Lord Sinister (Secrets & Scandals Book 3) (32 page)

“All right, but we must arm ourselves.”  Julian turned to his father.  “We’ll need pistols.”

CHAPTER 33

“Now, Violet, don’t look so startled.”  Mr. Giles limped closer.  “You should have known we’d meet again.”

“Let us go!”

With a snarl, he reached down and smacked Alex across the cheek for his outburst.

“Stop,” Amelia screamed, trying to pull free of the twine around her wrists.  It sent a stinging pain to her flesh.

Mr. Giles straightened.  “If you want to live, you had better do as I say, boy.”  He turned.  “There’s one final thing I must do before I return and complete the plan,” he said and headed toward the door.

When that vile man left, Amelia looked over at her son and saw the blood trickle down his chin.  “Oh, Alex.”  She lifted her bound hands and swiped the blood away with her numb fingers.

“I’m all right, Mama.”  He frowned at the closed door.  “What do you think he is going to do?”

Her lower back ached and she shifted to a more comfortable position.  “I don’t know.”

Amelia shivered.  The temperature had dropped.  From the way the wind snarled outside, she guessed the winter storm had quickly turned for the worse.  She shivered again.

Wonderful.

Her back still ached, and she shifted again.  Glancing down at her lap, she stroked her swollen middle.

“Am I going to have a brother or a sister?”

A smile came to her lips.  “A sister, I think.”

“I’m sorry for the way I acted when you told me about the baby, Mama.”

“You’re forgiven, sweet.”  When the nagging ache in her back shot around to her front, Amelia closed her eyes.  Oh, dear God, no!

“Mama?  Mama?  What’s the matter?”

Taking a deep breath, Amelia forced her body to relax.  She assessed everything she felt.  The pains could merely be due to the three-mile trek from the road. 
Please, let that be it.

“Mama?”

Hearing how worried Alex sounded, she glanced over at him.  “I’m all right.”

His dubious stare reminded her so much of Julian at that moment, she wanted to weep.  Just when things looked up for her and Julian, just when Alex had come around, now this.  Everything she ever wanted would be snatched away.  What a cruel twist of fate.

Her eyes misted over.

“Lift your hands up to my mouth, Mama.  I think I can untie the knot with my teeth.”

Alex’s words broke into her self-pity.  As she lifted her arms, pain slammed into her lower stomach with the force of a cannon ball.  She bit her lower lip to keep from crying out.  Scaring Alex half to death would not help the situation.

Despite the very low temperature, sweat accumulated on her forehead.  Alex chewed and pulled for a few minutes, until the muscles in her shoulders protested their position.  “Wait.”  She lowered her burning arms.  “Give me a minute to rest.”

****

When the grooms had saddled the horses, Julian glanced over at his father.  “You ready?”

“Yes, let’s go get the bastard.”

Jack turned from his horse, his face clean of the rice powder and lip paint.  He’d also abandoned that revolting pink outfit for the brown wool Julian provided.  Good.  The man would have been spotted a mile away in those clothes.  “What if there are more than one of them out there?” Jack asked.

Julian patted the pistol he had tucked into the waist of his pants.  Another lay in his coat pocket, and he carried a six-inch blade.  “That is the reason we are heavily armed.  And why they’re coming with us.”  He nodded to the men he had hired months ago to protect his wife, who wouldn’t meet his gaze.  No doubt ashamed that his wife had slipped away unnoticed.  But who would have thought she’d venture outside during such foul weather?  He still couldn’t believe it himself.  Why would she do it?  He checked Titan’s saddle one last time, trying to think of anything other than Amelia suffering, even dying, out there somewhere.

Nicholas placed a hand on his shoulder.  “Are you sure about this, Julian?”

He turned.  “What do you mean?”

Removing his hand, Nicholas lowered his voice.  “I mean, an old woman having dreams?”

“I know.”  Julian sighed.  “But it’s all we’ve got.  Amelia is nowhere to be found.  The house has been searched three times over.”

“All right,” Nicholas said with a nod.  “Let’s go get her.”

