Page 60 of Unmasked By a Captivating Lady
Another tear fell down her cheek. She had seen what this man had done to Miles. She knew that he was still at large, and that he was armed. But all that she had been concerned about was escaping the house. Escapinghim, and the irresistible hold that he had over her.
“Hello?” she called again, into the darkness. “Please…I amthirsty!”
She strained her ears, listening for a response. But the only sound was the slight rustling of a mouse in a corner. The same sound that she had heard when he had first brought her here, and tied her to this chair. That sound had been driving her crazy for hours.
She sobbed, thinking back, to how it had all happened….
***
She had been too stunned to say anything when he had pointed the gun at her, telling her to get off Pem. It was as if her tongue had been frozen, somehow. She had done what he commanded, sliding off the horse. Her heart had been thumping so loudly in her chest that she thought it would surely jump out.
He had pushed her, roughly, waving the gun in her face. She had stumbled, only managing to correct her footing at the last second, before she crashed to the ground. Somehow, the action had awoken her. She had whipped around angrily, glaring at him.
“Why are you doing this?” she had hissed. “Where are you taking me?” Her eyes had widened. “I will give you what jewellery I have on me! I will take it off now, if you will only let me go!”
To her utter horror, he had grinned, right into her face, causing her to reel back at the foulness of his breath. His eyes were pale blue, and cold.
“I will take your jewellery, of course,” he had said slowly, his eyes lazily drifting over her face. “I will add it to the collection I have made. But you…” he jabbed her in the chest with a dirty finger “…are worth far more than a collection of rings and necklaces, I am afraid. That is why I am takingyou.”
She had stared at him in disbelief. “What are youtalkingabout? How can I be worth anything?”
He started to slowly laugh. “A pretty face is worth more than gold to some men, my love! And they are willing to pay a pretty penny for it.” His eyes trailed over her insolently, causing her to redden. “And you are a well brought up young lady, who probably has never known a man, am I right? Some men will pay even more for that!”
She had stared at him, so shocked and horrified that she felt as if her powers of speech had deserted her entirely. Whatexactlywas he telling her? She still didn’t quite understand, but she knew that she was in grave danger. So much danger that she might never see her family, or her home, again, if he was successful with what he wanted to do with her.
She felt like she had awoken in the middle of a nightmare. A very bizarre nightmare, where she simply could not understood what was going on. A nightmare where the rules of this strange new world were not apparent to her.
“Enough talk,” he had said, pushing her forward, with the gun pressed into her back. “Move, lady. Now.”
She had no choice but to comply with him.
She had never been so frightened in her life.
***
Ara took a deep breath, now, trying to calm herself. She simply had to think of a way to escape this appalling situation. She jerked against the ropes, tying her to the chair, trying desperately to loosen them. But they held fast, as tight as when he had first tied them.
She gazed around again into the darkness. She had no idea where he had taken her. He had only forced her to walk for ten more metres, with the gun pressed into her back, before he had stopped her, roughly tying a rag around her eyes so that she couldn’t see.
They had seemed to walk for miles before he had pushed her into this room. She had no idea what direction they had gone in, or how far it was from Rudwick House. Once he had tied her to the chair, he had taken off the rag so that she could see, for all it was worth. It was so dark in here that he might as well not have bothered. All that she knew was that hours had dragged by.
Another tear trickled down her cheek. Her parents and Ruth would be worried about her by now. They would know that she was missing. How she longed to be back with them at Rudwick House. If she ever escaped here, she would never be so foolish again.
Her thoughts turned to Miles, staying at their home, injured at the hand of this rake. She shivered slightly, remembering the way he had swept her up as if she was as light as a feather, and kissed and touched her again, so passionately. He had told her that he loved her, and that he would wait for her. And now, she would never see him again. She would never seeanyof her loved ones again, if this blaggard had his way.
She blinked anxiously. In one corner, she could just make out a rough hessian sack, stuffed to overflowing with jewellery and coin. His ill-gotten gains from robberies, she thought darkly. Wherever this was, it was obviously where he stashed all his loot.
She took a deep breath. “Please,” she entreated, into the darkness. “I know that you are there! I promise that I will not identify you, if you will just do the right thing and release me!”
She heard a low chuckle. “Save your breath, lady,” he replied slowly. “I already have a buyer who I know will pay good coin for you….”
“How can youdothis?” she hissed, her eyes wild. “How can you live with yourself, knowing the pain and hurt you cause people?”
He didn’t reply. The silence stretched on, as taut as the string on an arrow’s bow.
Suddenly, she saw movement outside the window. A flash of colour, against the light. She gasped, holding her breath. Had she imagined it?
But the next minute, she saw a face peering in. A familiar face. She felt all the blood leave her head in a rush.
