by Vella, Wendy
“And now I look closely, you could be the man who tried to run me down with a carriage, too.”
“Wasn’t me!”
“Miss Langley is my betrothed, and related to every man in this room, and it’s our belief that Lord Anthony has abducted her. We,” Luke gestured with his hand around the room, “care very much for Miss Langley and it would be in your best interests to remember that before you open your mouth again.” Luke watched the man swallow several times. “So I will ask you one final time where he has taken her. If you do not reply, then I will start beating the answers out of you.”
The man looked from Luke to the others and back to Luke.
“H-he’s gone to a church.”
“Gretna Green?” Will said.
“No, he says he doesn’t need to go there, and said something about a village called Biverton.”
“I know where that is!” Ben said. “We’ve been there, Alex, to watch a boxing match. Do you remember?”
“By God, yes!”
“Tis lucky for you that I care more about getting to her than evening the score between us, sir. But if you ever appear before me again, you shall not be so lucky. Let’s go.” Luke walked past the man and out the door.
I’m coming, Bella.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Bella woke, disorientated. Her head hurt as she struggled to sit upright. Her hands were bound in front of her.
“I hope your head is not too painful, my dear.”
She saw him sitting on the opposite seat, then. Lord Anthony, and suddenly she remembered being in the park.
“Why have you taken me?” She had a nasty feeling she knew why, but she still had to ask.
“We are to be married.” The smile she had always thought was pleasant was now anything but. He looked unstable all of a sudden, and Bella wondered why she had not looked at him closely before.
“You had us all fooled, didn’t you?”
“Oh, I assure you I am a lord, my dear. However, I inherited a title with little wealth attached to it. I have expensive tastes; therefore, what little there was had soon gone and your dowry will help replenish my coffers.”
“It was you, wasn’t it? The one who tried to hurt my fiancé? The person responsible for blackening his name?”
“I am your fiancé, my dear, not Luke Fletcher. As you know, he has left town, leaving you clear to marry a man more worthy of your breeding.”
“Worthy?” Bella spat the word at him. “You are the least worthy man I know and Luke is worth ten of a sniveling creature like you.”
“He is of common birth!” Lord Anthony’s face flushed with color.
“And more of a man than you could ever be,” Bella said. “You have no idea who you are dealing with, do you?” Bella took a couple of deep, steadying breaths. She was worried but not terrified. Luke would come for her and she just had to stay unmarried and unharmed until then.
“Pardon?” He looked genuinely perplexed by her question.
“My family are not normal, my lord. They will not sit idly by while you attempt to marry me. They can, I assure you, fight extremely dirty when required. And to protect one of theirs, they will stop at nothing.”
Bella watched his eyes go to the window as he swallowed quickly. She saw the flash of fear before he managed to mask it.
“They will not find us.”
She smiled. “Oh, they will, and you will be very unhappy when they do.”
“We’ll be wed by then.” This time his words were not quite as calm.
“And you think that will stop them?” Bella laughed. “You will never get my dowry, nor will they allow you to stay married to me. My fiancé will kill you without blinking, Lord Anthony, as will my brothers-in-law…actually, and my sisters.”
“You’re just telling tales, Miss Langley, trying to scare me,” His laugh was forced and shaky.
Bella looked at him steadily. “My father died and left us penniless. My sisters became highwaymen to survive, Lord Anthony. My fiancé and brother-in-law lived in India for years. They built their empire using force and their wits to survive. Do you honestly think I could make up a story like that?” It would soon be dark but Bella could see that his skin was pale, and he was sweating.
“You’re lying. I’ve seen your family. They are gentle, titled people who will accept your marriage when I present it to them.”
Bella knew she had said enough to scare him, so instead, she shrugged her shoulders. “We shall soon see if I am lying, my lord.” Feigning disinterest she looked out the window.
“Yes, we will, my dear. And while I understand you are trying to scare me, which you did for a while there, remember what I am capable of. I have attempted twice to kill Luke Fletcher. Believe me when I say that I will not fail a third time.”
“Your words don’t frighten me. You paid people to cause the damage you have, those were the actions of a coward, a man who relies on others to do his dirty deeds. Besides, as you have abducted me, I can only imagine that your money has now run out and you have nothing to bribe people to do your bidding anymore.”
She knew she was right, as anger filled his face and his fists clenched on his thighs.
“You will be my wife.”
She didn’t answer and they traveled in silence for some time, but she felt his eyes on her. She had to escape somehow and give Luke the time he needed to find her. She never doubted him, and she would do all she could to aid him.
“We will be stopping for the night soon, and I’m afraid I must once again drug you, Miss Langley, to get you to our room.”
“No!” Bella reached for the door handle. He would not drug her again; she’d jump from the carriage first.
“Yes,” he said, grabbing her hands. “And after a night spent together, you will have to marry me.” He tried to pull her across the seat and into his arms but she kicked out with her legs, feeling the muscles in her thigh protest with the action.
“Bitch!” He slapped her hard, but it deterred her only briefly. Lifting her bound hands she reached for his face and raked her nails down his cheek. His curses filled the carriage as his strength overwhelmed her and he pushed her onto her back, with the cloth over her face.
