Page 50 of To Win a Viscount's Heart
“You know me. I can’t resist giving Azure a treat.”
“Well, he adores you for it!” Ben chuckled. “If ye need anything, Miss Selena, I’ll be over there doing some repairs.”
“Thank you, Ben.” She smiled as he hefted a toolbox and began to make his way to the other end of the large stable.
Selena grinned and touched the apples in her pocket. When she got to Azure’s stall, she climbed up on the gate and leaned over. “Hello handsome!” she cooed.
The horse whinnied.
“I brought something for you,” she said.
“And I’ve brought something for you,” a familiar voice said from behind her.
Dread assailed her as she slowly turned. “Vern!” she gasped. “He…mumph…” Selena opened her mouth to scream but he clamped a hand over her and stuffed a foul-tasting rag in her mouth. He tied another rag around her head, making it impossible for her to speak.
Dutch, who had been visiting Aphrodite ran to Selena and began to growl at the stranger.
“I see the secret is out,” he huffed pulling her in front of him as a shield to keep the dog at bay. “Even if I’m not going tobe Lord Percival anymore, I’ve got everything I need to secure my future….You!” he whispered in her ear.
Selena mumbled through the gag. Her worst fear had been realized.Please someone help! Gerald. Gerald, I wish you were here…
“And you thought you were smarter than old Vern.” He pulled a rope from his pocket and wound it around her arms and torso, immobilizing her and pushing her to the ground. She could do nothing but watch, helplessly.
Dutch flew into action, his jaws sinking into the murderer’s leg and shaking it. Blood oozed from. Dutch refused to let go. Vern kicked out his leg and hit Dutch with an iron rod. Selena screamed through her rag as she watched the loyal dog fall away.
She tried to roll into Azure’s stall but couldn’t move. Surely Ben would hear the commotion and come to her aid.
She could smell smoke in the barn and began to panic, kicking her feet and trying to roll up.
“Yes, that’s smoke you’re smelling. This whole place will soon go up in flames. But don’t worry,” he said with a sneer. “I’m going to take you and your fine horse with us. He’ll bring a pretty penny.” She saw Vern try to grab Azure’s reins. But the horse reared up, crashing against the stall door. He kicked again and broke the latch, opening the stall door.
“Fine! No matter. You’re what I wanted. I came for you, sweet Selena. Turning her over to face him, he withdrew a bottle from his pocket and poured it onto the rag over her face.”
“This will calm you down. And keep you from fighting me.”
The horse would have been a nice profit,” he said, hoisting a weakened Selena over his shoulder. Seemingly unphased by his bloodied leg, Vern carried her to a horse that hehad hidden behind a stand of shrubs—the same shrubs she had seen move earlier.
She thought she recognized the horse as one of Gerald’s but could no longer be sure, as the sickly smell of laudanum invaded her senses. She felt nauseous and light-headed. In what seemed like seconds, everything started to turn dark. Selena thought she heard Azure’s furious cries in the distance as the smell of smoke began to grow stronger. She tried to stay awake, but it was impossible as everything faded to black.
~*~
Chapter Nineteen
Gerald rode into Bellwood and noticed the smoke coming from the direction of the stable. “Dear God! We’re too late…he already got to her, and the stable is on fire!” Squeezing his legs, he spurred Hermes to pick up the pace as they rode towards the house. As he approached the manor house, he saw his staff had already formed a human chain from the well to the stable and were dowsing the flames. He spotted more people running out of the house to help but didn’t see the person his heart needed to see.Selena…where are you?
Gerald scanned the throng of people helping put out the fire, but Selena wasn’t among them. “Selena!” he yelled. “Selena…where are you? Even as he shouted her name, he knew she wasn’t there. He felt the agony of loss from the depths of his soul.
“We have to help put this out first,” Gerald said, “Selena could be inside.” Gerald slid from his horse and helped Paul down, Banbury climbed down with Kat in his arms who wasalready asleep. Wright had already climbed down from his horse and had already run ahead to help.
“You have to stay here with your sister – out of harm’s way,” Gerald said. Gerald spotted Connery emerging from the burning building carrying a bloodied animal.
“Dutch!” The dog’s eyes were closed. Gerald tried to form coherent words. Except for his horses, he had never had a pet before Dutch, and now… His beloved dog looked dead. “My God! Is he…”
“He’s alive. I’ve sent for Doctor Baker,” Connery said. “I suspect the pain knocked him out.”
Banbury and Wright ran toward the line of people putting out the fire as Gerald and Banbury spoke with Connery.
“What happened?”
