by Laura Landon
Waverley pulled her toward the door and Brent knew he was running out of time. When Waverley turned to reach for the latch, Brent made an attempt to rush him. He couldn’t let Elly out of his sight.
Before he took even one step toward Elly, Waverley slammed the pistol against the side of her head. Elly cried out in pain.
“No!” Brent cried out and pulled up short. He lifted his hands in surrender and struggled to control an eruption of anger that was nearly beyond his control.
Waverley pressed the pistol hard enough against Elly’s temple that she winced. “I’ll kill her if you try to stop me!”
He looked at each of them as if to emphasize his point. When Waverley’s gaze met his, Brent couldn’t stop his threat from spilling into the open. “You’re a dead man, Waverley. I don’t care what I have to do, or how long it takes me, you’re a walking corpse.”
“Come after me, Charfield, and she’s dead.”
Brent stood helplessly by while Waverley pushed Elly into the hallway and slammed the door behind them. Lady Lathamton’s soft sobs were all Brent heard over the thunderous pounding of his frantic heartbeats.
If Waverley killed her...
He couldn’t finish the thought. He wasn’t sure how he’d be able to go on if he lost her now.
He heard Waverley drag Elly down the hallway and strong hands clamped around his upper arms and held him back.
“The man’s demented,” Spence said, through clamped teeth. “What does he hope to gain now? We’re on to him.”
“He doesn’t care,” Jules answered. “He wants to own Lathamton Estates.”
“But he can’t!” George bellowed. “Lathamton had a son. The land and the title are secure as long as—”
George stopped without finishing his thought.
“Bloody hell!” Brent heard several of the group who’d gathered behind him say. It didn’t take but a second longer for Lady Lathamton to realize the danger her son was in.
“Harrison!” she cried out. “He’s going to kill Andrew!”
“Shh, Cassie. We won’t let him harm the boy.”
Brent raced to the door. The minute he could no longer hear Elly’s unsteady gait, he rushed from the room. Elly’s family was close behind him.
George placed a firm hand on Brent’s arm. “Waverley said he’d kill her if we followed.”
“Do you think there’s a chance in hell he intends to let her live once he reaches Lathamton?”
The second the words were out of his mouth a feeling of dread weighed down on him.
A deafening silence fell over the men. They knew he was right. Once Waverley reached Lathamton Manor, Elly would be of no further use to him.
“We’ll need weapons,” Brent said. He was desperate to reach Elly as quickly as he could. He was frantic to reach her before Waverley killed her.
“I’ll get them,” Spence said and rushed off.
“And the horses saddled.”
“I’ll take care of that,” Jules said and was gone.
“One for me, too,” the Duke of Parneston said in a tone with which no one would dare to argue.
Brent nodded, then ran down the wide hallway that led to the entryway.
He looked to the open foyer door and felt a loss greater than he thought he could withstand.
Elly wasn’t in sight.
Chapter 19
Elly’s foot and leg throbbed with unrelenting pain and her head ached where he hit her.
Waverley hadn’t given her limitations a thought as he dragged her across the cobblestones to the stable. Nor had he taken her disability into account when he pushed her to mount the horse.
She prayed they’d ride separately. She could have out-ridden him with no problem, but before she was securely in the saddle, he mounted behind her and took off at a wild gallop.
She knew their destination. He was taking her to Lathamton Manor. In his warped thinking, he assumed there was a chance he could live the life he dreamed of having if he reached the safety of Lathamton Manor. But his dreams were impossible. He would fail with this one last desperate attempt to achieve the title and the estates that went with it.
What she feared most was that he’d kill little Andrew before Brent and Harrison arrived to stop him. She wasn’t sure how they intended to rescue her, but they would. She didn’t doubt it for a second.
It was up to her, though, to slow Waverley down in order to give Brent and her brother time to catch up with them.
When they arrived at Lathamton Manor, Waverley pulled his horse to a sudden halt and jumped to the ground. He didn’t give her time to prepare to dismount but jerked her down. She landed at an odd angle on her injured leg and collapsed to the ground. A stabbing of pain to her knees shot through her.
“Get up, dammit!”
She thought of feigning an injury so severe she couldn’t get to her feet but she couldn’t risk Waverley going in to the house without her. Little Andrew was alone with just his nursemaid to protect him.
She pushed herself to her knees without his aid, but couldn’t stop the cry of pain when he grabbed her by the arm and jerked her to her feet.
“Move!” He pulled her along behind him. “You didn’t seem to have nearly so much trouble moving when you walked with Charfield.”
“I need my cane,” Elly gasped as she limped to keep up with him. Her leg ached and she’d scraped her knees when she’d fallen on the cobblestones. Ahead of her were three stone steps to the house. She’d never make them without falling.
Waverley didn’t seem to care. He pulled her after him as he stormed toward the house.
She tripped on the first step and fell.
He looked down at her as if she were an insect that needed to be eliminated. He hesitated a moment as if deciding whether to let her live or smash her under his boot. He must have thought it was more beneficial to allow her to live because he dragged her up the remaining two steps.
The Lathamton butler opened the door and gaped in shock. “Lady Elyssa? Sir?”
