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croonerboy1965 · 4 years

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As Many Forms of Love: Chapter 2- Thief of Hearts

By librarian-von-sassypants and croonerboy1965

Eddie didn’t detest formal dances exactly. He knew there wee good reasons for this one. It solidified his social standing, gave him less of an air of “crazy loner with the damaged son” which many people wanted to attribute to him. He just never saw the point of them otherwise. Crowding one hundred of your closest neighbors into a too-small room, making them dance and fraternize and eat food that everyone secretly thought was sub-par, where everyone talked about everyone else behind their backs, and smiled prettily to their faces.

Eddie had the good fortune of being a conventionally attractive man, and wealthy. He never lacked for conversation or dance partners, and he played the part obligingly, but if he had his way, he’d spend the evening with a book and a glass of brandy, or perhaps reading Christopher bedtime stories.

He’d made one ally early on. Lady Lena Bosko. Utterly beautiful, charming, and, as far as Eddie could tell, utterly uninterested in the company of men, at least in a romantic sense. She was the only female in the room, it seemed, who was not trying to foist hints of marriage upon him, and thus had become a wonderful companion with whom he could simply stand back and observe the party.

“Lady Fortense is absolutely sleeping with the Earl of Viconze,” she whispered to him behind her fan.

He was slightly enamoured with the way her vibrant red hair caught the candlelight around them and reflected it back like fire.

“She would never admit to it, of course, and neither would he, but you can bet her husband knows.”, she said.

Lena was abreast of all the latest gossip, and the circle she chose to share her vast knowledge with was small indeed.

“Poor Viconze,” Eddie remarked as he took another sip of his wine. “She’ll eat him alive.”

Lena smirked.

“She most certainly will.”, she said, biting into the ripe berry she pulled from the lip of Eddie’s glass.

Eddie was well aware that most people took their lingering on the edges of the room together to be a declaration of intent to marry, or at least of amorous feelings. In a way he took it for granted. He needed to find a wife. He knew, and Lena would make a spectacular one.

“So what about you?”, he asked. “Any inclination to nab yourself a husband? I am single, you know.”, Eddie said, as he took her hand in his and kissed the tips of her fingers gently.

Lena giggled and pulled her hand away, feigning shyness as she fanned herself, turning away.

“Well, you are charming, sir. And I can definitely see the benefit of a mutual bond.”, she said.

“Sadly, I have no real interest in the carnal pleasures of the company of men...You on the other hand,” She gave him a knowing look.

Eddie, looked down at his feet, and flushed hot in the face.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”, he said with mock indignation. Then he broke into a smile and they both laughed out loud.

“I guess we’re both just a couple of mavericks.” she said, taking his hand again and giving it a squeeze.

“Still-- it’s nice to have a friend in all this.”, Eddie motioned to the crowded ballroom.

It had been a month since he’d gotten settled into his country estate, made the tour of the surrounding homes, and introduced himself and Christopher the neighbors. Lena was by far his favorite of the lot, and he had visited her estate, where she lived with her aging father.

To their left, a hush seemed to ripple over the crowd, as a new guest arrived.

“Lady Arielle Valens, and Escort”, the announcer said. Lena commented without looking over.

“Everyone’s been up in arms about who she will invite to her ball later this year. It’s supposed to be one of the most exclusive and sought after invitations of the season.” She said to Eddie as she took a long swig from his wine.

A voluptuous woman entered the room, with a dashing, young, strawberry blonde man on her arm. Her face was set in a smile that seemed chiseled from stone, not quite real, not quite false. She wasn’t remarkable looking by any stretch of the imagination.

“There’s something… mysterious about her---intriguing.”, said Eddie. He had only met her once when he’d introduced himself initially, but on second look, was caught up in her strange web. Something about the way her blue eyes latched on and didn’t let go. Or how there was a secret second smile hidden beneath the veneer, one blossomed like the sun, when she’d sat in her drawing room with Christopher, who had regaled her with tales of growing up in London. That boy could charm the pants off of a gargoyle if given the chance, and Lady Arielle could not help but let her guard down, in spite of herself.

She and her companion were making the rounds of the room, and when they drew near to Eddie and Lena, she looked over, and winked conspiratorially.

