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It wasn’t dark outside yet, perhaps she needed to wait…if she only had a gun. She got up and hurriedly searched the main cabin when she heard, “Stubble it, blubberhead.”
She hurried back into her small room and went back to her position. On the other side of the door, Farley grumbled angrily, “That’s whot Oi got and there wasn’t anything else to be had. Here, take the basket and put some food in yer mouth.”
Ally said nothing to this and Star assumed he was eating, when all at once Farley pulled open her door. She squinted against the light from the main room and he said, “Whot did ye do, Ally? Took away the gag? Whot’s wrong wit ye?”
“Well, who is she going to yell to way out here?”
“Oi suppose it don’t matter,” Farley said frowning at her. He threw over his shoulder, “Ever had a flash mort in yer bed, Ally?”
Ally chortled. “Whot? No, did ye?”
“No, but Oi’m thinking now…we could…”
“Eh? Ye must be mad. Sir Edward would skin ye alive,” Ally said screwing up his mouth. “Besides, Oi don’t hold wit taking a woman against her will. No…Oi’ve done many things in m’time, but not that.”
“Well then, ye can watch…” said Farley going toward her.
Star felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She could see the glint of a knife in his belt. What she needed was to stay calm and make certain she got her hands on that knife. Oh yes, because he wasn’t expecting her to have her hands free, was he, she told herself.
“Well now pretty mort, let’s see if ye are as good as ye look,” Farley leered at her.
Ally at his back said, “Hold, Farley…just wait a minute here…”
Chapter Twenty-Six
SIR EDWARD HEADED towards the dike. It was both wide and deep, but he meant to take it flying.
Jules pointed his hunter to follow and did just that. On the other side, he called after Sir Edward, “Well done, damn impressive, I doubt my horse would have taken it if he weren’t following yours.”
Sir Edward didn’t answer him. He was intent on getting to his destination. The sun was going down and neither he nor Jules knew Romney Marsh well enough to take any shortcuts in the dark. They would now have to stick to the road.
Jules looked around and called out, “Are we on the right road? Is this Lydd?”
“Yes, did you not see the fingerpost?” Edward answered sharply. “Just follow me, Jules and have your gun ready. These blackguards may hear us coming.”
It took them less than five more minutes to reach the turn in the road and bear down the deer path. Farley’s cottage loomed ahead and Sir Edward gritted his teeth. Never had he ever felt this way before.
He slowed his horse to a stop and Jules inquired worriedly, “What are you doing? What do we do now?”
“We go on foot,” Edward said as he dismounted. “Here…give me the reins. We’ll tether them here to this bush as there aren’t any trees around.”
A mist had formed and he looked around with some satisfaction. Mother Nature apparently meant to lend them a hand as they crept toward the cottage.
* * *
Farley sneered over his shoulder, “Ye don’t want her, Ally? So be it. But ye can’t be telling me whot to do, so stay out of m’way, fer Oi mean to have this one.” He winked at Ally and turned to Star and said, “Let me show ye how a man does it.”
Star got ready to fight for her life. If ever a man needed dying, this one did.
Ally reached for Farley’s arm and Farley roughly shrugged him off. Ally apparently wasn’t giving up easily, and he cried out, “Whot is the matter wit ye? Leave the mort be, Farley. She be promised elsewhere. It’s cash we need, not a piece of flesh.”
Farley hauled off and landed Ally a facer
that sent him reeling backward. “Keep off me Ally, if ye knows whots good for ye, just stay back. If ye don’t have the stomach to watch, then go outside.”
“Farley…” Ally tried again as he held his jaw, “Oi never crossed ye before, but Oi don’t hold wit this. She ain’t a barmaid, is she? They’ll hunt us down they will…they won’t give up. Ye know what the gentry are about their women.”
Farley growled and reached down to grab Star’s upper arm and drag her to her feet. She allowed him to do just that and once on her feet with great agility she imperceptibly got into position, free ankles, free hands and reached out and grabbed his knife out of his belt. She caught him by surprise.
