Page 95 of A Naughty Proposal for His Winter Countess
“I am going to have so much pleasure killing you and dumping your body for the wild animals to feast on,” Carrington growled out his promise. “With you gone, I will have Harriet; she will be mine to take when I please, and as long I please until her body doesn’t satisfy me anymore. I would have killed you already, but it’s daylight and I need the cover of night to get rid of you. I suggest you make peace with God because you’ll meet Him soon.”
Carrington shoved Daniel back into the wall hard enough that the air whooshed out of his body. Though winded, Daniel voiced a suspicion, “Dawson had nothing to do with Harriet’s embarrassment…did he?”
Stopping his stride, Carrington half turned, and his smile was despicable, “He did, but since no one knows about my involvement it was easy to make him take the blame. Everyone knows that he is a rakehell; they would sooner condemn him than me, and even if it’s his word against mine, he would still feel the blunt.”
“You’re a conniving lecher,” Daniel seethed.
“And soon you’re going to be food for buzzards,” Carrington laughed hatefully. “Which one of us in on the better end?”
Biting back the words brimming on the tip of his tongue, Daniel doubled his efforts to get free.
* * *
The constables came back to Daniel’s home about four in the afternoon. Harriet, who was worrying herself ragged, questioned them as soon as they came through the door.
“Have you found him?”
“Sadly Miss—?”
“Bradford,” Ben told them.
“Regrettably, Miss Bradford, we have not,” one of them said. “We’ve searched the known haunts where criminals would take abductees but didn’t find him. Lord Barkley told us he has few enemies, and while we’re trying to follow those leads, we’re coming up light.”
Swallowing, Harriet said, “You should look into Lord Dawson, Marquess of Sutherland, who, I’m told is on the run. I believe he had a grudge against Daniel…Lord Barkley, and…” she swallowed, “Lord Carrington, Antony Worter, as well.”
Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted Ben’s surprised look, but didn’t acknowledge it. “I have reason, a personal reason, to believe he might be antagonistic against Lord Barkley too.”
“Thank you, Miss Bradford,” one of the constables nodded, “we now have more to go on.”
“Please find him,” Harriet said. “Today was supposed to be our wedding day. I love him; I cannot see him die.”
“We’ll do our utmost best, Miss,” the other said as they bowed and hurried away.
Ben waited till they were gone and turned to Harriet, “What does Carrington have to do with this?”
“If he is anything like his sire,” a woman’s tired, Irish-accented voice, “he tried to seduce her.”
Both spun to the door, where a woman, in a thick traveling coat pulled off her hat to reveal her light-brown hair and pale skin.
“Pardon?” Ben asked, “Who are you?”
She gave a wry smile, “Miss Honora Callum, formerly Lady Honora Barkley; I am Daniel’s mother.”
Harriet’s hands flew to her mouth, “Goodness, you’re alive!”
“I am, but I tried to stay away because I didn’t want to muddy my son’s life anymore. The scandal ripped my late husband apart and soured my son’s soul against me. I thought I was doing the right thing by staying away, but when I received his letter, I felt it was time to come and explain how it happened. A letter would not do.”
“Let us sit in the drawing room,” Harriet rushed. “I’ll call for some tea.”
After she sent for the tea, and showed the woman the room, Harriet asked, “I don’t want to open old wounds, but…Carrington’s Father?”
“Yes, Dear—”
“Harriet,” she replied, “Harriet Bradford; your son’s betrothed.”
“You’re so lovely, and from what I heard from the door, care for him.” The lady looked worn out and distressed. “It’s not a pretty story, My Dear; I wish I hadn’t fell under his wiles, and hadn’t availed myself to him. My life would have been so much better. His son must have seen woman after woman come through his Father’s door and believed in using women as playthings.”
“Harriet,” Ben’s tone darkened with anger. “What happened between you and Carrington?”
