They headed west, and when they were obliged to stop and pay fourpence apiece at the Kensington toll gate, Alex said, “I must say, this is the first time any of us have chosen a girl over a mission.”

Ben glared at him. “Either one of you would do the same.”

Alex and Seb shared a skeptical look. “For a woman?” Seb said. “I doubt it. For her fortune, maybe…”

“It’s not about her money. Why does nobody believe that? I care for her. I don’t want her hurt.”

Ben scowled as he set his mount to a gallop again and curbed the impulse to push the animal even harder. He’d get nowhere on an exhausted horse. Worry churned in his gut, mingling with a deep and furious rage.

He could count on one hand the people he cared about, those he feared losing. His brother John. Alex and Seb. And now Georgie. Somewhere in the past few weeks, she’d wormed her way into that select little group. Wormed her way into his heart. She’d become more than an acquaintance, more than just a friend, or a challenge, or a body to be discovered. He needed her. Wanted to be with her, to tease her, to share some story or anecdote to see how she’d react. He wanted to hold her and keep her safe from the Josiahs of this world. There was more than a casual connection between them now. There was something new and binding, and he was horribly afraid he knew what it was. Love.

His mount tossed its head as he inadvertently jerked at the reins. Oh, shit. He was in love.

And like a French sniper’s bullet, he hadn’t even seen it coming.

Benedict slackened his hold on the reins and patted his horse’s lathered neck in silent apology. His stomach pitched. This was a disaster. A surefire recipe for misery. They couldn’t possibly have a future together. What did he have to offer her—the girl who could afford everything? A mountain of debt. A drawer full of medals he didn’t deserve.

Benedict narrowed his eyes. If her idiotic cousin laid so much as a finger on her, he would pay dearly. Any man who used his physical superiority to bully a woman or intimidate someone weaker than himself didn’t deserve to draw breath.

Blood thundered in his ears, the same way it did before battle, bringing with it the bright anticipation of mayhem.

Seb trotted up beside him. Alex drew level on his other side and pounded him on the shoulder. “We’ll get her back.”