Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (74 page)

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An orange spark lit up the night sky. An excited cry issued from the men up and down the search line. After two hours of empty patrols, there was action at last. Brandon's heart leapt.

Nora was caught. Without waiting for the rest of his party, Brandon wheeled his horse towards Witherspoon's group, thankful that they were the two search parties closest to the location from which the flare issued.

'We've got The Cat now!' Witherspoon cried in a maniacal voice as Brandon flew past him. He refused to wait for anyone. His bay stallion was fast and fresh from a night of slow riding. If he could get there soon enough, he might be able to do something before the others

He could effect a diversion, but he could not directly aid her without incriminating himself beyond the pale. It struck him that it might not matter. He might be incriminated already. If her mask was off and someone who

his 'betrothed' had

found her, there would be awkward questions to answer.

A thousand thoughts tumbled through his mind as he rode.

Was she hurt? Had the men wounded her? If there was any chance for escape, it would depend on Nora being whole. God, he hoped it was men who had found her and not the dogs. She might stand a chance against a pair of malleable young pay soldiers. Her wiles would mean nothing to the dogs.

for Nora, Brandon gave the stallion its head, letting it race through the dark, heedless of potential pitfalls. Every second mattered; it was not a night for caution but for intrepid, decisive action.

It wasn't until the skeletal frame of the mill's structure loomed against the night sky that Brandon realised where the flare had come from. He'd been too full of fear for Nora to notice where he was headed. Of course The Cat would go to the mill-what else could possibly keep her around? It made sense now. She had no more use for baubles after her raids last

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night. If she was still in the area, it would be because of unfinished business at the factory.

He saw the trio and recognised the cut of the uniform. He called out to them to

them of his approach. He didn't

want to risk a trigger-happy soldier mistaking him for The accomplice.

Nearing the threesome, he could see Nora standing rigidly, hands over her head. She still wore the mask, but it wouldn't be long until Witherspoon arrived and the secret was out.

She barely looked at him, keeping her eyes and all her attention on the two soldiers, waiting for an opportunity. Brandon silently applauded her. She might give the appearance of surrender, but she had not yet admitted defeat.

Beneath him, his stallion pranced, agitated over having his hard run curbed. It gave Brandon an idea. 'Good work, lads!'

he congratulated the two soldiers in an overloud tone that enhanced the bay's sidestepping.

'That's quite a horse you've got there, One of the

soldiers, a young pimply-faced boy, said, eyeing the big stallion with grave speculation and nervousness.

Brandon preened, putting on a show worthy of Jack's dramatics. 'Yes, he's a big brute. I must admit he's almost too much for me to handle on occasions. He's quite high strung tonight

Nora's stance grew more alert. Good girl. She'd picked up on his plan. Would she understand she could trust him?

That this was about freeing her, not about protecting his own interests?

The riders closest to the flare and Witherspoon appeared in the

He had less than a minute to effect his plan. Witherspoon would not buy an act of sloppy horsemanship from him without smelling a rat. He knew Brandon rode too well for such an occurrence. But these boys knew nothing of him.

Brandon sawed on the reins, causing the stallion to rear, his

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great hooves

the air. The rearing horse created a barrier between Nora and her captors. Nora turned and ran.

'The

getting away!' the soldiers yelled, recovering themselves as the horse settled down. They pointed and gestured wildly as the other riders pulled up.

'This way!' Witherspoon raised his arm in the direction Nora had gone. Witherspoon kneed his horse and took off with Brandon beside him. Brandon knew he hadn't been able to give Nora much of a head start. The riders' later arrival and the brief moments of confusion at the site had bought her a small amount of extra time. He hoped, between the head start and the cloudy night, it would be enough.

His luck was failing. The clouds suddenly parted, revealing a white three-quarters moon. In the distance, he made out her form, running hard towards a copse of trees. Beside him, he heard Witherspoon cheer, still clinging to his belief The Cat was female. 'There she is!'

Brandon spurred his horse on, but Witherspoon's mount was equally as fine and matched the stallion stride for stride.

There'd be no breaking away from him in the short run, but if Nora led them on a merry chase, the thoroughbred would tire over time. Behind them, the rest of the pack had fallen steadily back. Jack was with them, somewhere. Perhaps Jack would coax them into taking a false trail or short cut and leave Nora to the two of them. Brandon liked those odds better.

Nora burst from the copse, mounted low over the neck of her gelding. Thank goodness she hadn't gone to ground. With a lead and horsed, she stood a chance if she rode smartly. Her gelding was a solid horse and good over the long distance. If she could hold on long enough, Witherspoon's thoroughbred would exhaust himself. A sidelong glance at the mount showed flecks of foam already forming at the bit.

'She's horsed!' Witherspoon called over his shoulder. They were closing in on her faster than Brandon liked. They were