She woke the second time on a bed. It was dark, but she knew instantly she was alone. She was pleased that her hands were untied. Sitting upright, Bella pushed herself off the bed and to her feet, taking a few seconds to steady herself. Her cheek ached from his hand, but everything else felt all right. Walking towards the door, she tried the handle but it yielded nothing. Bella thought about screaming and then thought better of it. She didn’t know what story Lord Anthony had made up about her.
Making her way to the only window, she lifted it and looked outside. They were at least three stories up, and if she attempted to jump she would break something, if not her neck. Leaning further out, she ran her fingers down the side of the building and found a ledge beneath the window. It wasn’t wide; perhaps the span of her foot, but no bigger. Squinting into the night, she saw the shape of a roof at the end of the building. Could she make her way along the ledge and jump to that building. One thing was for certain. She did not want to wait here for Lord Anthony, and whatever he had planned for her this night.
Lifting her good leg over the sill, she hitched herself onto it, then lowered it down slowly to the other side until her foot rested on the narrow ledge. Gripping the window, she then swung the other one out and placed it behind the first. She started edging along, grabbing the edges of the building as she did. There was not much to hold but she managed. It was slow and arduous, but she did not hurry; it would be then that she fell. Her thigh protested the tension she was putting on it, but that would ease when she reached the end. However, then she would have to jump, which would not be easy.
The end of the building stopped her progress. Looking down, she saw the roof a few feet below. It was not far, but she would still have to jump and land without injuring herself. She fixed a vision of Luke in her head and jumpe
d. The landing was hard, and she tried to take as much impact as she could on her good leg, but it was inevitable that the other one took some. The jolt of pain traveled through her body. She took precious seconds to steady herself and then walked over the roof to find a way down. Nothing presented itself, so she lay on her stomach and dangled her legs over the edge, then gripped the edge of the roof and swung herself down, dropping the last few feet to the ground. Using a few of Luke’s curses, she limped away to where she hoped the stables were.
“Come on, Bessie, just a little tumble.”
Bella heard the voices as she approached. Moving into the shadows beside the door, she stopped to listen.
“I have to get back to work, Jed.”
“You want a tumble, Bessie, you know you do.”
Bella listened to the kissing sounds and then she heard Bessie giggle, but the noise was further away now. Slipping inside the stables, she made her away along the stalls, taking care to duck below the door where the sounds of Bessie and Jed’s passionate encounter was taking place. Visions of her and Luke slipped into Bella’s head, which she hurriedly pushed aside. Now was not the time for that. Now she had to get away from here and on the road back to London.
Slipping into a stall, she found a horse, which looked far bigger and stronger than any she had previously ridden. Swallowing her nerves, she ran one hand down his nose. Looking around her, she found a bridle hanging on a hook and quickly took it down. Finding a box, she dragged it closer. Bella had put bridles on horses before her accident, so she knew what to do. The horse seemed obliging, so soon she had at least achieved that.
There was no sign of a saddle, however, which was disturbing. Dared she take precious time to find one? Listening to the sounds of Bessie and Jed, she thought not. They seemed to be reaching the conclusion of their coupling if the noises were any indication. Taking the reins in one hand, she opened the stall and led the horse out. She could do nothing about the clopping sound of the hooves, and prayed they did not hear her as she passed. Holding her breath, she did not release it until she was outside.
“Now, I don’t know your name, nor do I know if you are a good horse or bad one. However, I need you to be good tonight, and aid me in my escape. If you do that, I shall endeavor to look after you in your retirement.” Bella whispered the words into the horse’s ear after she had climbed up on the mounting block. Swinging her leg over, she then took the reins and urged him from the yard and out onto the road.
“If you know the way to London, I should be very grateful if you would head that way, if you please.”
Giving him a little nudge with her heels, Bella then clutched his mane as he leapt forward, and soon she was galloping down the road, in what she hoped was the right direction.
I’m coming, Luke.
***
They twins had anticipated that Biverton was about a three-hour ride from London, if that was where he had taken her. They had been riding for two hours now, and Luke was plagued by doubts. What if Anthony had taken her somewhere else and the man had lied to them? Was she hurting? Was she crying? Had she called out for him? Was she married?
Beside him, Will’s face looked as grim as his, as did Finn and his brothers’. Ace looked as he always did—serious. None of them had spoken, all intent on what needed to be done.
As he rode, he thought of Bella, of what they had planned to do in their life. He thought of their children and the love he would lavish on them, and of her, his love, his life.
“A rider approaches.”
The shout came from Alex. They reined in their horses and waited. He saw the horse, with the rider crouched low over its mane in the distance.
“Just someone heading back to London, I’m thinking,” Will said, looking down the road.
Luke watched it get closer and then he saw a hand lift and move to one thigh.
“It’s Bella!” he roared. Kicking his horse’s sides, he galloped towards her, pulling up as she approached.
“Bella!”
