Velvet Embrace (40 page)

Recognizing the lecherous look in his eyes, Brie shuddered. If that leer was any indication, Martin would not be the only one who had his way with her. Crooked-nose would rape her first before turning her over to his brother. Brie began to feel frightened, even knowing she had her pistol for protection. "Who are you?" she asked uneasily. "What do you want with
mer

"Freddy
Boulter's
the name, but it
ain't
you I want. I want that Stanton
fella
. You'll be the one what brings '
im
to me.
I seen you and '
im
riding together—an' I seen you
comin
'
outa
that cabin that day.
Liken you'd been spreading
yer
legs
for
 
'
im
"

Brie felt her cheeks burn, but she tried to ignore
Boulter's
crudity. "What do you want with Lord Stanton? What has he done?"

"I don't
bleedin
' know what
ee's
done, an' don't care, neither.
I been
paid to do a job. I mean to kill '
im
."

Hearing his cold-blooded admission, Brie felt her stomach churn. "I don't expect your employer would approve of your methods," she said shakily. "Locking us in the barn wasn't very clever. And you didn't succeed in killing Lord Stanton."

The man shrugged his heavy shoulders.
"'
Egot
lucky.
But I mean to try again. I'll bet '
e'll
come along right fast when 'e finds out we got you."

He took a step toward Brie. "Now, little lady, jest you 'old
yer
tongue.
Yer
be coming with me."

Brie abruptly drew the pistol and aimed it at
Boulter
. "I wouldn't be too sure of that, Mr.
Boulter
," she replied quietly. "I think you will be the one coming with me—straight to the local magistrate. Any number of people will be pleased to see you in prison."

Seeing the elegant, highly polished weapon in her hand,
Boulter
froze in his tracks. Brie tightened her grip on the pistol. She was tempted to put a bullet through this horrible man, but she didn't think she could stomach actually shooting him.

"Put down your gun, Mr.
Boulter
," she indicated the flintlock he was still holding. "It won't do you much good in any case, since you didn't reload."

Boulter
hesitated, regarding Brie in indecision. He had seen women who were handy with a knife before, but never a lady with enough nerve to use a gun. This one, however, was far from fainting or having hysterics. Even though her hand was unsteady, she looked as if she meant business. She might very well shoot him. But his alternative wasn't pleasant, either. He would be sent to
Newgate
where he would hang. He decided to take his chances with the lady.

Swinging the flintlock around, he threw it straight at Brie, then charged her, trying to catch her off guard. Brie was in an awkward position to dodge the weapon, but she managed to deflect it away from her body with her arm. She couldn't do the same with
Boulter
. He landed directly on top of her, hitting her with the force of a battering ram.

Brie felt the pistol discharge in her hand, felt
Boulter's
heavy body give a violent jerk. Then lights exploded in her head and she tumbled into oblivion.

Dominic had reached the meadow a few moments before, but when he saw Brie sitting on the ground, conversing with the man who apparently had just shot her horse, he abruptly reined in his mount. She was still alive and he wanted her to stay that way. He would be risking her life if he charged across the
meadow,
for he could see the gun
Boulter
was holding and knew it still might be loaded. He also knew he couldn't hope for accuracy with his own pistol at that distance. His only chance to rescue Brie safely would be to circle around the field, using the trees for cover until he could get within shooting range and draw the man's fire. Even as he turned his horse, though, he saw
Boulter
lunge and heard the gunshot.

Dominic couldn't tell who fired or if Brie had been hit, but dread gnawed at the pit of his stomach as he galloped across the meadow. He reached her in a matter of seconds, leaping from his horse to kneel beside the two still figures.

When he rolled the man's body away and saw all the blood, Dominic thought for one heart-stopping moment that Brie might be dead. The front of her habit was drenched with red, and her face was pale and lifeless. Carefully, Dominic ran his hands over her body, but he found no wounds. Then he noticed the pistol still gripped in her hand and he let out his breath slowly.

A quick inspection of the dead man revealed a ragged hole in his chest where the ball had penetrated. Dominic murmured a silent prayer of thanks and set about the task of reviving Brie.

Loosening her jacket had no effect, so he gently slapped her face. Brie moaned
,
stirring slightly, then suddenly started to struggle. Dominic had trouble holding her down. "Stop fighting me, damn it! Brie, look at me."

She froze, hearing his voice,
then
slowly fixed her gaze on his face. Dominic could see fear in the blue-green depths.

She anxiously searched Dominic's face, clutching at his shoulders as she remembered the moment before she had blacked out. "What happened . . . to
Boulter
?" she whispered hoarsely.

