Page 91 of To Wed an Heiress
She kept to the edge of the woods, grateful that the ground had dried. She was wearing her only other pair of shoes, a sturdy black lace-up that was almost a boot. They were better than her kid slippers for tromping over the glen.
She couldn’t figure out what Gregory was doing. Nor did she have any intention of calling out to him and letting him know that she was nearby. They were far enough away from Macrory House that they would be, essentially, alone. She didn’t trust him. Nor did she feel safe in his presence.
He was parallel to the road now, still approaching Ben Uaine. She had reached the edge of the woods. If she wanted to remain unseen, she’d have to keep to the tall grasses.
Did he intend to climb the mountain?
She debated leaving Gregory to his task, whatever it was, and continuing on to Duddingston Castle. Lennox was of greater importance than her curiosity about Gregory.
A flash of white on the side of the mountain caught her attention. She stopped and stared, knowing what she was seeing. She hadn’t been fast enough. Nor, evidently, had Irene been able to stop Lennox from his foolish flight.
Standing in the grasses, she watched as the sails unfurled and caught the wind. For a second her heart was in her mouth as the airship dipped then righted itself.
She’d been here before. Twice she’d looked up to see a birdlike object being launched from the side of Ben Uaine. Familiarity didn’t lessen the fear she felt.
Gregory stopped in the middle of the road, abruptly knelt on one knee, removed the shotgun from its sling, and held it to his shoulder.
He was going to shoot Lennox out of the sky.
She began to run, wishing that she hadn’t kept so much distance between her and Gregory. She stumbled more than once, caught herself, grabbing her skirts with both hands, uncaring if her unmentionables showed.
He raised the shotgun slightly, following the path of the airship’s flight. Mercy ran as she never had before, her heart straining in her chest, her breath labored. One thought was uppermost—she had to save Lennox. She had to save Lennox.
She thrust her arms in front of her as she lunged at Gregory. The force of their collision was enough to knock them both over, the gun clattering to the road.
It took her a moment to get to her knees, but that was too long. Gregory had already retrieved the shotgun and was aiming it again. Reaching out, she wrapped her arms around one of his legs, pulling him off balance. He stumbled, but didn’t fall.
Desperate, she got to her feet, grabbing for his arm. If she couldn’t get the gun from him, at least she could make sure that his shot went wide.
Lennox’s airship was getting closer and closer, low enough to be a perfect target.
Gregory struck her with the back of his hand. Pain exploded across her face, making her take a step back. He lifted the gun again. This time when she grabbed his arm she held on.
She saw the blow before it came. The next, however, was so fast that she didn’t have a chance to anticipate it. Gregory’s signet ring cut the corner of her mouth.
“What a pity I didn’t know you were a whore, Mercy. We could have had some fun back in New York.”
Lennox was landing, the boat-like carrier bouncing on the road behind them and then rolling some distance.
Let Gregory say whatever he wanted. At least she’d prevented him from firing at Lennox.
“What were you going to tell people, Gregory? That it was an accident? That you thought Lennox’s airship was a bird? An eagle? Do you think anyone would have believed you? Or did you think that, because you’re in Scotland you would have gotten away with murder?”
He moved toward her again. She held up her arms to block his blow, but he didn’t get a chance to hit her. In the next instant he was on the ground, Lennox standing over him with what looked to be a piece of his airship.
“You bloody coward.”
When Gregory looked as if he was going to get to his knees, Lennox shoved him with his foot, then put his boot on Gregory’s back.
“Stay down or I’ll hit you again.”
Lennox turned to look at her. “Are you all right?”
She nodded.
Her hair had come free of its careful bun. Somewhere along the way she’d lost her snood and now tendrils blew across her face. She pulled at the hair and tried to tuck it behind her ears.
They made a strange tableau on the road. Lennox standing with one foot on Gregory’s back, her standing a few feet away, none of them speaking.