She lifted her head. Hearing his words, her hands gathered the reins and she pulled as hard as she could, but the animal was strong. Luke turned as she passed him and urged his mount up alongside. Reaching down, he gripped a rein and pulled the horse to a stop. Will did the same on the other side.
“Luke!” She reached for him as he did her, and he pulled her off the horse and across his thighs.
“Bella! God, are you all right?” He crushed her to him, feeling her tremors.
“Y-yes, just c-cold.”
Opening his overcoat, he pulled her into his chest and she huddled into him, her arms slipping around his waist.
“Where is he?”
Will had moved to his side; placing a hand on her head, he stroked her hair until slowly she calmed. Only then did she lift her head.
“I escaped; he still thinks I’m in the r-room. It was Lord Anthony all the time, Luke. He was the one behind everything.”
“I know. Finn found that out this morning, but it was too late to stop him taking you.”
“He did not hurt me, but I hurt him by scratching his face. I also taunted him by saying you would come after me and he would be very sorry when you found us.”
Will smiled; reaching for her chin, he tweaked it. “You have so much of your sisters in you, little one.”
She touched his hand and then settled back into Luke’s chest. She was exhausted now that she could allow herself to be.
Luke lifted her chin, studying her face. He saw the mark on her cheek before kissing her lips. He then tucked her back into his chest. “I love you,” he breathed into her hair.
“Where is Anthony, Bella?” Finn said, coming forward to brush a kiss on top of her head.
“I don’t know what the place he is in looks like because he drugged me.”
Luke swallowed down his rage at her words; she was safe now, and in his arms.
“But I’ve been riding for about an hour is my guess.”
“You’ve been riding that beast for over an hour?” Luke shuddered.
“We’ll get him, Luke. You take her home.”
“No!” She lifted her head as Finn spoke. “I want to come.”
“You’re exhausted, love,” Luke said. Even though he wanted to be the one to confront Anthony, he knew she needed to get her back to her sisters, who would by now have tried to bribe the entire household staff to let them get into a carriage and chase after their sister. Will had threatened them with dire circumstances if they yielded, but if there was a battle of wills, Luke knew who would win.
“I’m all right now I’m in your arms. Please, it was me who was taken. Therefore, I should be allowed to do this.”
They heard a carriage racing down the road behind them then.
“This could be him,” Luke said. “Everyone stay as we are in the middle of the road, the driver will be forced to stop then.”
“Don’t shoot him.”
“What?” Luke took his eyes of the approaching carriage long enough to look at her.
“I know you’re angry with him and want to hurt him for the pain he has caused us, but I don’t want you to end up in jail, or us be forced to flee England.”
“He hurt you.” In his mind, that was enough to see Anthony dead. The rest didn’t matter.
“Hurt him back, but you will not kill him, Luke. Promise me this.”
Will snorted as Luke looked from him to Finn. The twins were listening with interest also. Ace was focused on the approaching carriage.
“I promise,” he sighed. She kissed his chin and then eased herself upright. He still held her against his chest, but she was now looking down the road.
The driver called to them to move, but when they didn’t, he pulled the horses to a halt.
“Of course this may not be Anthony, in which case Finn can do the explaining.”
“Why me?” Finn looked at Will
But he did not get an answer as the driver was yelling at them. “Move those bleedin; horses. I needs
to get my passenger back to London!”
Luke raised his pistol, which shut the man up instantly.
“Those inside step down!” he roared.
“Phoebe told me that she and Livvy used that phrase,” Bella whispered to him, which Will heard, because the side of his mouth curled up.
The door opened and out stepped Lord Anthony. He, too, held a pistol. However, when he saw the five that were trained on him, he quickly dropped it.
“Hold my horse.” Luke took his jacket off and wrapped it around her, then dismounted. He had his fist in Anthony’s face before Will, who had also dismounted, could stop him. “You hurt the woman I love, you sniveling bastard, and were it not for my promise to her, I would be returning you to London in a long wooden box.” Luke punched him again in the stomach, the breath wheezing from Lord Anthony’s throat, as he bent double.
“Here’s how it’s going to be, Anthony,” Will said, wresting the man from Luke and punching him again. Picking him up, he added, “That was for what you did to Luke. The lies and attempts on his life.”
The man couldn’t speak, simply wheezed.
“You’ll leave London permanently. I have no care where you go, but if it is not a great distance from me and mine then I will hunt you down myself and put you into that box.”
“It was a very foolish move on your part, Anthony, taking on this family. We are very protective of our own, and will take whatever steps are needed to ensure its safety,” Finn added. “And it is lucky for you that between us we can set to rights what you have done.”
“I-I can’t leave London,” Lord Anthony rasped.
“Well, then, we have a dilemma,” Luke said. “Because if you stay, I will kill you. And the thing is, Anthony, I could do it and no one would tie it to me. In fact, no one would even know you were missing…for days, maybe months…perhaps not ever. Doesn’t appear to me like you have much reason to stay.”
Ace offered to accompany the man, and suggested that he knew someone who knew someone and he would soon have Anthony on a ship bound for France. Everyone was happy with that. Realizing he had no other option, Anthony simply climbed back into his carriage.