Forever Mine (46 page)

“You’re in grave danger. He’ll stop at nothing,” the duchess whispered, a look of horror on her face. Something in the woman’s voice broke through Nicholas’ anger, and he frowned.

“Who will stop at nothing?”

“
Mon dieu
,” she exclaimed. “If I tell you, he’ll
kill
me for betraying him like this.”

Eleanor swayed in the doorway and clutched at the door jamb to remain standing. Instinctively, he realized she was referring to Reardon.

“I’m sure whatever you tell me won’t be a betrayal, Eleanor. You’re obviously distraught. Perhaps a brandy will help soothe your nerves,” he said as gently as he could under the circumstances. The instant he took a step toward the doorway, she waved her hands at him feverishly.

“
Non
,
non
,
Mon dieu,
he intends to make it look like
you
killed her. He told me if I tried to stop him, he’d kill me too. I should have told you about him long ago, Nicholas.” Eleanor bowed her head and sobbed. When she lifted her head again, tears were streaming down her face. “He threatened to kill me if I said anything. I thought I loved him. It’s why I married him. I didn’t realize who…what he was until it was too late.
Mon dieu
, what am I going to do?”

“Eleanor, do you know where Victoria is?” he demanded as the duchess’ ramblings sent fear threading its way insidiously through his veins. She ignored him, her face contorted with a wild expression as she struggled with inner demons.

“She came back from the dead you know. Both of them were there, they said they’d buried her, but she came back.
Mon dieu
, I thought you hated her. It made it so easy not to care that they’d killed her. He’s afraid of her. He thinks she knows everything, but I don’t think she does.”

“Eleanor, listen to me, tell me where they’ve taken her?” It was as if someone was choking him and making it impossible to breathe as he tried to get Eleanor to speak rationally. Nicholas quickly closed the distance between them to grab the woman by the shoulders and shake her.

“She’s a witch Darby said. You have to drown witches.”

She sounded like a woman on the verge of descending into madness. Nicholas knew he couldn’t let her go there until she gave him the information he needed to find Victoria. Behind him, Roberts cleared his throat to announce his presence, but Nicholas disregarded the valet, as he shook the duchess again.

“Damn it, Eleanor. Tell me where he’s taken her.”

“Darby said he would kill her again, but he died instead. She’s a real witch. She casts spells on everyone. She’s bewitched you, hasn’t she, Nicholas. He said he would lock her away in a dungeon where you won’t be able to find her. He said you would pay. He doesn’t really want his book. He just wants to destroy you because you killed his brother. He hates you.”

“What dungeon, Eleanor. Try to think.”

“I loved you, but he didn’t want me to have you.” As her rambling continued, Nicholas walked away from Eleanor to Roberts and kept his voice low.

“Send a message to Lord Barrows and Lord Starling. I need them to meet me at the London Waterloo train station in…” Nicholas pulled out his pocket watched and bit back a sound of fear. There was only one train left for Guildford today. “In forty-five minutes. Lady Guildford’s and Master Edmund’s lives depend on it.”

“Yes, my lord.” Roberts nodded then uttered a loud shout. “My lord, watch out.”

Whirling about, Nicholas saw a small pistol in Eleanor’s hand. Eyes filled with tears, she looked at him beseechingly.

“I can’t live without you, Nicholas. You must understand that. He’ll kill her, but I don’t care. All I’ve ever cared about was you. I love you, Nicholas.”

“Eleanor, put the gun down,” he said quietly and took a step toward her.

At the sound of his voice, her rambling came to an abrupt halt. With a sharp movement, the duchess raised the pistol to her head and pulled the trigger. As she slumped to the floor, Nicholas ran forward to kneel at her side. Her breathing labored for a second more, and he watched the light in her eyes die until her gaze became lifeless.

“I’m sorry, Eleanor,” he murmured. Standing, he turned to his valet. “When you send for Barrows and Starling, make sure you send for the constable as well. Don’t touch her until the constable says you may do so. Is that understood?”

