Page 8 of The Storybook Hero (Intrepid Heroines #2)

Eight

“ M r. Leigh! What on earth are you doing here?”

His lips quirked. “Come, Miss Hadley, I should have expected something a good deal more dramatic than that. You might say, ‘Oh, thank the heavens that my daring rescuer has arrived!’ Or you might at least swoon.”

She glared at him. “That’s not funny. This is no time for jesting.”

“No, I can see that.” His expression immediately turned serious. “You have done extremely well for yourself, but now, perhaps you would allow me to take that pistol from you. I fancy I have a good deal more experience with such things than you.”

She started to turn.

“Pray, do not alter your aim, Miss Hadley,” he said calmly as he stepped inside the inn. “I am going to move to your side, but I suggest neither of us take our eyes off of these fellows.”

Ilya flung a particularly obscene curse at Alex, then kicked a chair over to punctuate to his mounting frustration. “Who is this son of a whore? What in the name of the devil are they saying?” he demanded in a querulous voice, for the last little exchange had taken place entirely in English.

“What we have been saying is that if you and those other two mangy curs don’t take yourselves off instantly, I shall be forced to ram what few teeth you possess down your gullet,” answered Alex in Russian. “Which I may still do if you utter one more rude word in front of the ladies.”

With a roar of fury, Ilya launched himself at new arrival, blade flashing in his outstretched hand. At the last moment, Alex twisted neatly aside. As he did so, his boot dealt a solid blow to the back of the other man’s knee, drawing a scream of pain as the Russian sprawled to the floor. With uncanny quickness, however, Ilya rolled on his shoulder and sprung back to his feet. The knife was still in his hand, and with another angry curse he came at Alex again, this time a bit more warily.

Octavia bit her lip. The man was too close to Alex for her to risk a shot.

“What are you standing there for, like pigs stuck in mud?” he snarled at his companions as he feinted a slash at Alex’s ribs. “He has no weapon. Grab him!” The knife darted forward again. “You miserable bastard, I’ll roast your liver over the coals for interfering with me.”

The two men glanced nervously at the pistol that quickly jerked around to point at them.

“One step and I assure you I shall pull the trigger!” warned Octavia. Her tone left little doubt as to her resolve. The two men melted back into the shadows, drawing a jeer from their leader.

“Cowards,” grunted Ilya. “Running away like old women. I’ll show you how to deal with these two.” With a series of wild jabs of the blade, he forced Alex to retreat in the direction of the heavy pine bar. Despite his stocky build and a surfeit of alcohol, he moved with a cagey quickness. It was clear that this sort of situation was one he was well used to. A nasty smile curled on his lips as another flick of the knife caused Alex to back up again. In another few steps he would be trapped up against the long expanse of roughhewn wood.

“Mr. Leigh, have a care! The bar is close behind you!” called Octavia. Her attention was riveted on Ilya’s flashing blade. Things seemed quite dire for her would-be rescuer but he appeared unruffled by the danger.

“Thank you, Miss Hadley. I am aware of it.” He flicked a chair in his attacker’s way, causing him to stumble slightly. Spinning deftly around a second chair, Alex edged to one side, gaining a bit more space between the two of them.

Octavia squinted through the smoky haze. “I believe I have a shot, Mr. Leigh. Shall I pull the trigger?”

He ducked around a small table. “Pray, not quite yet. I think I should rather risk a knife than your aim.”

“Really! I am only trying to?—”

“Miss Hadley! Watch out!” Emma tugged at Octavia’s coat, just as an arm lunged at the pistol in her hand. She fell back with a cry of surprise, narrowly averting the man’s grasp. As she did so, the weapon slipped from her hands and clattered to the floor. In an instant, her assailant dropped to his knees and began pawing around under a table for where it had fallen.

Furious with herself for allowing such a thing to happen, Octavia was determined not to allow him to gain the upper hand. Her eyes fell on a nearby bottle, still half full with vodka. She grabbed hold of it, and when the man’s head came up with a cry of triumph on his lips, she swung with all her might.

