Page 55 of Tempting a Lonely Lord
Shouts from the beach drew their attention. “Oh God!” Harriett said. “I was so concerned about your whereabouts that I had forgotten. Michael and Lacey came running back to the fortune teller’s tent with Madame Vorest’s granddaughter, Sophia. Michael said they found her along with a dozen other children being smuggled onto a boat on the beach, in front of the pub, and in broad daylight! No one seemed to notice. Had Michael not heard Madame Vorest describe her granddaughter earlier, he wouldn’t have recognized the little girl and raised the alarm to Stephen and Lady Rivers. But that’s all I know.”
“We should get to the beach. They may need us.”
~*~
Behind them, Baron Darkmoor rose and felt the blood running from his head. Seeing the weapon next to him, he realized what had happened. Quickly, he divested himself of thebindings on his arms and legs. “You may think you’ve escaped me, but you will find out that the baron isn’t in the habit of losing anything or anyone he wants. I will have you if it’s the last thing I do.” Grabbing the bloodied iron, he slunk away.
~*~
Chapter Twenty
Two Days Later
Cliffton Abbey
William lay awake in his bed, staring up at the swirling center knot in his creamy damask canopy cover. He couldn’t recall paying that much attention to the design of his bed before, but now that he studied it, he could appreciate the intricacies—they were much like his life now. The same intricacies that had kept him awake most of the night as he tried to weave through them.
He had anticipated that life would slow down a little with his official resignation from active duty with the Crown; instead, most especially since meeting Lady Bella Connolly, he’d felt as if he needed to grab hold, because life wasn’t waiting for anyone.
Anticipating being roused early by Patrick—as his valet enjoyed doing—William had pulled his bed curtains closed the evening before, giving him a few additional moments of solitude. So much had happened in the past few days that the only way he thought to make sense of it all was to lie there and think.
The fête had been meant to be a pleasant diversion, a chance to enjoy the day with Bella and her family. Instead, it had turned into something far more startling, dangerous, and deeply worrisome.
William had spent the past two days grappling with everything that had happened—not just the discovery of the smuggling ring and the kidnapped children, but Bella’s ordeal.
She had been accosted by the baron, the vile bastard who had lain in wait for the perfect moment to drag her into a darkened tent, his intentions as nefarious as they were unforgivable. Thank God Harriett had been there, helping Bella escape before something worse could happen.
ButWilliamhadn’t been there.
That knowledge sat like a stone in his gut, heavier with each passing hour. Bella had been shaken, bruised from the struggle, but when he tried to ask her more, her eyes had darted away, unwilling to meet his.
She hadn’t wanted to talk.
Harriett had promised she would speak with her, and now, two days later, William finally knew the whole story.
The baron had planned it. He had watched, waited, and struck at the opportune moment. Bella had barely managed to wrench herself free and escape his clutches.
Two kidnappings.
One targeting innocent children.
One targeting Bella.
How could two such terrifying coincidences happen in one day, at one event?
William’s fingers curled into fists. He didn’t believe in coincidences. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to let this go.
Had it not been for Michael’s keen observation, the boat would have departed with a dozen stolen children. For now, there were parents of two of the children that they were still trying to locate. It could take a while. He was thankful that Lady Elizabeth Rivers had graciously offered to shelter the little ones until their families were found.
William was also incredibly thankful and even in awe of his little brother. Michael had a keen sense of awareness. He seemed to understand not only the temperament of animals but also that of people. He had been a tremendous help with the children, calming them and making them laugh. He’d been so helpful that Elizabeth had asked if he could stay, just in case the children had a difficult night. However, Michael wasn’t ready to part with Lacey, so he declined the offer. William had laughed at that. Michael seemed to embody the best qualities of both hismother and father. William did not regret his decision to resign from the Crown to spend time with his brother one bit.
But it was Michael’s conversationafterthe children had been taken to safety that still lingered in William’s head this morning.
He and Lucas had been overseeing Franklin and their men tying up the smugglers.
“Very likely this is the Piper again,”Lucas had remarked.
“Which makes me wonder if the Piper has been doing this right under the noses of the townspeople this whole time. What if he lives here among us? If that’s the case, it would make it easier to find him…”William said.
