he could, stepping in when he feared she may come a cropper. That Alvanly might draw her into his debauched set gave Max nightmares. Worse than that, contemplating that the fellow’s handsome face might find favour with Phoebe brought a fierce surge of jealousy that left him feeling shaken and wretchedly unhappy.
As if the mere thought of her had conjured a vision, his gaze was drawn to a slight figure walking quickly, quite some distance ahead. There was something about the woman, the way she moved, that made his breath catch, but… no. It couldn’t be. Not here. Even Phoebe wouldn’t….
Good God, what was he saying? Of course she would!
He quickened his step, but saw to his dismay that he was not the only one to have noticed a lone female as she turned into an alley, heading back to the main road where she might hail a hackney carriage. The man hurried after her, following her into the alley.
Max ran.
It was likely no more than seconds, though it felt a lifetime before he raced around the corner at breakneck speed, his hat flying to the ground as he skidded in the filth that carpeted the alley. He ignored it, too intent on getting to Phoebe, until he stopped short, riveted by the sight before him.
“I di’n’t mean no ’arm, now, miss,” the fellow was pleading, backing away from Phoebe, who had levelled a pistol at the fellow, her hands perfectly steady.
“Oh, you just meant to lift my purse and help yourself to whatever else took your fancy, no?” she retorted, anger flashing in her blue eyes.
“I just wanted your purse and those pretty earbobs, nowt else. I’d not have hurt ye. A fellow has to eat, lady,” the devil pleaded, his eyes never leaving the barrel of the gun pointing at his face.
“A fellow need not accost lone females in the street and try to frighten them to death, though.”
Max could hear the anger in her words, and a brittle edge that made his heart clench and want to rip the fellow limb from limb. She had been afraid, not that she showed it.
He approached softly, not wanting to startle her.
“Miss Barrington, may I be of assistance?” he asked, knowing he was likely to be told that no assistance was necessary, thank you very much.
Likely it was true. She had the situation well in hand and needed no rescue from him. Any vague notion of being her knight in shining armour withered and died. Phoebe could rescue herself and needed no hero to do it for her. Not him, at any rate.
“Lord Ellisborough,” she said, her voice steady. “You have an uncanny knack of turning up at such moments.” Her blonde brows drew together with suspicion. “Are you following me?”
“No!” Max said at once, almost drawn to admit he’d been avoiding her. “No, I was at the match with St Clair. Strangely, I did not think to look for you.”
“Strange indeed,” she remarked, her lips twitching just a little. “I’m glad you’re here, actually….”
Well, that was a first.
She hesitated, looking just a little uncertain. “Er… what do I do with him now?”
Max bit back a smile. “Are you going to shoot him?”
The fellow facing the business end of the pistol made a choked sound.
“I would have, if I’d not seen him ahead of time, but he has all the grace of an elephant. Really, sir, you are ill-suited to a life of crime. You’ll be dancing with Jack Ketch in no time if you keep up such a line of work.”
“Ah, miss, just let me go, eh? I ain’t done ye no harm.”
Phoebe snorted. “You make it sound like you meant none, either, which we both know is a rotten lie.”
Max moved closer to her and put his hand over hers, both slender and gloved, and holding the pistol firmly.
“Get,” he said to the man, his voice brooking no argument.
The villain did not need telling twice. He legged it out of the alley and was gone in seconds. Max gently pushed her hands down.
“Well done,” he said softly.
Only then did she look up at him and let out a breath of relief. She returned a smile he suspected was more bravado than pride, but she’d never let him know she’d been rattled, and he’d not press her to admit it.
Phoebe un-cocked the pistol, her hands trembling, and tucked it into the pocket of her cloak. She looked back at him, putting her chin up.