CHAPTER 9
OCTAVIAN SAW WHEREthis situation was going and knew there was going to be trouble.
“Syd,” he muttered as they now stood in front of the Gretna Green blacksmith shop surrounded by a dozen angry Armstrong men who were debating what to do with the two of them. They referred to her as the harpy with blazing green eyes after she punched hotheaded Angus in the nose when he strutted toward her and made the mistake of calling her a scrawny Sassenach.
“Scrawny, am I?” she had retorted and smashed her fist in his face.
Angus was now holding a handkerchief to his nose as blood poured from his nostrils.
Octavian had immediately drawn her behind him, fearing others were going to charge at them now. He had also drawn his pistol and now had it aimed straight at their laird’s heart. “I do not wish to hurt anyone, but no one touches my wife and lives. Have your men stand down. Please.”
The laird motioned for his men to remain where they were. “No one will draw a weapon on ye, Captain Thorne. Ye may put yers away.”
Thank heaven for rational men, Octavian decided and placed his pistol back in the lip of his boot. As he did so, he heard Syd grumble something behind him. “Blessed saints, Syd. All you have to do is keep your mouth shut and let me talk us out of this mess.”
She pinched his arse. “As you did not half an hour ago while I was stuffed and suffocating inside the carriage bench? Was Isupposed to smile meekly and allow that oaf Angus to call me a common…I cannot even say the awful word!”
“He merely called you a Sassenach, a disdainful term to describe any Englishman. What did you think that word meant?”
“It sounded crude. I will knock out his front teeth if he dares insult me again.”
“Dear heaven, will you just let me handle this?” Octavian kept eyes on the enraged men surrounding them and spared only the merest glance at her when she attempted to come out from behind him. But it was enough to notice the soft waves of her hair as the sun slanted across it and turned the lush strands a stunning ginger-gold. “First of all, that big oaf happens to be the son of the laird and you have just humiliated him in front of his men.”
“He insulted me!”
“And I would have defended you had you given me the chance, something I could have reasonably done with no punches thrown.” He nudged her behind him once more when she tried to step forward again. “You’ve protected your honor, Syd. Now allow me to save both our lives.”
What did she expect would happen when these men realized he had a woman traveling with him? But all would have been corrected after a few words of explanation and an invitation for all of them to serve as witnesses to their wedding.
A second man now dared approach Syd.
Octavian did not like the insolent look in his eyes or the fact he was disobeying his own laird’s command. He grabbed the pistol out of that fool’s belt and trained it at his head, something he was loathe to do since he wanted to calm the situation, not heighten the confrontation. “My apologies, Laird Armstrong,” he said while keeping the pistol trained on this second man. “Butwe need to talk, and I cannot allow your men to harm the woman I love.”
Gad!
Had he just said that?
How had the words flowed so easily from his lips?
The laird motioned for the rest of his men to stand back. “I’ll kill the first one of ye who moves,” he said in a growled warning. “Have ye grown so base as to not even respect yer own laird’s orders?”
Jamie, bless him, also stood firm and repeated the Armstrong leader’s warning. “The captain’s an honorable man. Can ye blame him for wanting to protect the lovely lass? What would ye have done if strangers surrounded yer carriage and threatened yer wives and sisters? Ye would no’ have been so polite or kept yer wits about ye, I’ll wager.”
The men grumbled but obeyed their laird and held back.
Octavian knew he had to speak fast, for he would not be able to hold them off very long.
These Scots were angry.
Octavian was either going to end up dead or married to Syd, and he wasn’t sure which of those outcomes was worse. He quickly explained their situation and why he dared not delay in marrying Syd.
“Captain Thorne,” Jamie whispered, “are ye really going to marry the fiery lass? And did ye mean it when ye said ye were going to try to get a job for me?”
“Yes, to both. You know I am a man of my word.” He now turned to the laird and spoke to him with all the calm he could muster. “I would be honored if you and your men served as witnesses to our marriage.”
“But not your arrogant whelp of a son,” Syd blurted, tossing Angus another scowl. “He does not deserve to be present at this sacred rite.”
Octavian groaned.
