by Gloria Gay
“Did not your cousin say he had enough outriders and our outriders would not be needed?”
“Halt!”
The carriage came to a stop.
“Everyone out!”
“We better do as they say,” said Cecilia. “Perhaps once they take our valuables they will let us be on our way. Papa, stay in the coach. The night air is cold out here and you are not well.
“I can hardly move, my dear,” said her father, his voice frustrated. “My legs are not responding!”
As Martha and Cecilia were helped down from the carriage by one of Alex's outriders Cecilia walked over to where the men in dark capes and hoods were shouting. Suddenly there was a scuffle and she saw that Alex Shackel was fighting with one of them. He swung at one of them with his sword but was hit from behind by another. He fell to the ground unconscious and both the man who had hit him from behind and the one with the sword turned toward Cecilia and Martha.
“Take herjust the young one,” he said to two men.
Cecilia was grabbed on each side by two men and dragged away. All the while this was taking place Martha was screaming.
Cecilia was then forced on a horse where a rider got behind her. Her horse was then surrounded. The other riders then took off, with Cecilia in the middle.
“Let's go!” They disappeared among the trees of the dark wood.
When Martha ran after them she was pushed and then slapped by the last two riders that stayed behind. She fell to the ground and hit her head with the fallen trunk of a tree. Then they, too, took off and joined the others.
Sir Geoffrey got down with great effort from the carriage. His heart was pounding and he felt his ears ringing. Slowly he worked his way to where Martha lay on the ground and saw that others were unconscious on the ground.
It appeared that Alex Shackel and his outriders had been bested in the fight.
With the help of his driver Sir Geoffrey tried to revive Martha and was finally successful when that lady moaned, her hand going to the bump in the back of her head.
“What happened? Where's Cecilia, Sir Geoffrey?”
“She's gone,” said Sir Geoffrey, his voice breaking and his eyes welling up in tears. “She has been kidnapped! What are we to do, Martha?”
“I don't know! Dear God,” said Martha. “Poor Cecilia! And where is your cousin, Alex? He has a lot to answer for! He should have allowed you to bring your outriders. From what I can see his riders are useless. As is he,” she added. She pointed at where Alex was getting up from the ground. He appeared to have a slash on his sleeve and blood was seeping onto the sleeve. His hair was disheveled, which, with his neatly shaved goatee, gave him a strange air.
“Alex,” said Sir Geoffrey. “Cecilia has been abducted!”
“I know! I saw them take her! I tried to stop them, Sir Geoffrey,” said Alex. “They overpowered me and they overpowered my men. There were so many! But we're going after them, just as soon as we regroup. Jeff, David! Hal! Get up, all of you. We're going after them!”
“It was a sudden ambush,” said Alex as he tightened the saddle on a horse. “They had the first strike, but that's all they're going to be allowed. They won't take us by surprise again.”
“They shouldn't have been able to surprise you in the first place,” said Martha, grimly, her voice full of disdain. “You shouldn't have prevented Sir Geoffrey from bringing his outriders with us. And where is Jonathon?” Martha had suddenly realized that their trusted groom was not with them.”
“Jonathon fell ill back near Bedford and I advised him to return.”
“And why did he not inform us of that?”
“He was in no condition to do so, ma'am,” Alex seemed annoyed at having to answer the questions of a “poor relation” but seemed to try to keep calm. “You were all asleep and we took advantage of a carriage going to Hertford and he got on it. I was to inform you of this when you woke up and then this happened. But we're losing valuable time. We must be off!”
“Yes,” said Sir Geoffrey, “please, Cecilia must be our first concern!”
“Zane will ride with you to The Blue Raven Inn, Sir Geoffrey. Wait there for us. I promise you I will return Miss Sentenell safe and sound.
“I pray to God that you will,” said Sir Geoffrey, his head hanging on his chest. “I will not smile again until my Cecilia is back with me.”
“Never fear, Cousin Geoffrey. I shall bring her back!”
CHAPTER 41
When they had gone for about half a mile through the dark dense forest, the group stopped and Cecilia's eyes were covered with a tight scarf and a gag was placed over her mouth as she struggled against them. She tried to yell and break lose but her hands were also quickly tied. The man riding with her told her that if she continued to resist she would be beaten.
After what Cecilia calculated to be about a mile through the forest, they seemed to arrive at the place where they were taking them,for the rider she was with stopped the horse and the other horses and riders seemed to be stopping too. Then suddenly a loud commotion ensued and Cecilia heard several other horses’ hooves and men yelling. It seemed like there was a fight going on but she could see nothing through the blind on her eyes. She felt that the man riding with her on the horse had dismounted but she dare not get off the horsewith her hands tied and the scarf on her eyes the only thing she would accomplish would be to fall off the horse and hurt herself. She could only sit helpless while what seemed like a violent fight was going on. Then she heard horses leaving and the yelling subsided.
“You are safe now, Cousin,” said a voice that she immediately recognized as Alex Shackel's.
He came over to where she sat on the horse and removed the bandage from her eyes. She blinked in the light from several torches in front of a small cottage.
