[Previously: Cedric, Jacques and the army of grooms have caught up to and captured the coach, and freed Lavinia. Cedric has untied Lavinia and lifted her from the coach.]



For the first few seconds they just clung to one another, their emotions too great to allow for speech. Then Cedric loosened his hold a bit so he could look at her, wanting to see with his own eyes that she was truly all right.

"Oh, mon Dieu! Lavinia, I have been half out of my mind with worry. Are you all right?"

"Oui, oui, je suis bon ... mais vous? I was so afraid--"

"Non, mon coeur, do not worry about me."

"But I did, Cedric! You were hurt. I saw--!"

"Non, non ... only a little. The old bandages protected me."

"I thought you ... you--! But, you are here." She wrapped her arms around him again, pressing her cheek against his chest. "You came, my dearest love, you came."

"I will always come to you, my darling Lavinia, always. Toujours, mon coeur, toujours!" He could hear the tears in her voice, even though he couldn't see her face, and he began to gently stroke her head, trying to comfort her. "My uncle will not be able to harm you ever again."

She allowed herself the luxury of his embrace, even more precious to her now because she had believed it lost to her forever. But her practical nature, which not even near disasters could completely subdue, soon came to the fore once again, and made her wonder, "How can you be sure? Will he go to prison, Cedric?"

"Probably not," Cedric admitted with regret. "There are laws protecting peers in this country, but he will be publicly exposed for the villain he is, which will mean a scandal and banishment from the society he most enjoys. I think we can persuade him that the only future for him lies in living abroad. But first ...." He gently unwound her arms from around his neck, took her hands into his own and kissed them. "First, my uncle and I have some unfinished business."

She looked up at him, surprised at the tone she now heard, and was able read in his eyes his grim purpose. "No," she whispered fearfully.

"I must, Lavinia." With reluctance, he let go of her hands and turned to retrieve his sword from the floor of the carriage.

Lavinia looked around for Jacques, hoping to enlist his aid in persuading Cedric not to duel Lucius, but she didn't see him. Voices, which she had not been aware of until now, informed her that everyone else was gathered on the other side of the vehicle. She was on her own.

Cedric had sheathed his sword and was stepping towards her again. What could she say? How could she convince him? His words showed her that it would be useless to try.

"If this were about you and me only, Lavinia," he told her, as he took her hands once more, "you might be able to stop me. It would gall me to ignore his insults to you, and your father, but I might do it, for your sake. But, this isn't just about you, or me. Lucius' actions have harmed hundreds of people ... dozens of families, and he won't be made to truly pay for his crimes. And what of my grandfather, my eldest uncle, and my father? They are no longer here to defend our family's name and honour. I have to be their advocate ... their champion, don't you see?"

The goodness in his soul shone through his eyes, pleading with her to see what was in his heart. "They can't be here to fight him, or punish him, Lavinia, but I can ... for them."

She wouldn't have thought it was possible to love him more than she did already, but he'd proven her wrong. She brought his right hand up to her cheek and held it there. "Oh, Cedric, I ... I'm sorry. I see now that you must do this. But, you will be careful?"

"Certainement, chérie." He pulled her into his arms, and held her close, kissing the top of her head. Knowing that she was upset, he tried to cheer her, saying lightly, "The Avenger has one more job to do before he hangs up his mask."

Not daring to look up, she responded from the safety of his arms. "It ... it wasn't entirely true what you said before, Cedric. Lucius could still hurt me, by hurting you."

Cedric held her even more tightly. "He will not be able to hurt me, Lavinia," he told her, with a calm certainty that reassured her in spite of her fears. "I promise."

With that she had to be content. She trusted Cedric, but she also knew what a monster Lucius was--a monster who was now cornered and desperate. As Cedric took her hand to lead her around to the other side of the carriage, she tried to school her face into a semblance of a serenity she was far from feeling.

A remarkable sight greeted the couple as Cedric rejoined his men. Lucius' confederates were all tied up and sitting in a morose little group at the edge of the road. Standing nearby were the stable lads and grooms who had subdued them. A few paces further on, towards the front of the carriage, Jacques was keeping a close eye, and his pistol, on Lucius. As Cedric approached his men, with Lavinia on his arm, all of them respectfully removed their caps.

"Is everyone all right?" Cedric wanted to know.

"Yes, sur, Master Cedric," Hinkling replied, "the lads and me are jest fine, but a couple of this lot 'ere," he added, pointing to the highwaymen, "will be feeling sore for a while." He slapped his cudgel into his palm a couple of times, to make his point. Cedric nodded appreciatively.