Gently Dominic gathered her in his arms. "If you mean the fellow who was attacking you, he's dead." When her eyes filled with pain and she turned her head away, he cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. "No, Brie, it is better to talk about it. Listen to me. It isn't easy to kill a man, and your feelings are only natural. But you acted in self-defense. Would you have preferred that he kill you instead?" When she took her head, he tenderly brushed a curl back from her face. "Tell me what happened," he urged.

"I . . .
I was riding across the field. . . . Jester . . . Jester is dead, isn't he?"

The trembling of her lips wrung his heart. "I haven't had a chance to look at him yet," he said grimly.

"He shot Jester . . . and he admitted setting the fire.
Dominic, that
man deserved to die."

She gazed up at him, her eyes pleading with him for understanding, and Dominic involuntarily clenched his fists. Wanting to comfort her, he drew Brie more closely against him.

Haltingly then, she recounted her conversation with
Boulter
, answering all of Dominic's questions. When she had finished, she closed her eyes and buried her face in his shoulder. "I didn't mean to kill him," she said, shuddering.

A surge of tenderness flooded Dominic's heart. He stroked her tumbled hair and murmured meaningless words in her ear, feeling a protectiveness he had never before felt for a woman.

Yet, all the while he was silently scoffing at himself. Brie hadn't needed his protection. She had proved her courage. Indeed, she had been braver than many of his acquaintances would have been in similar circumstances. She was shaking uncontrollably now, but she was only feeling the shock of having taken a human life.

Giving a sigh, Dominic brushed his lips against her hair,
then
held her away. "Come, ma belle, we had better get you home. Did you break any bones? I hope not, for we have but one horse."

Brie tried to smile. "Nothing . . . is broken, but I'm afraid I must ask for assistance. I'm not quite up to mounting a horse by myself at the moment."

With Dominic's help, Brie got to her feet, but the movement made her dizzy. She swayed once before her knees buckled beneath her.

Dominic caught her as she fainted. Scooping her up in his arms, he carried Brie to his horse, but he was saved the difficulty of mounting while holding her, for Julian rode up just then.

Julian sucked in his breath when he saw Brie's blood-stained clothes.
"My God!
Is she . . . ?"

"No," Dominic replied tersely.
"Only bruised a bit.
The blood gave me a fright as well, but it belonged to him." He tossed his head in the direction of the dead man.

"Who's he?"

Dominic gave Julian an impatient frown. "I'll explain everything, but later. Now I just want to get Brie home." When Julian held out his arms to take Brie up with him, Dominic shook his head. "I'll see to her. I got her into this mess. You can take a look at that horse of hers. Perhaps he's not dead and we can save him."

He mounted his stallion, settling Brie securely in front of him, but before he left, Julian asked what should be done with the corpse.

Dominic's mouth curled sardonically. "I don't give a damn what you do with him, so long as that horse is alive when I get back. If Jacques heard the shots, he will be here shortly. He'll know what to do. I'll return as soon as I can."

Turning Diablo then, he urged the stallion forward.

The next few hours were difficult ones for Dominic. When he reached Greenwood, he was greeted with cries of alarm by the entire household. Brie's elderly companion was particularly shocked. Her face turned white when she saw the bloody riding habit.

By the time the doctor had examined Brie and given her a sedative, Dominic was glad to make his escape. He returned to the meadow to find Julian and Jacques hard at work on the wounded horse.

Julian showed Dominic the ball they had extracted from Jester's chest. "It didn't hit any organs, but there's a nasty hole, Dom, and he lost a lot of blood. It would be much easier to put him away. He isn't worth saving anyway."

"I don't expect Brie feels that way," Dominic replied dryly.

"I know. But if infection doesn't set in and kill him, the horse will have to have food and shelter. How do you propose to do all that?"

Dominic's answer was a bit complicated, and several hours later Julian was still shaking his head. It had taken ten men to load the horse on a wagon and carry him to the Lodge stables where Dominic had designed a contraption to keep the injured animal from thrashing about and reopening the wound. A heavy net was suspended from the rafters by a series of ropes,
then
stretched under Jester's frame, holding him upright and immobile while a special harness supported his head and neck.

Afterward, Dominic and Julian stood watching as Jacques applied a foul-smelling poultice to the raw wound and changed the bandages. Patrick Dawson was also present, for he was to care for the injured horse.

When Dominic had inspected the coachman's handiwork, he drew Julian aside. "That should draw the heat and keep infection down. If the horse can live through the next week, he'll make it. I'd rather you didn't tell Brie about this, though. If it doesn't work, she'll only be disappointed."

Julian slanted an inquiring look at his friend. "Why are you going to all this trouble? I thought you didn't even like Brie."