Eddie couldn’t help but grin.

“A friend of yours?” Eddie asked.

Lena, he noted with some surprise, flushed so red she was nearly purple, and buried her face in her fan with a small grin she couldn’t seem to pry off her face.

“We have...met.”, she said.

“Well, we will absolutely be discussing that, later.”, Eddie said.

Eddie let his gaze linger over Arielle’s companion. She was, to everyone’s widespread knowledge, quite single, but managed to show up to parties with ridiculously attractive men on her arm, and this new one was no exception. Tall, thin, with strawberry blond curls, cheekbones that could cut glass, and a smile that whispered of both sex and confidence with each glance. There was something vaguely familiar about him, Eddie thought, though he couldn’t quite place it.

“Her new one is rather attractive,” Lena commented as the two of them watched the newcomers make a slow circle of the ballroom. Every single eye in the room was doing the same, though most everyone pretended to be busy doing anything else.

“Hmm?” Eddie was distracted.

“Lady Arielle’s new companion. I haven’t seen him before.” Lena said. There was jealousy in her eyes, Eddie was sure of it, but she didn’t take well to teasing, so he held his tongue.

Once they had made a full circuit of the ballroom, Lady Arielle and her companion ended up in proximity to Lena and Eddie, as several of the guests slowly gravitated into their orbit.

“Lord Diaz, Lady Bosko, delighted to see you again,” Lady Arielle made a small curtsy, and nod of her head. “May I introduce my friend, Sir Evan, Lord of Buckley Manor.”

Eddie had never heard of Buckley manor, and he’d studied the surrounding area extensively during his decision to move. Still, no one would ever call her out on it, definitely not Eddie, so he stayed comfortable in the knowledge.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Eddie sticks out his hand for the man to shake. Lord Buckley takes his hand gingerly, and even through the gloves, Eddie can feel the heat radiating off him. The man doesn’t do that usual firmer than necessary handshake, as men so often do with Eddie, in an attempt to assert dominance.

“This is Miss Lena Bosko,” Eddie introduced them, as Buckley took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the air just above it.

“The pleasure’s mine,” Buckley said, and the smile he gave her was absolutely breathtaking. ‘Too bad he’s barking up the wrong tree.’, Lena thought to herself.

“You both must come to my house for tea next week,” Lady Arielle smiled, though it was a mere whisper of her full force. “Do, bring Christopher!”

“Christopher?” Buckley asked the question, and then looked like he wished he could stuff the words back inside himself. Lady Arielle either didn’t notice or chose not to.

“Lord Eddie’s son!”, she said brightly, a little bit of sunshine leaked out when she talked about Chris. “Absolutely the most charming human I’ve ever come across. Buck is staying with us for a few weeks... He loves kids, don’t you Buck?”, she said.

So it was Buck now. Eddie made a note in his mental ledger.

“Indeed!” Buck says with a smile, but doesn’t quite meet Eddie’s eyes.

Just then, a waltz began to play.

“Shall we have a dance?”, Lena said, in an attempt to break the tension.

“Of course.”, Eddie said.

“Shall we?”, said Buck, as he took Lady Valens by the arm and led her to the floor.

Arielle followed and soon they were swallowed up by the whirling flashes of color from a room full of glorious gowns.

Lena looked at Eddie as he led her round, her brow furrowed.

“Eddie, what is it?”, she asked.

“Nothing.”, he said as he guided her, a bit stiffly, in any direction that might put some distance between them and the Lady Valens.

“Eddie.”, Lena pressed. He was looking off in Buck and Arielle’s direction.

“How well do you know, the Lady Valens?”, he asked.

Lena cleared her throat, and said, “Fairly well.”

“How well?”, Eddie insisted.

“Well. Very well.”, she retorted, indicating she meant to add no more.

“Why?”, she asked.

“It’s just--her companion--”, but he was cut off as the pair of them bumped into he and Lena, throwing them ever so slightly off their rhythm.

“I beg your pardon, sir.”, Buck said, throwing Eddie a mischievous grin.

“Mind your steps!”, Eddie spat through a tight smile. As he came round to meet him on the next turn, Eddie almost caught his foot on the hem of Arielle’s gown, his eyes locked on Buck’s.

