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HE DIDN’T COME HOME. She stayed awake all night, listening for sounds of him from the other room. There were none. For the first night since their marriage, he had not slept under the same roof as she.
Why would he? He had accomplished his goal. By now, he must be bored with their marital activities and relieved he had impregnated her at last, like a broodmare. Now he could go find more congenial bed partners. Isn’t that what all men did?
When pearly daylight filtered through the curtains, she had had enough. She dressed by herself in a plain traveling gown before ringing for her maid. The girl rushed in, her eyes widening at the amount of clothes thrown haphazardly on the bed.
“Send a footman to the train station to book us passage on the next train that departs for Lincolnshire. Then tell the butler to have the carriage ready in an hour and come back to help me pack. We are leaving for the country at once.”
The maid bobbed a curtsy and left with alacrity. Abigail observed the mess she had created, and a sob caught in her throat. Better to leave the packing to the maid.
She went to Elizabeth’s room. The girl had been present during her brother’s fight. It had saddened her when he had cut her season short. Now she was going to wake her up and cut it even shorter. She was bound to be upset.
She thought Elizabeth would still sleep, but as soon as she opened the door to the bedchamber, Elizabeth turned towards her, eyes wide open.
“Abby? What is going on? I hear maids and footmen running around.”
Abigail sighed. “I’m sorry Liz. I’m going back to the country, and you must come with me. Your mother left yesterday and your brother didn’t come home last night. I can’t leave you here all by yourself.”
She had expected protests, but to her surprise, the girl jumped out of bed.
“I’ll be ready in a few minutes.” Elizabeth said without requiring more explanations. Maybe she saw something in Abigail’s eyes and understood more than anyone thought.
God, how humiliating! Everyone in the household much know Colin had discarded her. And what had she done wrong? All she had ever wanted was to please him. She never even complained about his stupid no touching rule, even though she didn’t understand it. He seemed to want her to experience pleasure, but not enjoy herself too much. Be a lady, be a whore. Be a damn broodmare. To hell with it. If he wanted her gone, she would go. While she still had some dignity left.
She would go to Hartfield Park and from there, decide on which of his properties she wanted to live long term. He had told her he would sign over one of the unentailed properties to her. She would raise her child there. Without him.
She thought about the years ahead, watching him come to visit their child, treating her with polite indifference, and a sob escaped her throat. She closed her eyes, leaning against the wall, fighting to draw breath.
No. She wouldn’t fall apart now. What cause had she to complain? He had proposed a bargain. A generous bargain. She should be grateful that he was willing to grant her freedom and support her in comfort. She had done much better than in her previous marriage. At least he let her go before his violence turned towards her.
An hour later, before the sun had risen over the tops of the trees, the horse-drawn carriage rumbled along the cobblestone streets on their way to the train station. The elegant buildings of Mayfair flashed past their window, exuding an air of grandeur and sophistication. Inside the carriage, Abigail sat beside her sister-in-law. They were not talking much, their faces sober and pensive.
Suddenly, the carriage lurched and swerved to one side, making Elizabeth fall half on top of Abigail. The horses neighing mixed with the coachman’s shouts as he struggled to control the animals.
What on earth was going on? Before they could right themselves, the door was yanked open and the burly figure of a masked man, dark and menacing, pushed his way into the carriage.
Fear coalesced like a ball of ice in her stomach.
“What is happening? Who is that?” Elizabeth half screamed in the enclosed carriage.
Abigail clutched the girl’s arm.
“I don't know, Elizabeth. Stay calm, please. I’m sure everything will be fine.” She said it for the girl’s benefit, but alarm was coursing through her. Surely this couldn’t be a random highwaymen attack? In the middle of Mayfair, during the morning hours? No, this, after the previous attempts on their lives, did not bode well at all. What should she do?
Before she could react, the man spoke, his mouth curving in a malicious smile.
“Abigail, dear. We meet again at last.”
Abigail gasped. The voice was familiar. But surely... no, it couldn’t be.
“What is the meaning of this?” She demanded.
The masked man chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry. You will soon understand.”
He grabbed her by the arm, pulling her out of the carriage. She resisted, of course she did, but her efforts were futile. His grip was too strong.
“Let me go! Help!” she screamed, to no effect.
Elizabeth - God bless her - tried to help, pummeling the man’s back while tears coursed down her face. “Let her go, you brute!”
The man turned and, with a violent shove, hurled Elizabeth against the opposite wall of the coach.
“Please, don't hurt her!” Abigail screamed, frantic with fear. “Let us go. Are you insane?”
The man merely sneered at Abigail, tightening his grip on her arm.