“Get out!” Waverley bellowed. “And take everyone with you! Now!”
“No,” Elly cried out, trying to struggle out of Waverley’s grasp. “Don’t leave!”
“Out!”
When the butler hesitated, Waverley pulled the pistol from his pocket and fired over the frightened man’s head.
Elly heard screams from the hallways and back rooms of Lathamton Manor then the scurry of feet that grew fainter with each second.
“Don’t leave!” she cried out, but she knew from the silence there was no one left to hear her.
Waverley pulled her across the marble foyer floor toward the twin winding staircases. His destination was the third floor nursery where three-year-old Andrew was with Nanny Graybrim. Elly couldn’t let Waverley reach them. She and the elderly nurse wouldn’t be a match for an armed man with a gun.
“Move!” Waverley shouted when they reached the base of the staircase on the right.
Elly intentionally dropped to her knees and pretended she was unable to get up.
“Get up, dammit!” he bellowed, then yanked on her arm to force her to her feet.
She screamed in pain then covered her head with both arms as his hand came down to strike her. Her arms took the brunt of the blow, but the jar to her head caused her vision to blur.
“Get up!”
He slapped her hard across the face then jerked on her arm again. This time Elly rose to her feet. Another blow like the last one and she was afraid she’d lose consciousness. She had to remain alert for Andrew’s sake.
She took the first step but lost her balance on the second when he yanked on her arm. She fell hard. The pain was severe. Beneath her skirt, warm blood ran down her legs.
“I need time to climb stairs,” she gasped.
“We don’t have time!”
She didn’t know how she managed, but eventually they reached the top of the first flight of stairs. She sank to the floor and grabbed her aching leg.
&nbs
p; “Get up!”
“I can’t!”
She held on to the banister that ran the length of the balcony and overlooked the foyer. The nursery was another flight up. Her leg throbbed so hard she knew she wouldn’t make it. She looked up the long flight of stairs and thought how impossible it would be to climb any more stairs.
“Get up, I say, or I’ll—“
The sound of horses approaching stopped his tirade.
“No!”
The flight of stairs that led to the nursery was a short distance from her. Waverley’s focus turned to reaching young Andrew before anyone arrived to stop him and he dropped his grasp from around her. Killing the boy was more important to him than she was.
Elly couldn’t let him get away from her. She struggled to her knees and wrapped her arms around his legs when he took his first step.
He kicked out, lifting her in the air and slamming her body against the newel post.
She screamed in pain but didn’t let go. She knew if he reached the nursery he’d kill little Andrew before anyone arrived to protect him.
“Let go, dammit!”
When Elly didn’t release her hold he slammed his fist against her head. She nearly lost her grip but she clamped her arms around his legs and held on. The pain from his blow was unbearable. He slapped her again then reached down, clasped his fingers around her arms, and lifted her in the air.
She heard the muffled sound of footsteps pounding on the floor below her. She heard the bellowing sounds of voices demanding that Waverley release her. She heard Brent’s panic-filled roar and knew he’d do everything he could to help her. But he’d be too late.
She glanced down the long flight of stairs and knew the next time he kicked her she’d tumble to the bottom with no chance of stopping herself.
But he didn’t kick her. Instead, he pulled her up by the arms and held her in front of him.
“All of you! Get out! This is my house. Mine!”
With his arm clamped around her waist, he dragged her with him to the stairs that led to the third floor nursery. One by one he pulled her up each step.
“Stop, Waverley,” the Duke of Parneston ordered but Waverley continued climbing. Even though there were eight armed men making their way up the first flight of stairs, he was determined to reach the nursery. In his demented mind, he actually believed that if he killed the three-year-old Marquess of Lathamton he could inherit the title and achieve everything he thought he was entitled to have.
Elly looked to the foot of the stairs to where Cassie stood. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks as she waited for this terrible ordeal to be over so she could run to the nursery and gather her son in her arms.
“Put the gun down, Waverley,” Harrison said, climbing the stairs behind Brent. “Release Elly and we’ll let you leave England a free man.”
“No! The title is mine!” Waverley moved his gaze to Cassie. “Did you really think I’d let your bastard son inherit the Lathamton title, Cassandra? Do you think I don’t know your dirty little secret?”
“Leave Andrew be, Jeremy. He’s just a babe.” Cassie took the first few steps toward him.
“No! He’s a fraud. An imposter! I’m the last remaining Waverley. I deserve the title. Not him!”
Waverley pulled Elly up a few more stairs.
Brent took another step. Then another. “You won’t succeed, Waverley. We won’t let you. Even if you shoot one of us, there are seven others who won’t hesitate to kill you.”
“Put down your gun,” the Duke of Parneston said. “We’re giving you a chance to go free.”
“You don’t understand. None of you realize what she’s done.”
Elly knew what Waverley meant with his accusations. She knew the secret Waverley threatened to expose.
She fought the dizzying circles spinning inside her head and kept her gaze focused on her friend. Cassie’s face turned ashen as her wide-eyed gaze darted from Waverley to the step in front of her where Harrison stood.
“Did you think I didn’t know, Cassandra? I knew Everett better than anyone. I knew it was impossible for the child to be his.”
