Read Online Lord Grayson's Bride by Tarah Scott - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tarah Scott
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pulled free and dropped to her knees beside her companion.
Fury swept through Josephine. She kicked her mare’s ribs as Mr. Halloway lunged for the highwayman, and her horse shot out onto the road. The giant moved quicker and swung his pistol at Mr. Halloway’s jaw. The older man’s head snapped with the force of the blow and blood spurted from his mouth. Yet he still drove a fist into the brigand’s belly. The man swung an upper cut to Halloway’s jaw.
The young woman hugged her comrade, crying. The driver stripped off his coat and pressed it against the man’s chest. Jo forced back the need to retch and stopped beside the coach. She spotted a large rock near the wheel and jumped from the saddle.
Jo cringed with the brigand kicked Halloway’s leg, but forced her legs into motion and lunged toward the rock as the older man dropped to his knees. The brigand kicked him in the belly. She hauled up the rock and whirled. Her mother appeared from the trees on her horse and was bearing down on the highwayman.
Mr. Halloway tried to rise. The driver jumped to his feet, but the highwayman yanked a dirk from the sheath on his belt and threw it at him. The driver dove aside, but the knife sunk deep into his shoulder.
The highwayman whirled toward Jo. She heaved the rock with all her might. It hit his leg with a dull thud. She took a step backward, when he lurched forward and grabbed for her.
Another shot rang out and Josephine cried out before movement drew her attention to the pistol her mother lowered. The man staggered toward Josephine. She jumped back, barely evading a swipe of his big hand. In the next instant, her mother halted her horse beside them. Jo noted with odd detachment that her mother now rode astride instead of sidesaddle. Her mother gave the giant a hard kick to the head. He stumbled forward with the force of the blow, then slumped to the ground.
Jo stared in shock. An instant later, hands seized her shoulders.
“Are you all right?”
She looked up at her mother. “Y-you shot him.” Before her mother could reply, Josephine collapsed into her arms, and turned her head away from the bloody body.
Her mother gave her a fierce hug, and for an instant she was a little girl again, surrounded by her mother’s warmth after waking from a nightmare. Then her mother held her at arm’s length.
“When we return to Barthmont Keep, we shall have a talk about daughters obeying their mothers.”
Her no nonsense tone sobered Jo.
Her mother continued, “Are you unharmed?”
Jo nodded. “Aye.”
“Good. Then let us see to the others.”
She grasped Josephine’s hand and Jo glanced at the giant as her mother pulled her away. Her heart tightened. Her mother had shot a man to save her, then put herself in jeopardy by attacking him. A tear managed to slip down her cheek before she could stop herself. She hurried alongside her mother to where the driver knelt.
Jo’s stomach turned at sight of his blood soaked shirt, and she was surprised when her mother said to him, “You will live.”
“Aye,” he croaked.
She continued to the young man and knelt beside the woman.
“He isn’t moving,” the young girl said.
Josephine’s mother pressed two fingers to his neck, then pulled away the coat the driver had stuffed inside his jacket to staunch the blood. When she yanked open his shirt the young girl sobbed and Josephine had to breathe deep for fear she would swoon. Blood oozed from the bullet wound.
“He is far from dead, my dear.” Her mother took off the pelisse she wore. “His pulse is strong and he is young.”
Movement in the corner of Jo’s eye drew her attention to Mr. Halloway who limped up to them.
“Can you drive?” he asked the driver.
He nodded. “Aye.”
“Where is Deeds?” Mr. Halloway asked.
“In the woods,” Josephine’s mother replied as she pressed her folded pelisse over the man’s wound. Pressing her hand against it, she gently lifted him on one side. “The bullet grazed
Fury swept through Josephine. She kicked her mare’s ribs as Mr. Halloway lunged for the highwayman, and her horse shot out onto the road. The giant moved quicker and swung his pistol at Mr. Halloway’s jaw. The older man’s head snapped with the force of the blow and blood spurted from his mouth. Yet he still drove a fist into the brigand’s belly. The man swung an upper cut to Halloway’s jaw.
The young woman hugged her comrade, crying. The driver stripped off his coat and pressed it against the man’s chest. Jo forced back the need to retch and stopped beside the coach. She spotted a large rock near the wheel and jumped from the saddle.
Jo cringed with the brigand kicked Halloway’s leg, but forced her legs into motion and lunged toward the rock as the older man dropped to his knees. The brigand kicked him in the belly. She hauled up the rock and whirled. Her mother appeared from the trees on her horse and was bearing down on the highwayman.
Mr. Halloway tried to rise. The driver jumped to his feet, but the highwayman yanked a dirk from the sheath on his belt and threw it at him. The driver dove aside, but the knife sunk deep into his shoulder.
The highwayman whirled toward Jo. She heaved the rock with all her might. It hit his leg with a dull thud. She took a step backward, when he lurched forward and grabbed for her.
Another shot rang out and Josephine cried out before movement drew her attention to the pistol her mother lowered. The man staggered toward Josephine. She jumped back, barely evading a swipe of his big hand. In the next instant, her mother halted her horse beside them. Jo noted with odd detachment that her mother now rode astride instead of sidesaddle. Her mother gave the giant a hard kick to the head. He stumbled forward with the force of the blow, then slumped to the ground.
Jo stared in shock. An instant later, hands seized her shoulders.
“Are you all right?”
She looked up at her mother. “Y-you shot him.” Before her mother could reply, Josephine collapsed into her arms, and turned her head away from the bloody body.
Her mother gave her a fierce hug, and for an instant she was a little girl again, surrounded by her mother’s warmth after waking from a nightmare. Then her mother held her at arm’s length.
“When we return to Barthmont Keep, we shall have a talk about daughters obeying their mothers.”
Her no nonsense tone sobered Jo.
Her mother continued, “Are you unharmed?”
Jo nodded. “Aye.”
“Good. Then let us see to the others.”
She grasped Josephine’s hand and Jo glanced at the giant as her mother pulled her away. Her heart tightened. Her mother had shot a man to save her, then put herself in jeopardy by attacking him. A tear managed to slip down her cheek before she could stop herself. She hurried alongside her mother to where the driver knelt.
Jo’s stomach turned at sight of his blood soaked shirt, and she was surprised when her mother said to him, “You will live.”
“Aye,” he croaked.
She continued to the young man and knelt beside the woman.
“He isn’t moving,” the young girl said.
Josephine’s mother pressed two fingers to his neck, then pulled away the coat the driver had stuffed inside his jacket to staunch the blood. When she yanked open his shirt the young girl sobbed and Josephine had to breathe deep for fear she would swoon. Blood oozed from the bullet wound.
“He is far from dead, my dear.” Her mother took off the pelisse she wore. “His pulse is strong and he is young.”
Movement in the corner of Jo’s eye drew her attention to Mr. Halloway who limped up to them.
“Can you drive?” he asked the driver.
He nodded. “Aye.”
“Where is Deeds?” Mr. Halloway asked.
“In the woods,” Josephine’s mother replied as she pressed her folded pelisse over the man’s wound. Pressing her hand against it, she gently lifted him on one side. “The bullet grazed
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