“Mind yours!”, Buck said, in mock indignation.

“Wha--?!”, Eddie scoffed.

“Buck! Mind your manners!”, Arielle said.

“Apologies Miss.”, Buck said, eyeing her buxom breasts. He thought perhaps he brushed them inadvertently.

“Not me, you nit!”, she said.

They had stopped in mid-round.

Buck looked up, face now red, and met Eddie’s gaze yet again. Try as he might, he could not speak. He felt embarrassed, yet --there was something else.

Lena turned away from Eddie, and tapped Arielle, on the shoulder.

“Might I cut in?”, she said. Arielle’s face became sunny, and she said, “But of course, Madame.”

Arielle met her palm in Lena’s and Lena placed her other hand around Arielle’s waist.

“Men.”, Lena sighed.

As they began their first turn on the floor, Arielle pushed her backside into Evan’s and he came immediately up against Eddie. Not knowing what else to do, he took Eddie in hand and began leading him in a waltz. The closeness, their eyes locked together, the slightest scent of sweet anise on Buck’s breath. His lips were crimson, almost blood red against his pale skin. Buck was slightly taller but his taught frame felt sinewy in Eddie’s arms. This made Eddie harden in his nethers, in spite of his better judgement.

Buck felt Eddie pressing against him, and his own rig twitched with desire.

He recalled the same sensation a few weeks ago, on the road. Buck could not believe he did not realize it sooner. This man. Sure, he is more groomed, more cultivated, more polished. But it is the same man. The one he almost robbed. The one he inadvertently molested.

He can see the exact second Eddie sees it on his face. Eddie can suddenly see through him. The brigand from the road. Nearly unrecognizable in a fashionable emerald waistcoat and cravat, but Eddie would recognize those eyes anywhere. Those stunning blue eyes.

It hits them both like an avalanche.

“YOU!?”, they said in unison. They separated, suddenly aware they had been pressed together a bit longer than either one intended. Then covered themselves as each one spied the other’s reaction to said closeness. They quickly covered themselves with their hands in as polite a clasp as they could manage. Evan could not believe this was the same man. He was so...regal. So...handsome. Not at all like the disheveled traveler he’s nearly robbed a fortnight ago.

“I believe it might be time for you to call it an evening, Lord Buckley.” he said, mocking the title.

“Indeed.”, Buck said, turning to go without another word. As he left, he slid past Kingston, who glared at him, and then looked worriedly at Eddie.

Eddie put up a hand, and then put it quickly back down again, to cover himself. “It’s alright, Kingston, it’s been taken care of.”, he said.

“What have you done?”, Arielle said, looking accusingly at Eddie. “Buck! Wait!” she called after him, but he was gone. Lena shot him a look.

“What?”, Eddie said.

“Miss Valens…” Eddie said. “My deepest apologies, I shall have Kingston call you a carriage, and escort you home.”

“I think you’ve done quite enough.”, Lena said. “I shall escort Lady Valens home.”

Lady Valens, gave her a sheepish look. “How kind.”, she said. And they paraded past Kingston, who looked quite confused.

==============================================================================

Buck walked briskly toward the gate, and as he opened it, he was met by the two henchman he was in league with. He stopped, hands raised.

“Hi fellas.”, he said.

“Hello to you.”, the larger of the two said, his gun drawn on Buck.

“Griff…”, he said, “We are calling this one off.”

“Cawlin’ it off??!!”, Griff said. “I don’t fink so.”, he stepped forward and Buck stepped back.

“I s’pose you were finking of leaving me and Shep out in the cold and taking all the booty for yourself, eh?”. Griff said.

“Yeah, yew tryin’t’ cut us owt?”, Shepp said. He puffed out his chest. He was a full head and a half shorter than Griff and Buck. He sniffed and wiped his nose on the sleeve of his coat. Griff looked over his shoulder at Shepp, making sure to intimidate him. Shepp shrank down and looked at the ground.

“Look, they just moved here, there really isn’t enough to bother looting.”, Buck tried to sound convincing,

Griff looked back toward the manor, and he could hear the chatter of voices and the strains of music off in the distance.

“Sounds to me like it’s ripe for the picking, wut wif all the fancy laawds and laydees and wot not.”, Griff said.