There was a sickening thud. The gloat quickly turned into a groan as the man sunk to the floor in a lifeless heap.

“Miss Hadley! Over there!”

Octavia jerked around to where Emma was pointing. The third man, knife also in hand, had blocked Alex’s line of retreat and they now appeared to have him trapped. Ilya feinted to his left, then whirled suddenly in the opposite direction, his blade snaking out in a lightning strike that cut across Alex’s arm.

With a gasp of dismay, Octavia finally managed to pry the pistol out of the fallen man’s fingers. Taking as best aim as she could, she closed her eyes, said a silent prayer and squeezed off a shot.

A resounding bang echoed through the dimly lit room.

Both Ilya and his cohort ducked instinctively, giving Alex just enough time to make his escape. Vaulting over one of the upturned tables, he hit the floor and, keeping low, slithered to where Octavia and Emma were crouching.

“I think it is time to make our exit,” he drawled. “Kindly run to the door! Now !” he added as Octavia made to open her mouth.

Eschewing further argument, she took Emma’s hand and did as she was told, the smoking pistol still in her hand. Alex grabbed up their two bags and followed on close on their heels. While the other man was still cowering behind a cluster of chairs, Ilya recovered his feet and came in pursuit, angling his attack to cut off Octavia.

This time it was Emma who made use of a handy bottle. Ilya was forced to duck as the wildly spinning object came flying through the air. Alex pushed ahead, then let go of one of the bags long enough to land a jarring left to the other man’s jaw. He toppled backwards, onto the top of a round table, momentarily stunned.

“Go!” yelled Alex. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that fellow Octavia had hit was slowly getting his wits back while the third one was finally creeping out from his hiding place.

Octavia flung the door open and the three of them stumbled into the bracing fresh air.

“Over there!” Alex indicated the sturdy black sleigh pulled to one side of the yard. Under the startled gaze of the two ostlers, they crossed the rutted snow at a dead run. On reaching the vehicle, Alex tossed the bags up on the seat, then followed by taking first Emma, then Octavia by the waist and depositing them unceremoniously on top of them. Leaping up beside the ladies, he gave a slap of the reins, sending the horses hurtling off at a gallop just as the three men emerged from the inn, brandishing a musket they had wrenched from the terrified owner.

A bullet whistled over their heads, spurring the horses to even greater speed. The vehicle bounced over the narrow road, then disappeared into a copse of silvery birch trees. It continued on for a mile or two at the breakneck pace before Alex pulled the horses to a leisurely walk.

He turned to face Octavia, one brow raised in question. “Are you all right, Miss Hadley?”

She nodded.

“And your redoubtable companion?”

Emma was staring at him, eyes wide with admiration.

“Yes, we are both fine,” answered Octavia slowly. “Thanks to your help, sir—even though it was a most foolhardy thing to do, facing off against three men with nary a means to defend yourself.”

There was a flash of humor in his eyes. “Ah, but with you and that look of steely resolve on your face, I felt the odds were decidedly in our favor. I know I was quaking in my boots at the thought of that pistol being pointed at me.”

She caught her breath. “Oh, do you think … that my bullet….”

“I believe the lantern on the far wall may have suffered a mortal wound, but no doubt the innkeeper will give it a hero’s burial.”

Despite herself, Octavia found she could not repress a laugh. “Do you never cease teasing, Mr. Leigh?—”

Emma’s eyes grew even wider. “Is this the Mr. Leigh who accompanied you on the journey from England?”

“Indeed it is.” He grinned. “How heartening to know I have been the subject of Miss Hadley’s conversation. I feared I had not made much of an impression upon her—at least not one she might wish to recall.”

A faint tinge rose to Octavia’s cheeks. “Mr. Leigh,” she warned.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your charming companion, Miss Hadley?” he continued smoothly. “I should be honored to make the acquaintance of such a stalwart young female. Indeed, she appears to be well on her way to matching your indominable spirit.”

“Oh!” Octavia’s color deepened on being reminded of her lapse in courtesy. “This is Emma Renfrew, sir. The young lady for whom I was engaged to care.”

