by Dayna Quince
She was almost to the door when he grabbed her elbow. Thea jerked it toward his face, a satisfying yowl coming from him as he grabbed his nose. She was so elated she didn’t see his other hand before it was too late.
She blinked her eyes open, stunned. She didn’t recall falling. She sat up slowly. The whole left side of her face tingled and burned all at once. She touched it, but she couldn’t feel the touch of her fingers on her cheek. She reached out a hand along the carpet to feel for her glasses. A blur of white came from behind her head, and a cloth was forced into her mouth. She was gagged. She tried to fight, but her hands and feet were quickly bound.
He yanked her up, and his arm came around her. Thea knew fighting would be useless.
She fought anyway.
She kicked, she dragged her feet, and she made as much noise as she could, but soon, he had her in the drive. A horse waited. He lobbed her over the saddle and climbed up, adjusting her across his knees.
Thea screamed, she screamed until she was hoarse, and she threw her body around as much as she was able, but the ground blurred under her, and the horse never slowed. Bright sparks of light blinked before her eyes and she thought she would black out again. She fought that, too. She needed to stay alert. She needed every last wit she had to get herself out of this situation. The horse slowed, but her vision didn’t improve. Her glasses were still somewhere on the floor of the parlor. Escaping without clear vision was not going to be easy.
She could hear Richards’s harsh breathing through the buzzing in her ears. He was cursing and mumbling.
“Bloody carriage,” he said.
Carriage! People!
Thea arched up as hard and fast as she could, startling Richard and the horse. The horse reared up, and they both tumbled off the side.
The wind rushed from her lungs when she hit the ground. She tried to inhale, but couldn’t. The horse bucked and leaped in a brown blur only a few feet in front of her. Thea rolled away, finding her breath and discovering that the binding on her feet had slipped off. She lurched to her feet. She could see Richard on the ground writhing in pain. She couldn’t tell how severely he was injured.
She bolted for the road, unsure of the exact direction. She ran head long into a grouping of trees she thought looked familiar in shape. Her lungs burned as she climbed an embankment, but her hope soared as she reached the road. She tried to listen above the sound of her sawing breaths and the pounding of her pulse in her ears. There had been a carriage. Richard had seen it or heard it, which meant it had to be close. She turned and saw the heads of horses coming around the bend.
She ran toward it, yanking the gag out of her mouth as she ran. The coach came around the corner, the driver shouting and pulling on the reins as she barreled towards them.
“Miss Manton?” The driver said as she neared. Thea slowed. She couldn’t discern his features.
The carriage door opened and out jumped a man. He ran toward her, catching her near the horses’ heads. His face became clearer. Thea sobbed and launched herself into his arms.
“Shhhh,” Winchester soothed. “You’re safe now.”
“Thea!” Lucy hugged her from the other side. “What in God’s name is happening?”
“Richard!” Thea sobbed. “He’s in the woods just over there. He tried to kidnap me.”
“Into the carriage,” Winchester urged them.
Both women climbed inside, and Lucy held Thea while Winchester got his pistols out from under the seat.”
“Only wound him. I want to be the one to kill him,” Lucy said with relish.
“Hush, love. If anyone deserves that right, it’s Thea.”
“I just want Felton. Please take me back,” Thea cried into Lucy’s shoulder.
Winchester was gone a moment, but then he returned. “I didn’t find him. Let’s hope he’s dead and rabid dogs will carry his body away to their den.”
Thea didn’t care. She couldn’t believe it was Lucy and Winchester she had found on the road. She was shaking so hard, she couldn’t speak so she remained quiet. Richard must not have gotten them very far because they quickly arrived at the cottage. Before they even stopped, Rigsby and Felton burst from the door with weapons drawn. Winchester jumped out, and they lowered their arms.
“We’ve got her,” he said immediately. “Felton?”
“Nice to see you, Winchester.” Felton rushed passed him to the carriage door.
Lucy clutched Thea tighter when an unfamiliar face appeared. “Who the bloody devil are you?”