Waverley looked to the closed nursery door then dragged Elly up one more step.
“Your accusations have nothing to do with Lady Elyssa,” Brent said. “Let her go.”
Waverley tightened his hold.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? The minute I let her go I’m left with nothing. Just like Uncle left me with nothing.”
Waverley pulled her up another step.
“Uncle was so desperate to play along with her deceit he claimed a bastard as his legitimate heir.” He spewed an ugly sound of disgust. “He thought the child would prove to the world that Everett wasn’t as depraved as everyone knew he was.”
Waverley laughed. The sound of his laughter sent chills down Elly’s spine.
“But I knew.”
Waverley turned his gaze to Cassie again. “Did you think I’d allow you to pass your bastard son off as Everett’s? I’d rather see the Lathamton title die.”
“Stop it, Jeremy,” Cassie cried out.
“No!” His gaze darted toward the nursery door then back to Cassie. “Did you think I’d allow a child without a drop of Waverley blood in him to inherit the Lathamton title?”
Elly shifted her gaze to where Harrison stood. She knew the exact second he realized what Waverley insinuated. The gasping breath he took was similar to that of a drowning man struggling for air.
“Cassie?” Harrison said, turning toward her.
Waverley bellowed another demented laugh. “Oh, I am truly enjoying this. Do you see now why I can’t allow the boy to inherit my title, Fellingsdown?”
Harrison leaped two steps toward him. “If you hurt him—“
“Stop!” Waverley pushed Elly closer to the edge of the stairs. “Or I’ll let her fall.”
Harrison stopped.
Elly locked her gaze with Brent’s. She was losing consciousness. She was weakening and needed his strength. She wanted the sight of him to be the last sight she saw before Waverley threw her down the stairs.
“Release her,” Brent said, the look in his eyes nothing short of murderous. “Release her now and you can walk out of here and leave England.”
“If I don’t?”
“You’re a dead man.”
Waverley laughed. “Do you think I don’t know I’m a dead man no matter what I do?”
Waverley took the last step before reaching the third floor then stopped. The nursery was the second door down the hall - a short run to where the boy stayed with his nursemaid.
He pressed the gun beneath her chin and forced her to look at him. There was a smile on his face.
“You know what’s going to happen, don’t you?” His smile broadened. “This is why I brought you with me.”
Elly understood Waverley’s intent with vivid clarity. Her fall would be the distraction that allowed him time to kill Andrew.
She reached out, hoping to grasp the railing but it was too far away. She struggled with greater desperation.
Waverley slapped her hard then jerked her back.
A malicious grin lifted the corners of his mouth. His eyes contained an icy coldness that stole her breath. “You won’t succeed,” she gasped. “They’ll stop you.”
“No, they’ll be too concerned with saving you.”
“Not...all of...them.”
He pulled her closer to the edge of the stairs. “Shall we see?”
Everything after that happened in rapid succession.
Waverley shoved her away from him and ran toward the nursery. At the same time a loud explosion of gunfire rent the air.
Cassie’s scream echoed over the gunfire while the roar of her brothers’ voices rose above it. But Brent’s voice was the one she listened to hear. It came through her hazy consciousness like a soothing breeze on a warm summer day.
“Elly!”
She wouldn’t die alone. Brent would be with her.
; That was her last thought before she tumbled forward down the long flight of stairs.
Chapter 20
“No!”
Brent was living his worst nightmare. His heart dropped from his chest when Elly tumbled forward. He moved as fast as he could but it seemed as if his boots were filled with sand. As if he moved in slow motion. She lost her balance and plummeted down one step. Then another. And he was helpless to do anything to save her.
Gunfire blasted around him but he didn’t take time to notice, or care what happened to Waverley. He raced up the stairs. All he wanted to do was keep the worst from happening.
He reached out and prevented her from falling down the entire flight of stairs, but wasn’t able to catch her before she twisted at a harsh angle and slammed her head against the wall.
“Elly!”
He picked her up and held her in his arms then cupped his hand against the back of her head to assess the damage.
“How badly is she hurt?” Harrison asked rushing toward them.
“I don’t know.” Brent pushed the hair from her forehead. A stream of blood trickled down the side of her face.
“Here!” another brother said, handing him a clean, white handkerchief.
Brent pressed it to her temple and watched it turn dark with her blood.
Lady Lathamton rushed past them. “Bring her up here. We need to lay her down.”
Brent rose with Elly in his arms and followed Lady Lathamton down the hallway, far away from where Waverley’s body lay. The room was bright and cheery and seemed a perfect place for Elly to wake up.
If Elly woke up.
Brent shook his head to clear it.
Of course she’d wake up. Elly was strong. She’d been through much worse and survived. Then Brent looked down at the bruises on her face. The ache inside his chest hurt even more. She shouldn’t have been the one hurt. She hadn’t done anything to deserve this.
“Has someone gone for a doctor?” he asked when he placed Elly on the bed.
“Yes. And Parkridge and Berkingham went for the twins,” George said. “They’ll want to be here.”
“Is there water in that basin?” He nodded to a small washstand on the opposite side of the room.