Damn it all to hell! Was the woman mad? What the hell had she gotten him into now?
“Ashley Gweneira Brittany, get out of that carriage at once!” the man who’d been holding the pistol to Jack’s head bellowed. Jack saw now that it was not Lord Castleigh at all but Sir Gareth, Ashley Brittany’s father. “I forbid you to run off on your own and elope.”
The blonde shook her head. “I’m not on my own, Papa. Maddie’s with me.”
Lady Madeleine poked her head through the opposite window. “Good afternoon, Sir Gareth.”
“Does your father know about this?” Sir Gareth asked.
But Jack didn’t hear her answer. Nicholas chose that second to emerge from his hiding place on top of the carriage.
Jack shook his head frantically. Trust Nicholas to pick the moment when they were finally working things out.
But Nick either didn’t see him or ignored him. With a whoop, his brother tackled Sir Gareth, flattening him.
Jack jumped out of the way just in time, watching as Sir Gareth’s pistol skidded along the ground, stopping with a thunk against the wall of the butcher shop. But the loss of his weapon didn’t deter Sir Gareth. He came up fighting. A hard left to Nick’s jaw sent Jack’s brother sprawling.
With Nicholas down momentarily, Gareth looked at Jack. “You think you can take me, boy?”
Jack tried to raise his arms in a gesture of peace—he had no intention of fighting an old man—but Sir Gareth charged, knocking him down and forcing him to defend himself.
Jack tried to be gentle, restraining the older man as much as possible. Sir Gareth fought hard and was soon out of breath. Jack released him and was stumbling to his feet when Ashley Brittany came flying across the road. “What did you do to my father? How could you hurt a helpless old man?”
Helpless? Jack lifted his aching shoulder, where the helpless old man had rammed him into the ground.
Ashley ran past him, and Jack reached out to catch her, but she evaded him, attacking Nick instead. “Don’t you dare hurt my father. Don’t make me repay that wrong, too!” she shrieked.
Jack took a step back. Repay?
There was obviously some unsettled business between his brother and Miss Brittany. Jack was prepared to let them reconcile it on their own. Nick had already caught the blonde’s wrists and was trying to calm her when Jack noticed Sir Gareth beginning to rise.
Damn. “Nick! Watch out!” he called.
Nick turned to look at Sir Gareth, and the blonde kicked him. With a sigh, Jack interceded. He pried Ashley Brittany off his brother and propelled her back toward the carriage. “You wanted to go to Gretna Green?” he panted, still trying to catch his own breath. “We’re going to Gretna Green.”
Jack nodded to his brother, and Nick trotted up. His movements were a bit gingerly—when the Brittany family decided to do someone violence, it usually succeeded. But with one Brittany down and the other almost secure in the carriage, Jack figured his brother would survive another day.
Over Miss Brittany’s curses—she was teaching him some rather inventive phrases—Jack called, “You don’t have to come along. I can handle this.”
Nick shook his head. “I’m coming. It’s better if we aren’t seen in London for a while.”
“And it might be harder for Ble—” He glanced at Miss Brittany, who was listening now. “—for our friend, if we split up.”
“What, and let you have all the fun?” Nick winked at the blonde, and she started cursing again.
A quick glance at Sir Gareth, and Jack knew they were out of time. The old man was shuffling toward his pistol.
“Fine, come along,” he said, moving toward the carriage. Nick headed for the coachman’s box. “But you know what this means?” He gestured at the irate Sir Gareth.
Nick grinned. “Better you than me, Blackthorne!”
Jack scowled. His brother said it so often, it was practically a motto.
Ashley Brittany yelled a last insult at Nick’s back, and Jack shoved his new fiancée inside. He climbed in after her just as Nick whipped the horses into motion.
The blonde flew across the coach to complain loudly to Lady Madeleine, and Jack looked behind them.
Sir Gareth was standing in the road, arm raised, face red, and curses ringing out after them.
