Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain Page A

all of our lives by baiting that highwayman? I could scarce believe my ears when I heard you insult him." Lord Wrainton took out his handkerchief and mopped his brow. "He might have shot me as I stood there next to you."
    Lucien shrugged unrepentantly. "You were in little danger. I merely was curious how far I could push the fellow, and now I know his weaknesses."
    The Duke's eyes were narrowed in thought and gradually a cruel smile curved his lips and he suddenly laughed, a satisfied expression settling on his features as he slapped his leather gloves carelessly against the palm of his hand.
    "And so you put us all into danger for that?" Lord Wrainton demanded incredulously, feeling a shiver of apprehension as he saw the Duke's expression.
    "Per favore," the Contessa broke in before the Duke could make his scathing remark. "We are safe, si? There is no cause for further alarm? So, we will forget the incident. Of course I must admit it was quite exciting," she added mischievously.
    "Luciana!" Lord Wrainton said in exasperation.
    "It was the first time I have been held at pistol point," she excused herself. "Si, I was most excited, and this bandito, he was quite the gentleman, too," she murmured, touching her pearls reassuringly.
    "I personally found him to be impertinent," the Duke answered softly, "and in need of being taught a lesson."
    "Well, I found the whole thing distasteful," Lord Wrainton said irritably. "Why, we came close to being murdered, and you two think it was exciting. Lud, but I must be the one half-crazed." He held his handkerchief to his lips, dabbing at the beads of perspiration.
    The Contessa stared at him, then said in a puzzled voice, "You know, this bandito, there is something odd about him, something not quite right." She shook her head in self-derision. "Ah, I am silly. It is nothing really, and quite ridiculous."
    "What is ridiculous?" Lucien asked curiously.
    "No, we will not discuss this notion of mine. I will look the complete fool then," the Contessa laughed and snuggled down into the fur of her pelisse, then issued an abrupt "Silenzio!" to the sniveling Maria.
    They arrived at the King's Carriage Inn early in the evening, the Duke dining with Lord and Lady Wrainton, and then bidding them farewell as he planned to make an early start the following morning. But he did not go to bed immediately. He sat in the darkness of his bedchamber for over an hour, his miad preoccupied with a certain scheme he'd been devising all evening, until, finally satisfied, he slipped between the sheets of his bed and slept contentedly.
    "Here, give me the bandage," Sabrina told Will as she held a piece of cloth against the wound in John's shoulder.
    "And give me the bottle," John said between clenched teeth as he grimaced at Sabrina's ministrations. "Don't worry, Charlie, Mam'll see to it," he said confidently.
    "I just want to stop the bleeding or you'll never make it to her," Sabrina answered shortly, nervous perspiration threading down from her temples.
    "He'll be all right, Charlie, John's as strong as an ox. Take more'n a bullet to kill him off."
    "Yeah," John agreed, taking a deep swallow from the bottle of rum Will had handed him. "More like a cannon-ball, eh, Will?"
    "More'n one," Will chuckled.
    "I wish you'd stop joking," Sabrina spoke worriedly. "Like I said, Charlie. Mam'll take care of him, all we got to worry about is spending these guineas."
    Sabrina wasn't listening. "This is the first time anyone has dared to shoot back at us. John could've been killed!" she cried.
    Will rubbed his big thumb against the side of his nose. "Told you I didn't like that scar-faced gent. Would be his carriage we'd have to hold up. Looking daggers at us, he was."
    "Gave me the shivers," John contributed thickly, the rum he'd drunk beginning to take effect.
    "Revenge is what he's gonna want, Charlie. And once you're at his mercy, he'll want blood for blood," Will warned. "You shouldn't of hit him."
    "Speaking of accounts to