The Importance of Love (16 page)

‘He will never get away with this,' she told herself in order to keep her spirits up. ‘Does he really believe that he can come to a part of the country that he does not know and outwit David's staff who have lived here all their lives? Of course, they will know of this place and will think of it eventually – '

And when she heard the sound of a motor vehicle pulling up outside the hut, she hoped against hope that it would not be Frank Connolly returning.

‘He could not have driven to Torr House and killed David in such a short time,' she agonised. And even though she was terrified, that slim ray of hope made her feel a little better.

She then heard a fearful crashing around outside the hut and then there came the sound of the padlock being undone.

The next thing she saw was Frank Connolly's angry face as he pushed the door open with great force.

“There has been a change of plan,” he bellowed.

Luella noticed that he appeared agitated. It was, she thought, as if he did not really know what to do next.

He came up behind her and undid the ropes that bound her to the chair.

“Are you letting me go free?” she asked hopefully.

“Don't be stupid,” he yelled, the colour mounting once more in his chubby face. “That damned Viscount is heading up a search party for you and I almost drove straight into their path. No, we are going to drive to Liverpool and catch the ferry.”

“Liverpool! But the Daimler – ”

“Shut up and do as I say, unless you want me to hurt you or use the chloroform again.”

His eyes were wild and his mouth curled into an ugly snarl as he dragged her to her feet. But Luella's bonds made her stumble and only served to increase his rage.

“Move,” he shouted.

“But I cannot walk – my feet are bound.”

Muttering under his breath, he produced a knife from his jacket and swiftly sliced through the ropes.

Luella longed to rub her sore ankles, but he was too busy dragging her out of the hut and towards the motor car.

“Get in and do not try and escape!” he screamed. “You will only come to greater harm if you do not comply with my wishes. Is that understood?”

He pulled out the gun from his jacket and pointed it at her head. Luella froze when she saw it. “Get into the motor car and hurry!”

Luella was determined that she would not cry and tipped her head back a little to prevent the tears from flowing.

‘I must be brave and do as he says,' she thought. ‘There may be an opportunity once we are on the road to draw attention to my plight or to escape. I may have my hands bound, but my feet are free.'

Frank Connolly went round to the front of the Daimler and cranked the handle. It started first time much to his satisfaction.

He ceased shouting at Luella and put the gun back into his jacket pocket.

They drove back along the track and were soon on the main road. But Frank Connolly had a poor sense of direction and soon, after taking a wrong turn at a crossroads, he was hopelessly lost.

“Where are we?” he shouted at Luella.

“I don't know,” she began. “I – ”

“Oh, curse this! Direct me! You must know the way into Bideford.”

“But I am not familiar with the roads,” she insisted. “I know my way no better than you!”

“Stop talking nonsense and show me the way. If you are trying to obstruct our progress, you will be very sorry.”

He fingered the gun in his pocket and Luella became very afraid of what he might do.

“T-try this way,” she indicated a turning she thought looked familiar. But they had not gone a hundred yards when the Daimler suddenly started to splutter. It jerked and coughed before stopping completely.

“Damn! What is wrong with this infernal machine?” he shouted, his nerves now getting the better of him.

“I believe we are out of petrol,” suggested Luella, who had heard Bennett describe how he had once become stranded in his previous job.

“Where can we find some?”

“I don't know. Bennett always takes care of that sort of thing.”

With a furious expression he stomped back towards the passenger seat and dragged Luella out of the car.

“What are you doing?”

“Shut up! I am going to try to start it one last time.”

Tying a length of rope to the bonds around her hands, he then looped it around his waist while he cranked the handle, but it was no use.

“Blasted thing! Curse it! I should have known not to trust something mechanical. I should have stolen a horse and cart – at least a horse will always go, if you give him a good-enough thrashing.”

He was now utterly furious, kicking the car and using the kind of language Luella did not care to overhear.

