Page 6 (1/2)

Caroline gasped, her eyes lighting up with delight Oliver was involved in soal? Oh, this onderful! Perfect! She should have guessed he was nothing more than a lowly crook Her mind raced Despite what thebad enough to hang for it But perhaps he'd be sent to jail Or forced into indentured servitude Or--

"Miss De Leon?" the man said sharply

Caroline's voice was excited and breathy as she asked, "What has Oliver been doing?"

"For the love of God, wo with rabbed her by the wrists "Now"

"But--"

"Not another word unless it's a confession"

"But--"

"That's it!" He stuffed a rag into her mouth "You'll have plenty of tirunted furiously as he bound her wrists with a coarse piece of rope Then, to her aers into hispranced out of the trees, its steps high and graceful

While she was gaping at the horse--who must have been the quietest and best-trained animal in the history of creation--the man hefted her up onto the saddle

"Iiiii shrr …" she croaked, quite unable to speak with the gri in her mouth

"What?" He looked over at her and took in the way her skirts were cutting into her legs "Oh, your skirts I can cut thelared at hioes, then," he said, and hiked her skirts up so that she could straddle the horse witha side-saddle, Miss De Leon, but trust reater worries just now than s"

She kicked him in the chest

His hand closed painfully around her ankle "Never," he spat out, "kick a un at you"

Caroline stuck her nose in the air and looked away This farce had gone on quite long enough As soon as she got rid of this blasted gag she'd tell this brute she'd never even heard of his Miss Carlotta De Leon She would bring the force of the lan on his head so fast he'd be begging for the hangman's noose