The girl blushed to her roots as Alex brought her gloved hand to his lips with a gallant flourish. “How do you do, Miss Renfrew. Alexander Leigh at your service—though I doubt that either of you were really in need of much help back there.”

The girl stammered some incoherent reply.

Alex’s words caused Octavia to shudder. Until now, her emotions had still been in too much of a whirl to reflect on how narrowly they had escaped an unthinkable fate, thanks to his aid. She lowered her eyes, her hands clenching together in her lap. “That is hardly true, sir. Without your timely intervention, I don’t know what would have….”

She let her voice trail off, not wanting Emma to know just how dire their situation had been. “I … I certainly owe you a debt of gratitude.”

“Not at all,” he said quietly. “I seem to remember that when I was in need of assistance, you didn’t turn your back on me.”

Octavia was saved from having to make a reply by a series of loud bangings from inside the carriage. “Alex, Alex! Is something wrong?” called a muffled voice. “What happened to our tea?”

“Good heavens,” muttered Alex under his breath. “I forgot all about Nicholas.”

At Octavia’s questioning look, his mouth crooked in a rueful smile. “You are not the only one traveling with a child.” He jumped down from his perch and went to unlatch the door.

“I am not a child,” piped up Emma in an injured voice. “I’ll have you know I am thirteen. Well, almost.”

He slapped a hand to his brow. “Child? Did I say child? My English has become sadly rusty these past few weeks. I can only plead that all the commotion has sadly addled my faculties. I pray you will forgive me.”

Emma’s look of dismay disappeared. “Oh, of course, Mr. Leigh. It is entirely understandable—” Her nose wrinkled at the sight of the tousled dark head that poked out of the darkened interior. “Who is … that?”

“That, Miss Renfrew, is the young man whom I was … engaged to care for. Allow me to present Count Nicholas William Dmitri Scherbatov.”

The two young people stared at each other.

Alex cleared his throat. “Nicholas, this is Miss Hadley and Miss Emma Renfrew, our new traveling companions.”

There was a prolonged silence before the boy spoke. “But Alex, I thought you said it would be best if there were only the two of us.” He slanted another look at the newcomers, Emma in particular. “Can’t we leave them off at the next coaching stop?”

“That would hardly be a gentlemanly thing to do,” answered Alex. His voice dropped a notch. “And speaking of gentlemanly behavior, that is hardly the proper way to acknowledge an introduction, as I’m sure you have been taught.”

The boy flushed slightly at the mild rebuke. “How do you do, Miss Hadley …” There was a slight pause. “… And Miss Renfrew.” The words were hardly more than a mumble and the boy steadfastly refused to look the ladies in the eye, but Alex chose to let it pass.

Octavia also ignored the less than perfect deportment, nodding politely at the young man. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Count Sherbatov.”

Alex cleared his throat. “Just Nicholas, if you please, Miss Hadley. There are, er, reasons we do not wish to call attention to my young friend’s identity.”

Octavia’s smile disappeared. Hell’s bell, she thought. Had she escaped one set of criminals only to fall in with another? Had the impecunious tutor taken it into his head to do something rash—like make off with his young charge in order to demand a fat ransom?

Her face must have betrayed the drift of her thoughts, for Alex gave a low chuckle. ”I am aware that you have no great opinion of my character, but you needn’t fear that I am engaged in any nefarious schemes regarding the count, Miss Hadley. Perhaps if Miss Renfrew would consent to ride inside with Nicholas, and you would not mind enduring a bit more chill up on the box, I could explain things to you more fully.”

Emma’s lower lips jutted out. “I don’t mind the cold, either.”

“That may be so, but Mr. Leigh wishes to discuss something with me. In private.” chided Octavia gently.

The scowl became more pronounced. “Why can’t I hear what Mr. Leigh has to say, too?”

“Emma….”

The girl looked to speak again when Alex reached up and took her firmly by the waist. Her mouth froze in an “O” of surprise as he swung her down into his arms. Before she could recover her voice, he seated her beside an equally shocked Nicholas, then firmly shut the door in their mutinous faces.