Buck tried to sound forceful in his protest.

“NO! I hired you and I say what goes! And I say, we aren’t doing this!”, Buck said as he stepped to Griff.

Griff took the butt of his gun and cracked Buck on the head, knocking him out. He fell like a rag doll to the ground.

“Who’s the boss now, eh?”, Griff said.

They stepped over Buck’s unconscious body and off in the direction of the house.

Just as Lena and Arielle, made it to the door, they stopped dead, as Griff pushed his way in and forced them back inside. Once in the ballroom, he announced, “Awright everyone, This is a sick up! Get your ‘ands in the air!”

The crowd stood still for a moment as the music stopped, unsure if this was really happening.

Griff shot the pistol into the air over his head. The loud blast cause some of the ladies to scream.

“I said, get ‘em up!”, he ordered. Now, if you do as we say, no one’s gonna get ‘urt…Put all your money and fancy jewels in this here bag,”, Griff said, as Shepp took out a satchel and went around the room collecting valuables.

Griff looked over at Eddie, who was stepping protectively in front of Lena and Arielle. He motioned at them to join the crowd now pressed against each other at the far end of the room. “Now nobody move and we will be off shortly, and y’can go back to your li’l soiree--“, Griff said, just as he heard a small voice from behind, him.

“Papa?!”, Christopher said as he made his way bleary eyed down the stairs.

Griff whirled on him and instinctively fired his gun.

“No!” Eddie shouted and he ran at Christopher and dove to grab him up.

The bullet went straight into Eddie’s back, just as he reached his son, shielding him from the blow. Christopher screamed.

Buck burst into the room, his eyes as wide as plates, and his mouth dropped open. Blood was streaming down the side of his face, as he looked first at Lena, then Arielle, then Griff and finally Eddie. He thought he should charge at Griff, but Kingston was already there and tacking him to the ground. Kingston smashed the man to his back and throttled him with one hand while gripping Griff by the wrist with the other. He put his full weight to bear on him and bashed his gun hand on the marble flooring repeatedly until the gun came free. Sheep, dropped the sack of valuables and made way to the gun, but Lady Valens was there first and cold cocked him squarely in the face, sending him flying, flat on his back. This made Buck smile just for a moment, and then his thoughts returned to Eddie. Lena was already at his side, when he reached them. Christopher was crying and squeezing his father around the neck, his face buried in Eddie’s shoulder.

“Papa! Pappa, NO!”, he cried.

Lena tried to calm Christopher, so she could turn Eddie over, but he would not be moved.

“Eddie…Eddie! Wake up!”, she wailed into his ear. Buck moved in and managed to pry the boy off so Eddie could be laid on his back.

Griff tried to wrestle himself free, but Arielle had him. She scooped up the pistol, cocked the hammer and said, “Don’t even think about it.”

“You go collect the little one, I’ve got this one well in hand, sir.”

She motioned for Kingston to get up and she took his place, straddling Griff, sitting her full weight upon him. Griff thought for a moment this might be something akin to fun, in any other context. He half smiled at her as he felt her fit into his lap.

“Don’t get any funny ideas, you hear?” She pointed the barrel down to the waistband area his pants, pressing the barrel against the fabric of her skirt hard enough where he could feel it tucked neatly between them. Griff’s half-grin faded to a look of horror as Arielle leaned in and whispered, “Best save that for the boys in the big house, eh? I hear they like a stodgy man-toy.”

Kingston, took the binding cords from the drapes and bound Shepp. “Someone fetch a doctor! And get the constable!”

Eddie loosed his hold on Christopher, who immediately threw himself forward on to Eddie’s chest and wept. His glasses were all akimbo as he pressed his face into his father.

“Right away!”, Buck stood and dashed out the door. He headed for the carriage house and unhitched and mounted the nearest horse. “Hyahh!”, he commanded. The horse bolted forward and off he rode into the night.

#regency #911 fanfic #buddie

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croonerboy1965 · 4 years

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As Many Forms of Love...

by croonerboy1965 and librarian-von-sassypants

Eddie stared out the window at the sprawling countryside as it moved like an abstract painting of green outside the carriage window, and hoped.

