The flash of frustration in her brother’s eyes might have made her smile if they weren’t in such a dire situation.
Maybe the hatpin would be enough to momentarily immobilize or hinder their captor so she and Frederick would both have time to escape.
Before she could consider it further, the carriage began to slow.
The man across from them pounded his fist on the wall. “Get it moving.” The driver’s response was indecipherable, but the anger in his voice was evident. With a muttered curse, their unwelcome passenger shifted his weight to lean forward and peer out Katherine’s window. The new position brought his knife temptingly within reach. “Blasted idiots,” the man grumbled in irritation.
Glancing aside at Frederick, she noted his gaze flying swiftly from the loosened door within inches of the man balanced at the edge of his seat to the opposite door on his side.
Katherine’s eyes widened in understanding. The siblings’ gazes locked for a bare moment as they took a deep breath in unison.
Then with a tight nod, Katherine initiated their unspoken plan.
Energy rushed through her as she stabbed her hatpin into the man’s hand, causing him to shout a curse and drop the knife, which she quickly kicked to the other side of the carriage. At the exact same moment, Frederick braced his back against the opposite wall and shoved the flat of his boot against the man’s back. The carriage door did nothing to stop him from tumbling out of the carriage and disappearing into the passing traffic.
Frederick had already thrown open the opposite door and braced himself in the opening as he looked over his shoulder to ensure she was following.
“Now, Frederick!” she shouted.
Gratefully, he did as she ordered without further hesitation. The vehicle was still moving, but at a much slower pace, and she watched in relief as he leapt easily to the cobblestone. Grasping her long skirts in both hands, Katherine prepared to follow.
But the man they’d ejected had gotten back to the vehicle and was scrambling in from the other side. He swiped a meaty hand and grasped a fistful of her skirt just as she made the leap. Though she managed to pull free, his halting grip and sudden release was enough to send her careening forward into a passing cart. She tumbled hard to the street, twisting her ankle and landing on her side with a jarring force that cleared her breath. A horse coming up from behind barely managed to avoid trampling her, but his hoof caught her shoulder with a sharp kick.
Pain exploded, rushing hot to her fingertips as her arm went limp. She had only a moment to suck in a swift breath before Frederick was there, hauling her up. “We’ve got to hurry, Kit. They’re coming.”
Clenching her teeth against the numb heat flowing down her arm, she glanced back to see that their carriage had come to a full stop. Their would-be abductor’s accomplice—a small fellow with grey hair that brushed his shoulders and a cigar clamped in his teeth—leapt to the ground, his eyes on them as the other man pulled himself from the vehicle.
Both men started toward them with murder in their gazes.
Cradling her useless arm across her middle, Katherine stuck close on Frederick’s heels as he wove in and out of the gathering traffic. With the unmanned carriage now creating an obstruction, the thoroughfare was growing even more congested, which worked perfectly in their favor. Within moments, they managed to duck out of sight into a shadowed alleyway. Still they didn’t slow or pause as they twisted and turned along narrow lanes, around ramshackle buildings and darkened dens, leaving the teeming street—and hopefully their captors—far behind. Frederick led the way with a steady pace and unwavering confidence, as though he could sense what might be around each corner.
When they had finally gone a significant distance with no sign of pursuit for quite a while, Katherine came to a stop, leaning back against a soot-covered brick wall to catch her breath. Her hair had long ago tumbled from its pins, and she pushed the thick, tangled mess away from her damp face.
Somehow, they’d managed to go deep into the warrens of alleyways and back lanes without being stopped. She had not been oblivious to the sharp and curious gazes that followed their passing. The city was rife with pickpockets and other such cads and thieves who wouldn’t think twice of taking advantage of their obvious vulnerability. Their luck might not hold much longer.
“We lost them, Frederick. If we continue on, we’re just going to get more and more lost.”
Her brother looked back over his shoulder, concern evident on his expression. Then he jogged ahead to the next corner and took a moment to scan the surroundings before running back to her spot against the wall. “I know where we are.”
Katherine gave a short laugh of disbelief as she rested her head back against the wall and heaved a sigh. “How could you possibly? We’re nowhere near Mayfair.”
He gently took the hand of her uninjured arm and gave a little tug. “I know. Come on.”
Chapter Seven
Knowing very well they couldn’t stay where they were, Katherine allowed him to pull her onward. Pain throbbed in her ankle with every step and she suspected her shoulder had been dislocated. She’d witnessed the injury once years ago when one of their grooms took an unfortunate fall from the horse he was exercising. Her memory of his misshapen shoulder was undeniably similar to what she was seeing now when she looked at her injured arm.
The pain was nearly debilitating, but there was no slowing down.
Every now and then, her brother would glance back, as if he half expected their pursuers to catch up even though he kept a swift pace. They passed a row of merchants hawking wares before turning down a quieter lane lined with narrow brick houses, where pedestrians strolled and
