The Bachelor's Bride (The Thompsons of Locust Street #1) - Holly Bush Page 0,56

he fell and saw the man tumble down the steps, head over feet. He barely had time to stand up before the first punch came from the second man. He could hear the punishing blows from James above him and the sounds of a man dropping to his knees. He threw a punch of his own and landed it squarely on his opponent’s jaw, making the man’s head snap back.

“Are you all right down there?” James yelled.

“I’m fine,” he shouted and then heard the snick of a blade as it came free of its sheath. “I’m fine.”

Alexander bent back, nearly lying flat on the steps behind him as the blade came whizzing past his chest. A coat landed on his outstretched hand from above, and he quickly wrapped it around his arm fending off the thrusts of the knife.

“Come on, boyo,” MacAvoy said.

Alexander concentrated on the knife hand of his opponent and on his own footing, juggling from one stair to the other. He ducked under the blade as it came toward his neck and punched the man in the kidney, jumping back as the blade made an arc toward his shoulder.

“You can do better than that,” James yelled. “Hit the bastard. Hit him hard.”

His opponent’s eyes flitted up at the sound of James’s voice, and Alexander swung with all his strength, a great roundhouse punch, landing on the man’s nose. He heard a crunch of bone, the knife clattering down the wooden steps, and saw blood spurt onto his shirt and vest. The man dropped to his knees, falling back against the railing, holding his face in his hands.

“Come on,” he said to James and MacAvoy. “What are you waiting for?”

Alexander hurried down the rest of the stairs, stepping over the man he’d kicked in the chest and hearing him moan. He was glad. He didn’t want to have killed anyone. He led them down a hallway to the back of the building and found a door leading to the alley. He turned the knob and let it swing out onto the mud-laden stoop.

“Harry? Ben? Is that you?” he heard from out in the darkness. James came up behind him.

“It’s us,” he said softly.

Alexander heard the slap of boots trailing away as the man ran down the alley.

“I don’t think he believed you,” MacAvoy said with a laugh. “You mustn’t sound like a Harry.”

“Come on,” Alexander said. “My house is only a few blocks from here. We can clean up there.”

“Well, well. Aren’t you the high-flyer?” James said as they went through the back gate of his home, past the carriage house, and into the ground floor of the large stone building.

Baxter came down the kitchen steps in his long robe and nightcap, carrying a candle. “Mr. Pendergast! Is that you, sir?”

“It’s me, Baxter. I’m sorry to have woken you,” Alexander said.

“Who is it, Mr. Baxter?” Mrs. Emory called.

“It’s me and a couple of others, Mrs. Emory,” he said. “I’m sorry to be coming in at this late hour and disturbing you. We’re just going to sit here in the kitchen and heat up the coffee still in the pot on the stove.”

“You’ll do no such thing, Mr. Pendergast. I’ll put on a fresh pot right away.” Mrs. Emory came sweeping into the room, her long robe swirling about her and her braided hair swinging over her shoulder. She stopped when she looked at their faces. “Oh dear! You’ve been fighting! Mr. Baxter? Would you please get the medical kit from my office?”

“Mrs. Emory, these are friends of mine. Mr. Thompson and Mr. MacAvoy. Gentlemen, Mrs. Emory keeps my house in order and does so with great efficiency. Coffee would be much appreciated, and I think considering how dirty our clothes are, I’d rather sit here at the kitchen table than dirty up another room for someone to clean,” Alexander said.

James went to the table with MacAvoy and sat down.

“I thought all housekeepers were old biddies,” MacAvoy whispered, staring under his brows at Mrs. Emory as she prepared their coffee.

“She is a looker, I’ll say that, Pendergast.” James narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure she’s just your housekeeper?”

Alexander clenched his teeth and whispered, “I don’t appreciate the implication, Thompson. She’s a widow whose husband worked at our family’s factory. She has a young daughter who lives here as well. Do you think I’d fool with a woman in front of her own child? And an employee at that!”

“Shush,” James said, tilting his head taking a long look at the