“One of those vandals lies at the bottom of the ravine and the others took off running. They got very little for their efforts.” He laughed as he removed the rope that tied her hands together.
“Did those thugs hurt you with the bindings, Cousin?”
Cecilia did not answer. She rubbed her wrists.
“Come, Cousin, get down from the horse, give me your hand.”
“Get down? What for, Mr. Shackel? Let's go back to the road where Martha and my father are. I'm worried about them. I don't even know what happened to them after I was taken from them.”
“They're fine, Cousin. They know I came after you. Come, let's go into the house.”
“No! I want to go back!”
“Come down, we must rest the horses before we return.” He reached for her and slid her by force down the horse.
Then it suddenly dawned on Cecilia that Alex had staged the whole thing to get her alone. She felt the blood freezing in her veins. What were the plans he had for her, rape?
Cecilia started to scream and Alex slapped her hard. Her cheek stung from Shackel's hand and she felt blood from the corner of her mouth.
“Forgive me for slapping you, Cousin, but I know what's best for you at the moment. I feared you were in danger of getting hysterical. I just went through an ordeal in order to save you and I ask you to wait a while in the cottage so that the horses may rest and you are resisting as if I am your enemy. I'm not your enemy, Cousin, I'm the man who just now saved you.”
A sardonic voice from the shadows startled them both.
“That bit of acting wouldn't get you even a small part in Drury Lane, Shackel. Why don't you try forcing me into the cottage?” he asked, pointing a gun at him.
Shackel turned around and looked at the trees beyond, apparently expecting someone to appear from behind the trees.
“If you're looking for your man, he's not there. He's at the bottom of the ravine, along with the other two hooligans you hired for this farce,” said Arandale, “I know because I tossed them there. And now, hand over your pistol.”
“Not all of them,” said a voice from the side and a shot blasted the pistol from Lord Arandale's hand. Arandale went for his sword a
nd so did Shackel. Cecilia jumped aside as the men began to fight with their swords. They seemed to be even in skill and Cecilia saw that the man who had shot the pistol from Lord Arandale's hand was just waiting to get a good shot at Arandale without shooting Shackel. But both Shackel and Arandale were moving and jumping around so fast that the man was running around them. Finally he got close enough so that he could shoot only Arandale. And just when he had raised the pistol to shoot Arandale in the chest, a shot rang out.
Cecilia stood looking at her hand in horror. Then she gazed at the man she had just shot with her father's pistol. He was crumpled in the ground, bleeding.
She turned to see Shackel and Arandale who had momentarily paused when the shot rang out. Now they continued and Cecilia could see that Alex had slackened and look weary. He had also been stunned when his man was shot. Arandale took the advantage. Shackel lunged at Arandale in a last ditch effort and Arandale jumped aside and then ran him through with his sword.
Cecilia ran over to Arandale and he embraced her as they both looked down at Shackel who lay in a heap in the ground.
“I'm extremely glad you can handle a pistol, Miss Sentenell,” he said, wiping the sweat on his face with his sleeve.
“I can also handle a sword.”
“I have no doubt of that,” said Arandale with a laugh. “Call me Justin. Partners in battles go by their first names.”
“Call me Cecilia, Justin.”
“From now on I'm going to call you my love. Come, my darling, let's get out of here. It's dangerous still, we don't know how many thugs Shackel hired. We'll send the Magistrate's men.
“Isis Shackel dead?”
“As dead as he'll ever be,” said Arandale. “But don't feel too sorry for him, he had a worse fate planned for you.”
“But he had to get past you first,” said Cecilia happily as Justin put his arm around her and then helped her over the uneven ground toward the place where the horses were.
* * *
Lord Arandale and Cecilia were married by special license in Hanover Square and were now on their way to Brintelway Hall to pick up Sir Geoffrey's and Cecilia's luggage and to give further instructions to the estate's agent. Lord Arandale and Cecilia traveled in his chaise while Sir Geoffrey and Martha followed close behind in Sir Geoffrey’s coach.
Cecilia wondered how she could broach the subject of Sarah. She was going to spend the rest of her life with Lord Arandale, and she must know his feelings about her.
“You had a great tragedy in your life, before I met you, Justin,” she said tentatively. “Have you overcome it?”
“You have a right to know about Sarah, my love,” said Arandale. “Yes, it was a tragedy that I just couldn't come to grips with. I never went to her funeral or even visited her grave. Shortly after her death I found the men responsible and had them put in gaol and then I took off to war.” At first his voice was strained, but then it began to ease. “I pretended it hadn't happened, darling.”
He turned to Cecilia, sitting close to him.
“You brought me out of that maze, my love, with that look in your eyes that cut deep into my soul and made me look at myself for the first time in many years. And I was appalled at what I saw. Then I saw your face through the awful mess that was my life like the North Star that beckoned me.
At first I found myself needing your respect and as I came to know you better I realized I wanted your lovedesperately.
