawrence a look of sheer exasperation. “I told you what I’d been doing didn’t I, do you think the competition takes kindly to my dominance of the field?”

Frowning, Lawrence tried to piece the earlier conversation back together. “Yes, but ... I understood you’d been funding them. Damn it all, Alex! Do you mean to tell me you’ve actually been out, running contraband?”

“Well you needn’t take that tone with me,” Alex snapped. “As I doubt you’re in any position to throw stones!”

Lawrence closed his mouth. It was a fair point. “If that’s the case, why the devil aren’t we better protected?”

At that moment both men looked up as Albert, one of the gardeners came in carrying a box, which he opened with care to reveal an array of pistols. “You were saying?” Alex remarked as he opened a cupboard to reveal an impressive range of daggers and swords.

“That’s all well and good, but where are the men to wield them?” Lawrence asked, snatching up one of the pistols to add to his own and adding a pouch of powder and a quantity of shot. Checking the pistol was properly loaded he lodged it firmly in his belt and went to select a dagger and sword.

“Ah, you have me there.” Alex turned to him with regret as he handed him a fine sword which Lawrence hefted in appreciation, admiring the craftsmanship. “As I was engaged in the pursuit of a target known to the militia, i.e. you, I brought The Revenge and the crew who are involved in my more legitimate legal business. Had I known how things would turn out ...” He gave a dignified shrug. “I have, as it happens, sent word to the crew back home, but of course it will be several days before they arrive.” He nodded in reply to the look of astonishment Lawrence knew was on his face. “I figured a run would be an appropriate means by which to keep me from under your feet once ...” He waved his hand to encompass the situation with Henri. “Once you had come to your senses.” He frowned at Lawrence who steeled himself for what was coming next. “You have come to your senses I take it?”

“Yes dammit! But that’s hardly a topic for conversation now is it?” Lawrence hissed, peering back out the window. He half hoped the bloody men would attack, anything to keep his brother from continuing this conversation.

“Well thank heaven for small mercies,” Alex muttered, pausing a moment before adding. “Though after seeing her last night, it really wouldn’t be a hardship if you decided you want me to take her off your hands.”

It took a moment before Lawrence’s brain caught up and he realised he was holding a gun on his own brother. “You will forget what you saw last night,” he said, his voice cool and even. “And you will never think of, speak about or look at her in a manner other than that of a brother, ever again. Do I make myself clear?”

“Perfectly,” Alex replied, grinning at him, apparently unconcerned for his own well-being. “I’m only sorry it took such a lot of effort on my part to make you realise you were in love with the woman. Oh, and may I offer you my congratulations.” He turned back to the window and scowled. “Now then, let’s see what we can do about this lot, for I was rather hoping to attend a wedding, not my own funeral.”

As if on cue, a voice called out from the gardens.

“Savage? We know yer in there. Come out quiet like an’ there won’t be no trouble. We don’ want the rest o’ them. Got no quarrel with ‘is lordship.”

Lawrence looked at his brother. “Still think they’re after you?”

Alex shook his head, frowning. “No, but if you think they’d get this far and leave rich pickings such as could be found in a house like this, then you really are a fool. If you give yourself up, they’ll just torture you in front of us until we let them in.”

Grimacing, Lawrence accepted the truth of the argument.

A crash of noise had them rushing to the other window again.

“They’re trying to break down the back door,” Alex said, his voice grim. The two men looked at each other as an echo of the same noise came from the front of the house.

“You take the front,” he instructed Lawrence who nodded and ran from the room in the direction of the sound of an axe splintering wood. He ran through to what had been his mother’s room and opened a window as quietly as he could, before flinging back the shutter. Lawrence had only a moment to lean out and take aim before his position was seen but the scream that followed told him his shot had struck home. He ducked back, taking a moment to reload while curses flew at him from below.

“Savage! Yer a dead man.”