“Oh, don’t you worry, Lady Elizabeth. I shall release you unharmed. I need you to deliver this to your brother.” The man shoved a crumpled piece of paper into Elizabeth’s trembling hands.
“Tell him if he ever wishes to see his wife again, to meet me at noon today. At the place specified on the note. Tell him to come alone and play no tricks. I have my men watching his residence.”
With that, the man yanked Abigail’s arm again, causing her to stumble within the confines of the carriage. The footman was now at the door, staring wide eyed and confused at the mayhem inside. He was little more than a boy. She opened her mouth to tell him to run and call for help, when the attacker retrieved a nasty pistol from his coat pocket and pointed it at her head.
“Get out of my way if you want your mistress to live,” he snarled, and the boy fell back white-faced.
Then he dragged her out of her coach and into his own, which was jammed against hers at an odd angle. Before she could fully comprehend all that had happened, they were off without meeting much more resistance.
She swallowed.
“Whatever it is you are trying to accomplish, you will never get away with it. I know who you are. My husband will see you in jail for this. In fact, I thought he had already sent you there.” Her insides were shaking, but she was proud that her voice came out even.
“Shut up!” The masked man snarled back with such venom that she shrank back. “You think you are so clever, don’t you? Cozying up to the new earl, having me dismissed and thrown in jail. And then marrying the freak. Quite the coup for you. But it will be all for naught. I will kill you and your husband. And then the estate will be mine. As it always should have been.”
Panic threatened to overwhelm her. Dunson was obviously deranged. How could he own the estate? Instinct prompted her to keep him talking.
“How could killing us help you own the estate? It is entailed.”
“Yes, it is. And I’m the heir presumptive. I bet you didn’t know that little detail, did you?” His mouth twisted in a malicious sneer.
Her heart was pounding so fast it surprised her he couldn’t hear the drumbeat.
“In that case, you will be the first suspect in our murders.”
His raucous laugh dripped with scorn. “Oh, no. I won’t be. It will look like a crime of passion. Your husband walks in on you and your lover. Full of jealousy, he shoots you and then kills himself. It is the perfect story, really. Everyone knows your husband is a jealous fool. Especially after yesterday’s fight.”
“That won’t hold,” she shot back desperately. “Elizabeth saw you kidnap me.”
Dunson scoffed.
“That silly chit. After I’m done with her, she will be so confused, even she will believe the story. But just to make sure, I will marry her. So that she can never testify against me.”
His cold-bloodedness chilled her to the marrow. It was a diabolical plan that would destroy them all.
And it very well might work.
***
COLIN ARRIVED AT HIS home, his head aching after last night’s drinking, only to be informed that his wife and sister had departed for the country estate.
Hell and damnation. He was looking forward to taking a much needed bath followed by a civilized conversation with Abigail. He had planned to beg her forgiveness, grovel if he needed to. Anything to get her to forgive him for his boorish behavior.
But now his wife had decamped without waiting for him. He would follow in the next train leaving for Lincolnshire. But it would be hours before he got there, and he had a sudden, fierce desire to see her, talk to her, hold her in his arms. Reassure himself she was well, that he had not destroyed their chance at happiness.
He was removing his greatcoat when Elizabeth burst into the foyer, rumpled and disheveled. Her hair falling down from her coiffure, her cheeks tear stained and her eyes red.
“Colin! Oh, thank God you are here.” She rushed into his arms.
Icy fear raced through him, sudden and unrelenting.
“What’s wrong Elizabeth? Where is Abigail?”
“Oh, Colin. She’s been taken.” The girl babbled between near hysterical sobs.
The fear consolidated into a frozen knot around his heart. He shook Elizabeth softly. “Taken where? By whom? For God’s sake, speak!”
She thrust a crumpled paper at him. “The man said I should give you this note. And that if you wanted to see Abigail alive again, you are to meet him at the place specified in the note and go alone.”
He was already scanning the note, but it said little else. “Do you know who took her?”
“No, but he seemed to know Abigail. And she him.”
Could this be the same person who arranged for the other attempts on their lives? The rifle shot; the attack by thugs. It had to be.
But none of that mattered now. What mattered was rescuing Abigail. He needed to focus. God, how he wished he could have Wang by his side. The older man's wisdom and calm presence would be so useful in this situation. Not to mention his fighting skills. Instead, he was alone and nursing a hangover when he needed to be sharp and focused. For a moment, he considered asking for Gabriel’s help, but quickly dismissed the idea.
Gabriel would be in no better shape than himself, and the kidnapper had specified to meet him alone.
It seemed he was going to have to rescue Abigail all by himself and on a day when he wasn’t at his best.
He would give anything, including his life, to make sure Abigail was safe and unharmed. Pray to God that it was enough.