Julian faced the rattling stable doors.  Wind howled and pounded the thick wood.  He secured his scarf around his nose and mouth, then adjusted the shallow-crown hat on his head.  The wide brim would keep the ice off his face.  He glanced to the others.  “Ready?”

When shouts of ascent rose up, he nodded to the groom.  The doors opened, blasting them with the furious wind and darts of ice.  Titan resisted for a moment, then followed Julian outside to be mounted.  Within seconds, they separated into smaller groups and shot out of the stable yard, each group heading for one of the stone cottages.

****

Amelia released a sigh when the rope fell free.  She massaged her hands, wincing when her fingers brushed the raw skin at her wrists.  “Turn around, Alex, and I’ll untie you.”  She glanced to the door, praying the man wouldn’t come back for a while.

Her stiff fingers worked the knot.  Oh please, oh please, oh please.  Pain struck her low in the belly and she gritted her teeth.

“You all right, Mama?” Alex asked, craning his neck to see her.

“Yes.”  She tried to sound normal.  “Now let me finish.”  The cramp subsided and she took a deep breath.  Her fingers continued on the knot.

The twine loosened.  “Oh, that hurts.” Alex groaned when he pulled his arms back around.  He turned, rubbing his shoulders, then started on the rope securing his legs together.  “Let’s go.” The bindings fell away and he shot to his feet.

Realizing she hadn’t followed him, Alex frowned down at her.  “Come on, Mama.  Can you get up?”

“It’s my ankle,” she lied.  If she went with Alex, she would slow him down.  He had to go without her.  “You’ll have to go get help alone.”

His eyes went round.  “I can’t leave you.”

“You must.”  She wound the scarf around his neck.

“No—”

“Do as you’re told, Alexander Thomas,” she said sharply.

A worried frown pulled at his lips.  “All right.”  He placed a shoulder against the weathered wood, then shoved until the lock gave way.  The howling wind made it difficult to open the door and Alex had to use both hands to squeeze through.

Amelia watched him hesitate.  “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”  Then he slipped through the opening and pushed the door back into place.

The pains hadn’t gotten any worse.  Amelia laid her head against the stone wall and placed her hands on top of her middle.  She closed her eyes, taking in slow deep breaths, the pain dwindled down to nagging little aches.

She thought of her son out there in that weather and that madman on the loose.  A shiver coursed down her spine. 
Please, let Alex find Kenbrook.

When Amelia thought of Julian, the hand she’d been rubbing over her middle went still.  Would he think she left of her own accord?  Oh, no.  “Please, Julian,” she whispered, “don’t think I left you.”  Her head moved from side to side.  No, Alex would get to Kenbrook and explain.  Julian would know.  Everything would be all right.

The door crashed open along with Giles’s colorful oath, bringing in a blast of pelting ice and freezing wind.  He noticed the loose pieces of rope on the floor and narrowed his eyes.  Then he glanced over at her with murder in his eyes.  Amelia huddled against the wall.  He stormed in her direction, raising his hand.  “Where is the whelp?” he demanded.

Before she had the chance to respond, his hand connected hard with her already bruised cheek.  As her head smacked back against the stony wall, she grew numb.  In the blackness of her vision, she watched sparks dance.  Taking in deep breaths, she resisted losing consciousness.  The back of her head pounded and her cheek stung.  A warm trickle of blood ran down the corner of her mouth.

Giles leaned down, his hands gripping her shoulders.  “Where is the boy?”

When she remained silent, he squeezed until she cried out.

“Where is he?”

He drew his hands away and straightened. Amelia lifted her eyes.  Giles removed something from his coat.  The blade flashed and she sucked in a frightened breath. 
Sweet Jesus, save her.

He kneeled down.  Her eyes stayed fixed on the sharp metal traveling slowly toward her.  The tip halted just below her chin.  “Now, tell me where the boy went or I’ll carve you like a Christmas goose.”

Amelia didn’t dare swallow for fear the blade would sink into her skin.  “H-He went for help,” she whispered.

Giles scowled.  “How long ago?”

“Just a-after you left, about an hour ago,” she lied, hoping he would think it useless to go after Alex.

