Without thinking he caught her hand and folded it between both of his.
In a voice filled with pain he whispered, "For God's sake, Adrianna, leave me. Now. Before I weaken."
"How--touching."
Richard and Adrianna looked up in surprise at the sound of Lord Windham's caustic tones.
Seeing his torn and bloody tunic, his dirty breeches, Richard commented, "It would seem you've taken another nasty fall, Windham."
"Aye." Windham's lips twisted into a cruel smile.
"A fall from grace."
"I do not..."
Windham took his sword from the scabbard and studied it.
"All my life in my climb to power I have been thwarted by one man." He looked up and fixed his gaze on Richard.
"Your brother."
"Morgan? What are you talking about, Windham?"
Lord Windham took a step closer. His eyes narrowed.
"Morgan Grey thinks I am a beaten man. But he has not yet won. There are still some things I can do to hurt him."
Instinctively Richard shoved Adrianna roughly aside. In a sharp commanding tone she had never heard before he said curtly, "You will go inside at once, Adrianna. And you will not look back."
Windham's cruel smile grew.
"You would spare this sweet child the sight of your death at my hands?"
Adrianna sucked in her breath.
"What are you saying?"
"Go, Adrianna." Richard caught at the wheels of his chair, turning it so that he placed himself between the woman and Windham.
"I command you. Go now."
"Nay, my lord." Though her face had gone pale and her voice trembled, she did not move.
"I obeyed you last night. And I was wrong. I should have disobeyed you and stayed as I wanted. But now you cannot command.
If you must die at this man's hand, I would rather die beside you than live without you. "
"There is little enough challenge here," Windham said, lifting his sword.
"One with no legs, the other with no courage."
Richard recalled the way his blood had always heated just before the battle. His heart would race, his palms would sweat, and he would feel the kicking, churning juices deep inside begin to pump as the battle began. He felt that way now. It was as if he had never been away from it.
He glanced down at the shears in his lap. They were his only weapon.
But he would do what he had to. Adrianna's life depended upon it. As for his own, it mattered not.
As Windham thrust the sword, Richard ducked and waited until his opponent moved in closer. Then, slashing out, he managed to cut Windham's arm. With a savage oath Windham dropped his sword and clutched at his bloody arm.
"For every wound you inflict on me, I shall inflict a dozen upon you and the woman. Before I finish with you, you will beg me to kill you."
They heard the sound of horses' hooves, but neither man was willing to take his gaze from the other long enough to see who was riding toward them.
Windham's voice grew shrill with growing rage and frustration.
"You will pay for this. Grey. You and your brother. I will see you both destroyed."
As he bent to take up his sword, a dainty foot pressed down over the jewelled hilt. With his mouth open, Windham looked up to see the young Frenchwoman facing him, her eyes blazing.
"You will not harm Richard."
"Harm him?" Windham gave an evil laugh.
"I will kill him. And you as well, little fool."
"Toss me the sword, Adrianna." Richard watched in horror as Adrianna and Windham struggled for control of the sword.
But when Lord Windham lifted his hand and slapped her, knocking her to the ground, Richard's horror turned to fury.
"No!" As Windham lifted his sword above Adrianna's head, Richard gathered all his strength and lunged from his chair, taking Windham with him.
From their positions on their horses, the queen, Brenna and Morgan watched helplessly as the two men collided, their fists raised, their voices muffled in grunts of pain.
For long, agonizing minutes the two men lay very still. Around them no one spoke. No one seemed able to move. All who watched were paralyzed in fear. At long last Richard lifted himself up on his powerful hands and stared down at the man beneath him.
Lord Windham lay, faceup, the pruning shears buried in his chest. His tunic was stained crimson. His mouth was twisted in a soundless cry of rage. His eyes stared, lifeless, vacant, fixed on some distant pinnacle he would never reach.
Adrianna fell into Richard's arms, sobbing against his chest, "Oh, my beloved. Never, never will I permit you to send me away again."
He clutched her to him. Against her hair he murmured, "Nor will I try.
When I thought I might lose you, I realized just how much I love you.
I can only pray that I will bring you half as much happiness as I know you will bring me. "
Though she rejoiced in their triumph, a terrible weakness seemed to have taken over Brenna. She turned to Morgan, her head swimming. Her relief turned to shock when she saw the blood seeping from him in half a dozen places. His face had lost all its color. His lips moved but no words came out. His eyes rolled back in his head. And without a sound he slid from his horse and fell to the ground.
With a cry she dropped from the saddle and clutched him. If it took her last breath, she would see to his needs.