“I’m Felton.”
Thea looked up and pushed her way from Lucy’s arms and into Felton’s. New and painful sobs wracked her body.
“Will someone please tell me what is going on?” Lucy demanded as she stepped out of the carriage with her husband’s assistance.
“Well, it’s actually a long and complex story,” Rigsby said. “Did you happen to see Richard?”
“No. We found Thea only a mile down the lane.”
“He only just snatched her, then. I found her glasses on the floor of the parlor and knew something was wrong.” Rigsby tucked both pistols in his waist band. “Welcome home, by the way.”
Lucy was looking intently between her brother, Thea, and Felton.
“What is going on? Who is that?”
Winchester stepped forward. “Why don’t we go inside? Introductions and explanations can be made.”
They went inside. Mrs. Hale was in hysterics until she saw Thea was safely returned. Rigsby kept watch from a window on the front drive, and Mr. Hale and Jacob had taken up various spots to keep watch. Winchester made the introductions between Lucy and Felton.
“And?” Lucy said.
“And what?”
Lucy looked pointedly at Felton and Thea’s joined hands.
“I know nothing about that,” Winchester said with a smirk.
“Well—”
“They’re married. Just returned from Gretna today,” Rigsby said from the window.
Lucy met Thea’s eyes. “Married?” she screeched.
“She refused me,” Rigsby added.
Lucy plopped down next to Thea on the sofa. “Somebody better start talking and start from the very beginning.” She looked pointedly at Thea.
“Well,” Thea began with a sigh. “The day after you left, I tried to catch Mr. Hale on the road. I had a letter to post to Rose. I missed him, and when I turned around, there was a man down the lane, stumbling about.” Thea summed it up for Winchester and Lucy. She knew she’d be going over it again, detail by private detail, for Lucy once they were alone.
“I can’t believe you got married without me—I mean, I understand, but I am sad to have missed it.”
“It was quite the adventure.” Thea shared a look with Felton.
“Yes, so we’ve heard,” Rigsby said darkly.
Lucy sent him a scathing look, but it was wasted on his back.
“Come upstairs with me, Thea. The men have things well in hand for now.”
Thea reluctantly left Felton’s side. She changed into a clean dress, and then went to Lucy and Winchester’s room. Marigold was there, and they shared pleasantries while Lucy changed out of her traveling clothes. Once Marigold departed, Lucy pinned Thea with a look.
“Why is my brother so bothered by your and Felton’s marriage?”
“Why don’t you ask him?” Thea avoided looking at Lucy by carefully cleaning the lenses of her glasses.
“Because he won’t give me an honest answer.”
Thea sighed. “He...he is nursing a sore heart because I chose Felton instead of him.”
She looked up when Lucy sat beside her on the bed.
“He asked you to marry him?”
“Yes. Felton was already here. We’d already grown fond of each other. One day, Jonathan just arrived, and he was very put off by Felton’s presence. I thought he was just being brotherly. I didn’t realize... that he’d changed. He wanted me to see him differently, but I can’t. I can’t see him th
e way I see Felton.”
Lucy put her arm around Thea. “Don’t you dare carry guilt for that. We love who we love. We can’t control that any more than we can control the weather.”
“When they found Richard in the village, he asked again. He made it clear I had to choose right then. It was he or Felton, and whomever I chose, I would be marrying in Gretna.”
“Oh, Thea.” Lucy hugged her tightly. “What an awful way to be married.”
Thea smiled crookedly. “Perhaps. It wasn’t so awful when it was happening. It was an adventure.”
“So you chose Felton?”
“It wasn’t a choice at all. I love him.”
“Oh, dear. Poor Jonathan.”
“Poor Jonathan.” Thea sighed.
“I’m so terribly happy for you, Thea. I can tell just by looking at you how happy you will be with Felton. I still can’t believe you got married without me—or that you had a runaway marriage in Gretna!”
“I’ll have something exciting to share with the Ivy society for once.” Thea laughed.
