To Seduce a Bride (Courtship Wars 3)

It was alarming, having to watch the two men pummel each other in a savage struggle for physical domination.

The macabre dance showed no signs of ending. Both men were breathing hard as they punched and jabbed and weaved and fought. Then one mighty fist connected with Heath’s cheekbone, snapping his head back and nearly lifting him off his feet.

Lily cried out, feeling as if the blow had struck her. Then strangely, time seemed to slow. She was sixteen again, stunned with fear as her father’s fists assaulted her mother. She was unable to breathe, her heart pounding in horror.

But she was no longer that helpless girl. Shaking herself, Lily gave a fierce shout, this one filled with rage and fury as she lunged toward the guard,

brandishing her rapier. Startled, he whipped his head around, searching for the threat.

The distraction gave Heath the time he needed to regain his footing. Muttering curses, he went on a fierce offensive, delivering an onslaught of rapid blows to the guard’s face. A lucky one felled the brute to the floor, and he went down hard, grunting in pain.

It was then that Lily heard the explosive sound of a gunshot coming from somewhere at the back of the house. She froze for another instant, looking to Heath for instruction.

“Go!” he shouted to her as his opponent lunged to his feet with a bellow.

Lily obeyed. Heath still had to deal with the guard, but it looked as if he might win this fight while Basil might be in deep trouble, as might Fanny-

Fear for her friends urged Lily on as she raced down the hall toward the rear of the house. Even before she reached what looked to be a study, she heard the sounds of fighting.

Skidding to a halt, she took in the scene from the doorway. The stench of gunsmoke in the air suggested that Basil had shot at O’Rourke and missed, but then the two men had come to blows.

Basil once again was getting the worst of the contest, his fists flailing wildly at O’Rourke while Fanny watched in horror, one hand held over her mouth.

Before Lily could act, O’Rourke hit Basil’s jaw hard, knocking him halfway across the room. When Basil careened into an oaken desk and slumped to the floor with a sharp cry, O’Rourke began dragging a struggling Fanny toward the open French doors.

A chill squeezing her ribs, Lily rushed into the room, shouting for him to stop as she charged after him, rapier raised.

Startled by her ferocious shriek, O’Rourke glanced over his shoulder, a scowl darkening his face when he spied her. But he didn’t let go of Fanny.

Instead he picked up the nearest weapon at hand, a bronzed bust of some Greek god, and threw it at Lily with all his might. Although Lily tried to dodge the heavy object, her momentum carried her forward too fast, so that the bust struck her shoulder.

The pain nearly made her drop her rapier, but the distraction gave Fanny an opportunity to thwart her abductor. Thrusting out one foot to tangle with O’Rourke’s legs, Fanny tripped him and shoved hard, sending him stumbling back into the room.

Her clever action gave Lily time to recover her balance. Lifting her rapier again, she swung it hard at O’Rourke, managing to crown him on the side of his head with the hilt guard. He fell to the carpet to land with a satisfying thud and lay there without making another sound.

Weak with relief, Lily moved toward a trembling Fanny and hugged her tightly. The two of them were half sobbing, half laughing when Heath burst into the room.

Lily’s relief deepened when she saw that he was safe. His breathing was still harsh after his fistfight, and there was a bloody gash on his cheekbone, but he had proved the victor in his battle, just as she had.

She wanted to go to him right then-to put her arms around him and to tend his injured face-but Fanny needed her more. Holding on to her friend, Lily let herself drink in the sight of Heath safe and sound.

When his worried gaze searched her for injuries, she gave him a fleeting smile. “Fanny and I are fine,” she said thankfully before nodding down at O’Rourke. “I don’t believe that villain can say the same.”

His attention shifting, Heath crossed to O’Rourke’s prone body and bent to examine him.

“You didn’t kill him, I see,” Heath murmured to Lily.

“No,” she admitted. “I only bashed his skull a little.”

“Remind me never to get into a fight with you, angel.”

Before she could reply, she heard a groan from the far side of the room. Basil was stirring from his stupor.

Fanny noticed him at the same time Lily did. Disengaging from their embrace, they headed toward Basil, but Fanny moved past Lily and reached him first. She knelt down beside him, while Lily did the same on his other side, Heath moving to stand behind her.

Opening his eyes, Basil gave a start to see them all looking down at him in concern, but then his gaze riveted on Fanny.

“Fanny…God, are you all right?” he demanded in a croaking voice.