Page 92 of When the Rogue Returns
Though Dom lifted an eyebrow at him, he launched into the tale, which thoroughly engrossed the other guests, too. Victor listened with only half an ear, aware that any minute now, Tristan would be slipping into Lady Lochlaw’s boudoir and breaking open the jewelry case.
He cast a quick eye over the crowd. Thank God Lady Lochlaw seemed to have no desire to leave the party. If she headed for the house, it would muck up their plan considerably.
Though Dom dragged out his tale a long time, Dr. Worth was forced to jump in and ask more questions to keep it going. Victor wanted to growl his frustration. What the devil was taking Tristan so long?
Isa squeezed his arm, clearly impatient, too.
And then he heard it—Miss Gordon screaming as she ran across the wide lawn to the riverside. “Help, someone, help!”
Lochlaw leapt into action. “What is it, Miss Gordon?” he called.
“There was a strange man in her ladyship’s sitting room!” she cried as she approached them, all out of breath. “I—I think I took him... by surprise. It looked as if he’d broken... open a case of some kind.”
Lady Lochlaw’s eyes went wide. “My jewelry! Oh, Lord!”
As if on cue, Tristan sprinted away from the side of the house farthest from them. As the guests looked on in horror, he jumped dramatically atop a horse he’d had waiting there and rode off into the woods.
“Mr. Manton and I will catch him, my lady!” Victor cried as he and Dom sprang for the house. “Don’t you worry!”
Behind him, he heard the baron telling his mother that they should leave this to the investigators. But Victor had known there would be male guests, and perhaps even servants, who would want to join the chase, so he’d charged Dr. Worth with staying behind to urge caution and keep the other guests from jumping in.
Victor and Dom ran toward the house, both of them calling for horses as they neared the stables. The minute the grooms came running out with mounts, they jumped on and rode off for the woods in the direction Tristan had gone.
They rode hard for several minutes until they came to the cottage where Tristan was awaiting them. Dom and Victor pulled up in front. “Did anyone see you?” Dom asked.
“No one but Miss Gordon,” Tristan said as his horse danced a little, still blowing hard. “And by the way, she’s a pretty thing, isn’t she?”
“Don’t even think it,” Victor said with a roll of his eyes. “She’s Lochlaw’s.”
“I was merely commenting that she is an attractive—”
“Quiet!” Dom ground out, and they all fell silent, listening. The sound of an approaching horse made Victor curse. Someone had managed to follow them despite Dr. Worth’s efforts.
When the horse burst into the clearing with Lady Zoe atop it, Dom began to curse, too. Spotting them, she drew the horse up short, her eyes going wide.
“Who the bloody hell are you?” Tristan growled, the only one of them who hadn’t met her.
She screamed, turned her horse before any of them could react, and spurred it into a gallop back the way she’d come. Tristan thought quicker than any of them and was off after her before Victor could even blink.
A short while later, he returned with the lady sitting across the saddle in front of him. He had one hand on the reins and the other across her mouth, but he was having a devil of a time controlling her. As soon as he pulled up, she started fighting him in truth.
“Stop it, damn you!” Tristan cried and pulled his pistol from his coat pocket. “Don’t make me shoot you!”
She froze, her eyes widening in terror as she gazed at Victor.
“Put that thing away, for God’s sake,” Victor ordered. “You’re frightening the poor woman.”
“Good,” Tristan said blithely. “She shouldn’t be running after a— Ow!” He jerked his hand from her mouth. “That ‘poor woman’ bit me!”
“It’s no more than you deserve,” Lady Zoe cried as she slid from the horse and backed away from the three of them, looking as if she’d bolt any second. “I can’t believe you’re all really thieves!”
Muttering a curse, Victor got off his horse and walked toward her. “This is not what you think, Lady Zoe.”
“What are you going to do to me?” she demanded.
Tristan dismounted. “I still say shooting her is the best course,” he drawled as he stalked her.
“Shut up,” Dom growled. “You’re only making it worse.”