After one last abortive attempt at starting the Daimler, the crank handle snapped in his hand. With disgust, he threw the broken metal to the ground and stamped on it.

“We will walk,” he yelled hysterically.

“Where to? We are nowhere near any transport.”

But Frank Connolly was not listening. He was already walking on ahead with the rope still around his waist and Luella stumbling behind him.

“This is utter folly,” she pleaded, hoping to delay him. “Stop! I beg you.”

“Be quiet, woman.”

“What do you think you will achieve by dragging me across the country?”

“Shut up! Shut up!” he bellowed turning around to face her.

He jerked the rope and she fell to the ground. Her arms ached from the motion of being led along and it took all of her strength not to cry.

“Get up. We will walk to the train station at Bideford and get on the train. Or I will hire a carriage and horses.”

“You would parade me through the streets of Bideford like this?” she howled, holding up her bound hands. “Do you really think you will get away with it? Everyone knows me – they will set upon you and you will be lynched.”

“Then you will have to come quietly,” he snarled pulling out his pistol again. “Now shut up and walk. When the time comes, I will untie you.”

Luella followed on behind him, praying with all her might that someone would see them. But the road was deserted and not a single horse or cart came along.

Eventually they reached the river. He noted with a satisfied grunt that the tide was out, so he dragged her down the steep bank to the shingle-lined shore.

“We shall be out of sight of the road this way. Now come along and do not think of giving me any trouble.”

By now tears were slowly coursing down Luella's face. The sun was still warm and she was hot and thirsty. The cool water that lapped against the shingle seemed to mock her and made her even more desperate for a drink.

“Water! I must have water,” she called stumbling on some pebbles.

Frank Connolly looked irritated by her request, but then he nodded.

“I don't want to have to carry you if you faint. Be quick.”

He allowed Luella to walk to the water's edge and kneel down.

Putting her face into the cool water, she lapped up as much as she could before he jerked her to her feet again.

“Now get a move on. If I tie you up by the bridge, I can go and find a carriage.”

“Are you mad?” asked Luella. “What if the tide comes in while I am tethered here?”

“Then at least the Viscount will not have the satisfaction of marrying you,” he snapped and threw his head back with a terrifying cruel laugh. Fear clutched at Luella's heart as they stumbled along the shore together.

‘David! David. Help! Help.'

The bridge was now only a few hundred yards away and she could see he was looking for a post or one of the metal rings used by boatmen to tether their craft, so that he could strap her to it.

Suddenly, from above their heads on the bridge there came a piercing shout.

“My Lord! My Lord!”

Luella looked up to see Thomas's face staring down at her.

“It's 'er!
It's Miss Luella
! She's down on the shore.”

Frank Connolly froze to the spot. He spun around and looked for somewhere to run or to hide – but there was nowhere.

Then down the set of stone steps that led from the bridge came the Viscount and a whole column of men.

“Luella!” he shouted, moving stealthily forwards with his eyes fixed firmly on Frank Connolly.

“David!
He's got a gun
!” she cried.

“And I will not hesitate to use it!” yelled Frank Connolly, as he fumbled inside his coat.

The Viscount halted in his steps as Frank Connolly drew out his pistol and, pulling Luella closer to him, he pointed it at her.

“Take one step closer and I will kill her,” he hissed as his thumb flicked off the safety catch.

“What do we do now, my Lord?” whispered Thomas, as he stopped by the Viscount.

But the Viscount was not paying any attention to him or Frank Connolly. A movement up on the road had distracted his attention.

“Keep him talking,” ordered the Viscount quietly.

“Very good, my Lord.” As Thomas attempted to talk Frank Connolly out of harming Luella, the Viscount moved behind him.

“Ha! Coward! Using one of your men as a shield,” he roared with a triumphant look upon his face, as he pulled Luella closer to the barrel of the gun.

But the Viscount was neither a coward nor a fool. As Thomas continued to talk to him, the Viscount raised his eyes.

