To Tame a Highland Earl (17 page)

“
Has Halifax died?” Erroll
demanded.

Graham shook he head. “Nay, but you know how
it is. There is always one busy body who wants to be in the thick
of things. One such fellow sounded the alarm after the duel was
finished.”

“
At least he stayed for the
show,” Erroll said. “How long before the sheriff
arrives?”

“
Word has only been sent,
but if you leave now you will have an hour’s head start,” Graham
replied.

Erroll grasped Miss Eve Crenshaw’s elbow and
hurried her through the field and back to Halifax’s carriage.
Erroll opened the carriage door.

Miss Crenshaw pulled free of his hold. “You
will make better time without us. If you ride at a gallop, you can
reach the border in minutes.

“
You might think twice
about going to England,” Graham said. “The sheriff is
English.”

Erroll looked sharply at him. “When did
Scotland start employing English law enforcement officers?”

The man grinned. “This is Gretna. English
come here to escape their own marriage restrictions. We see our
fair share of trouble from angry fathers. The Crown decided they
were losing too many fair maidens to the scoundrels we let marry
them.”

“
We cannot possibly outrun
him in a fully loaded carriage,” Miss Crenshaw said. “You must flee
on your own.”

“
I do not
flee
,” he
said.

“
For heaven’s sake, forget
your pride and go.”

“
You might consider a
ship,” Graham said. “Fishing vessels dock at Silloth.”

“
Thank you,” Erroll said.
“But not Silloth. If the tide is low, we would not be able to sail
until high tide.”

Graham nodded. “Aye. You may want to go
direct to Allonby or Maryport. The trip is longer, but you are sure
to find a ship captain willing to take you at one of those
ports.

“
Quite right.” Erroll faced
his companions. “You ladies will ride in the carriage. I will drive
and, you, Oscar and Somerset, will ride.”

Miss Eve Crenshaw shook her head. “You can
elude the sheriff faster without us.”

Erroll grunted. “You two ladies sealed your
fate and mine when you had me kidnapped. We all go together. We’ll
sort out this mess once we reach our destination.”

“
And where might that
be?”

“
That does not concern
you.”

“
It does—but never mind. I
plan to return home.”

“
Oscar,” Erroll said, “if
you are going to stop me, now is the time; otherwise, I am putting
your mistress in this coach and you will see to it she doesn’t jump
out.”

“
Have you lost your mind?”
she demanded.

“
Eve,” Somerset said, “he’s
right. You cannot simply return to England. There is an
alternative, however. Marry me—”

“
For heaven’s sake, I have
no intention of marrying you.”

His lips pursed. “As you wish. Then you will
marry Lord Rushton.”

Somerset rose a notch in Erroll’s estimation,
even if the viscount wasn’t helping Erroll’s cause.

“
Lord Rushton is my
betrothed,” Grace Crenshaw interjected.

“
I thought you were going
to marry the other one,” Graham said.

“
Oh no,” the younger Miss
Crenshaw went on. “That has been the plan all along.” She smiled up
at Erroll. “Hand fasting takes mere minutes. Surely we have time to
complete the ceremony before we leave? We can then use my coach for
the trip.”

“
You have a coach?” he
asked. “Is it ready?”

She shook her head. “I was not anticipating a
hasty departure. I engaged a room for us at the inn.”

Erroll cut a look Eve’s way. “I see you
thought of everything.”

“
That was not Eve’s idea,
my lord.”

“
You?” he asked the younger
sister.

“
Yes. But as we now must
leave immediately, we can have my carriage readied while the
ceremony is performed. That way, we can ensure all is in order when
we reach the coast.”

“
All is in order?” he
repeated, then comprehended her meaning. “Madam, are you suggesting
that we consummate our marriage during a carriage ride? Good God,
you are what, eighteen years of age? How does a mere chit of a girl
contrive to spread her legs for a man in a carriage?”