He roared angrily and rose.  She held her breath as she watched him turn toward the door.  With a shake to his head, he turned back.  Then he grabbed the rope from the floor and tied her back up.  The twine bit into the raw flesh, bringing tears to her eyes.

When he finished with the knot, he yanked her to her feet.  “What are you doing?” she asked.

“No questions.”  He dragged her toward the door.

Amelia gasped when the frigid wind slapped her in the face.  She squinted, seeing nothing but freezing rain falling from the ash gray sky.  Giles yanked her forward and she stumbled on the slick ground.

“Come on, you lazy bitch.”  He pulled her up and forward.  She could no longer feel her feet.

As she forced her frozen limbs to move, she thanked God again that Alex had gotten away.

****

Halting by a large oak, Alex tried to catch his breath.  The freezing air stung his lungs, and his side hurt.  He wiped the bits of ice from his brows and glanced around, trying to figure out which way to go.  At least he had a good sense of direction.  Just like his father. 

After resting for only a moment, he turned to his right and began forward. 
Please, let this be the way to Kenbrook.
  The howling wind slowed his progress.  He bent his head and pressed on, thinking of his mother alone in that cabin, and the terrible man bound to return at any moment.

A horse materialized out of nowhere.  Alex fell to the icy ground with a startled cry, trying to scramble away.

The man slid from his saddle.  “Alex,” he yelled above the wind, “it’s all right.  It’s me.”

“Grandfather?”  He rose stiffly, his terror receding.

The Duke of Kenbrook pulled Alex into his arms.  “Are you all right?  Thank God I found you.”

Alex hugged him in return and wanted to cry.  “Grandfather,” he jerked back, “Mama is in a cabin.”  He turned and pointed to the south.

The duke looked relieved.  He signaled the two men behind him.  “Take my grandson back to Kenbrook,” he told one, then glanced to the other.  “Go retrieve my son.”

Alex tipped his head up.  “But, Grandfather, I—”

“No, Alex, you must return to Kenbrook.  We’ll get your mother.”

****

Sheer determination had to be the only thing that kept Amelia going.  Every step she took with Giles meant a step closer for Alex reaching Kenbrook.  The only reason she simply didn’t give up.

When Giles halted, Amelia realized the wind had died down.  Taking in deep breaths, she wondered where they were.  Tall yew and oak trees surrounded them, their branches covered with ice.  Tiny flurries danced gracefully around them.  She glanced down at her legs and frowned.  She couldn’t feel her feet.  Not a good sign.  She hoped they would find shelter soon.  A roaring fire sounded like heaven.

The pain in her middle had subsided.  Amelia breathed in a sigh of relief.  And no sooner did she release the breath, Giles yanked on the rope securing her wrists.

She gritted her teeth to keep from crying out, but tears sprang to her eyes.  The rope tore her tender skin, turning the twine red with her blood.

Stumbling along behind him for another half an hour, he paused and took a sharp right turn.  Amelia wondered where he was going until she saw the cave mostly hidden between the trees.  Giles leaned forward so his head wouldn’t hit the low entrance and disappeared into the black crevice.  She followed with reluctance, alert to any sounds from within the darkness.  She didn’t relish the idea of having to deal with a wild animal at the moment.

Halting at the threshold, Amelia tried looking into the pitch interior.  She could barely detect Giles’s outline.  Nothing else moved and she relaxed.

“Come here.”  He yanked on the rope, propelling her forward.  “Sit there,” he directed to the spot at the back wall, his voice echoing slightly.

Amelia eased down on the spot he had indicated, her frozen legs starting to thaw and throb.  She reached for her wet slippers to try and rub warmth into her feet, but found she couldn’t quite get to them with her swollen middle in the way.  With a sigh, she rested against the icy wall and wiggled her toes.  Feeling came back slowly, and pain followed.  At least the frostbite wasn’t severe.  She shivered when she recalled having to assist Dr. Rutland with the removal of a foot once.  The poor young man had gotten lost during a terrible snow storm.  When they found him two days later, one of his feet had turned black and couldn’t be saved.  She shivered at the memory.