Chapter 5 (part 1)
Richard tucked Harriet close to his side as he sat in the hack outside the townhouse that stood at the address on the note found in the watch. “This is not a good idea,” he muttered.
“It is the only way,” Harriet assured him.
He shook his head and blew out a breath. “We could have put your clothes on someone else.”
“That would have been too big a risk,” she countered.
Before he could find a way to refute her argument – which was true, and he knew it – the door to the house opened, and both Louis and another man exited and made their way toward the hack.
“Stay deep in the shadows until I am out and the door is closed,” Harriet said to Richard before giving him a quick kiss and sliding toward the door.
“If anything happens to you….” He would never be able to live with himself or forgive Lillesley for allowing her to take part in this scheme.
“Nothing will happen.” There was a slight tremor in her voice. “I will be fine.” The tremor was gone. It was as if she had swallowed whatever fear had arisen and vanquished it in a heartbeat. “We will save Louis’s sister, and I will be Mrs. Richard Fitzwilliam. I will be.”
The determination in her voice made him smile despite his nervousness. How he loved his lionhearted lady!
“Where is your sister?” she asked Louis as soon as the door to the hack was opened.
“She is inside the house,” the man behind Louis said. “She will be allowed to leave as soon as you are inside.”
“No.” Harriet shook her head even as she began sliding out of the carriage. “She must come out before I go in.”
The man’s replying laugh was as icy as a winter’s day. “I do not think a lady with her hands and feet tied is in a position to negotiate with me.” He threw her over his shoulder and grunted. “You are not a slight thing, are you?”
“Are you the man who killed my brother for his watch?” she asked.
Richard quietly exited the carriage through the door on the opposite side as Louis closed the door through which Harriet had gone.
“No. I keep track of the ladies like you.”
Richard heard a thwack.
“I will thank you not to hit my person,” Harriet cried.
“I will hit what I want to hit,” the man said. “Especially when you are asking questions about things that are none of your business. I will remind you only this once that you belong to me now.”
“Oh, I will not be with you long. My brother and his friend will find you. They are both very good shots you know.”
Again, Richard heard that cold laugh.
“But will they find you?” he asked.
Richard sneered at the back of the man holding Harriet. They did not even have a need to find her. He was here, and Edmund was close by.
“Before we go in, call my sister to the door.”
Louis had stepped between the door and the man they were here to capture.
“One goes in while the other comes out,” he added.
The man cursed. “If it will get rid of you sooner and get her in the house faster, then, open the door.”
Louis obliged.
“Carrick bring the girl,” he called.
“You could put me down while we wait,” Harriet suggested. Her head was up, and she was looking around until she saw Richard standing near the head of the horse attached to the carriage. She gave him a nod. “It cannot be good for your shoulder to be holding me like this. I hear that aches and pains mend less quickly as a man ages.”
Richard could see that Harriet’s hands were free. A few shakes of her feet and the loosely tied rope at her feet would also fall away. She touched her hat as the man grumbled his reply.
“I am not old, and you are not running away. You are mine.”
Her hat fell to the ground.
“How would I run with a rope around my feet?”
“I will not take the chance. You are needed.”
“For what am I needed?”
“For what do you think?” the man replied.
“I am sure I do not know.” That was a blatant lie. Harriet knew far more about what this man was involved in than any proper young lady should.
“For pleasure, of course,” the man answered.
Harriet’s gasp in reply to this was louder than normal. It was a sure sign she was acting the part of a naive lady.
Carrick was at the door with a young maid. My, she was a little thing. Likely younger than her brother Louis, who now had her wrapped in his arms.
“Get out of the way so I can go in,” the man grumbled.
Richard sprang into action as Louis, with his arms still wrapped around his sister, hurried away from the door.
“I think I would like to join you,” Richard said as he bounded up the steps and pushed his way into the house ahead of Harriet. “Put her down.”
“Get out of my way. Carrick!”
Behind him, Richard heard the unmistakable sound of a pistol being made ready to shoot. “I have only to duck or step to the side and you’ll kill your own man. Indeed, at this range, the bullet might go through me and into him.” He grabbed the guy holding Harriet and pulled him close. “Put her down.”
He pushed Richard away. “She’s mine.”
“No, she is not,” Harriet said right before the man holding her cried out and dropped her.
“My back!” He shouted as he spun around.
Harriet scooted away and freed her legs.
“What did you do to me?” he lunged toward Harriet.
Richard pushed him backward, causing him to fall down the steps.
“I have him,” Jimmy said as he jumped down from his horse. “Go get the others. Lillesely and the rest should be in there already.”
Harriet handed the rope from her feet to Jimmy. “Go,” she said to Richard. “I will stay right here.”
“Promise me?”
“I promise.” She handed him a slightly bloody hat pin. “I case you need it.” He smiled. She would always try to keep him safe, would she not?
“I will make sure nothing happens to her,” Louis added from the door to the hack where his sister was now safely stowed.
And with that assurance, Richard entered the house.
