Free A Midnight Dance by Lila DiPasqua Page B

leaving. Now .” He easily tossed him back, sending him stumbling backward, coughing.
    Jules turned to his loyal servant. “Raymond, have them escorted from the camp.”
    “Immediately, Commander. What about the woman?”
    Jules met her gaze. She stood quietly beside him, her eyes silently beseeching him.
    “She’s going with us to Maillard.” She slipped a hand in his and smiled. Her delicate hand felt warm and right in his. A perfect fit. Just as their bodies had been.
    Within moments, Gerard was being dragged to his cart.
    “S-Elise!” Gerard called out. “You cannot stay alone with these men! I’ll not leave you here!”
    “You don’t dictate to me. I’ll be fine,” she said, her body now rigid.
    Jules concurred. She was better off with him. He couldn’t bring himself to place her back in the hands of the two she’d arrived with. Boys or no, what if they became desperate enough to attempt this scheme again? He was shocked by just how abhorrent the notion was to him.
    “You’ll not be fine! You’ll be carnal amusement for him and his lot!” Gerard shouted back, struggling against the man hauling him to the cart.
    Jules swore. How dare he suggest Elise would be treated worse than he’d treated her. “I’m going to teach him a lesson once and for all . . .” He took a step toward Gerard.
    She jumped in his path and shoved her hands against his chest. “Don’t!” He glanced down at her, not in the least bit dissuaded from his intended action.

    Sabine flung her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shoulder. “Please,” was all that escaped her throat.
    She clung to Jules, her bravado fragmenting. The accumulation of all she’d been through tonight was beginning to take its toll on her. She looked up into his eyes. “He’s young. They both are, and they are perhaps a tad smitten with me, as well. Don’t punish him. Please. There’s been enough misery and suffering. Let me speak to him. I’ll make them leave promptly without you needing to do a thing.” The lies flowed out of her with ease.
    She’d do anything, say anything, that would keep Jules from hurting Gerard.
    Jules looked at her skeptically. “I don’t know about that . . .” There was mistrust in his tone.
    “I wish them gone. Not hurt. Surely you’re no longer concerned about them ? Or me?” She wanted her cousins safe—away from the camp. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about them. They wouldn’t be at risk or suffer because of her mistakes. Sweet Robert, who always smiled and jested even when there was nothing to smile or jest about, had been drugged because of her. It didn’t escape her notice that he was conspicuously silent.
    She heard one of her cousins howl in pain. She spun around. Robert was in the grips of slumber, in the cart, just as she’d suspected. Another man held Gerard’s arms securely behind his back as he dragged Gerard, kicking and thrashing, back to the cart. Fabrice approached and slammed his fist into Gerard’s jaw, his head snapping to the left.
    “Stop!” she screamed. Frantically she turned to Jules. “Make them stop, please!”
    He stared over her head at Gerard and his men. “Fool. None of this would be happening if he’d left quietly.”
    “Allow me a brief moment. I will talk some sense into him.”
    His gaze fell to hers, his scrutiny unnerving. As he pondered her request, she prayed she’d been convincing enough to allay his fears.
    “Only because I want them out of my camp now, I’ll allow a brief moment. Say your good-byes.”

    Sabine could sense Jules and his men watching them from a short distance away.
    “Don’t do this, Sabine. Please come home,” Gerard pleaded in a hushed whisper. There was already a bruise on his jaw.
    “If I don’t do this, there will be no home.”
    “I forbid this.” Gerard growled. “You are not staying.”
    “You’ll cease your arguing this instant. I have only a brief moment. Listen well. You’ll take Robert and go. Jules