Claire and Lady Suzanna clung to each other in fear as rocks crashed into the side of the carriage. A couple of them sailed through the windows, so both ladies pressed themselves to the walls of the carriage in a desperate attempt to evade the attack.
“Help! Somebody, help!” Lady Suzanna yelled in a desperate attempt to draw attention to their plight.
Claire soon joined her, their voices rising above the din as rocks continued to jolt all sides of the carriage.
Dear God, who would be so bold as to attack a carriage bearing the crest of the Duke of Minsbury in broad daylight?Claire thought.It cannot possibly be the Marquess? We had barely turned our backs on him. He could not have possibly gathered men in such a short amount of time.
“What is happening?” she asked Lady Suzanna. “Who would dare attack us?”
“I have no idea,” her friend answered. “So far, my brother has never made mention of an enemy, except for…”
Claire looked at her and understood.
The Marquess.His Grace had been suspecting Lord Draydon was up to no good all this time.
“But we only just left the park,” she murmured, her brown eyes wide with fear.
“He could have had us followed,” Lady Suzanna replied grimly.
With a sinking feeling in her heart, Claire realized that she could be right.
I should have taken the advice of His Grace,she thought with no small amount of regret.Now, I have placed Lady Suzanna in danger.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash and the carriage tilted suddenly to one side, causing both ladies let out surprised screams. Claire was hardly aware that she and Lady Suzanna came tumbling out of their seats. She let out a hiss of pain when her elbow crashed against the side of the carriage.
“What just happened?” she asked dazedly. Her mind had been so frazzled by the series of events. She could only hope some of the passersby heard them screaming for help but they were in one of the quieter areas in London.
Lady Suzanna shook her head. “I am not certain.”
“We need to get out,” Claire told her. She pushed at the door but it did not move. Her eyes widened in realization.We are locked inside!
“Are we locked inside?” her friend asked her, echoing her thoughts.
She could only nod in reply, all words having left her. Her hands shook as she tried to get the door open in vain.
Lady Suzanna was not so given to propriety and threw her weight on the door but it was of no use. Whoever had attacked them had made sure to bar their exit of the carriage.
Suddenly, the attacks halted and their surroundings were deathly silent. She waited with bated breath, hoping Hanson or the coachman would wrench the carriage door open and help them out of their ruined carriage.
However, no one came.
But where are the footmen? Where is the coachman?Claire wondered.They could not have possibly run away and left us behind!
The Duke’s staff were quite loyal to His Grace and Lady Suzanna. They would never think of abandoning them, particularly when His Grace had warned them to be vigilant just before they set off earlier that afternoon.
Claire could only hope that they were all right. Sheprayedno harm had come to them, even as she and Lady Suzanna put their best efforts in breaking through the carriage door.
Maybe they ran to get help,she thought desperately.I hope they would be able to get someone to help.
“Where is everybody?” Lady Suzanna muttered. Tired, she sagged against the wall, her eyes bright with anger. “I swear, I shall not rest until those behind this reprehensible attack are brought to justice!”
They heard voices outside and Claire called out, “Hanson? Is that you? Can you please let us out? We are trapped inside!”
But there was no reply and a few moments later, silence descended over them again. For a moment, Claire was afraid that it was their attacker she heard outside and any minute, they would throw the doors open.
However, none of that happened.
“It’s useless,” the Duke’s sister muttered. “We’ve been locked in from the outside.”
