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“No, sir, and it’s been—wait, look!” He pointed over Seth’s shoulder.
Seth turned in time to see two forms, one far smaller than the other, coming around the side of the building.
Thank the heavens.Seth breathed out a large sigh of relief as Charlotte and a little girl darted toward him. He signaled for the driver to stay put—they’d want to be away as quickly as possible—and opened the carriage door himself.
Charlotte gave him a brief smile and then picked up the little girl and placed her inside, then climbed in herself.
Seth had one foot in and one foot on the step when a gunshot broke through the stillness of the night.
“Hold it right there,” came Mr. Hatcher’s voice. Far from the friendly innkeeper of before, his tone was hard and cold now.
Seth pulled himself back out and faced the man.
Mr. Hatcher’s single hand held a large gun, cocked and ready to fire.
“I think you’ve got something that belongs to me,” he said, taking a step closer.
Seth took a step away from the carriage; he couldn’t risk the man shooting either of the occupants inside.
“She isn’t yours,” Seth replied. “You took her from a man who kidnapped her, taking her away from her home and the only family she has. How do you think the authorities would respond if I were to tell them? Or if I told them you’d pulled a gun on a gentleman?”
“We’ll never know.” He lifted the gun and sighted Seth down its barrel. “’Cause they’ll never hear a word of this.”
Something—or rather, someone—moved behind the man. Before Seth could make sense of what he was seeing, Charlotte brought something heavy down atop Mr. Hatcher’s head.
The man cried out, and Seth rushed forward. He wrapped one hand around the gun, forcing it up even as he plowed his shoulder into the man’s stomach.
With an ‘oof,’ the man folded over in two, and Seth wrestled the weapon fully away from him.
Seth turned the gun on Mr. Hatcher and took two steps back. Charlotte hurried around the man, keeping far away from his grasp, and reached Seth’s side, the rock she’d used still in her grasp.
“Now,” Seth said to the man on the ground, “you will stay here, and do nothing while we leave, or you will rue the day you ever laid eyes on us.”
The man held his one hand to his head. “Why do you even care? That chit has no one.”
“She has us,” Charlotte said, her voice firm. Then she turned and climbed back into the carriage.
Through the open door, Seth could see that the opposite door was now also hanging open. No doubt that was how Charlotte had slipped out and sneaked up behind Mr. Hatcher.
Brilliant woman.
Seth stepped into the carriage, closing the door behind him. Once they began rolling forward, Seth tossed the gun out the window and onto the dirt along the road.
“We did it,” Charlotte said, flinging her arms around Seth.
He chuckled and hugged her back. Then he turned and faced the little girl watching them both on the bench across from them.
“Hello,” Seth said to her. “Your sister Emma sent us.”
“Are you Sir Mulgrave?” she asked.
“Yes, I am. Has she told you about me, then?”
The little girl nodded. “She said you are very nice.”
“She is very nice as well,” Seth agreed. “And she has been so worried about you, so she sent us to bring you back to her.”
“The man said I’d never see her again.”