“You’ll have an exciting tale for your grandchildren, too,” Lucy added.
They were silent for a moment. “How quickly things change,” Lucy muttered.
“In the blink of an eye.” Thea sighed.
“Well, you and Felton are welcome to stay as long as you like.”
“Thank you. I’m sure Felton and Winchester have much to talk about. We will be traveling to London to deal with my family.”
“What did you do for your birthday?”
“My—my birthday!” Thea clamped her hands over her mouth. “I’d forgotten.”
“You forgot your own birthday?” Lucy stood and laughed. “We will have to remedy that situation immediately.
Thea was dazed. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten her own birthday. “It never even crossed my mind.”
“I’m sure the delights of your new husband filled all your waking moments. Come. We must make preparations to celebrate tonight.”
Thea followed her from the room. They stopped by the kitchen to alert Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Croft to the impromptu special occasion. Then they found Winchester and Felton still in the parlor, talking over tumblers of brandy.
“Where is my brother?” Lucy wondered.
“He retired to his room.”
“To sulk, no doubt.”
“Lucy,” Thea admonished her.
“Felton, I may call you Felton, shall I? We are terribly informal here, and I insist you call me Lucy,” she went on. “Thea and I had a revelation upstairs. She forgot her birthday, and I’m assuming so have you.”
Felton’s eyes widened guiltily. “I’m afraid I have.”
“Well, I’ve already informed Mrs. Hale that we will be celebrating tonight.”
“We will have much to celebrate—their marriage, the return of friends safely, and Thea reaching her majority.”
Thea smiled bashfully as the men toasted her. “It really isn’t important anymore.”
“It is very important.” Lucy squeezed her hand.
“I happen to agree.” Felton held Thea’s gaze. “And I feel terrible that I forgot.”
“You? I don’t think I told you.”
“You mentioned it the night we left.”
“And you forgot?” Rigsby strolled into the room. “What kind of husband are you?”
“Jonathan!” Lucy scolded her brother.
“I’m only jesting, of course.” Jonathan sat down in a wing chair. His hair was disheveled, as was his cravat, and he hadn’t shaven in two days. He looked like a reprobate.
Thea shared a worried glance with Lucy. Lucy patted her hand in reassurance.
“We can’t expect Felton to remember when Thea forgot, as well. A lot happened in a very short time if I remember correctly, dear brother.” Lucy pinned him with a glare. “You were ten and eight before I no longer had to remind you of mother’s birthday.”
Jonathan rolled his eyes.
“We will celebrate tonight, anyhow. Will you stay or return home?”
“I’ll stay,” he said unenthusiastically. “We can’t be sure Foster won’t return yet.”
“Only a fool would return after a failed kidnapping,” Winchester muttered.
“Richard is certainly a fool,” Thea said warily.
“Enough. We’re celebrating tonight. There will be ample time to curse him on the morrow,” Lucy said.
Thea agreed. She’d prefer to never speak of him or see him again. She would go to London to find out about her inheritance, and then she would never see her family again.
Chapter 21
As much as Thea wished to be cheerful, she was too exhausted to show much cheer. She decided to rest again before dinner, and no one tried to stop her. She was alone for only a moment before Felton joined her in her room. She smiled happily. He was the only person she truly wanted to see.
He climbed on the bed and wrapped his arms around her.
“This is nice,” Thea said.
“What is?”
“You being here in my room, and we don’t have to hide it.”
“Ah, yes. That is certainly one of the perks to being married.” He brushed her hair out of her face. “You look tired.”
“I feel tired.”
“Are you sure you aren’t hurt?”
“I’m sure I will feel the results of the tumble from the horse tomorrow, but right now, I just want to lay here with you and not think about anything.”
“Then lay we shall.”
Thea closed her eyes. She felt him tense beside her, and then she heard the pounding of footsteps on the stairs.
“Stay here.” Felton leapt from the bed and was at the door before the frantic knocking started. He opened it to admit a panting Mr. Hale.