Despite his obvious dismay, Roberts nodded abruptly and ran from the room. With one more glance at Eleanor’s still form, Nicholas hurried upstairs to change into clothes more appropriate for riding. He had no doubt that once they reached Guildford, he’d be on horseback. In a half hour, he was pacing the floor of the London Waterloo station as he waited on his friends. He heard his name called, and he turned around to see Charles and Sebastian hurrying toward him.

“I say, Nicholas. What’s all this about Victoria’s life being in danger?” Charles asked as he shook Nicholas’ hand.

“She and Edmund were kidnapped this afternoon,” Nicholas bit out with a steely calm he was certain would fail him the moment he found Reardon anywhere near his wife and brother.

“By Reardon?” Sebastian asked in a way that told Nicholas that Anna had shared a vision with her husband. Something in his friend’s eyes calmed some of his fears. The man reached out to pat his shoulder in a silent commitment of solidarity.

“Eleanor’s dead.” Nicholas’ statement renewed the shocked expressions of his friends.

“What?” Sebastian exclaimed.

“Good God,” Charles said in astonishment.

“She came to Guildford House just before I sent word for the two of you to meet me here. She was confused and disoriented,” he said as he recalled Eleanor’s wild ramblings. “I tried to calm her, but she was delusional. Before I could stop her, she put a pistol to her head and pulled the trigger.”

“My God,” Sebastian said softly

“Sweet Jesus,” Charles whispered in horror.

As his friends took in his news, Nicholas closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to remember something important. He knew it had to do with Eleanor, but if he couldn’t—suddenly the memory popped into his head. He quickly turned to Charles.

“Charles, do you remember telling me shortly after Darby died that if the man had survived you would have locked him up in his dungeon?”

“Yes,” Charles said with a nod of agreement. “I was referring to the dungeon Darby said was in the priory on his family’s estate.”

“Eleanor said Reardon would lock Victoria in a dungeon where I’d never find her. She said Reardon intends to kill Victoria because I didn’t save his brother from the Lydney Mill fire shortly after I inherited my title.”

“
Bloody hell
. Darby’s family estate is just south of Brentwood Park,” Charles exclaimed. “It’s only about two hours by horse, three at the most. It’s near Godalming. I think that’s the stop just after Guildford station.”

“Sebastian, there’s a five o’clock train to Guildford, see if it goes on to Godalming. I’ll send a telegram to the house telling them to have horses waiting for us there.”

As his friends ran off to buy their tickets, Nicholas raced toward the telegraph office. Ever since Mickey had told him Victoria was missing, he’d been convinced he would reach her in time. Now he wasn’t so certain. Deep inside, something told him that things were far worse than he imagined.

T
he entire train ride to Godalming, Nicholas paced the corridor outside the closed carriage compartment Sebastian had secured for them. His leg was growing increasingly painful, but he ignored it. Victoria was worth any pain he endured. They were halfway through their trip when Sebastian had insisted he sit down. He’d done as his friend had said, but returned to prowling the corridor a short time later.

Nicholas came to an abrupt halt and braced his hands on the edge of the window, which had been opened to help cool the train’s interior. As the hot summer wind blew across his face, he could have sworn he heard Victoria calling for him. He knew it was impossible, but he closed his eyes and released a harsh breath.

“I’m coming, sweet witch. I’m coming as fast as I can,” he said softly. Behind him, the compartment door rattled open and then closed, but he didn’t turn around.

“Nicholas, we’re going to find them,” Sebastian said quietly. “Anna made me promise to not to tell you this, but she’s not here to see how worried you are. She firmly believes you’ll find Victoria and Edmund, and that Reardon will die tonight.”

“That’s because I’m going to kill him,” Nicholas said with an icy calm that surprised him. Despite his steady outward appearance, his fear was almost paralyzing. He stared out into the dark and shook his head.

“I was a fool. I should never have left her until Reardon was caught,” he said through clenched teeth.

