"Rest assured, I will add this to your charge sheet," Harte said, coolly.

"An extensive and weighty document already," Nathan replied lightly.

Harte gave a short, humorless laugh. "You'll be arrested before you reach the front gate."

Nathan rolled his eyes thoughtfully. "I see it different. By my way o' thinking, you'll let us go, easy like, since the young miss over there will be with us-insurance, as it were. Her safety being your main charge and concern, you'll not desire to endanger her with something so unfortunate as a stray bullet."

"A fool's mission," Harte sneered. "There are guards just outside, in the hall. They'll-"

"Not anymore." The smile in Nathan's voice couldn't be missed.

Harte's confidence faltered a fraction. "Where are they?"

"Not here."

Harte's fingers dug deeper into Cate's arm. She felt him shift, evening his weight, readying himself. Her instincts screamed for her to do something, yet she stood, unable to breathe, afraid to move lest she distract Nathan.

"I'll have you shot before you clear the grounds," Harte said, his confidence regained.

"Mebbe." Nathan said agreeably. "On the other hand, 'twould be a mite embarrassing to find it necessary to inform Lord Creswicke of the shooting of his betrothed, during your attempts to apprehend someone who had bested you again."

"Pray, don't-!" cried Prudence.

The outburst gave Harte the diversion he needed. He flung Cate aside with a force that sent her to the floor, and whipped around with his elbow. A move intended to smash nose and teeth, or dislocate or fracture jaw, caught Nathan in the side of the head. Nathan sprawled backwards on the floor, his pistol skating off into a corner. Harte drew his sword and spun. He came down with its heel, aiming for Nathan's head. Nathan rolled, taking the blow in the shoulder, instead.

Cate came up from the floor and lunged at Harte built up for another blow. Hitting his elbow, the momentum took her back to the polished planks. At the same time, Nathan bound to his feet, and tried to draw his sword, but was impeded by a chair. Harte kicked it from his hand to send it skittering out of sight.

Now unarmed, Nathan backed around the room as Harte slashed at him. Nathan came near enough to the fireplace to snatch up the poker and wielded it as if it was a weapon, sparks flying at every collision of steel. Nearly a half a head taller, Harte should have had the advantage of reach and weight, but the furnishings seemed to have joined Nathan's side, hindering him time and again.

"Pray, not the silk!" Lady Bart cried querulously from her sequester behind the settee when Harte skewered a chair, "Mind the wood!" when a table was knocked over, and "Have a care with the crystal!" when a cabinet was hit.

From where she laid on the floor, Cate spotted Nathan's pistol in a corner. She lunged to seize it. Rising to her knees, she took aim at Harte, but hesitated. Granted, the fight was noisy, but the sound of a gunshot would bring everyone in the household, including the guards. A worst risk was, she might hit Nathan. She lowered the pistol and hovered, desperate to do something, the poker having been knocked from Nathan's hand. She snatched up a small footstool and hurled it at Harte's feet. It tangled there for a moment, and then skittered within Nathan's reach. He grabbed it just in time to use it as a shield against a vicious swipe from Harte.

Cate whirled in search of another weapon, when Sally shot out from behind the settee. A fringed satin pillow poised high, she set to beating Harte about the head. Confused, Roger tried to defend himself with one arm while going at Nathan with the other, driving him further back with each blow. Satin only able to endure so much abuse, the pillow split with an explosion of feathers.

Nathan came up against a chair. Now trapped, he hurtled the stool at Harte. It hit Harte in the right shoulder and his arm fell limp to his side. Weaponless again, Nathan dove behind the settee, his belt buckles scraping the wooden floor. Lady Bart gave a startled screech as Nathan wove under her skirts, popping up finally at the opposite end.

Feathers stuck in the sweat streaming down his face, Harte staggered as he furiously rubbed feeling back into his arm. When his back was to her, Cate took the chance and launched at him, intending to...hold him down? Tackle? Distract? Anything! Somehow, Harte sensed her coming. He sidestepped and swung with his left arm, bellowing "Away!"

Cate was sent tumbling, the corner of a cabinet catching her in the ribs. She cried out in pain. The wind knocked from her lungs, her knees buckled and she crumpled to the floor.

"Leave off!" Nathan roared and launched up to drive a ringed fist into Harte's jaw.

Both men now unarmed, they resorted to fists. His right arm still useless, Harte staggered, and then swung his left fist. Nathan ducked and drove his shoulder into Harte's midriff, sending them both to the floor in a writhing heap.