"That were a good plan you had, too, sur. Couldn't 'ave gone better if a real general 'isself 'ad thought it up. Three cheers for Master Cedric, lads!"

Cedric's lips twitched briefly while his "army" cheered him, but he maintained his gravity, as befitted the occasion. "Thank you, Hinkling, and all of you," he added, smiling to include the entire group. "I'm sure no real general was ever prouder of his troops than I am of you all today."

They looked quite pleased with themselves as they grinned at Cedric, and at one another.

"Thank you, sur," Hinkling continued. "And very 'appy we are to see that the lady 'as taken no 'urt, if that's not being too forward, sur."

"Not at all, Hinkling. In fact, I would concur with that sentiment, wholeheartedly."

An impatient noise from Lucius' direction caused everyone to look that way, and Cedric's expression hardened. For a moment, nephew and uncle stared at one another then Cedric took Lavinia's hand from his arm and turned to Hinkling. "I have some business with my uncle, Hinkling. Please have a care for Mademoiselle Lavinia until I am finished."

Hinkling put his cap on, saluted, and shouldered his cudgel, ready to do his duty. "Yes, sur!

Nodding his thanks, Cedric walked towards Lucius and Jacques.

Lucius watched with scornful eyes as his nephew approached. He knew how to deal with upstarts such as this. "Well, well, nephew! It would appear that this point has gone to you, but the game isn't over yet, you know."

"I agree uncle. We have some unfinished business, you and I."

Lucius' eyes narrowed at the tone he heard in Cedric's voice. He'd thought that independent streak of Cedric's had been stamped out two years ago. "What business could I possibly have with you? Go back home with your wench and your victory, nephew, and count yourself fortunate. I have a boat to catch."

Jacques gasped at the insult implicit in Lucius' manner, but he held his tongue. This was Cedric’s battle, not his.

"You will not be catching a boat today, or indeed any other day for quite a while, Uncle Lucius. You have some crimes to answer for."

"Oh, I think not. Have you forgotten what a scandal that would create? I'm sure you won't want to drag the family name through all that nasty and very public mud."

"Because of you, uncle, our name has already been besmirched. A public cleansing would at least prove to the world that not all Laneworths would stoop to do what you have done."

"You fool--!" Lucius stepped forward threateningly, but Jacques was there first, his gun held at the ready. "Call off your pet dog, Cedric. I wouldn't demean myself by fighting with one such as him."

Cedric's eyes blazed in anger, but he kept his voice level. "Jacques is worth twenty of you and the one, moreover, who would be demeaned by contact with you. However," he added, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword, "today it is I who you will be fighting."

"You? Ha! That would not be a fight ... it would be an all too easy separation of a fool from his life."

"You can think of me what you like uncle, but you will fight me."

"Insolent puppy! Give me one reason why I should."

"I could give you several, just by naming the families you have harmed by your crimes, but I think one will suffice." With that, Cedric reached into his waistcoat pocket and pulled out a ring. He held it up a moment, to give his uncle a good look at it, before slipping it onto his own finger. Lucius was staring at him; for once in his life totally bereft of speech.

"Do you recall the night I took this from you, uncle? I do," Cedric said, and he proceeded to drop forever all of the mannerisms of the meek Cedric he'd created for his uncle's benefit.

Before Lucius' stunned eyes, his nephew seemed to grow taller, his shoulders straighter, his eyes sterner. A small, cold shiver formed deep in the pit of Lucius' stomach, as he realised he was truly looking into the face, not only of the Masked Avenger, but also of a man he'd underestimated, and ignored, for far too long.

A few feet away, just out of earshot of most of the low-voiced conversation between the two Laneworth men, Hinkling and the other grooms watched in astonishment as Cedric challenged Lucius. "By gawd," Hinkling murmured to no one in particular, "'e's the spit of his grandda, so 'e is."

"Well, uncle. What is your answer now?" Cedric asked, the sunlight glinting off the gold on his finger as his hand caressed the hilt of his sword.

Lucius tore his eyes away from that glint, fury building within him. Fury against his nephew for having made a fool of him, and for all the times over the past months when the Masked Avenger had interfered with his plans, but mostly for that shiver of cold fear that Lucius had felt in his stomach. No man, except his father, had ever succeeded in making Lucius feel that kind of fear and he was going to make damned sure that no one could ever do it again.

"Get me my sword!" he spat.



[Author's note: help with French phrases--
Oui, oui, je suis bon ... mais vous? = Yes,yes, I am fine ... but you?
Toujours, mon coeur, toujours! = Always, my heart, always!
Certainement, chérie = Certainly (of course), my dear