“I imagine we shall hear some warning noises before blood is actually spilled,” quipped Alex as he took up the reins once more.

Octavia couldn’t help but return his grin. “I assure you, Emma is not normally so ill-mannered.”

“Nor is Nicholas.”

“It is strange.” She shook her head. “For some odd reason, they seem to be bringing out the worst in each other?—”

“Hmmm. Rather like us.”

Her face twisted in some confusion. “I … I …”

There was a decided twinkle in his eye. “Well, you have to admit it is true. I don’t normally behave in such an ungentlemanly manner to innocent females and you, I am sure, are not usually so rude as to deliberately avoid engaging in conversation with a fellow passenger for an entire voyage, no matter that the two of us were the only ones with anything of interest to say.”

Octavia felt the heat rise to her face. “I….”

He saved her from having to go on by continuing himself. “But that is a matter for some other discussion. At present, I assume that you wish to know what in the deuce I am doing racketing across the country with young Count Scherbatov in tow?”

Octavia had recovered enough of her composure to match his dry humor. “It does call to mind a number of questions.”

“Yes, almost as many as why you are traveling unescorted with young Miss Renfrew.”

“There is a very reasonable explanation to my predicament,” she said quickly. “But I prefer to hear you out first.”

“Very well.” He paused as if to consider how to begin. “Nicholas has lost both of his parents in the last six months. His father, an officer on Kutusov’s staff, was killed in Austria, while his mother died during an outbreak of influenza?—”

“The poor lad,” she interrupted. “But how is it that his English is so good? You cannot have spent more than a few weeks with him.”

The faint smile reappeared. “No, I am not that good of a teacher. His mother was English, as was his grandmother.”

His expression then turned serious. “To continue my explanation, it appears Nicholas is in grave danger from his Russian relatives. If the boy were to meet with an untimely accident, his father’s considerable fortune, as well as the title, will pass to his uncle.”

“I see.” There was a slight hesitation. “I take it there has already been a questionable incidence.”

“Several, actually.”

Octavia didn’t speak for several minutes. The sleigh glided past several snow-covered fields, then entered another thick stand of fir and larch. It was considerably darker underneath the thick boughs and she pulled her heavy coat tighter to ward off the accompanying chill. A shiver ran down her spine, but somehow she sensed it was not entirely caused by the weather. Stealing a sideways glance at Alex’s face, she noted the fine lines etched around his mouth and the dark shadows under his eyes. Despite his penchant for making light of things, he looked to be under a good deal of strain.

“Is this uncle pursuing you?”

Alex drew in a deep breath. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “However, it would not be surprising. He is desperate for both the money and the title, and I don’t doubt that he will use every resource at his command to track us down.”

“Where are you taking the boy?”

“St. Petersburg.”

Octavia started. “St. Petersburg! Why, that is where….” She bit her lip. “What makes you think he will be safe there? Has he relatives in the city who can be trusted?”

“Not exactly. But there are ships there heading for England.”

There was another bit of silence before Octavia turned a penetrating gaze on him. “How is it you, a recently arrived tutor, have come to be involved in all of this?”

Alex kept his eyes leveled on the road ahead, though his mouth twitched in a reluctant smile. “I’ll not waste time trying to fob you off with some made-up farrididdle. I have not been entirely forthcoming with you, Miss Hadley. I have been … engaged by Nicholas’s English relatives not merely to teach the lad history and geography, but to see him safely to London.”

“It seems a rather dangerous assignment. Why you?”

“I imagine that, based on my past, they assumed I might be willing to take the risk.”

“I hope the reward is worth it.”

His jaw set. “Oh, it is.”

Ah, so he was doing this for money. Well, he must be getting quite a lot of it to risk losing his life. Her hands clasped even tighter in her lap. And just what did he mean by his comment about the past? No doubt there were any number of unsavory incidents that didn’t bear asking about. She already knew he was prone to becoming thoroughly cupshot and had a penchant for chasing skirts. And he had handled the recent encounter with knives and fists with a cool aplomb that made it evident he was no stranger to back alley brawls—or worse.

