Page 100 of A Rescue by the Rakish Duke
Gwendoline went straight to a nest of vipers.
“Yes, Your Grace. She left to see Lord Marston. She said that she wanted to help you, and it might be her only way to do so,” the maid cried, her hands fisted in front of her face as if to shield herself.
“Damn it, I won’t hurt you. But pray that nobody has hurt Gwendoline. We need to turn around and go back to London,” he muttered to his coachman. “Immediately.”
It was a tiring journey one way, and it was even more so back and forth. However, Damian could no longer afford to waste more time. His wife had left the night before and might have reached London in the early morning. Dawn, even, if Daisy had not bolted again.
Daisy.
Damian could barely imagine the horrific things that could have happened if Daisy had bolted again, possibly flinging her mistress down the dirt path—in a forest where wild animalsroamed. He had never felt so much fear in a long time. The last time was when his mother had one of her episodes, muttering about nonsensical things while dancing in the garden.
Gwendoline’s courage might be admirable, but it was also reckless. She might have been bored, guilty, or a mix of both. The roads to London in themselves were dangerous, especially for an unchaperoned woman. Reaching either Montrose or Marston was even more dangerous, depending on the day and temperament of either man.
Damian urged the coachman to drive faster. His window was open, as he was prepared to catch a glimpse of anyone on the ground. They hadn’t crossed anyone on their way to Greyvale, so perhaps Gwendoline had reached London.
Hope bloomed in his chest, but his fear was more overwhelming. He didn’t know what he would do if something happened to her.
The poisoned chocolates? They had made him fly into a rage.
The mare and the tampered tacks? He had beenterrified.
Montrose’s attack on Gwendoline? It had made him act unreasonably.
Never again. He would think rationally, consider what could be done and not what he was feeling. He had been cruel to her. He had been willing to hurt her simply because he was afraid of getting hurt.
Chapter Thirty-One
“Your Grace!” The butler was surprised to see her.
Gwendoline reached Damian’s residence on horseback. She had to remind herself that it was also her home—a home she was banished from. Pain shot through her as she remembered how she ended up traveling on her own in the first place.
She knocked. It felt strange to do so. More often than not, she and Damian would simply push the front door open. A servant would have already been alerted of their arrival.
“William, good day to you, too. I am exhausted from my long journey. Is Estella here?” she inquired, hoping to soak in a bath before talking to her husband.
She smelled like horse and sweat, and other things. It must be the smoke in Marston’s home.
“Your Grace, does His Grace know that you are here?” William asked, still looking a little bit alarmed.
“Oh, where is he, by the way?” she asked, taking off her cloak as she entered the townhouse.
The butler had no choice but to step back.
“He went to Greyvale to see you, Your Grace. At least that was what I was told. We were instructed to wait for your return.”
“Oh.”
So, they were expecting her, but not as early and not without Damian.
“Yes, Your Grace. I will tell Estella to draw you a bath then.”
“And a change of clothes. Breeches and a blouse, please,” she ordered.
William’s eyes widened at the mention of the clothing she planned to wear. But she needed something that would not restrict her movement.
She did not waste any time. Estella was bewildered by the speed at which she wanted to bathe and get dressed. Most ladies of the ton wanted to enjoy their baths, but Gwendoline didn’t have time for that. She had a criminal to catch, a gang to apprehend.
After dressing, she took a deep breath and informed the butler that she was leaving. She told him to inform Damian that she would be at the warehouse. All the carriages were in Greyvale at the moment, so she asked a servant to hail a cab for her.
