To Tame a Highland Earl (24 page)

“
We won’t stay behind like
scared women,” Joseph said indignantly.

“
Not hiding, lad, strategy.
When you two shoot, the sailors won’t know how many men we have. If
we can take down two of them, the remaining two might run like the
cowards they are. I want to get as close as possible, so hold your
fire until I shoot.”

The men grunted in acknowledgment and Joseph
drew his knife from a boot sheath and handed it over. Erroll pulled
his gun from his waistband and stuck the spyglass in its place
then, knife in one hand and gun in the other, he scurried from the
cover of trees. The clouds abruptly parted and Erroll’s heart
jumped to a gallop. He pulled back the hammer on his pistol. The
clouds rolled across the moon and the men kept going. Seconds
later, with Erroll twenty feet from the men, a boy cried out and
the big sailor whirled. Erroll fired. The sailor stumbled backwards
as another shot sounded.

The sailors’ curses mingled with the boys’
cries of surprise and the report of a third revolver followed. A
fourth weapon was fired, this one from one of the sailors. The boys
scattered in the pandemonium. One of the two remaining sailors
swung his gun in Erroll’s direction. Erroll drew back his knife to
throw, but one of the bigger boys barreled into the sailor’s ribs.
The sailor’s gun went off and he and the boy crashed into the sand.
Erroll turned, scanning for the last sailor and saw him disappear
into the trees to the west.

“
Laird,” a young man called
as the boom of a cannon sounded from the brigantine.

“
Get down!” Erroll
shouted.

Everyone dove onto the sand as another boom
rolled across the water. The first orange–sized ball thudded into
the sand two feet away and sprayed sand even as a third cannon
fired. He lifted his head as the second ball soared past and spit
up sand between two of the boys who lay five feet away. One lad
cried out and two boys jumped up. The third ball landed short,
closer to the water, and Erroll shoved to his feet. The remaining
boys followed suit.

“
Move, lads.” Erroll
pointed toward his companions, who had left the trees. The boys
remained rooted to where they stood and Erroll realized they were
afraid of the men. “They’re friends,” he shouted.
“
Move
.”

The boys rushed forward. Erroll waited until
the last boy flew past then turned, taking several long strides as
he pulled the spyglass free of his waistband. He slowed and looked
at the brigantine. Captain Johnson stood on the quarterdeck staring
back through his spyglass.

Johnson seemed frozen for an instant, then
yanked the glass from his eye. In the instant before the captain
whirled, Erroll glimpsed fear in his eyes. Erroll turned and raced
after the boys who had nearly reached his companions. A moment
later, the boys disappeared amongst the trees. Erroll caught up
with the band moments later and they raced up the hill.

When they finally reached the jollyboat, he
said, “We must make two trips.”

“
We dinna’ need to go with
you,” Nab said. “We can make our way back home.”

“
Yes, you can,” Erroll
said. “But I won’t risk those brigands catching you before you
reach home. Your parents would not forgive me if you were captured
a second time. We will go together, and stop at Corrynachency. No
worries, Nab. I will hire transportation from there.”

“
I willna’ go,” Nab
said.

“
You will, or your mother
will hear about it.” That stopped the boy, as Erroll knew it would.
Erroll looked at Joseph. “Take the first group of boys to the
ship.”

“
I am not a boy,” one lad
burst out.

“
My apologies,” Erroll
said. “Men.”

He singled out the five youngest boys. They
grumbled, knowing they were chosen for their age, but Nab ordered
them into the boat to be quiet, and followed with the stern threat
of a beating if they ignored him.

“
Joseph,” Erroll said, “the
rest of us will await your return.”

“
Help me, lads.” Joseph
grabbed the starboard edge of the boat. The boys grabbed the edges
and they started pushing the boat when David said, “We have
company.”

Erroll jerked his head around and spotted
several figures emerging from the trees. He yanked the spyglass to
his eye and counted half a dozen kilted men, pistols in hand. The
click of two revolvers broke the silence.

