Lady Sophia's Rescue (Traditional Regency Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page A

hands, she was teetering along a dry plank to Mr. Birmingham’s expensive carriage. As he assisted her into the coach, she caught a glimpse of a man in Finkel livery standing beside the mews, eying them. Her stomach dropped as she climbed into the coach.
    She and Dottie sat on the front-facing seat, Mr. Birmingham and his servant opposite them. As the carriage slugged through the muddy inn yard, she lifted the maroon velvet curtain and watched in sickening dread as the Finkel servant mounted his horse and began to follow them.
    He and three others.
    A heavy moroseness settled over her as they reached the road and began to head south. Despite her plea, Lord Finkel meant to get her back. The disgusting thing was, in the eyes of the laws of England, she belonged to him. Like chattel. Or cattle. Or an old rug one meant to trod upon.
    Once they cleared the village and were on open, lonely roads she heard an explosion followed immediately by a vile string of curses from Mr. Birmingham’s coachman as he drove faster, and the pounding of horse hooves drew alongside them. “Highwaymen!” the coachman yelled.
    Not highwaymen, she thought. Lord Finkel’s men, who no doubt had been promised lucrative rewards for restoring Lady Finkel to her bridegroom.

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    Chapter 3
    At the sound of a heavy thump upon the coachman’s box, Sophia -- and Dottie -- screamed at once. One of Finkie’s men had leaped upon the coach to do battle with Mr. Birmingham’s driver!
    The vehicle lurched to a stop.
    In a swift and fluid move, both Mr. Birmingham and his valet lunged toward the ladies, then quickly twisted back around to throw up the seat cushions and the hinged seat top. Sophia’s thundering heart lifted when she saw the arsenal of weapons stashed beneath the men’s seat.
    Before her companions could put their hands on the pistols or sabers, the coach door flew open. Then the other door. On either side, menacing looking men in Finkel livery faced them, their muskets aimed at the passengers.
    A sturdily built blonde directed his attention at Mr. Birmingham. “We won’t ’arm you. All we want is the women.”
    To Sophia’s complete astonishment, Mr. Birmingham leaped onto the armed man, kneeing him in the groin. As all eyes turned on them, Thompson dove into the box for a sword.
    Her heart hammering profusely, Sophia watched in horror as Mr. Birmingham and the blonde, whose weapon had dropped to the muddy ground, began to pummel each other viciously.
    Then her gaze pivoted to the opposite side of the carriage as Thompson brought up a sword and plunged it into the intruder’s side. Her horrified gaze swept to the injured man, who groaned and cursed as crimson began to stain his coat. As he fell backward, his musket exploded, ripping into the top of the coach and sending great clouds of hot powder into the air.
    All the while another commotion was taking place outside the carriage as the coachman was fighting off another man.
    She was too terrified to move, too terrified to even scream. Her head bobbed from one side to the other as she watched her courageous companions try to wear down their enemies. As soon as Thompson’s profusely bleeding opponent collapsed, another man leaped toward the valet, a dagger in his hand and a sadistic smile on his face.
    Sophia could not watch. She turned away and saw that her gallant Mr. Birmingham was rolling in the mud with the blonde, grunting and hissing, and causing her heart to pound prodigiously. She would feel ever so wretched if he sustained serious injury. Because she had foolishly married the wrong man.
    Then she got an idea. Her brother had taught her to use a musket! She lunged forward and found a musket which she quickly began to load. But which man would she save? Mr. Birmingham or his valet?
    Since Mr. Birmingham’s opponent was no longer armed, she decided to aid the brave valet. Aiming her weapon at the man with the dagger, she shouted, “Put down your knife, or I’ll fire!”
    He turned