Alex slanted a faintly amused look at her. “Debating whether you have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire?”

How was it that he seemed able to read her thoughts? A flush stole over her face as she fumbled to turn the collar of her coat up to cover her cheeks. “I imagine I am better off being roasted with you than being burned by that lot back there.”

He laughed. “I shall take that as a compliment, for it will no doubt be the closest to one that I shall ever wrest from your lips.”

There was a slow intake of breath. “Mr. Leigh, I have no allusions as to your faults—and I am sure they are many?—”

“Too numerous to recite,” he murmured in interruption.

“Be that as it may, it would be beyond churlish for me not to express my heartfelt gratitude for your actions at the inn. Without your unselfish courage and cleverness, our fate would have been … unspeakable.”

“Well, it didn’t come to that, so let us put the matter behind us,” he said quickly. Then, as if to keep her from dwelling on such disturbing thoughts, he quickly changed the subject. “Now that you know of my travails, it’s time you explain to me just how you have come to be wandering with Miss Renfrew in the wilds of the countryside.”

She told him briefly what had happened, sticking to the barest of facts, but when she finished, his brow was furrowed in anger as well as concern.

“The greedy louts,” he muttered. “They should be horsewhipped for abandoning the two of you.”

Octavia’s jaw tightened. “Indeed. And you may be sure that I shall see to it that Emma never again has to endure the prospect of life with relatives who offer no warmth or affection ,but care only to wrest some sort of advantage for themselves from someone else’s vulnerability.”

He didn’t answer, but a thoughtful expression came over his features as he guided the horses around a fallen spruce. It was only after the sleigh had brushed through a small drift of snow that he spoke again “You mean to take the girl back to England?”

She nodded.

“And so you go to St. Petersburg as well.” It was a statement rather than a question. “Just how do you expect to manage that?”

Octavia’s spine stiffened. “That’s hardly any of your concern. You may leave us off at the next coaching stop. I have sufficient funds and am perfectly capable of …” Her voice caught for a fraction as she recalled what had just happened. “of managing a simple journey for the two of us.” Even to her own ears, her bravado rang rather hollow.

Alex gave a snort. “How long do you think it will take to have that scene at the inn repeated, Miss Hadley?”

Her chin came up a fraction.

“You may be as stubborn as a mule, but you’re not a fool. You were very lucky that I happened along, but Lady Luck is a fickle companion. I wouldn’t count on her company. A female traveling alone and unprotected is a tempting target for all manner of rapacious men, especially in this country.” When she still didn’t speak, he added, “If I leave you off as you wish, I don’t doubt that you will be robbed and raped by morning.”

She sucked in her breath. “I certainly appreciate your tact and delicacy, Mr. Leigh.” The edge of sarcasm in her voice was honed by the fact that she knew he was most likely right. “But you’re forgetting that I have a pistol with which to defend myself.”

“It might make a difference if you could hit what you are aiming at,” he retorted. “And perhaps you’re forgetting that the sort of cur we are talking about usually runs in a pack.”

Octavia refused to let her shoulders sag under the weighty truth of his words. “Well, I have no choice,” she snapped. “So I will just have to cope as best I can.”

“You do have a choice, Miss Hadley, though I fear I can’t promise it will be any less perilous than the other alternative.” His lips twitched. “However, only your life may be at stake if you come with me, not your virtue.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, she couldn’t repress her own wry smile.. “How very reassuring.” Her expression then turned serious again. “You have enough troubles of your own without being burdened with mine. Your offer is very kind but I must decline.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed. “Actually, I was wrong. You don’t have a choice. I can’t in good conscience allow you to take such a reckless risk. You and the child are coming with us.”

In truth, relief coursed through her, but she still felt a twinge of guilt for adding to his troubles. “You needn’t feel compelled by some absurd notion of gentlemanly honor to put yourself in such an awkward position.”

He stared straight ahead, a rigid set to his lean features. “Because, of course, I am no gentleman?”