“
No,” Erroll hissed to his
companions. “They aren’t part of Johnson’s crew. Nab,” he handed
the boy the spyglass, “tell me if you recognize them.”

Nab peered through the hole. “The one in the
lead is Sheriff Laine.”

“
Seems someone realized you
lads were missing,” Erroll said. “Nab, come with me. The rest of
you, don’t move—and for God’s sake, gentleman, do not fire those
revolvers. If one of these boys gets shot, I will never hear the
end of it from their parents.”

Erroll took several steps forward with Nab at
his side, then called, “Laine, don’t shoot.” The men halted. “I am
Erroll MacLean, Earl of Rushton.” Erroll added in a low voice to
Nab, “Tell them, lad.”

“
Laine,” Nab called. “It’s
me, Nab. Me and the others are all right.”

Silence reigned for an instant, then the
sheriff called, “Move even a muscle, Rushton, and it willna’ matter
if you are the King of England, I’ll shoot ye dead.”

They advanced and Erroll stood motionless
until the sheriff stopped a few feet away and the other men passed
him to join the boys who waited on the beach.

“
You all right, Nab?” he
asked the boy.

“
Aye. A press gang nabbed
us, and his lordship stopped them before we reached their
boats.”

“
How fortunate that you
were passing by,” Laine said.

“
Purely coincidental,”
Erroll said. “But the world is filled with coincidence. You being
here, for example.”

“
That is no coincidence,”
Laine replied. “We’ve been on the lookout for the press gang for
two months. Where are they?”

“
In the cove to the south,
though I doubt they’re still there. Captain Johnson saw us
intercept this shipment and has probably sailed by now.”

Laine ordered two men to go and look for the
slaver, then said to Erroll, “Forgive me for saying so, my lord,
but you have bad timing. We were scouting the coast when we saw
your ship and mistook you for the slavers. If you hadn’t been here,
we might have caught them.”

Erroll gave a short laugh. “No good deed goes
unpunished, I see. Where is your ship?”

“
We don’t have a ship. We
planned to swim out and board their ship, which is exactly what we
did.”

“
What—you mean—how many men
have boarded my ship?” Erroll demanded.

“
Ten.”

“
I hope they fell into the
water and froze their bollocks off while boarding,” Erroll snapped.
“As no shots have been fired, I assume no one was killed. If your
men cause a ruckus aboard the collier, you will deal with me. Have
your men see the boys safely home—one of the four sailors ran into
the woods. I wager your men can find him easily enough.”

“
One of the men is still
here?” Laine demanded.

“
Yes.”

“
If we catch him, we might
find the men they took.”

“
Send your men,” Erroll
said. “You will accompany me. I have no wish for your men to shoot
me as I try to board my own ship.”

Laine’s mouth thinned. “As you say, my
lord.”

Laine ordered his men to see the boys home
and begin their search, then he and Erroll sliced through the ankle
high water to the jollyboat, where Joseph and David waited. Erroll
grabbed the side of the jollyboat and they pushed it out until it
skimmed across the water. They hopped in and each grabbed an ore,
then began rowing.

“
We must make haste,”
Erroll informed David and Joseph. “The good sheriff has seen fit to
board our ship.”

David and Joseph’s heads swung in his
direction and glared.

Erroll knew it was unlikely the Highlanders
would harm the women, but God only knew what Oscar and Somerset
would do if they thought the ladies were in danger. Or worse, what
Miss Eve Crenshaw would do if yet another man entered her room
uninvited.

Chapter Thirteen

A muffled shout sounded outside the captain’s
quarters. Grace froze in the act of combing her wet hair and Eve
straightened in the tub and looked toward the door.

“
What happened?” Grace
asked.

“
I do not know.” Eve rose
and stepped from the tub.

She grabbed the towel hanging over the back
of Grace’s chair, quickly wrapped it around herself and hurried
toward the door while stuffing the corner of the towel between her
breasts. Something hard struck the door and Grace gave a cry. A
man’s groan in the hallway was followed by a foul curse. As Eve’s
fingers closed around the knob. The door flung open, slamming her
back, hard against the wall. Pain radiated down her arm, but she
registered Grace’s gasp.