“
You are as guilty as her,”
the elder sister cut in with asperity. “She started this mess by
lying, but you have even less excuse than her. She is young, you
are not. You should have kept a cool head and spoken with my father
instead of breaking into my room. You have no one to blame but
yourself for this mess.”

“
You are right,” Erroll
said, then lifted and tossed her into the carriage.

*****

In the last three hours, Eve had failed to
devise a way to unravel the mess that now had her and Grace settled
in the cabin of a collier ship bound for the Isle of Mull. The Isle
of Mull. Holy God, she didn’t want to contemplate what would happen
once they reached Lord Rushton’s childhood home. The possibilities
boggled her mind.

The carriage trip had given Eve time to
think—too much time—and, in the end, she couldn’t fault the earl
for forcing her and Grace to go with him. He was, in fact, acting
far more chivalrous than they deserved. No doubt, news of the duel
was already speeding toward Manchester, headed, ultimately, for
London. By tomorrow night, the tidbit would be in all the gossip
papers and on the lips of
Society
’s best. If Lord Halifax
died, a warrant for Lord Rushton’s arrest would be issued, and he
would have to flee again, probably aboard a ship bound for
America.

“
I do not understand why
you didn’t accept Lord Somerset’s proposal,” Grace’s voice broke
into Eve’s thoughts. ”The two of you could have returned to
Manchester.”

Obviously, Grace, too, had been mulling over
recent events. Eve looked up from her folded hands that rested on
the small table and met her sister’s gaze. Grace lounged on the bed
they would share for the voyage.

“
I do not love
him.”

Grace shifted against the pillow she’d
propped up in the corner. “Love has nothing to do with
marriage.”

“
Not everyone marries for
position and money, Grace.”

“
People do not marry for
love, either. If you and Lord Somerset weren’t here, I would have
no trouble with his lordship.”

“
He seems decided against
marrying you.”

“
Why?” Grace said. “Because
he wants to marry you? Or is it that you want to marry
him?”

“
What?”

“
Is that why you lured him
into the gardens at Lady Grendall’s party?”

Eve’s heartbeat jumped.

Grace’s stare bore into her. “Did you think I
didn’t hear when Lord Halifax told Lord Rushton on the dueling
field?”

“
Things are not what they
appear.”

“
No?”

Eve hadn’t allowed herself to dwell on those
minutes in the garden when Lord Rushton had kissed her, or the even
longer minutes they’d been jammed together and he had—“No,” Eve
said. “It isn’t what you think. I did ask him to walk with me, but
Oscar was there, waiting to kidnap him. By that time it was late,
very late, and I had thought Lord Rushton was already on his way to
you in Gretna. Grace, I was beside myself when he appeared at Lady
Grendall’s ball.”
All the truth.
“Lord Somerset was there
making a nuisance of himself, I feared he would call out Lord
Rushton right there. He told me outright he would shoot the
earl.”

Grace frowned and Eve could see the wheels
turning inside her head. She rushed on. “I knew Lord Rushton wanted
to speak with me—think nothing of it,” she added, when Grace opened
her mouth to interrupt. “He and I have had no chance to speak since
this mess began. It only makes sense he would want to speak with
me. In any case, I saw that Oscar was lurking in the bushes and
knew it was then or never. After Oscar hit him over the head, I
tried to put a halt to the insane scheme, but Oscar said it was you
or me.”

“
Oscar really said that?”
Grace asked.

“
Yes, and he was right. So,
against my better judgment, I relented. Lord Rushton does not want
to marry me. But beware, Grace, despite our father’s threats, he
seems quite determined not to marry anyone.”

“
There is no reason he
can’t marry me,” Grace said. “Papa might not like it at first, but
he would accept it.”

“
Papa will not be pleased
if it turns out you wed a murderer.”

“
Rubbish. Lord Rushton was
protecting your honor. Lord Halifax kidnapped you.”

“
But we kidnapped Lord
Rushton,” Eve reminded her.

