then her purse, and then we go. Understood?”
There was a moment of grudging silence.
Meg felt hot tears and cold shame as she strained to break free. She wasn’t a big woman, but she thought herself fit, and was shocked to find she couldn’t even move. She’d never had her strength tested against a grown man before. It felt as thoughshe were caught in a vise. The man behind her clamped down hard to stop her struggles. She felt his rising excitement against her back. For the first time in her life she knew what it was to be utterly powerless. There was no argument that she could make, no appeal she could utter, no strength to break free. She refused to believe what was happening.
She could only stare at the plump man in horror as, smiling, he strolled toward her.
And then she saw him stop, look over her shoulder, and stare.
The hard hand left her mouth, the crushing pressure on her arms eased abruptly, she suddenly found herself freed. She stumbled, then righted herself and pulled away, looking frantically for a place to run to, terrified that this was only a new game. But when she glanced behind her she saw the man who had caught her slumped on the ground.
She spun around and saw the plump man’s lips open, but no words came out. They were stopped by the fist that struck him square in the mouth. Meg stood, astounded, as his attacker rushed in, knocked the plump man to the ground, dragged him up by his bandana and struck him down again, until he lay still.
The thickset man stood watching, dumbfounded. Then he closed his opened mouth. He shook himself out of his astonishment and came lumbering forward. And went reeling back, as the man who had struck down the other two came hurtling at him head bent, and rammed him in the stomach. While thethick man staggered, the other man landed one, two, three more blows, not stopping until his opponent was laid out on the ground.
The inn yard was quiet again, except for Meg’s ragged gasping, and the rough breathing of the man who stood, hands on his hips, facing her.
She steeled herself. She hadn’t fought before. Now, she’d run. Scream the rooftops down; she’d attack with her nails and her teeth, she’d fight to her death if she had to. She would not be captured again. She raised her chin.
“Lord, woman, have you no sense at all?” the gypsy asked in exasperation.
Chapter 4
“N o. It could not have happened to anyone,” Daffyd said, cutting off Meg’s stammered explanation. “It could only happen to someone too stupid to be left out by herself in the rain, much less the dark. Now, go inside. I’ll talk to you later. I have to see to these beauties.” He poked one of the men in the ribs with the tip of his boot.
“What are you going to do with them?” Meg asked nervously, taking a tiny step back. The shock of seeing that it was the gypsy, Mr. Daffeigh, who had come to her rescue had eased somewhat, but she was still wondering if he was somehow in league with the vile trio.
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m going to take them home and nurse them. What do you think I’m goingto do?…Oho,” he said, seeing her expression, “You think they’re my mates, do you? Could be. Maybe I always let them abduct women, and then after I beat the cra…stuffing out of them, it’s my turn to menace the female. But since I like my comforts, I take my women in their beds instead of inn yards.”
It sounded ridiculous, but the horror of what had happened was so fresh in her mind it also sounded weirdly plausible to Meg. She stepped back another pace.
“Oh, go away,” he said in disgust. “You don’t have to see me again. It had nothing to do with you. I just don’t like rapists. Don’t worry. You won’t see them again either. Well?” he asked angrily, when she just stood there. “Are you going?”
“I do want to see you again,” she said, knotting her hands together. “I need to talk to you.”
“Then you will,” he said, looking at the villain by his
There was a moment of grudging silence.
Meg felt hot tears and cold shame as she strained to break free. She wasn’t a big woman, but she thought herself fit, and was shocked to find she couldn’t even move. She’d never had her strength tested against a grown man before. It felt as thoughshe were caught in a vise. The man behind her clamped down hard to stop her struggles. She felt his rising excitement against her back. For the first time in her life she knew what it was to be utterly powerless. There was no argument that she could make, no appeal she could utter, no strength to break free. She refused to believe what was happening.
She could only stare at the plump man in horror as, smiling, he strolled toward her.
And then she saw him stop, look over her shoulder, and stare.
The hard hand left her mouth, the crushing pressure on her arms eased abruptly, she suddenly found herself freed. She stumbled, then righted herself and pulled away, looking frantically for a place to run to, terrified that this was only a new game. But when she glanced behind her she saw the man who had caught her slumped on the ground.
She spun around and saw the plump man’s lips open, but no words came out. They were stopped by the fist that struck him square in the mouth. Meg stood, astounded, as his attacker rushed in, knocked the plump man to the ground, dragged him up by his bandana and struck him down again, until he lay still.
The thickset man stood watching, dumbfounded. Then he closed his opened mouth. He shook himself out of his astonishment and came lumbering forward. And went reeling back, as the man who had struck down the other two came hurtling at him head bent, and rammed him in the stomach. While thethick man staggered, the other man landed one, two, three more blows, not stopping until his opponent was laid out on the ground.
The inn yard was quiet again, except for Meg’s ragged gasping, and the rough breathing of the man who stood, hands on his hips, facing her.
She steeled herself. She hadn’t fought before. Now, she’d run. Scream the rooftops down; she’d attack with her nails and her teeth, she’d fight to her death if she had to. She would not be captured again. She raised her chin.
“Lord, woman, have you no sense at all?” the gypsy asked in exasperation.
Chapter 4
“N o. It could not have happened to anyone,” Daffyd said, cutting off Meg’s stammered explanation. “It could only happen to someone too stupid to be left out by herself in the rain, much less the dark. Now, go inside. I’ll talk to you later. I have to see to these beauties.” He poked one of the men in the ribs with the tip of his boot.
“What are you going to do with them?” Meg asked nervously, taking a tiny step back. The shock of seeing that it was the gypsy, Mr. Daffeigh, who had come to her rescue had eased somewhat, but she was still wondering if he was somehow in league with the vile trio.
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m going to take them home and nurse them. What do you think I’m goingto do?…Oho,” he said, seeing her expression, “You think they’re my mates, do you? Could be. Maybe I always let them abduct women, and then after I beat the cra…stuffing out of them, it’s my turn to menace the female. But since I like my comforts, I take my women in their beds instead of inn yards.”
It sounded ridiculous, but the horror of what had happened was so fresh in her mind it also sounded weirdly plausible to Meg. She stepped back another pace.
“Oh, go away,” he said in disgust. “You don’t have to see me again. It had nothing to do with you. I just don’t like rapists. Don’t worry. You won’t see them again either. Well?” he asked angrily, when she just stood there. “Are you going?”
“I do want to see you again,” she said, knotting her hands together. “I need to talk to you.”
“Then you will,” he said, looking at the villain by his
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