“Do you have an idea where my future bride has run off to?”
Nicholas stopped walking. “I don’t agree with how you’ve handled things. Emma was nearly in tears when I talked with her.”
Guilt punched Sebastian hard in the gut. “She’ll know soon enough. Can you not understand I had to be certain of her feelings?”
Nicholas avoided eye contact. “Sure of her feelings or sure of yours, old friend?”
Sebastian didn’t know how to answer.
“Life has been anything but easy for Emma.”
“Yes, yes. I know all about it. Sara wrote to me of some sort of tragedy Emma went through in her earlier years. What happened? Did her horse die? Did some reckless boy poke fun at her when she challenged him to a race?”
“The full story was never mine to hear, but I would suggest you talk with Emma before the night’s end. I can’t be sure, but I do believe it has something to do with her not marrying until now.”
“I’ll discuss it with her immediately.”
Just then Sara flew around the corner. “Nicholas, have you seen Emma? I could have sworn I saw her walk over here.”
A prickly sense of fear settled over Sebastian. “Sara, you must be mistaken. Just minutes ago she was running toward the far end of the ballroom. We had a disagreement, Rawlings and I.”
“Disagreement,” Rawlings snorted as he approached them. “Sara, how can I be of service?”
Sara bit her lip and looked between all three men. “Something’s amiss. I know for certain she didn’t return to the ballroom.”
“She must have gone outside for air. She was upset when she left.”
“Of course.” Sara smiled tightly. “That explains it.”
Chapter Twenty-four
Emma awoke with a headache. With her hands tied behind her back and a gag firmly placed in her mouth, she had no choice but to continue to pretend she was still knocked out.
The smell in the air reeked of brandy and dirt.
“Drive,” the familiar voice said.
“But, sir, the horses…You cannot possibly run them through the night, they need rest, water, to be shod—”
“Don’t tell me what to do, we ride until we reach Gretna Green, do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
Emma couldn’t help the moan that escaped even though it was quiet.
“Ah, my sweet, have you awoken?”
It was an absolute nightmare. Why did that voice chill her to the bone? Most of all, her mind wondered why a complete stranger was kidnapping her.
And then he pulled the blindfold off.
And everything came rushing back to her full force.
The man looking back at her was John Crawford, Lord Rawlings’ half brother. Before, when he had been cleaned up for the ball, he had looked dashing.
Currently he wore no cravat, his shirt was opened, revealing dirty skin, and he smelled terrible. Yet the figure in front of her was more familiar than the one she had seen at the ball that day.
“Do you remember me now?” He forcefully put his hands on her body. Fighting, she turned from left to right until she thought she would flop straight out of her seat.
“Or maybe I shall do this.” Jeering, he pulled at the top of her dress.
And then she knew exactly what her mind had forced her to forget. The man sitting across from her was not just Rawlings' half brother. No, he was also the man who had ruined her life so many years ago.
The man who had almost raped her.
And he had returned to finish the job.
****
“Where is she?” Sebastian, the joyful and always calm Sebastian, felt like killing someone.
Rawlings entered the room empty-handed, a look of dread on his face. “We’ve searched everywhere. I don’t know where else to look. Perhaps she’s returned home.”
“Without her clothes? Or notifying anyone of her absence?”
Rawlings shrugged and took a seat. The man looked like he was on death’s door. They had been searching for Emma for two hours.
Nicholas entered the room, face pale, followed by Sara.
She held out a small note addressed to Rawlings. “We found this in her bed chamber.”
Sebastian watched as Rawlings slowly opened the note. He thought he would go mad with curiosity as Rawlings’ eyes grew wider and wider, until finally, with a curse, he threw the note to the floor and yelled to ready the horses.
“What did it say?” Sebastian demanded, flying across the room toward Rawlings.
“He’s taken her.”
“He?”
“My half brother, John. He’s taken her. It seems he’s in need of a little revenge and has decided to ruin her reputation once and for all.”
Sebastian looked down at the note, still not understanding. His fingers grazed the heavily marked script. The note said nothing except, “I’m finishing what I started. By this time tomorrow, we’ll be in Scotland, married, and she will be ruined.”
Shaking with rage, Sebastian grabbed Rawlings by the coat tails. “I still don’t understand, so you better help me to understand before I end your life and everything you hold dear!”
His old friend, the one who’s path was so different from his own, looked pale and lifeless as he slowly began to talk.
“Leave us,” he demanded, voice hoarse.
Everyone stepped out of the room, except Nicholas, who stood firmly by the door. Apparently he was going nowhere.
“I’ll make it fast, time is of the essence.”
“Speak,” Sebastian demanded.
