Free Land of the Free by Jeffry Hepple

and caught her
hand. “Let me make something clear. Although you baffle me in many
ways, I have a very high opinion of you. Nothing in your past has
been your fault. You have been wronged and have come through it
remarkably. If for some reason we were to decide not to have our
marriage annulled after the expedition, my family would be proud to
have you as a member.”
    “Ah, then you must have
liked the kiss as much as I.”
    He chuckled, let go of her
hand and took her arm to continue along the river. “You are the
most exasperating woman I have ever met.”
    “Good. Are you quite
rich?”
    “No. But my family has
money.” He started to turn onto a dark street but was held back by
Marina. “What?”
    “The lamplighter has already
made his rounds but the streetlamps are off here.”
    “Evidently he forgot this
street.” Yank stared forward again.
    She pulled him back and
shook her head. “Someone has turned the gas off. Robbers, in all
likelihood.”
    “Robbers?” He looked at her
then up the darkened street. “Robbers laying a trap in the heart of
the city? I have never heard of such.”
    “This is not New
York.”
    “Indeed not. Wait here.” He
started off a third time and then turned to her in annoyance when
she once again caught his arm. “Unhand me, Madam.”
    “It is but a short walk to
the carriage stand,” she said pointing. “The lights are on there
and there will be one or two constables.”
    “You may walk that way
alone, come with me or stay here and wait,” he said. “But I shall
not be detoured by rogues.”
    “Tempting fate is
foolish.”
    “Ha. If you believe that,
you should not even consider our expedition.”
    “That is hardly the same
thing.”
    “It is precisely the same
thing. Come, stay or go your own way? The choice is
yours.”
    “I have already decided that
I will go with you and so I shall.”
    “Then stay on my left
leaving me free access to my sword.”
    “Bloody hell.” She raised
her dress to remove the pepperbox from her garter then took his
offered left arm. “This is foolish.”
    “To allow criminals to take
one’s city is foolish. Do not cock that damned little pistol until
you intend to use it.” He led her on for a short distance and then
stopped.
    “Do you see something?” she
whispered.
    “Not a thing. That is why I
stopped.”
    “What?”
    “The brigands have an
advantage only because their eyes are accustomed to the darkness.
If we but wait a moment, their advantage will be no
more.”
    She cocked the
pepperbox.
    “I told you not to cock
that.”
    “If someone comes out of the
dark I will not have time.”
    “Let down the hammer unless
you would enjoy shooting me as much as you did shooting Harvey
Pique.”
    “I did not enjoy shooting
Harvey Pique. It was purely accidental.”
    “Yes, you already mentioned
that.” He took the pepperbox and lowered the hammer. “And you’re
speaking French again.”
    “I didn’t mention how it
haunts me,” she said in English.
    He gave her back the small
pistol. “No. You didn’t.”
    “I see it over and over in
my dreams,” she said in French.
    “I have heard of people
being similarly troubled, but I fear that I can offer you no
advice.”
    “Have you ever
killed?”
    “Many times.”
    “How many?”
    “I have not kept count but
the number is surely substantial.”
    “Did it ever bother
you?”
    “No.”
    “Never?”
    “Never.”
    “Not even the first
time?”
    “The first man I killed was
a Mohawk warrior who was intent on removing a white woman’s scalp.
I ran him through to the hilt. My only sorrow was that his corpse
held so fast to my sword that I was unable to extract it. That cost
me an arrow wound which has troubled me somewhat ever
since.”
    “I suppose killing in battle
is different.”
    “It is not.” He squinted up
the street. “Harvey Pique was destined to die. I would have likely
killed him if you had not.”
    “Do you see
something?”
    “Yes,” he said,