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“Do we run?”
Connor shook his head. “No, we can walk quickly but quietly toward the back of your house.”
“Do you know which one it is?” she whispered.
Connor nodded and grabbed her hand once he had paid the coachman and it had rumbled away.
“Let’s go.” It was too dark for her to see but he removed his gun from his cloak pocket and cocked it in readiness. He still had another smaller gun in his boot and a flick-knife in his pocket. With his fighting skills, it would be enough.
Tahlia ducked her head and kept her eyes on the ground as they hurried through the alley. It seemed to stretch on for miles. With each step she took her tension grew until she was sure she was going to shatter by the time they reached the back wall of Gillingham House.
Before they reached the gate, it suddenly swung open. Connor pushed Tahlia behind him and took aim, only to slump in relief when Isaac stepped out into the alleyway and beckoned them into the garden.
“Come on,” he whispered. “You were followed.”
Within seconds, Tahlia was swept into the relative safety of the garden. All three of them remained quiet as they cross the lawn and entered the house to find two more gentlemen seated before the fireplace.
Connor introduced both new arrivals to Tahlia. Isaac, a rather stocky man was roguishly handsome but had an air of menace about him that was, strangely, threatening and reassuring at the same time. Barnaby Stephenson was a far more affable gentleman, and stepped forward with a courteous bow that was so alien to Tahlia that she forgot to curtsey.
“We don’t bother with the formalities here,” Connor announced wryly as he took a seat on the chaise beside Tahlia. “They usually live in the country.”
Barnaby nodded and stood. He paced to the fireplace and stood with his back toward them for a moment. When he did turn around there was such a fierce look of anger on his face that Tahlia leaned back in her seat, and wondered what had happened.
“Connor, just what the heck did you think you were doing?” Barnaby thundered. “Someone is taking pot-shots at the house and what do you do? Take the woman outside!”
“It wasn’t Connor’s fault,” Tahlia protested before Connor could defend himself.
“Tahlia,” Connor murmured.
She glared angrily at him. “Well, it wasn’t. I was doing something my uncle asked me to do for him, and Connor decided I should have some protection.”
“With all due respect, my dear, you are in danger. Connor should never have let you out of the house.”
His tone drew her outrage. Tahlia pushed to her feet and planted her fists firmly on her hips.
“I am a fully grown woman. I have every right to make decisions for myself,” she retorted. “It is not for Connor, or anybody else, to ‘let’ me go anywhere.”
Barnaby bowed politely but refused to back down. “There is a clear and definite threat to your life. You should remain inside where it is safe.”
“But we were shot at when we were inside this house,” she snapped. “So you cannot actually class being in here safe, can you?”
Barnaby fought a smile. He understood now why Connor was so smitten. This woman before him was incredibly feisty. She was a perfect mate for Connor who was, at that moment, gazing adoringly at her.
Sensibly, Isaac had remained mute throughout the exchange, and was now seated beside the fire with a rather stunned look on his face. He had never seen anybody speak to Barnaby in this fashion, especially a woman. It was as bemusing as it was stunning to witness. Barnaby seemed to find it all rather amusing, which helped to bring some camaraderie to the room and stop it becoming too tense.
“I am not suggesting that you have to put your life on hold, but you should not take risks with your life like this. This is London and-”
“I know what London is,” Tahlia snorted. “It is the very reason why I left it behind three years ago. Time is of the essence, though. I don’t intend to be here for very long and have a lot to do. I can’t just sit by the fire and wait for someone to break into the house.”
Connor coughed around a smile.
“Your butler informed me that you had gone to deliver a message,” Barnaby challenged. “Couldn’t you have sent a note instead?”
“How? Who with?” Tahlia snapped. “I can’t send Oscar if this house is being watched. He is a servant. It is a bit rich to expect him to risk his life to deliver a message.”
“You could have sent Connor,” Barnaby replied calmly.
“This is family business,” Tahlia snapped. “I was perfectly capable of delivering my own message, thank you.”