“What is it?”
“Mr. Foster has returned with a Bow Street Runner and a Magistrate. They’re demanding to see Miss Manton—er, Mrs. Felton.”
Thea sat up slowly. “No,” she cried softly. This couldn’t be happening. It was like a nightmare that wouldn’t end.
Felton turned back to her. “Everything will be fine.”
Thea angrily stuffed her feet in her slippers and tossed a wrap around her shoulders like she was donning armor.
“I’m going to put an end to this.” She marched toward the door.
Felton put his hands on her shoulders. “Stop. Take a deep breath.”
Thea did.
“He won’t take you from here,” Felton assured her.
Thea believed him. What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.
He held her hand and together, they walked downstairs. A flurry of voices could be heard in the parlor. Lucy and Jonathan were making threats, and Winchester was trying to keep the peace.
Everyone went silent as they strolled in. Richard lurched forward, and then froze, his eyes narrowing on Felton.
“I know you.” He snarled.
Thea noticed the makeshift sling on his arm.
“Mr. Foster. I can’t say it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Felton said beside her.
“You,” Richard pointed angrily. “You’ve kidnapped my fiancée. She is a simple innocent, and you’ve stolen her to use her for her inheritance. Arrest him!” he shrieked at the man Thea could only assume was the Magistrate.
“Why don’t I make the introductions?” Winchester stepped between them.
Major Felton and his wife, Dorothea, I present to you Mr. Cartwright, Magistrate of this district and his colleague, Mr. Potter of Bow Street.”
“How do you do, Mrs. Felton?” Mr. Cartwright addressed her.
Thea tried to sound as calm as she was able given the circumstances. “Very well, Mr. Cartwright. May I ask what the nature of this visit is?”
Richard flung his arms up wildly in exasperation. Thea couldn’t help but notice the magistrate and Mr. Potter were ignoring him.
“Mr. Foster claims you are here against your will, Miss...” He frowned. “You are mar
ried?”
“Yes, sir.” Thea nodded.
“To this gentleman?” He gestured to Felton.
Again she nodded.
“No.” Richard barked. “She can’t marry. She isn’t of age.”
“I was of age yesterday.” Thea returned smartly. “Not that it matters, because the day before that, I married Major Felton in Gretna.”
The magistrate raised a bushy brow and twisted the corner of his mustache. Mr. Potter looked angrily at Richard.
“Shall we sit and have some tea?” Lucy beamed at all of them. “Perhaps something stronger?”
“Tea would be just the thing, my lady.” The Magistrate returned her smile.
They all sat, except Richard, who paced in front of the parlor windows. Thea was actually impressed with his restraint thus far. He looked like he was losing his mind at a rapid pace. She clung tightly to Felton’s hand, afraid of what he might do.
Richard started shaking his finger at them. “No, no.” I challenge the legality, nay, the impossibility that you married over the anvil.”
Felton reached into his coat and produced the certificate of marriage. He handed it to the magistrate.
“She isn’t of age, she isn’t of sound mind. The bans have been read. She is only to marry me by consent of her guardian.” Richard carried on. He marched erratically in front of the windows.
The Magistrate looked at the paper and nodded. “Everything looks in order.”
“No!” Richard cried. “I know how easily documents can be faked. Tis fake! They mean to rob me of my right. It’s my land!”
The Magistrate glared at him. “Quiet, you fool. You told me the land is her inheritance, bequeathed to her when she reaches her majority or upon her marriage, whichever comes first. She married in Scotland. Therefore her age does not matter, nor does her guardian’s permission. She is married. This certificate is legal and binding?” He raised a brow and looked pointedly at Felton.
“In every way,” Felton said.
My congratulations, then.” He smiled tensely. “Now, I believe the matter is settled, and we can leave them in peace.”
“But—but—my papers, my rights!”
“Are null and void.” The magistrate didn’t even look at Richard.
“A pleasure.” Winchester shook his hand and escorted him out of the parlor.