Chapter 11
Dermont
“Hah!” Dermont’s roar thundered as loudly as the horses' hooves beneath him. A faint blur in the distance the carriage slowly grew clearer. Roger was either desperate for money, hoping for a ransom of some kind, or the man was simply unhinged. Either way, he was not getting away.
Gaining on the carriage, he could see Phoebe’s stiff body, ramrod straight beside Roger who was whipping the reins at the horses to go faster. If the man went any more berserk, the carriage was going to flip.
But Roger didn’t seem to notice, he only bellowed at the animals to go faster.
At that moment, Roger glanced back, catching sight of Dermont, and terror flickered across his face.
Then, without warning, the carriage hit a dip and lurched to the side.
Roger, the neutral-faced, tight-lipped man from before was supplanted by a crazed individual with wild fire in his eyes.
In horror, Dermont watched as the lurch of the carriage led to a sway too powerful for the horses to balance and went down with a crash.
“Phoebe!” he screamed with rage and helplessness, watching his sister’s body fly to the ground only a few feet from Roger.
Unbelievably, the driver was not too injured to scramble toward her and lock his arm around her neck. A knife in his hand pressed against her neck. “Don’t come any closer!” he snapped. “I’ll kill her.”
Dermont had been so focused on Phoebe that he didn’t realize Honoria had ridden up beside him and had already dismounted. She was screaming at him, “No! Take me. Don’t touch her.”
Dermont’s heart leaped and then stalled in his chest. What was she doing? Offering herself up for his sister?
“No,” he growled at her, surprising everyone. “Stay back, Honoria.”
“This is all my fault,” she choked on the words, eyes rife with pain. “Let me make this right.”
“No,” his voice was hoarse. “Just…” But for the first time, he didn’t know what he wanted to say. Didn’t know how to instruct her and command the situation. More than anything, he wanted her to be safe.
But with hands high in defence, Honoria was already shuffling in small steps toward the madman. “Let her go, Roger. You can take me instead.”
The offer served to confuse the lunatic momentarily and then all hell broke loose.
“Go!” Phoebe shouted with a flapping and shove of her arms.
“No!” Honoria returned with a loud sob and a lunge forward.
“Ow!” Roger bellowed, as the knife thudded to the ground.
And that’s when Dermont saw Ferris. The ferret had his teeth clamped down on Roger’s wrist. That’s the moment Dermont seized, flung himself forward and thrust his fist in Roger’s face. He pocketed the knife and found some ropes to tie Roger’s limp body to the carriage.
It was over almost before it began, Phoebe threw herself on her brother, weeping, her entire body shuddering.
“I was so scared,” she sobbed without taking a breath.
“It’s all right, Phoebe,” Honoria soothed from behind her with a soft voice and a caressing hand on her back.
“Oh!” Phoebe turned around and embraced Honoria in a savage hug. “You’re an angel. Honoria!” Much blubbering ensued. And it would have been enough to drive Dermont to grab a whiskey except that his heart had expanded too many times inside of his chest to move. “You tried to save me.”
He couldn’t take his eyes off Honoria. She was incredible. And as much as he wanted to comfort his sister, he just wanted to hold Honoria.