A soft laugh escaped her lips. “Mr. Leigh, if you were a gentleman, you wouldn’t be stuck in such a coil so far away from home. Outcasts and misfits like us don’t have the luxury of genteel scruples. We must make difficult choices in order to survive.”

He grinned. “There, you see? You’ve just admitted that we make a matched pair. Surely you cannot?—”

A shriek from inside the carriage interrupted the discussion.

Alex pulled the horses to a stop and jumped down from his perch. Octavia was right on his heels, and as he yanked the door open, she couldn’t quite believe her eyes..

Emma’s fur hat was sadly askew and her face was stained with tears. Nicholas’s cheek bore the angry red imprint of a slap, and though he refrained from any such unmanly display of emotion, his lower lip was quivering quite perceptibly.

“Good Lord,” muttered Alex under his breath. “At least the two of us have not yet found it necessary to come to blows.”

“At least not yet,” murmured Octavia. In a louder voice she sought to sort out the trouble. “Emma—” she began.

“He pulled my braid!” wailed the girl.

“She called me a bad name!” cried the boy at the same time.

“I did not!”

“Yes, you did. You called me ass.” He turned to Alex. ”What is ‘ass?’”

“It’s a donkey, stupid,” retorted Emma.

“Emma!” said Octavia sternly. “It’s most unfair to call someone stupid for not understanding?—”

“She is the stupid one,” jeered Nicholas. “She?—”

“That is quite enough!” roared Alex.

An immediate silence descended on the little group.

“Now, perhaps we can deal with this in a more civilized fashion.” He regarded the two young people with a quelling gaze. “Miss Renfrew, kindly tell me what happened.”

A squeak of protest from Nicholas was quickly cut off by another stern look. “You will have your turn as well,” said Alex. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Miss Renfrew? Miss Hadley and I are waiting.”

Emma’s eyes dropped to the carriage floor. “He pulled my hair. Hard. So I slapped him.”

“And why did he pull your hair?”

Her mouth scrunched up in a rather guilty expression. “Boys are odious,” was all she muttered.

Alex turned to Nicholas.

“She called me a bad name, Alex.” he said with a pout. “I don’t like her at all. I want her to leave—the sooner the better.”

Alex’s countenance began to glaze over. Armed assailants he could deal with, reflected Octavia, but apparently two brangling children?—

Emma fluttered her lashes. “He started it, Mr. Leigh. Truly, I didn’t even speak to him until it became clear he was out to provoke me,”

The boy howled in outrage. “That’s not true!”

Octavia took one look at Alex’s confused expression and took matters into her own hands. “I’ve heard quite enough from both of you,” she announced in a no-nonsense governess voice. “Emma, you will apologize his instant to the count for your unladylike behavior.”

“But—” One look at her guardian’s face caused the girl to reconsider her protest. A barely audible mumble followed, delivered with a decided lack of grace, but Octavia let it pass.

The boy’s smug expression was quickly wiped from his face by her next words. “And you, Lord Nicholas will apologize to Miss Renfrew for your own shabby conduct.”

The look of mute appeal thrown Alex’s way was studiously ignored. The boy swallowed hard, then forced out the required response.

“Now the two of you will shake on it.”

With great reluctance, the two small hands barely grazed each other before being jerked back as if scorched by a flame.

“Consider any debt you feel you might owe me paid in full,” murmured Alex as he tugged at the knot of his cravat.

Octavia took his arm and drew him away from the sleigh. “Perhaps you would care to reconsider your offer?”

“Surely it can’t get any worse than that,” he replied.

Her brow arched. “Do you not have any sisters, Mr. Leigh?”

He shook his head.

“Well that explains such a sanguine outlook.” She pulled her coat closer and stamped her feet on the frozen ground. “Should we not be off before the horses take a chill? We could argue until Doomsday about whether to join forces, but as time is of the essence, I concede that pragmatism demands that we put aside our differences.” Her gaze darted back toward the door that was still ajar. “I suppose I had best ride inside to forestall any further fireworks.”

“You have my eternal gratitude.”

“I would rather have your best efforts at the ribbons. I have a feeling that the sooner we get to St. Petersburg, the better.”