Page 53 of The Lady Who Said No to the Duke
‘Oh, and you’ll want pistols,’ she announced.‘Come with me, my husband had a fine collection of weapons.’
Fifteen minutes later, adequately armed to fight a small war, and with a road book in a saddlebag, the three of them rode out of the mews, the grooms at their heels, just as the Wivetons’ empty town coach rattled in.
‘We’ve missed the Earl,’ Hal said, relieved not to have to explain it all over to a furious and anxious father.The Dowager was the best person for that.‘Ready?Then let’s catch the bastard.’
* * *
The next time the carriage came to a halt, Thea heard the door open and she was lifted into a man’s arms.A big, strong man, she realised, deciding that struggling was not going to work.The cloak was tucked around her and the hood pulled over her face and then she was being carried in the open.They passed through a door, she thought, and unmistakeably up some stairs.
Booted feet hit bare boards, she heard another door open and then she was dumped casually, and painfully, on what felt like a lumpy sofa.The cloak was pulled away and, toher huge relief, the gag removed, by, she saw with horror, but no real surprise, Randolph Linton.
‘Untie me,’ she said, thrusting her bound hands towards him.
He shrugged and did so, dropping to one knee to free her ankles.Thea kicked him hard in the chest and he rolled backwards onto a thin carpet, swearing.
The big bruiser of a man who had been standing by the door started forward, but Linton gestured him back as he regained his feet.‘I’m sure you feel better for that,’ he said, dusting down his coat tails.
‘I would feel better for the use of the privy, a drink of water and an explanation of your conduct, in that order,’ Thea said tightly.
‘Use that.’Linton pointed at a small door.‘Ned, order lemonade for the lady, ale for me.Then wait outside.’
He turned and regarded Thea with a smirk.‘There’s no lock on that door and no window, so don’t try anything foolish.’
Thea stumbled to her feet, wincing at the pain as blood flowed back after the tight bindings.She walked, with as much dignity as she could manage, to the door, taking her time, trying to look more shaky than she felt, scanning the room for weapons as she went.There was nothing.
The little room held a washstand and a chamber pot and that was all.The door had opened outwards and had no lock.She would just have to take the chance that Randolph was not bent on humiliating her.Hastily, Thea used the facilities, drying her face and hands on the strip of towel that lay on the washstand, then explored the room, which was no bigger than a large cupboard.The utensils were of cheap pottery, none of them had the weight to do anyone much damage and the strip of towel was no use for anything.
She turned to go out, steadied herself on the washstand and noticed how rickety it was.One leg had broken and had been repaired simply with string to lash it back together.Thea put the basin and ewer on the floor and untied the string to find that the broken leg had splintered, and amongst the broken fragments of wood was a dagger-like piece about seven inches long.
Cautiously she wriggled it into the outside of her right garter.If she had to snatch it out again she would probably be left with severe scratches, but she could do a lot of damage with that piece of wood.
Once she had roughly tied up the washstand again she went out to find a glass and a jug of lemonade on the table.Randolph sat opposite with a tankard in front of him.There was no sign of the big man, but presumably he was outside the door.No escape that way, even if she could overpower Linton.How high was the window above the ground?
But she was still feeling decidedly shaky and it would probably be a good thing to sit and drink and allow her wrists and ankles to recover a little.It would do no harm to allow Randolph to believe she would obey him, either.
The lemonade helped a lot.Now her mouth and throat no longer felt like flannel filled with gravel, she could try to see what she could learn.
‘You are very relaxed.How far have we come from London?’
‘We are just outside St Albans.’He took a long swig from the tankard.
‘But still on the turnpike?’The sounds from outside, and the size of the room, made her sure this was a coaching inn and not one on a side road.
‘Yes.’There seemed to be no hesitation in telling her where they were, which seemed strange.She must havelooked puzzled because he added, ‘I have no objection to being found with you.It will be some time tomorrow morning, I imagine.’
‘You expect to be found?No, youwantto be found.’
‘Exactly.You will have been nicely compromised and will have no option but to marry me.’
Thea snorted.
‘You may not care if you are ruined—not that I believe that—but your father will certainly insist on marriage.It is not as though I am a groom or the dancing master.The Lintons are good blood.’
‘But not good character,’ Thea shot back.
Marry Randolph Linton?Never.
‘You seem to make a habit of trying to ruin unmarried ladies.Your attempt on the daughter of a rural dean was somewhat unambitious, was it not?’