Rawlings turned away and shook his head as he looked out the darkened window. “We were betrothed. I didn’t love her, how could I? I was so young at the time. My brother however was obsessed with Emma. He followed her everywhere, was constantly spying on her. I thought it harmless at the time, after all, he’d had a sad life, couldn’t inherit anything since he was the illegitimate son of my father.
“He was lucky he had food and clothing, given the occupation of his mother. Slowly, over time, I noticed subtle changes in his attitude. We were all but six before my father sent him away to live with a nurse on another estate. He only visited us twice before he finally stopped coming.”
Sebastian sat across from where Rawlings stood and waited as patiently as he could. The horses weren’t even ready yet, so they had time for the tale.
“The first time he visited us, he had missed Father so much. He was only thirteen. He ran to Father's arms, but Father merely turned his back on him and told him he wasn’t his son. Naturally I felt terrible for him. I tried to keep him happy, but it wasn’t enough. I believe my father’s rejection drove him to do many things a man should not do.
“He visited one more time, awhile before Emma’s come out. He hadn’t seen her in years. She came for a visit with my mother. Like any young adolescent, he watched her, became even more obsessed than before. The only difference was he felt the need to prove himself to our father. He wanted to marry well and get even. Emma was the perfect target. He wanted her, so he began following her again. I thought it harmless, since he was only staying for a month or two. And then I heard screaming.”
Sebastian wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear anymore of the story.
“The horses are ready, my lord,” a servant announced from the door.
Rawlings grabbed his coat. “We’ll finish the story in the carriage. There is much left to tell.”
Sebastian had lost his ability to speak. In all of his arrogance, he hadn’t for one second believed that Emma’s story was anything as bad as this. He could see the direction it was taking and couldn’t help but feel that she wouldn’t be in the position she was in, if he would have been able to swallow his pride and offer for her rather than testing her feelings for the sake of his own fear of rejection. Facing rejection was nothing compared to facing what she was now dealing with.
****
“You won’t get away with this,” Emma said once the gag was removed from her mouth. The fight hadn’t left her, although every time she looked into John’s eyes she wanted to bathe off the dirt and shame she felt.
John sneered, “I already have. Your reputation is obviously in ruins, and now it’s stained for good. Do you think your holier-than-thou duke will desire you now? I’m surprised he wanted you in the first place, knowing your past.”
Emma looked away.
“Oh, dear girl, he has no idea, does he? Imagine his heartbreak at your deceit? At your utter inability to trust him with all your troubles?” He reached out and caressed her face. Jerking away, Emma fought the urge to spit on the man. “It’s of no consequence, we shall be married soon. I’ll have that delicious blunt which is your dowry as well as the satisfaction of looking in Rawlings’ face, knowing that everything he needs and desires is now lost. Imagine my satisfaction when he asks me for a loan?”
“A loan?” Emma choked.
John laughed. “Ah yes, didn’t you know? Rawlings is so deep in debt he won’t be able to afford servants at the month’s end.”
“And your plan was to—”
“Bring you to the house party, of course. It was all too easy. I told him your engagement was a farce. Imagine my surprise when I watched you and the duke fall madly in love. It didn’t matter. I gave Rawlings hope he could catch you once again as well as helped to keep his creditors at bay so he could have that delicious house party as a time to woo you. Unfortunately for him, he works slower than expected. I happened to use the opportunity to take things into my own hands.”
“By kidnapping me.”
“Precisely.” Looking pleased, he put his arms behind his head and sighed. “Now, we have another days ride until we reach Gretna Green. Might as well make yourself comfortable, Emma. You aren’t going anywhere. Aw, don’t frown. We’ll get along quite smashingly. Maybe you’ll even do one of your scandalous dances for me, Emma? Oh please tell me you will,” he said, focusing on her bosom.
“I’d rather die,” she said through her teeth.
Snatching her hair with his hand, he pulled her off the seat and held a knife to her throat. “That too can be arranged, once I’ve had my fun with you.”
****
“Can we go any faster?” Sebastian demanded through clenched teeth. Even he knew the question was ridiculous. If the carriage went any faster the wheels would surely come right off.
“We’ll get there,” Rawlings said.
“The rest of the story.”
Shifting in his seat, Rawlings looked as uncomfortable as Sebastian felt. The situation would be laughable if he wasn’t so worried sick. Sitting across from Rawlings in a carriage out to save the woman he loved.
Not how he imagined the Season would be.
“Promise me you won’t kill him,” Rawlings said.
“Whom?”
“My brother. If I tell you the rest of the story, promise me you won’t kill him.”
“If? If?” Sebastian roared. “Phillip, if you don’t spill out the rest of the story, it isn’t your brother’s life that will need protecting.”