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When Edilean said nothing, Tabitha said, “Lord a’ mercy,” and took a few steps backward.
“You stole them from Angus and I want all of it back,” Edilean said.
Tabitha was looking at the bracelets in wonder. “I thought they were pretty but I never thought they were... What? Diamonds?”
Edilean said nothing, just glared at Tabitha.
“You were going to kill me to get them?” Tabitha asked, her eyes wide. “You were gonna sneak up behind me and...” She put her hand up to her throat and looked at the man standing behind her.
“I’ll take her into the woods and I’ll make her sorry she bothered you,” the man said.
Tabitha looked at Edilean. “All I have to do is say
yes and you’ll be dead—or wish you were—in about ten minutes.” She looked at the man. “Take her and that one out to the road but don’t hurt them. You understand me?”
The man grabbed Edilean’s arm, but she wrenched it away. “I’m not leaving here until you give me back the parure.”
“The what?” Tabitha asked.
“The set of jewels,” Edilean said. “They belong to Angus.”
“So why didn’t he come and get them? Why’d he send you to do his dirty work for him?”
“He has no idea I’m here or that I know you stole the jewels.”
“He doesn’t know I took them,” Tabitha said.
“How could he not?”
Tabitha gave a little smile. “He likes me. I saw it in his eyes that first day on that rotten old ship. If you hadn’t been around...” She gave a shrug. “They’re mine now.”
“No they’re not!” Edilean yelled, as she launched herself onto Tabitha and knocked her to the ground.
“It’s a girl fight,” the man said under his breath, and the next minute he was yelling, “Fight! Fight!” and the few people who were still asleep came running.
“Get off of me!” Tabitha yelled as she tried to roll away from Edilean.
“If you don’t give me those jewels back, I’ll tear your hair out.”
“Will you?” Tabitha said. “I’d like to see you try.”
In the next second, Edilean gave such a fierce pull on Tabitha’s hair that her head jerked back so hard her eyes watered.
Tabitha kicked out at Edilean’s shin, but she missed when Edilean adroitly twisted her body to one side.
“She’s got you now, Tabby,” came a woman’s voice.
Still looking as though she couldn’t believe any of this was happening, Tabitha said, “If you don’t stop this, I’m going to have to hurt you.”
“You may try,” Edilean said, “but I’m not leaving here until you give me the jewels. And if you won’t give them to me then I’m going to take them.”
“You can’t—” Tabitha began but stopped when Edilean’s fist hit her in the jaw. Stepping back, she put her hand to her face and moved her chin about, as though feeling if it was broken. In the next second, she jumped in the air and went after Edilean, who moved, so Tabitha landed on the ground. Everyone around the two women started laughing.
Edilean had known this was going to happen. She’d lived with women all her life, and she knew that no matter what class they were, when it came down to it, girls could fight as hard as males. She’d told Cuddy that what she wanted him to do was search wherever Tabitha was sleeping and get the jewels. She didn’t think that winning a fight would make these outlaws turn over thousands of pounds’ worth of diamonds to her. Her only hope was to create enough of a diversion so no one saw what Cuddy was doing.
Edilean glanced in Cuddy’s direction, and when she saw that he was stirring, was sitting up and rubbing his sore head, she sighed in relief. Obviously, he hadn’t been hurt too badly. All Edilean had to do was keep the entire crowd so occupied by her and Tabitha that they didn’t notice what else was going on.
When she saw the man who’d grabbed her from behind glance in Cuddy’s direction, she doubled up her fist and again hit Tabitha on the jaw. The man looked away from Cuddy.