Cate lay curled on her side, straining to force her spasmed lungs to move. The sounds of the two men fighting, grunts and curses, fell flat in her ears. Through a swirl of black spots, she watched them amidst the wreckage of furniture and feathers. Nathan got an arm around Harte's throat and squeezed, but Harte threw him off. Both men rose to their knees. The cords rigid in his neck with the effort, Harte drove a fist into Nathan's gut that sent him sprawling face down. Dazed, Nathan braced his head on the floor as he struggled to rise.

Cate watched in horror as Harte snatched up his sword and, with a double-fisted grip, rose behind Nathan poised for a killing blow. She wanted to scream-needed to scream-to warn Nathan, but her airless lungs managed only a wheezing gasp. Fearing the sickening sound of a blade slicing flesh and shattering bone, the spots before her eyes grew to a frenzied dance as she floundered to rise.

There was a sound, but not the one expected. Shattering, yes...but it was glass.

Amid the female shrieks, Cate's breath came back in a wrenching gasp. With it, her vision cleared enough for her to see a round-eyed Prudence standing over Harte's hunched figure, shattered china scattered at her feet. Harte staggered, then collapsed on top of Nathan.

Grunting and swearing came from the swirl of feathers as Nathan struggled out from under Harte's limp weight. Cate unsteadily rose her feet and stooped to help Nathan to his.

Eyes rolling, Nathan managed a lop-sided grin. "Nice shot, luv."

"It wasn't me," Cate said. She braced a shoulder under his when he swayed. "It was Prudence."

Nathan's unfocused eyes traveled the room, until they came upon Prudence, standing nearly at his side.

"Nice shot, darling," he said, blinking wide.

He sagged against the back of a chair and braced his head there, his shoulders heaving as he caught his breath. Cate scooped up his hat and pistol, and guided his fumbling hand to tuck the latter into his belt. He cautiously settled his hat back on his head, wincing.

Seeing Nathan was safe, Cate's anger surged. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to wait outside."

Nathan touched his temple, checking for blood, and then glared down his nose at her. "I came looking for you."

"We agreed you would wait."

"You didn't come back."

"I wasn't finished."

The shouting of guards-strident with alarm as the raced down the hallway-cut them short. With a small "Eep!" and a swirl of skirts, Sally ran out to meet them, Lady Bart close behind.

"Thank heavens!" Sally exclaimed. Her feigned breathlessness was muffled by as she pulled the door closed behind her. "They went out through the back."

"The fiends! They broke in upon us." Lady Bart's shrill rose over the male furor. "They seek to escape through the gardens. Oh, the shock! The horror!"

"Yes, ma'am," came a deeper voice. "But we heard-?"

"No, no! The Commodore has scared them off. Pray, he begs you give chase and do not return, until you have apprehended them and we can safely rest in our beds," said Lady Bart, with a heretofore unheard tone of authority.

There was a moment of indecision, questions and answers colliding. And then they heard the thump of boots speeding away. Sally and Lady Bart slipped back into the room, closing the door and throwing the bolt behind them.

Lady Bart pressed a hand to her heaving bosom. "They've taken their leave for now."

Sally retrieved Nathan's sword from the corner. Adoration softened the stern features as she gave it back, her fingers lingering on his. "You need to take your leave."

From outside the windows came the clatter of musketry and men running.

"We need to show a leg and haul our wind," Nathan announced and headed for the door.

"There's been a change in plans," Cate said, stopping him by the sleeve.

"Suffering Jesus on the cross, now what?" he groaned.

"Prudence won't be going with us."

His mouth fell open and remained so for several seconds. "Then what the bloody hell did we come here for?"

"To help her, and we did!"

"We did," he said dully. He gave his head a shake. "I must have been hit harder than I thought."

"It's all arranged," Lady Bart cried joyously, pressing her palms to her cheeks. "She'll be staying here, with me."

Nathan whirled at the sound of her voice, feathers billowing at his knees. "Who the hell are you?"

"This Lady Bart," Cate said. "She's Prudence's aunt-"

"Except not anymore," Prudence said with a conspiratorial smirk.

Nathan looked to the ceiling in search of guidance, then closed his eyes in search of patience.

"Look, luv, I'd love to stand here and have a gang old chat, but yon Commodore shan't stay down much longer, and here is not where I'd rather be when he wakes up, if you get me drift."

