about to get cropped!”
Robinson swept out a quick hand, forcing her back and away from Matthew with the length of his muscled arm. “Mr. Milton. Georgia mentioned that you may be in need of funds. I would be more than willing to provide a monetary contribution to bring an end to this hostility.”
Georgia lowered her fist and glanced up at Robinson, who intently stared Matthew down, clearly not intimidated by the pistol pointed at his head.
Bravo . It would appear Robinson was far savvier than she’d thought. Matthew, after all, was a walking almshouse willing to set aside everything in the name of money.
Matthew lowered his pistol. “Consider me a friend the moment your generosity touches this hand, Mr. Crusoe .” Uncocking the pistol with a swift movement, he tucked it back into the leather holster on his hip, burying it beneath his untucked shirt. Matthew swiped his palm against the thigh of his trousers, reached out and shook Robinson’s hand. “I’ve never willingly shook a Brit’s paw before, but I’m a man of business first and foremost and providing for my boys is my business.”
Matthew adjusted his faded leather patch the way he always did when excited about something and casually inquired, “Exactly how much money are we talking here? I need clothes, boots, food, maps, parchments, ink, wax, quills and books. And that’s just the short list. Whilst Coleman teaches our men how to better fight, I teach them how to read and write so they can fully understand their rights as is scribed in the United States Constitution. Because my motto is what my father’s was—muscle is of little worth if there is no thought behind it. That is how and why Ali Baba dismantled all forty thieves and that is why we call ourselves such.”
Robinson let out a whistle. “ That is not at all what I expected from a group of gallivanting thieves.”
Matthew inclined his head. “We only steal when we have to. Which, sadly, is most of the time, given the expense of maintaining and educating forty men.” Gesturing toward the wall, Matthew shook his head. “John over there is still at the level of reading that would shame a bogtrotter and can’t write legibly for shite. I told him just this morn, when he pranced over huffing about you and Georgia, that until he’s at a respectable level of education, no woman will respect him. Especially Georgia here, who was mentored by my own father. I was barely twenty when I first met her. She was naught more than a scrap he took in after finding her asleep in his coal bin, looking like the dirty angel she still is. At the time, she didn’t even know what the hell a quill was for. Now look at her. She outreads me, outwrites me, outwits me and even finds the men around these parts to be so damn stupid, she’s heading out west.”
Robinson paused and glanced over at her, capturing her gaze. His gray eyes simmered with genuine admiration. “I find her to be utterly remarkable,” he admitted huskily.
Her pulse skipped.
Averting his gaze to Matthew, Robinson casually remarked, “Thievery and pistols aside, Mr. Milton, I admire that you seek to educate these men. Without an education, they can’t think for themselves, let alone rise above circumstance.”
Matthew reached out and thumped him on the back. “I can see why John was all nettles about you. You’re a good-looking book and it made him feel like the stale hoecake that he is.”
Robinson smirked. “You flatter me. That boy would make any man look good.”
“Right you are in that, Brit. Right you are in that.” Pausing, Matthew held up a bargaining hand between them. “So how about we come to a mutual agreement? For however long you’re in these parts, I’ll see to it you fall under my protection. What does that mean? It means that by the end of this day, every man in this ward, right down to the sweeper, will know that if they touch you, they touch me. And I don’t like men touching me. So I most certainly won’t like men
Robinson swept out a quick hand, forcing her back and away from Matthew with the length of his muscled arm. “Mr. Milton. Georgia mentioned that you may be in need of funds. I would be more than willing to provide a monetary contribution to bring an end to this hostility.”
Georgia lowered her fist and glanced up at Robinson, who intently stared Matthew down, clearly not intimidated by the pistol pointed at his head.
Bravo . It would appear Robinson was far savvier than she’d thought. Matthew, after all, was a walking almshouse willing to set aside everything in the name of money.
Matthew lowered his pistol. “Consider me a friend the moment your generosity touches this hand, Mr. Crusoe .” Uncocking the pistol with a swift movement, he tucked it back into the leather holster on his hip, burying it beneath his untucked shirt. Matthew swiped his palm against the thigh of his trousers, reached out and shook Robinson’s hand. “I’ve never willingly shook a Brit’s paw before, but I’m a man of business first and foremost and providing for my boys is my business.”
Matthew adjusted his faded leather patch the way he always did when excited about something and casually inquired, “Exactly how much money are we talking here? I need clothes, boots, food, maps, parchments, ink, wax, quills and books. And that’s just the short list. Whilst Coleman teaches our men how to better fight, I teach them how to read and write so they can fully understand their rights as is scribed in the United States Constitution. Because my motto is what my father’s was—muscle is of little worth if there is no thought behind it. That is how and why Ali Baba dismantled all forty thieves and that is why we call ourselves such.”
Robinson let out a whistle. “ That is not at all what I expected from a group of gallivanting thieves.”
Matthew inclined his head. “We only steal when we have to. Which, sadly, is most of the time, given the expense of maintaining and educating forty men.” Gesturing toward the wall, Matthew shook his head. “John over there is still at the level of reading that would shame a bogtrotter and can’t write legibly for shite. I told him just this morn, when he pranced over huffing about you and Georgia, that until he’s at a respectable level of education, no woman will respect him. Especially Georgia here, who was mentored by my own father. I was barely twenty when I first met her. She was naught more than a scrap he took in after finding her asleep in his coal bin, looking like the dirty angel she still is. At the time, she didn’t even know what the hell a quill was for. Now look at her. She outreads me, outwrites me, outwits me and even finds the men around these parts to be so damn stupid, she’s heading out west.”
Robinson paused and glanced over at her, capturing her gaze. His gray eyes simmered with genuine admiration. “I find her to be utterly remarkable,” he admitted huskily.
Her pulse skipped.
Averting his gaze to Matthew, Robinson casually remarked, “Thievery and pistols aside, Mr. Milton, I admire that you seek to educate these men. Without an education, they can’t think for themselves, let alone rise above circumstance.”
Matthew reached out and thumped him on the back. “I can see why John was all nettles about you. You’re a good-looking book and it made him feel like the stale hoecake that he is.”
Robinson smirked. “You flatter me. That boy would make any man look good.”
“Right you are in that, Brit. Right you are in that.” Pausing, Matthew held up a bargaining hand between them. “So how about we come to a mutual agreement? For however long you’re in these parts, I’ll see to it you fall under my protection. What does that mean? It means that by the end of this day, every man in this ward, right down to the sweeper, will know that if they touch you, they touch me. And I don’t like men touching me. So I most certainly won’t like men
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