“
What the devil?” a deep
male voice boomed in a light Scottish brogue.

Eve started to shove the door away, then
regained some sense and peered around the edge. A large kilted man
stood between her and Grace. Eve’s heart pounded. Where were Oscar
and Lord Somerset? She glanced through the crack between the door
and jamb but saw no one.

“
Who are you?” Grace
demanded.

Eve again peeked around the door and saw a
revolver sticking out from the man’s belt. She took one quiet step
around the door.

“
What do you want?” Grace
said, and Eve could have kissed her. “Why have you barged into my
cabin?”

“
Your cabin?” the man said
with a slight Scottish burr. “I imagine this is the captain’s
quarters. You cannot be his wife.”

“
I beg your pardon?” she
said as Eve took another step forward.

“
I see no ring on your
finger.”

“
Who I am is of no
consequence,” Grace snapped.

Eve took another step forward, forced a
steady hand, and reached for the revolver.

“
Get out,” Grace
ordered.

Eve yanked the gun from his belt. He swung
around and she took two hasty steps backwards, the weapon aimed at
his heart.

He frowned and his gaze fixed on her
towel-clad body. He grunted. “So your captain is not satisfied with
just one woman.”

A shiver slid down her spine when his brows
lifted over the steely green eyes. Booted feet pounded down the
corridor. Another set of footsteps followed, then broke into a
run.

The man folded his arms across his chest. “If
you know how to use that thing, now is the time. Those are my men,
and they will do with you two as they please.”

“
Just as you would. Get
back,” Eve ordered.

He backed up a pace.

“
To the wall, sir, or I
will shoot.”

“
That revolver isna’ known
for being accurate,” he said.

“
You are a very large
target. Against the wall.”

The approaching footsteps picked up
speed.

“
Grace,” Eve said, “come
here.”

Grace scurried across the room and dodged
behind her. Eve kept both hands on the revolver as she backed up to
the wall, Grace beside her.

“
Miss Crenshaw—Eve!” called
a familiar voice from the corridor.

“
His lordship,” Grace
breathed.

“
In here,” Eve
called.

Lord Rushton burst into the room with Lord
Somerset close behind. They skidded to a halt.

“
What in God’s name—” Lord
Somerset took a step forward, but stopped when Lord Rushton snapped
out a sentence in—was that Gaelic?

The stranger responded with a clipped
sentence and nodded toward Eve and Grace. Lord Rushton whirled. His
brows rose while his eyes dropped to her towel-clad breasts. Eve
resisted the urge to melt into the wall.

“
Miss Crenshaw,” he began,
as the man took a step forward.

“
Halt or I will shoot,” Eve
warned.

Lord Rushton’s gaze remained fixed on her
face. “I do believe she means it, Ash.”

Eve blinked. “You know him?”

“
Madam, do you intend to
shoot every male in the MacLean family while scantily dressed?
Though I’m not complaining—about you being scantily clad, I mean.”
He glanced at Grace. “I see your sister is yet again parading
around in her night clothes.”

“
What?” Grace
said.

Lord Somerset stripped off his coat and, in
two steps, reached Grace’s side and swung it around her shoulders.
He yanked the lapel closed over her breasts. Eve suddenly realized
her towel had slackened. She caught the fabric as it began to slide
downward. Lord Rushton stepped toward her and she reflexively swung
the revolver in his direction. He lunged in unison with Grace’s
cry, and seized Eve’s arm, shoving the gun upwards. Cool air washed
over the curve of her breasts, then she struck the wall, Lord
Rushton pressed against her body, the towel barely covering her
nipples.

He held her wrist pinned to the wall as he
stared down at her. “You aren’t satisfied with shooting me
once?”

“
She shot you?” the other
man blurted.

Lord Rushton gave her a questioning look and
Eve was suddenly aware of his body crushing hers. Embarrassment
rolled over her and she twisted in an effort to push him away.