Masterful Trickery

XV. Double Village Trouble

Three years ago...

Alex was heavily breathing when she stumbled into the garden.

A few guests turned and followed her with curious eyes as she walked farther away.

Why did she do it?

Why did she run away?

He was merely asking for a dance and she wanted to dance.

But she could not dance.

"Nae, I can't," she muttered to herself.

Looking around the garden, Alex found that she was lost. No, not truly. But she felt lost.

She did not belong here.

Yes, the party was wonderful and one she had always dreamed of, but this was not her world. This garden was not the place she was used to hide to when she was running away from a Guard!

Looking about, she realized she had gone too far and there was not enough light to guide her path. Where were her cousins?

Perhaps they must go home now.

*****

Ralph waited for the dress he picked out.

The modiste came forward with two more dresses, eager to gain more townsends.

Ralph shook his head after taking a look at the dresses, knowing full well he was in enough trouble for getting a dress for Alex, let alone buy her two more.

"But, my lord, are you certain the dress will fit?"

Ralph nodded. "Yes." He impatiently waved his hand. "Go on. The woman who shall wear that dress might not be around by the time I get hold of that box."

But just as he finished his statement, he heard a shout coming from outside and he whirled around to get a quick glimpse of Alex being dragged across the cobbled street by two men.

Without looking back, he rushed outside the store, pushing the door open.

"Oi!" a carriage driver shouted in time for Ralph to skid to a stop. The carriage rushed past him.

When the street was clear, Ralph ran across to follow after the two men and Alex.

He could see that she was struggling and the two men were not having a jolly good time dragging her toward an awaiting old Growler carriage.

"Stop!" Ralph shouted, making the two men look over their shoulder and Alex to shout louder. She started kicking frantically when she saw him but the other man scooped her over his shoulder as they started to run.

But her weight caused him to run slower. The other man was able to reach the Growler, shouting for his companion to run faster as he struggled to take something out of his coat.

Ralph knew that if the man had a pistol, this would prove to be very difficult.

He reached for his gun before the man could and shot him right on the shoulder, causing the fellow to fall on the ground, shouting in pain.

The man carrying Alex stopped but what he did next made Ralph pause. He made a quick turn, sliding Alex back down to her feet and turned her around just in time to point his own pistol against her temple.

The other man on the ground started to crawl but Ralph shot at the gun he was trying to reach for so it flung in the middle of the road. The man scrambled away against the carriage while the horses whined in distress.