Page 17 of The Heir's Fortune
There were plenty of damsels in distress in her gothic novels, but Madeline had never had any desire to be one of them.
She had always thought that if she were to relate to any character in her stories, it would be the villainess who had tempted the chaste hero away from his noble goal.
But, alas, here she was.
How disappointing.
Gideon came to a stop in front of them, his spine straight and his hands fisted at his sides. He was a rather lean man, and could often be lost in a crowd, especially if he was beside a large man like Lord Ferrington or someone much more debonair such as Lord Covington.
But right now, Gideon had summoned all of the ducal power within him and was standing tall as he stared at the men who surrounded them. When his eyes landed on the man who held Madeline, a shiver worked its way down her spine due to the cold, steely determination in his stare.
He was furious.
She had never seen this side of Gideon before. He was reserved. Regal. Respectful, his emotions under tight control.
All of that had been stripped away, leaving bare emotion in its place.
And, despite her current situation and the very real danger they were facing, Madeline was suddenly captivated.
“Release her,” he said, his voice dropping an octave with the grit that filled it.
“And just why,” the man said, “would I do that?”
“You are on British soil,” Gideon continued as Devon stood only a foot behind him. “Onmyland. The land of a duke. You are holding a woman who is currently under my protection. You must understand that there is no optimal end to this scenario for you.”
“You have many words, but we have many weapons,” the man said with a smirk. “Not to worry. I will return her to you. But it will come with a price – the map.”
“Map?” Gideon said, but, unfortunately, he was not the most skilled liar. “What map?”
“The map you stole fromDonRafael,” one of the other men said.
“No onestoleanything,” Gideon said. “If anything was taken, it was something that was ours to begin with.”
Madeline held her breath again as the man beside her pressed the pistol harder into her temple.
“Your sister’s death would mean nothing to us,” he seethed. “It wouldn’t be the first time that I have killed.”
Even as her stomach started to twist, Madeline didn’t miss exactly what he said. Sister?
They thought she was Cassandra.
That could be cause for great relief, or also great fear.
They would likely think that killing Cassandra would have greater consequences – but worse, if they realized shewasn’tCassandra, there was a good chance they would go looking for her in truth.
Madeline could not allow that to happen.
She had no death wish, but Cassandra was a mother and Madeline had to make sure that she stayed safe.
She looked Gideon in the eye, shaking her head as imperceptibly as she could to signal to him not to reveal her true identity.
Was she imagining it, or did he slightly nod in return?
“Very well,” Gideon said, although his face trembled with his anger. “You can have the map. But I do not have it with me.”
“Then go fetch it and bring it to us. One of my men will go with you to ensure you do not call for help,” the man commanded, but Gideon shook his head.
“I will not leave my… sister here alone with you.”
