Page 86 of His Stolen Duchess
Without warning, the coach lurched, and Lysander heard a loud splintering sound. The rear left-hand corner of the coach tipped and bounced on the ground, nearly toppling the Duke from his seat.
The carriage dragged along the roadway, then bounced back up, and he was weightless for a second before coming back down. The horses finally stopped, and the coach came to a juddering halt.
Lysander didn’t wait. He scooted across to the more elevated side of the coach as it teetered like a seesaw and opened the door, then pulled himself into the doorway and dropped to the ground. Lysander found the driver on the other side of the coach, looking at the spot where there had once been a wheel.
“What happened?” Lysander demanded.
The driver scratched his head as he looked at the axle, then down the cobblestone street at the wheel lying on its side. “I checkedall the pins yesterday, Your Grace. It must have come out with all the bumps in the road. I’ll find it, and I’ll have it fixed in no time. I apologize, Your Grace.”
“It’s not your fault. Just be quick about it. I have an important appointment.”
“Aye.” The driver ran off down the street to retrieve the wheel and linchpin.
Men and women slowed as they passed to stare at what had happened, a little excitement on their morning travels.
Lysander watched the driver as he searched for the missing linchpin. He walked off past the wheel and began searching around the cobbled street.
“Boy,” Lysander called out to a passing urchin. He reached into his pocket and took out some coins. “Tuppence if you can have a blacksmith back here with a linchpin and a hammer in ten minutes.” He pressed the coins into the boy’s hand. “I’ll give you another upon your return. Tell the blacksmith he’ll be well compensated.”
“Of course, sir! Thank you very much, sir!” The boy ran off, dodging in and out of the crowd.
Lysander walked around the carriage, checking the other pins—they were all intact. He watched the driver, who was far off down the road, looking for the linchpin.
He was glad he sent off the street urchin when he returned with the blacksmith before the driver found the missing pin. Lysander sent the blacksmith to retrieve the wooden wheel and roll it back to the carriage, and directed the boy to call back the driver.
Between the three men, they managed to lift the carriage enough to slide the wheel back onto its axle. After that, it was easy to secure the new linchpin, and after paying the blacksmith and giving the urchin the rest of his money, they were back on their way.
When they reached the townhouse, Lysander was only running a little late. He left the driver at the front to park the coach and take care of the horses while he went for a dip with his wife. He took his leather valise containing his swimming attire with him into the house.
He was about to change when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. He looked down the long hallway and out the rear window to see a figure moving at the rear. It was not Georgina.
Lysander dropped the bag, sprinted down the hallway, and burst through the door.
He took in the scene in an instant.
One masked man stood just beyond the door. Another stood at the edge of the lake, and a third was circling it. Georgina wastrapped in the middle of the lake like a fish in a bowl surrounded by cats.
“Help!” she shouted.
The masked man closest to Lysander turned and raised his fists, but he wasn’t quick enough. Lysander was on the man before he could put up a fight or defend himself. A swift left hook, followed by a right hook, caused the man to collapse to the ground with a groan.
The other two masked men were not close enough to surprise. The furthest man circled back around the lake to join his counterpart to take on Lysander together.
The men were both large and about as tall as Lysander, but heavier. One of them cracked his knuckles as they came together. The other rolled his neck. Lysander didn’t bother checking around himself for a weapon. There was so much rage surging through him that he didn’t need one.
You dare come for my wife! You dare do that to me!
Perhaps they were there to burgle the house, or Lysander’s friend was in trouble, but that didn’t matter now. Whatever the reason, they had entered the rear of the property and circled Georgina while she was helpless in the middle of the lake.
You will all pay for that.
Lysander waited for the two men to regroup and come at him. They attacked together, separating a little to attack him from opposite sides. He didn’t wait in the middle for them to come to him, and bounded toward the man on his left, allowing himself to throw more rights than lefts, and putting enough distance between him and the man on the right to stop them from attacking simultaneously.
The masked man swung at him, and Lysander brought his arm up to block the punch. A swift fist to the man’s stomach made him double over. Lysander finished him off with an uppercut, and the man crumpled as quickly as the first man had. Lysander turned quickly to face the last of the trio.
The masked man didn’t attack swiftly—he’d seen what had happened to his two friends when they’d tried that. Instead, he circled Lysander while assessing the situation.
When he had circled enough that the house was behind him, the masked man swiftly turned and ran for the building.
