“Sir?”
William focused back on Isaac. “No, you did no wrong.”
“But I should have told sooner. When I saw that man sneakin’ into the garden, I should have—”
“You could not have known she was in danger. None of us could.” In the darkness, they had forced William back to Sharottewood by gunpoint, where they had locked him in the carriage house until they discovered the whereabouts of Lord Livingstone.
They had found nothing.
Except a missing dappled grey horse, missing jewels and trinkets, and a missing two thousand pounds from Lord Gresham’s study.
I should have known.William ground a fist into his palm. Had he not sensed the man was untrustworthy? Had he not known from the beginning he was not as genteel as he appeared? Why had William not warned Isabella?
“You men, get mounted!” Lord Gresham strode for the stables, shouted at Isaac to prepare his horse, and then turned to grasp the hand of the colonel. “You shall not regret this assistance, Colonel Nagel.”
The man, rather mousy in appearance with dull grey-brown hair, nodded with a dubious expression. “We can spare no more than a day or two before we must return to camp in continuance of our training.”
“That is more than enough time. We shall have Isabella back by then, I am certain.”
William slipped back into the stables, and as Isaac was leading out Lord Gresham’s horse, William led out Duke. He gritted his teeth as he mounted, loathing in silence the boot that had bruised his ribs—or broken them.
“What do you think you are doing?”
William met Lord Gresham’s gaze. “I am going with you.”
“You are doing no such thing. Colonel Nagel, have this man locked up until our return. I want him questioned further when I am back.”
The colonel frowned. “We have already determined this man did not abduct your daughter, and I daresay, we are much in need of every man we can get. I see no gain in leaving him behind.”
“I have no time to argue the matter. Let us carry on.” Lord Gresham motioned the men to ride then hurried his horse in front of William’s. He seemed as if he were about to say something, a threat of sorts, but then he clamped his mouth shut. He kicked his horse into a gallop behind the rest, and William followed.
“God go with ya, sir!” Isaac’s frail voice lifted among the pound of so many hooves.
William waved without looking back. If God did not go with them, they stood no chance of finding her.
He only prayed she was alive and untouched when they did.
Her dry mouth tasted of dirt. She ran her tongue along both lips, trying to ease the cracks, but it did not help. Thirst throbbed at her throat.
If only she had not spit at him.
Two days ago, when they’d been camped along the road and he’d spoken uncouth remarks, she had spewed her disgust at his face.
He had not slapped her again. He had not even discolored with rage. Instead, he had lifted his two-quart wooden canteen, grinned at Pike, and never passed it to her again.
Fogginess hovered over her brain as she allowed her sore body to sway to the motion of the horse. Today, she was with Pike.
His scratchy woolen coat irritated her bare arms, and his ale-scented breath moistened the back of her neck. She tried to keep her head upright.Stay awake.She had to remain alert. She had to be ready. At any second, she must be prepared to run, to escape into the trees, to scream at the sight of another traveler.
But there were none. The road was too forgotten.
And she was not certain she could speak, let alone scream, even if she had to. How long had it been since they’d taken her? Sometimes she thought only hours, because everything remained the same.
But night and morning had fallen so many times that it must be days. Three or four. Perhaps more. Her shoulders slumped. Another wave of dizziness.
“Lordy.”
The horses must have stopped, because next thing she knew, she was being tugged back to the ground on her stocking feet. Her legs wobbled.