Lord Arandale ran a hand through his hair. “I remember that night at Lord Belvedere's Ball,” he said. “Even as I was accusing you of providing the gossip for the bulletin in the Times, my mind was busy providing an explanation, excusing you from having anything to do with it. I had fallen in love with you without even realizing it.”
“I had nothing to do with that bulletin,” said Cecilia, “and how I worried that you might think I had.”
“I know, my love,” said Arandale, leaning down to kiss her, “and I think I knew then that that was something you could never do, it was not in your character.”
Arandale pulled Cecilia closer to him and with his left arm around her he kissed the top of her head.
It would be at least two hours before they reached London, thought Cecilia as she cuddled closer to Arandale. Then she looked into his eyes. In his eyes he saw the love he had for her and that it would last a lifetime and beyond. He held her close and the look in his eyes embraced her and she knew then that her heart had found its home.
He rested his hand on her breast and undid the top buttons of her pale green muslin gown. Cecilia sighed into his arm as sizzling tingles spread throughout her body. If she lived to be a hundred she would never again have a moment such as this, when it seemed the world stood still in Arandale’s kiss. And his kiss, as his tongue probed first her under lip and then danced with her tongue, lifted her to heights she had not known before. She sighed into his breath and his arms were tighter about her as he whispered his love into her ear.
Arandale pulled her into her lap as the soothing sound of the horses’ hooves went over a smooth few miles of road.
* * *
“I want you to meet Becky and Jimmy,” said Cecilia, as she and Arandale strolled hand in hand along a lane at the edge of the woods, now and then stopping a little for a kiss. They had been two days, in Brintelway Hall. They would soon leave for Torrey Vale where Sir Geoffrey would remain under the care of Martha and Lord Arandale's excellent physician while Arandale and Cecilia would then leave on their honeymoon.
“They are dear children and friends of minethe children of one of our tenants,” said Cecilia.
When they reached the Kenty cottage, the children ran out to meet them.
“I'm so glad you're out of your illness and healthy again, Jimmy,” said Cecilia, giving each a hug. Here are your surprises. A toy soldier for you and a doll for Becky.”
“Is this the prince you went to rescue from the woods?” asked Becky, hugging her doll and looking up curiously at Arandale.
“Yes, he’s the one,” said Cecilia laughing.
“But he rescued you too, didn't he?” Jimmy said.
“That's righthe rescued me too.”
Epilogue
Lord Kelly renewed his relationship with Sadie Welsh and married her a few months after. She was the only woman he had ever truly loved. His lonely days were over and his life was now full. He was not the first nor was he likely to be the last peer of the realm to marry his mistress. He took great pride, also, in publicly recognizing Violet as his daughter.
Lord Arandale had the medicine that Lady Rolande had been providing to Sir Geoffrey examined in London and it was found that it contained a large amount of opium. Arandale found a physician who had done great advances for the condition Sir Geoffrey had and although Sir Geoffrey did not regain his health entirely, he was able to live a painless life with only limited movement in his limbs.
Lady Rolande denied having any knowledge of Shackel's plots and felt affronted when Lord Arandale accused her of conspiracy for gain. She insisted she knew nothing of the kidnapping plan and that her “selfless interest” stemmed from her wish to keep Cecilia in her ancestral home. But afraid that Lord Arandale might file charges, Lady Rolande fled to her aunt’s house in Northumberland where it is said that Hedra later married Squire Duncan.
Jake Lindel’s mother finally received word from her son. He told her he had been shanghaied into a ship that left for the colonies but had been able to escape his captors shortly after the ship docked. In later years he became a successful farmer in America.
Cecilia and Arandale were married in St. George's Chapel two weeks after their return from Brintelway Hall. Arandale never again went to Brighton and his former friends in dissipation bemoaned the fact that throughout the years Lord Arandale remained passionatelyand unfashionablyin love with his wife.
The End
Note from the Author
Thank you, dear reader, for the gift of your time while reading:
Kissed in the Dark.
If you admired Violet’s bravery in helping Lord Arandale rescue Cecilia and are interested in reading Violet’s story, you will find it in my
Regency novel:
Known to All
DEDICATION
To my sister, Maria S. Obropta
About the Author
Writer/artist, Gloria Gay’s love of painting and writing has always been hopelessly entwined in her life. Her self-published first novel, First Season, earned a four-star review from Romantic Times Book Review and she went on to publish Forced Offer, Canceled Courtship and Known to All. Recently, Boroughs Publishing Group published her Regency historical romances, Scandal at Almack’s and Lovely Little Liar.
KISSED IN THE DARK, was first published in a different form under the title, Canceled Courtship and is the prequel to Known to All.
Gloria and her husband Enrique, an architect, have three grown children and six grand-children who all live near them in the San Diego area. Gloria can be reached at gloriagay.com.
Copyright 2003, 2014, by Gloria Caballero Gay
All Rights Reserved
ISBN
First published in 2003 in a different form as Canceled Courtship
Published 2014
Published by Gloria Caballero Gay, 1605 Sombrero Way, San Diego, CA 92154, United States of America. c2014. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
Acknowledgment: Edited by Mariana Gay
Manufactured in the United States of America
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to any person or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.