He hoped that this move was the right thing for his son. Christopher hadn’t flourished in the city as he thought he might.

He hoped he was making the right choice in uprooting their lives and letting a house in the country, miles and miles from the smog and the dirt.

He hoped he would find a nice wife quickly, without too much effort, who would be good to Christopher, who would love him as much as Eddie did.

And more than anything, he hoped he could find the peace he so desperately craved. The ravages of war left little cracks in Eddie that festered, and grew, and his mind itched for a balm, something to make it all just a little bit less.

He hoped to find that here. That peace, that so many people promised the countryside would provide.

Twilight painted the sky in soft pastels of orange and red hues which tugged at the coming of night, and it’s blanket indigo fading into purple. They’d been on the road for hours, it seemed, and Christopher had long since fallen asleep, despite the rumbling of the carriage. Eddie could never quite get himself to sleep under any set of circumstances of late, still haunted by visions of his time in the militia. Too many tense transports during the war, where he was never sure if, when he fell asleep, he would ever wake back up again.

They’re close now, just another hour or so and they’ll be at their new manor. It will be a relief after their long travels to have the comforts of a downy bed, and the distinct pleasure of a household staff to meet their needs. Eddie could certainly use a nice hot bath and a cup of tea to warm his tired and chilled through bones.

The horse whinnying was Eddie’s first clue something was wrong, followed by the sudden jolt of the carriage as they ground to a halt.

Immediately, he put a hand out to stop a sleeping Christopher from tumbling onto the carriage floor.

“Kingston?” he called out to his driver.

“My lord--” Kingston started, but was cut off, and Eddie began to take inventory of what he has in the carriage to use as a weapon. The night often carried the unscrupulous wants of undesirable men. He considered Christopher’s walking cane,then thought the better of it. He realized he packed the only weapon he had, his pistol, was packed and sent on ahead. ‘Dammit all the Hell!’, he thought to himself.

“Good evening!”, the voice that greeted them from outside the carriage was almost cheerful. Eddie instinctively grabbed his son’s cane, still keeping low and out of sight. The man who stepped into view looked young, younger than him, with a black mask obscuring the top half of his face. Dark and tattered clothes and high black boots completed the brigand look, but he was grinning, a smile so bright it looked very out of place. Now the only thing clearly visible in the dimming light.

Beside Eddie, Christopher was beginning to stir. Eddie muttered a series of foul words under his breath, a habit he’d broken for the most part, since Christopher was born.

He looked up groggily at his father, and Eddie put a finger to his lips. Even in his slightly sleep-addled state, Christopher understood, and nodded.

“Don’t worry!” the chipper man continued. There was very definitely a pistol in his hand, pointed directly at Eddie. “All I want is your valuables. Jewelry, money. No need to panic.”

The thief made the request in a tone so casual, as if he were discussing the weather over afternoon tea.

Eddie raised his head and stuck it out the window.

“Sir…” Eddie started, but the man held up a gloved hand.

“I assure you, my lord, I have no problem using violence to get it.” The tone was kept light, and somehow that was worse. “But I prefer to be civil if possible.”

‘Where the hell were his footmen? Why hadn’t anyone tried to… divest this brigand of his weapon already?’, Eddie wondered.

There were other low voices, indistinguishable but present, giving him the answer.

“As do I,” Eddie raised both hands in playcation. “There’s no need for violence.”

The brigand’s grin seemed to perk up a little. Night hadn’t quite settled in, and the sun’s light cast a ruddy glow on the pale skin that peaked around his outfit.

“Then if you would be so kind as to exit the carriage, sir, we can get this charade over and done with.”

Eddie looked over at Christopher automatically. It wasn’t easy, getting him in and out of carriages, nor did he want to place his son in the way of some bastard’s pistol, but he didn’t want to risk enraging this man any further.

Eddie had seen the careless way highwaymen such as this had treated children in the past, and it made his blood cold.

“I need to carry my son,” Eddie said, slowly reaching over toward Christopher. He took care to make no sudden movements.

“Papa?” Christopher said in a hushed tone, looking up at him with trust laced with trepidation.

“It’s okay, my boy,” he said softly. “We’re just going to do what the nice man says.”, he reassured him.

