Page 94 of When the Rogue Returns
“Good luck,” Mary Grace whispered as she handed over the reins. “I’ll be waiting here for your return.” She blushed. “And his lordship’s.”
Rupert had told his guests that he was joining the search for the thief. Then he’d ridden off into the woods to meet with Victor and the others on the road.
Now she must do her part. Isa reached Strathridge Road in a few minutes, then rode down it with her pulse pounding madly. Gerhart was here somewhere. She could feel him watching her, feel his eyes on her.
Her only consolation was that he had Amalie with him. That was all that mattered.
She listened for sounds of the men in the woods but heard nothing, which reassured her. If she couldn’t hear them, then Gerhart couldn’t, either.
As she rode along, she started to worry. How far down the road had the men positioned themselves? What if Gerhart made her go miles and miles? It would be dusk soon. Surely he didn’t mean to do all of this in the dark.
Then she heard the clopping of horse’s hooves, and she tensed. Before she could turn to look, a voice ordered in Dutch, “Keep your eyes ahead, Isa.”
Gerhart.
Her heart felt as if it would beat right out of her chest. She scanned the woods lining the road ahead of her, wondering where Victor and the others might be. Had they come this far? Were they watching her now? Or had she outstripped them?
Even if they were nearby, they’d agreed not to approach Gerhart as long as he had Amalie under his control, since it would be too easy for him to ride off with her before he could be caught. Too easy for him to hurt her.
Her hands tightened on the reins. Pray God he wasn’tthatmuch a villain.
“Listen carefully,” Gerhart went on in a low voice. “I want you to hand the diamonds back to me.”
She frowned. “Not until I see Amalie.”
“You’ll see her soon enough,” he growled, “but only if I get the damned diamonds now! Hand them over, or I swear I’ll leave you here on the road, and you’ll never see her again!”
Did he think her a complete fool? Her temper rising, she turned in the saddle to see Gerhart riding just behind her. But there was no sign of Amalie.
Her blood ran cold. “Where’s my daughter?”
Gerhart scowled at her. “I know your husband has to be around here somewhere,” he clipped out as he spurred his horse to come up beside her. “I’m not fool enough to bring her with me.”
“You said for me not to tell him, so I didn’t,” she lied. “I kept my side of the bargain. Now keep yours, curse you!”
His gaze narrowed on her. “Not until you give me the diamonds. If you do it now, I’ll go fetch her and bring her back to you. If you don’t, I’ll assume you don’t have them and we’ll be done. And little Amalie will be ours to raise.”
Victor’s voice sounded in her ears:Just remember, don’t give the diamonds to Gerhart until you have her in your hands. I don’t trust him.
Neither did she.
“That wasn’t our agreement,” she said, slowing her horse. “I’m not giving youanythinguntil I see my daughter.”
“You try my patience, Isa.”
“And you try mine!” she spat. “How can I even be sure youhaveher? You didn’t give me enough time to find out from the school if she was gone. It’s possible you and Jacoba got into the school to talk with her by telling them you were her relations. You could have got the hatpin from her then. For all I know, she’sstillat school, and this is just another way you and my sister are trying to get money out of me!”
His face went cold. “Are you willing to risk it?” A snide look crossed his face. “Can you imagine what your husband will say when he learns that you bartered your daughter’s future for a handful of diamonds?”
That twisted the knife in her chest. But she dared not take the chance that he would keep the diamonds and Amalie, too. That necklace was the only thing she could rely on to get her what she wanted.
And she could rely on Victor. He was here somewhere; she knew it in her bones. He would never let Gerhart get away with this.
“Either you give me Amalie,” she said firmly, “or I ride off with the diamonds. The choice is yours.”
He blinked, clearly shocked that she was standing up to him. Then his face clouded over. “Fine,” he snapped. “Let your daughter’s future be on your head.”
He spurred his horse into a gallop and rode past her down the road. For half a second, she sat frozen. Did he really mean to end this now?