Conceding his point, Cate hugged Prudence, and then held her by the shoulders. "Prudence, it's your responsibility to set this all right. This could have very serious consequences, so you must do everything in your power to assure the Captain isn't implicated."

"What did I do?" Nathan demanded from the doorway.

"Nothing," Cate said, gazing unwaveringly at Prudence.

"Then, what did she do?" he asked.

"Nothing," chorused the women.

"I shall, I promise," Prudence said earnestly. She hugged Cate tightly. "Thank you, Cate, for everything."

Prudence peeked around Cate to wave timidly at Nathan. "Thank you, also Captain."

"You're welcome," he said, and then grumbled under his breath, "Not sure what I did."

Cate lowered her eyebrows at him, jerked her head in Prudence's direction, and then arched her brows significantly.

"She just saved your life," she hissed in the face of his scowl.

Groaning, he stepped around, took Prudence by the shoulders and kissed her lightly on the cheek. The girl's eyes popped open in shock, her porcelain face going several shades of crimson.

"You're a lovely girl," he said, with surprising sincerity.

Nathan turned to find himself encircled by women, all focused at him. Flashing a nervous grin, he shifted on his feet. Expelling a resigned sigh, he seized Nanna's hand before she could recoil and kissed it. He had barely straightened, before Sally had her in his arms and gave him a plunging kiss.

"Good-bye, Nathan," she said, breathless as a maid.

He pushed free of her grasp only to wind up squarely before Lady Bart. She was clearly distraught to have the renowned brigand so near. There was a brief jousting of hands, Nathan reaching while Lady Bart, caught between civility and dread, extended only to jerk away. Nathan finally caught up her hand and touched her knuckles to his lips. He then swept a bow, and then wheeled around on Cate.

"Can we go now or is there a scullery maid I missed?" he asked as he propelled her toward the door.

"Wait. Wait!" Prudence cried.

Amid Nathan's sputtering protests, Cate pulled to a halt. Prudence snatched up the two sewing boxes and thrust them into Cate's arms.

"You need these," the young girl said, eyes bright with emotion.

"Thank you!" Cate shouted over her shoulder as Nathan pulled her away.

"Wait! Wait!" Lady Bart trotted to catch them up "Allow me."

"But, there's guards and-" Cate began.

Lady Bart waved her away. "Yes, yes, I know. Come!"

Exchanging uncertain glances, Cate and Nathan had no option but to follow Lady Bart down the long hallway to the foyer. Every footstep echoed like a gunshot on the polished floors, but the house was already in such high turmoil, they passed with little notice. The doorman drew open the front door for his mistress to pass, Cate and Nathan in her wake. Lady Bart stopped on the portico and craned her neck to inspect the surrounding grounds.

"It appears to be clear," she announced, red-faced with excitement. "Have no care; I'll attend the guards."

Cate hesitated, not sharing her confidence. "How are you going to explain this?"

"Pish-posh! Diggie already thinks I'm a doddering old fool; a little more so is of minor consequence. I'll manage."

She hugged Cate, a gesture of surprising familiarity. "I am in your debt; you saved my niece from an intolerable fate."

A knot of remorse twisted in Cate's gut. "And robbed her of her family."

"And given her a life. I'd call it a fair trade." Chin quivering and eyes welling, Lady Bart patted Cate on the arm. "Have a care, dear."

Nathan stood with his hands on his hips in the middle of the drive, having apparently just discovered that Cate wasn't with him.

"Forgot to exchange recipes?" he asked as she caught him up.

"A real gentleman would carry these." She pitched the sewing boxes into his arms as she passed, leaving him to fumble on his own, to keep from dropping them.

Suffering none of Lady Bart's confidence, Nathan steered a path sharply away from the one they had come by, and well wide of the sleeping town. Several times Nathan left Cate in a thicket, in order to circle back and confirm they weren't being pursued. Eventually, they angled back to the narrow road to the back bay.

Once on the road, they walked side by side. A box dangling from each hand, Nathan listened to Cate relate the resolution of Prudence's situation.

"How in bloody hell did you come up with that?" he cried.

"I don't know. It just came to me."

He snorted and shook his head, wincing with the movement. "That plan has more holes in it than a fish net. And people say I'm daft."

The starlight limning his profile, she told him of Prudence's dalliances in Boston, and her father's decision to send her away.