Christopher’s small arms wrapped around his neck, and Eddie grabbed him by the waist with one hand, maneuvering to open the door of the carriage with the other.

It was a bit of a drop to the ground, but he finagled it with ease, one hand raised to show he was unarmed. The cane sat uselessly on the carriage floor, and he wished like hell he could grab it, but didn’t want to risk it, not with Christopher in the line of fire.

The look on the brigand’s face noticeably changed when his gaze landed on Christopher.

“What’s wrong with him?” the man asked, and Eddie was surprised that there seemed to be genuine concern in his voice, rather than the slight distaste he got from most everyone else.

Eddie really wanted to tell this gun weilding man to take a flying leap and fuck off, but he tightened his grip on Christopher instead, and said,

“His legs don’t work well. He’s… different.”

Different meant insane, in most people’s context. Different meant sanitariums and social blacklisting, and Eddie had worked so damn hard to shield Christopher from all of that.

“I’m sorry.”, said the brigand.

Eddie fought the urge to raise his brow in surprise, because it sounded like he meant it. Eddie very much wanted to follow up with “Sorry enough not to rob us blind?”, but didn’t want to push his luck.

“Father?” Christopher looks over at the man in black, and then back at his father. “Who is that?”

“Just look at me, Chris,” Eddie whispers, which is a useless thing to say, of course an inquisitive nine year old isn’t going to look away from the stranger, but fear is starting to whisper things into Eddie’s brain now.

The man very deftly slips his gun into the holster at his hip, and shows Christopher his empty hands, smiling softly now at the boy.

“Don’t worry,” the man says, “Your dad and I are just going to talk for a minute. Is that okay?”, and Christopher nods. Eddie is mistrustful on one hand and almost impressed on the other, at the way the robber handled his son, asking his permission and what not.

The man nudges his head to one side, silently asking to talk to Eddie alone.

“Kingston?” he called out to his driver, but then looked warily over at the brigand. “Could you…?”

The man nodded, stepped back, gesturing for the driver to climb down. Eddie could see the other two now, though not enough to make out distinguishing features. Both wore black, as this man did, guns trained on the driver and Kingston.

Kingston’s movements were unsure as he stepped toward his master, gathering Christopher up in his arms, with a quiet, “Come along, young master.”

“We’ll keep this as brief as possible,” the man says, but as soon as Christopher is away, his gun is back out again, trained on Eddie.

“If you would be so kind?”, He held out a burlap sack and gestured.

“Would you kill me --in front of my son?” Eddie asks, locking gazes with the man. In the dying light, his eyes look almost ashen.

“No,” he admits, smiling softly. “But I might knock you and the rest of your staff unconscious, and that would still be unpleasant for him.”

Eddie stares at him a moment longer, debates with himself very briefly if maybe he could overpower this man, take out his two associates before either of them got a shot off, decided that no, it was unlikely, and began stripping the jewelry from his personage.

Cufflinks, family crest ring, broach that was a gift from his father. All of the money he had on his person.

One of the men began to unload the other bags, and Eddie, doing his best to retain what little dignity he has left, says indignantly, “You can search the luggage but you won’t find anything.” he looks up at the two small suitcases they have strapped to the top of the carriage. “We sent everything ahead. That’s mostly clothes.” And what he said was true. The bags were filled with various sundries, and had little resale worth. No value to anyone but he and his son.

“We’ll be the judge of that, the other man said as he and his cohort began to rifle through all of their personal belongings. They tossed the items haphazardly, scattering them on the ground.

Christopher was wearing the only thing of value. His mother’s necklace, a small teardrop pearl, set on a gold chain, dangling clear as day on the outside of his jacket. He hadn’t taken it off since she died.

Eddie watched the lead man look over at Christopher, at the necklace, which was catching the last of the sun’s rays and glinting a little, and then turned back to Eddie.

“Grab the boy.” the brigand said, keeping his gaze locked with Eddie’s. One of the henchmen attempts to snatch Christoper from Kingston’s arms with some amount of force.

“Papa!”, Christopher shrieks.

Kingston puffs up his chest, clutching the boy firmly to him and admonishes the man saying, “How dare you touch him you sniveling little--”, but the curse is cut short by the cocking of a gun’s hammer.

