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“Indeed, it is. But I am not concerned. I should think I would have learned of it first if they were dangerous. My estate borders the trees.”
Even in the darkness, the branches blocking what moonlight they had, Charles could sense the repressed irritation on Amelia’s face. She had often behaved that way around him though, so he’d come to expect it in her company.
“Not if there was an oversight, or if they haven’t yet done anything dangerous. Surely we ought to be careful, regardless.” Her voice had a bite to it, a challenge.
Charles felt no need to meet her challenge, to further set up her back in any way. “Let us not argue. It can do no good presently.”
To his surprise, she sighed, her breath curling toward him and tickling the exposed portion of his neck. “Yes, of course. I have the nasty habit of growing defensive too rapidly. If you’ll forgive me, I would be much obliged.”
“You are forgiven.”
“So easily?”
He opened his mouth to respond when a rustling in the brush sounded just beyond them, setting the hair on the back of his neck on end. It could not be due to the wind, but surely it belonged to an animal…preferably a very small animal.
Amelia leaned back further into his chest, and his grip around her waist tightened on impact. “Can you hold on?” she whispered. “I will bolt toward Sheffield House if you think it can be managed.”
He scooted as close to the saddle as he could, holding securely to the slender woman’s waist and nodding against her hat. The rustling sounded again, and Charles’s stomach dropped. He’d heard awful stories of what gypsies had done to people, but never before had he encountered anyone so dangerous. And in truth, he’d struggled to believe half of the stories he’d heard when the gypsies who’d stayed nearby in the past had never so much as taken a chicken from Sheffield House. But in this moment, Charles felt no need to confirm his disbelief.
Especially not with such precious cargo before him.
“Be on your guard,” he whispered against her ear.
A slight tremor shook her shoulders. “Are you ready?” she asked.
He felt as secure as he was able to, given the situation. If he was to fall, he would let go of Amelia. If there was any danger in these woods, he would do his best to keep her from it, regardless of the cost.
“Yes.”
Amelia whipped the reins, shouting an order to her horse to flee. A man stepped from the trees, directly into their path, shrouded in darkness, and the horse balked, rearing back on its hindlegs. Charles’s instinct was to let go.
Releasing his grip around Amelia’s waist, he started to fall when the horse slammed down on its forelegs, propelling Charles into Amelia’s back.
“Oof!” She righted herself and the horse took off, skirting around the man in the road, only to shudder to a stop and whip to the side.
The horse’s head jerked around, and Charles and Amelia flew from its back. Charles landed on the soft ground, his head smashing against the grassy earth to the side of the road. He looked forward, and the road tipped sideways before him, Amelia’s prone form laying just out of reach.
Harsh laughter broke into his consciousness, and he fought the darkness that crept into the edges of his vision until everything went black.