Up on the road, Bennett had arrived with the Police and they were creeping along the top of the river bank and down towards where Luella and Frank Connolly were standing.

Moving back in front of Thomas, the Viscount began to taunt him, hoping he would not notice the crawling men who were moving ever nearer to his rear.

“Call yourself a man,” he cried. “Holding a defenceless woman prisoner. Let her go!”

“
No
! You shall not marry Luella, she is
mine
!”

“Let her go and we will fight this out, man to man. If you win, I will not press charges, neither will Luella.”

“Do you think I'm a fool?” he raged. “As soon as I let go my hold on Luella, you will have me arrested.”

“You know you are doomed,” parried the Viscount. “Do you really think you will escape with her and that she will go willingly with you?”

“While I have a gun pointed at her head, she has no choice.”

The Viscount could see the three Policemen advancing slowly but surely behind Frank Connolly. They spread out into a triangle and moved quietly, communicating with gestures.

‘I hope my men have the good sense not to alert Connolly to the fact that he is about to be captured,' thought the Viscount.

But his men were used to hunting and the pursuit of quarry. They stood stock-still and not even their eyes moved an inch from Frank Connolly's face.

‘I have them rapt,' he thought triumphantly, as he began to drag Luella towards the bridge steps.

“Let me pass and she will not be harmed,” he demanded. But no sooner had the words left his lips than three Policemen closed in on him from behind.

One grabbed the hand that held the gun and deftly prised it from his grip, while the other two pulled him to the ground.

Luella fell forward and the Viscount rushed towards her.

“My darling!” he cried taking her in his arms and kissing her over and over again. “Are you hurt?”

“A little,” whimpered Luella. “But I am alive and that is all that matters. Oh, David! I thought I would be killed – or worse –
and he was going to shoot you too.
”

He cradled her tenderly in his arms and kissed her face. Luella closed her eyes and sighed as his lips sought her eyelids and her mouth.

The Viscount did not care if everyone was staring.

All that mattered was that Luella was safe.

*

Frank Connolly was taken to Bideford Police station and charged with attempted abduction and plotting to murder the Viscount.

When the Chief Constable telephoned the Viscount later that evening to check that Luella was well, he assured him that Connolly was safely locked up in the cells at the station.

“And he will not be allowed to go free. You have my word on that, my Lord.”

“Excellent, Chief Constable. I will, of course, be prepared to give evidence. I just hope that the trial will not clash with my forthcoming marriage.”

“Of course, my Lord. He will be charged in the morning and a date will be set for the trial. He will not see the light of day for a very long time, I can assure you. Kidnap is enough to send him down for many years without the intent to murder in addition.”

“Splendid, I will inform Luella. She will be glad that she is now free of the scourge of Frank Connolly.”

The Viscount replaced the receiver and made his way upstairs to the blue room. Grace was sitting outside as the doctor was tending to Luella.

“How is Miss Ridgeway?” he asked Grace as he paused outside the door.

“She is very tired, my Lord, but glad to be home. She has been through a terrible ordeal – terrible!”

“Yes, indeed she has.”

He knocked on the door and waited for the doctor to answer. “

Ah, my Lord,” he called. “Please come in. Miss Ridgeway is resting.”

“Is she – ?”

“She is untouched, my Lord.”

“Then that is something to be grateful for. Will there be any ill-effects from her ordeal?”

“She is still a little disorientated after inhaling so much chloroform. She can expect a bad headache, but a few good night's sleep should see her as right as rain.”

“May I see her?”

“Yes, but I warn you, she is very tired. Do not stay long, as she needs rest.”

The Viscount thanked the doctor, shook his hand and entered the room.

Luella was in bed with her tanned hands folded over the coverlet. Her thick golden hair was loose and spread out across the pillow and the Viscount thought she looked for all the world like an angel sent down from Heaven.