Forty-six
Evangeline landed hard on her bottom, her screams bouncing off the vaulted ceiling. Red-faced and teeth bared, Wolfe dragged her backward. Regina and Sophia stopped at the top landing of the servants’ staircase.
“Save Auntie,” Evangeline shouted, but her sisters ran back to help.
Aunt Beatrice turned back, too.
“Find Xavier!”
Her aunt hurried down the stairs, hollering his name, with Cupid on her tail.
Wolfe loomed over Evangeline, his smile part amused, part contemptuous.
“Peach!” Sophia yelled. “Pick the peach!”
Evangeline flopped onto her back, landing between his wide braced legs, and drove her fist into his bollocks.
He howled, losing his grip on her. She crawled away, fearful of him collapsing on her. Sophia grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feet. Instead of running this time, she stood shoulder to shoulder with her sisters.
He thrust the knife at them. Regina slapped his forearm as she bent his wrist forward. The knife flew from his hand, clattering against the stone. Sophia grabbed it and tossed it out the window. He growled.
When he lunged for Regina, she jumped back.
“The warrior,” he said with a sneer. “I’ve seen you practicing in the courtyard.”
Regina’s jaw hardened. She aimed a kick at his knee, but he blocked it and knocked her off balance. She slammed into the wall, her breath leaving her in a loud whoosh. A painting crashed to the floor.
“Regina!” Evangeline snatched it by the frame and bashed him with it. He raised his arm, ducking behind it as she hit him again and again.
“Shite! Shite!”
“Help me,” Evangeline shouted.
Sophia scrambled to grab a small marble bust from a wall niche and threw it, smacking his forehead.
He howled, holding his head and glaring at Evangeline. “I take it back. Yer nothing like my sister, you bloody harpy. I’ll enjoy killing you with my bare hands.”
His face contorted, he advanced on Evangeline and Sophia, stalking past Regina slumped against the wall.
Sophia clung to Evangeline as they backed away.
Regina braced her arm against the wall and stood, a little wobbly now.
“Waa!” Sophia broke into loud, hiccuping sobs, surprising Evangeline and their attacker.
“What the devil?”
Sophia cried harder.
“Stop that!”
Regina crept up behind him and rammed her foot into the back of his knee. His leg folded. He landed hard on the floor with a deep grunt.
Evangeline and Sophia rushed past him, all three of them running toward the front of the villa.
He was up again and pounding after them.
Reaching the front staircase, Evangeline and her sisters clattered down the steps and burst into the courtyard.
Wolfe was only a few seconds behind. They headed for the kitchen and rounded the corner of the house.
Aunt Beatrice was wrestling with a board jammed between the two door handles. It fell free.
The door flew inward. Xavier burst outside, barreling toward Wolfe with a battle cry.
Wolfe whipped toward him. “Shite!”
Xavier ducked low, driving his shoulder into Wolfe’s stomach. His feet came off the ground. He was airborne a second before landing at the foot of the fountain.
Xavier pounced on him, gripping the front of his shirt.
“This is for my wife.” He punched Wolfe. “And this”—he punched him again—“is for throwing me from the carriage in London.”
Evangeline looked at Regina with raised eyebrows. Her sister shook her head. “I have no idea.”
There was a racket at the back gate. Leda’s sweetheart entered with Mrs. Li and a couple of Janissaries. Mrs. Li pointed at Wolfe pinned beneath Xavier.
The authorities headed for Wolfe.
The household servants gathered in the courtyard while Wolfe was taken prisoner, presumably discussing what was taking place. Joy was at Aunt Beatrice’s side, cradling Cupid against her chest as he tried to break free.
“Cupid, stop,” Aunt Beatrice said as she pulled a piece of smoked meat from her pocket and offered it to him. “You are such a naughty boy.”
As the Janissaries lugged Wolfe toward the back gate, Jonathan and Crispin flew into the courtyard.
Jonathan searched the area. His gaze locked on Evangeline, and he ran toward her.
“Jonathan!” She threw herself into his arms. He squeezed her tight.
“I thought I lost you,” he said.
“Thank God, you’re here.”
“Are you hurt?”
“Did you find Farrin?”
Their questions overlapped.
When he set her feet back on the ground, he held her hand and turned toward the Janissaries and their captive. Uncle Charles was talking to the guards in their language. One of the men nodded. Uncle Charles stepped up to Wolfe and backhanded him.
Evangeline gasped. She had never seen her uncle lose his temper, but her family had also never been ambushed in a Greek villa. A man had his limits.
Crispin had his arm around Sophia, holding her close at his side.
Once the courtyard cleared, leaving Evangeline and her family alone, Jonathan recounted the encounter with Farrin.
“Dom was hunting Farrin all this time,” Jonathan said.
She smiled, her heart full of gratitude for Lord Dominic. He had remained loyal to Jonathan. She had misjudged him in the beginning, and she owed him an apology.
“Will Wolfe be extradited, too?” she asked.
Uncle Charles shook his head. “He committed a crime against their citizens when he held the Lis and their servants hostage.”
“He didn’t act alone,” Evangeline said.
“No, but Mrs. Li only identified Wolfe. I imagine she could point out Farrin, too, but Lord Dominic has already made arrangements to extradite him to England. Farrin will be tried at home, as he should be.”
Crispin nodded toward Xavier. “Wolfe had quite the lump on his forehead. You represented us well, Vistoire.”
“No!” Sophia cried. “That was me.”
“You?”
Sophia frowned. “Yes, me. I hit him in the forehead.”
“Good girl,” Crispin said, grinning. “I’m impressed.”
Evangeline glanced around the group of people she loved most in the world. “Well, I hit him with a painting.”
Jonathan chuckled. “Look at you using art to save lives again.”
A pleasant warmth washed over her. “I would have offered to sketch him instead, but I doubt he wanted to sit for a portrait.”
“Probably not.” Jonathan drew her close to kiss her forehead. “No bumps here. Safe and sound,” he murmured, “and all mine.”