“You aren’t a fool,” Sebastian said quietly. “There was no way you could have foreseen this.”

“I should have insisted that two armed men escort her whenever she went out.”

“
Damn it, Nicholas
, it’s not your fault.”

Nicholas shot a quick glance at his friend then looked out into the night and suddenly realized with a sense of relief that the train was slowing down. Charles emerged from their berth and cleared his throat.

“This is Godalming station,” Charles said awkwardly as if realizing it was an obvious observation. Nicholas nodded.

“I wired my estate manager to have three horses waiting for us and for him to bring men with him. I’ve no idea what we’re up against.”

As they stepped off the train, Nicholas saw Elrod waiting for them. The estate manager pushed his way past disembarking passengers to reach them, his expression grim.

“My lord,” he said quietly as he nodded. “Lady Guildford and Master Edmund were taken at approximately eleven-thirty this morning, while they were on a picnic near the Goodmans’ cottage.”

“Eleven-thirty,” Nicholas snarled as for the first time he realized they’d sent Mickey and not a telegram to tell him what had happened. “Why the hell didn’t you send a telegram?”

“The line was down until almost five o’clock this afternoon, my lord. When we received your telegram, I knew Mickey had reached you.” Elrod said quietly. Nicholas glanced at Sebastian and saw the same question he had reflected in his friend’s eyes. Had Reardon cut the lines?

“What about Jacobs? What did he tell you?”

“He’s badly wounded, my lord, but Dr. Bertram says he’ll live. Jacobs said the countess and your brother were abducted by two men in a small carriage with closed windows.” Elrod released a noise of disgust, his face taut with tension. “It’s a vague description, but the men have been searching the countryside since we found Jacobs. We received a small amount of news about an hour ago.”

“What sort of news,” Nicholas bit out.

“A farmer near Loxhill saw a coach similar to Jacobs’ description pass by early this afternoon.” Elrod’s head bobbed slightly in a sign of satisfaction. “It was headed toward Duns Copse, which is in the direction of the Darby estate you mentioned in your telegram.”

His jaw tight with tension, Nicholas nodded his understanding of all the details. He no longer had any doubt that Reardon was responsible for Victoria’s and Edmund’s abduction. There was no heir to Darby’s title and Reardon was clearly using the priory for his own ends.

“Elrod, find the local constable, I think it’s Maylock who’s responsible for this county,” Nicholas said firmly. “Make sure he brings whatever officers he has available. I have no idea how many men Reardon has with him, but the man is dangerous, and I’ll feel more comfortable with too many men than not enough.”

“I’ll see to it, my lord,” the estate manager gestured toward the station. “The horses and men are waiting for you outside the station.”

“Good, and bring a doctor with you. I don’t expect trouble, but I’d prefer to be prepared.” Nicholas’ gut twisted at the thought that it might be Victoria or Edmund who would need a doctor’s care. “Charles, Sebastian, the two of you are with me.”

Without waiting to see that his orders were obeyed, Nicholas headed through the station and out to where the horses were. He took Zeus’ reins from one of the stable hands, and stroked the stallion’s cheek.

“She needs us, old man,” he whispered. “You need to run like your namesake himself tonight.”

Almost as if the stallion understood, Zeus bobbed his head. Ignoring the pain in his leg, Nicholas swung himself up into the saddle and turned in his seat.

“Who knows where the Darby Priory is?”

“I do, my lord,” a young man called Albert Tanning called out.

“Then lead the way, Turner,” he snapped. “And ride as if your life depended on it, because the lives of the countess and my brother do.”

Throughout the ride to the Priory, Nicholas relived the past months with Victoria. He recalled her laugh, the way her sapphire eyes flashed when she thought he was ordering her about, and the sweetness of her skin against his when they made love. In the past nine months, Victoria had shown him what heaven looked like. Her strength, beauty, and character had proven to him that love could overcome any obstacle. Now he could only hope they reached her and Edmund before Reardon did the unthinkable.