“
That is different. We were
only facilitating the inevitable. Lord Halifax took you against
your will and intended you harm. The brigand,” she said with
surprising force. “He deserved getting shot and it would serve him
right if he dies—though I hope he does not. It is better for Lord
Rushton if we do not have to flee the Continent.”

Eve recalled the fury in Lord Rushton’s eyes
when he punched Lord Halifax, then the determination when he’d
lifted his pistol and shot the earl. A tremor rippled through Eve’s
stomach. He’d been in a cold rage.

“
Well, now that he’s
whisked us off in a ship, Lord Rushton will have no choice but to
marry me,” Grace went on, “which means you must marry Lord
Somerset.”

“
It means nothing of the
sort.” Though she seriously wondered how she was going to avoid
marriage after a trip to Gretna and an unchaperoned voyage to the
Highlands.

“
The captain can marry us,”
Grace said. “Once Lord Rushton has had a good night’s sleep, we
will speak of it.”

“
Take care,” Eve said. “His
lordship was angry over our plans to marry him to you.”

“
True. Perhaps we trod upon
his male pride. Men do not care to be ordered about by a woman, at
least not until they are married, and even then it is best if they
think they have acted of their own accord.”

“
That sounds like advice
our mother would give.”

“
It is.”

“
If you are foolish enough
to listen to her, then you deserve the consequences. Lord Rushton
is no fool. You received a taste of his temper when you suggested
the two of you consummate your marriage on the carriage ride from
Gretna. My God, what possessed you to suggest such a
thing?”

“
He did respond rather
violently,” she replied in a quiet tone, to Eve’s surprise. “I
don’t understand. He was almost…”

“
Prudish,” Eve finished for
her.

“
Yes, that is it.” Grace
scrunched up her nose. “Quite unbecoming.”

Eve stared. “What?”

“
He is not at all
cooperating.”

“
How dare he?” Eve
said.

Grace’s brows furrowed. “Are you mocking
me?”

“
Clearly, he is in the
wrong for not going along with your plans.”

Grace’s eyes narrowed. “You are no better
than me, Eve Crenshaw. I told a small lie. You, however, had him
kidnapped.”

And there it was. Their mother would be
proud.

*****

Erroll halted outside the ladies’ cabin door
with Oscar and Somerset at his side. “Are you gentlemen ready?”

“
A man is never ready when
it comes to Miss Crenshaw,” Oscar said under his breath.

“
Which Miss Crenshaw?”
Erroll asked, then shook his head. “Never mind. They’re both
troublesome.” Though the elder sister had proven more troublesome
than any other woman he’d known.

“
I may have done you an
injustice,” Somerset said. “I’m beginning to see how you got
tangled up in this mess.”

“
I am gratified.” Erroll
knocked on the door and called, “May we speak with you,
ladies?”

A moment of silence passed before Miss Eve
Crenshaw called, “Come in.”

Erroll entered, his reinforcements close
behind. The ladies sat at the small table, their hands folded
demurely in their laps. That, he decided, was not a good sign. His
gaze snagged on Eve Crenshaw’s torn sleeve. He would have to do
something about that dress.

“
Ladies.” He gave a slight
bow.

Somerset followed suit, and said, “Are you
well?”

“
We are fine,” Miss Eve
Crenshaw replied. “And you gentlemen?”

“
As well as can be
expected,” Erroll rejoined.

“
Oh dear,” she said. “Do
you get seasick, my lord? Perhaps a voyage wasn’t the best idea. We
are barely out of harbor. The gentle waves we have experienced thus
far are nothing compared to the massive swells we are sure to
encounter at sea. I would advise a diet of dried toast. That will
be much easier when the waves pitch your stomach into your
throat.”

Erroll suspected she would enjoy seeing his
stomach pitch into his throat. “I have spent some time at sea,
madam.”

“
Ah, yes,” she said. “You
were in the navy. That must have been terrible for you, with your
seasickness and all. I hope you can manage all right for the
duration of this voyage.”

“
I will muddle through,” he
said.

“
I have never been on a
ship before,” the younger sister joined in. “This should prove to
be quite an adventure.”