“No!”, Eddie screams, as he starts to rush the man in black, hoping to shield Kingston.

As he does so, he is yanked backward by the larger of the two thugs, the brute, thumping him on the head, bringing Eddie to his knees. The brigand dismounts and approaches Eddie, as the henchman drags him to his feet.

The masked man sticks the barrel of his pistol up under Eddie’s chin.

Their faces are close enough that when he speaks, Eddie can smell the faint whiff of anise on his breath. And at this range can see the true color of his eyes, crystalline blue like icy sapphires. Something in him stirs and his face flushes, but it is not so much anger as a kind of embarrassment. A long moment passes, and the brigand sees something unspoken, almost desirous, in Eddie’s eyes.

“Are you certain you are carrying nothing else?”, the thief asks as he uses his free hand to rifle through Eddie’s pockets. And in doing so, brushes against something hard, like the grip of a gun. He grasps at it and pulls more than once before realizing his error. Eddie grunts in a way that makes the man restraining him slightly consternate. He looks at his gang leader, who Eddie sees has gone flush in the face, himself. The brigand coughs as he pulls his hand from Eddie's pocket and turns to mount his horse.

Nodding to his henchmen to release the captives, he tries to end the encounter curtly, saying, “Then we shall send you on your merry way, sir.”, he said, replacing the gun in it’s holster.

Eddie blinked. And blinked again. He opened his mouth for a moment, thoroughly confused, but then closed it again, gesturing for Kingston to help Christopher up into the carriage.

Eddie stared at the man, unsure if this was a ruse, wondering if he might indeed shoot them after all.

The man in the mask looked down, a grin spread across his face, as he shook his head, and then looking up at Eddie again, said in a hoarse whisper, “We don’t steal from children.”, his hand held up alongside his face, as if not wanting his companions to hear. “There is still at least some honor amongst thieves.” And then gives Eddie a wink.

He backs away, gestures for his companions to mount up, and in the time it takes Kingston to get Christopher back in the carriage, they are galloping away across the open field, toward the woods. It’s no use attempting pursuit. Even if Eddie were armed, unhooking the horses would take far too long. Already, they were becoming distant smudges in the twilight.

“Everyone okay?” Eddie asks. The footman and Kingston both look rattled, but nod, get back onto the carriage.

The rest of the trip is uneventful, and night covers everything like a thick cloak as they pull up to the front of the manor.

After tucking Christopher snugly into his bed, Eddie kissed him on the forehead, brushing away the curls from his face.

“Papa, will the bad men come back and try to hurt us?”, Christopher asked.

“No my love...he can’t hurt us anymore. We’re safe.”, Eddie said, not really sure if the statement was completely truthful.

“Why did they let us go?”, he asked.

“Because you are incredibly brave.”, Eddie assured him, touching the tip of his index finger to Christopher’s nose. And your mother was there watching over you.” Eddie traces the chain around Christopher’s neck and rolls the pearl hanging there between his thumb and forefinger.

“I miss her.”, said Christopher.

“I do too.”, Eddie says, smiling to hide the pang of sadness welling within him.

“How about you get some sleep, and tomorrow we can go into town and find some ice cream for tomorrow's dessert?”, he said, seeing Christopher’s face change to one of excitement.

“Can we get chocolate?!”, he pleaded.

“Anything you want, now close your eyes, and dream of all the new places we’ll see when you wake.” Eddie pulled the covers up and closed Christopher’s eyelids gently with his fingertips.

This made Christopher giggle softly. Eddie got up and went to the door, leaving it open just a bit as he left the bedroom, letting in just enough light for Christopher to see, in case he should wake in the night.

“Good night my sweet boy.’, he whispered, and made his way to his own bed chambers.

Today was a long day, and he was bone tired. And tomorrow has its own weight to bear.

A new town, and a party to plan and a bevy of eligible ladies to court. Eddie stripped off his traveling clothes and washed with the basin of water at his dressing table. He thought again of the brigand and a tingle of excitement ran through him. He toweled off his face and climbed under the sheets. The last thought he had before drifting off was of the thief...and those pale blue eyes.

#regency #9-1-1 fanfiction #buddie

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