Page 58 of The Curious Life of the Unfortunate Duchess
“We were found two hours later by another coach chancing by,” Catherine continued. “The Earl of Vester and his wife. They were returning from the Smitherson’s gala. She was ill and —”
“Kindly get to the point, Lady Catherine,” Percival snapped and Catherine nodded. Like Leonard, she could see his words were not borne from anger with her but by worry for his daughters.
“When they untied us, I realized my worst fear was confirmed…”
“What fear?” the men chorused, their eyes wide in fear.
“Elizabeth…” she whispered. “Elizabeth…”
Again, she faltered and Leonard deigned to strike some sense into her but he held back, his head growing dizzy with the implications.
“What did they do to her? Catherine, is she dead?”
Catherine’s face paled more if possible and she stared at him miserably.
“I do not know,” she sobbed. “I only know that after I was blindfolded, I heard a scuffle ensue. I believe she fought against them as they tried to tie her and then there was only silence. I called out to her, as did Jasper but there was no response.”
“Where is she now?” Percival yelled. “What do you mean you do not know if she is dead?”
“She was nowhere near where they left us. We searched thoroughly and called for help immediately. I found only her shoe in the ditch and spots of blood. But she was nowhere to be found.”
Black spots danced before Leonard’s eyes and he stared at the Viscount who returned his look dumbly.
“We must go back and search for her again,” Leonard heard himself say although he did not recall forming the words. “If she is out there, I will not have her picked apart by…”
He could not finish his atrocious thought, the image of Elizabeth being eaten by scavengers, causing bile to bubble in his gut.
“No, Leo,” Catherine insisted. “She is not there. I would wager my own life upon it. Look around you—there is no chance that this many people could have missed her.”
“If she is not there, then where is she?” Percival snapped. “She must be—”
He abruptly stopped speaking, the realization striking him at the same moment it hit Leonard.
“They took her!”
The idea was unfathomable. There was only one reason why highwaymen would take a comely woman instead of leaving her with her peers.
“Oh…”
Leonard fell backward, certain his heart would fail him at the idea that his beautiful Elizabeth was being defiled as they stood about doing nothing.
“We must find these men!” Percival barked, his complexion nearly grey with sick. “What did they look like? Who could they be?”
Catherine could only shake her head.
“I saw nothing but their kerchiefs and hats,” she moaned. “I have wracked my brain again and again, hoping that something will strike me as memorable but I know not who they are. Oh, please, forgive me for permitting it to occur!”
Leonard had no words for his sister, his sorrow overwhelming him as he stood among the crowd of strangers. They had all joined together in search of a lady they did not know.
Guilt and fury raced through his veins and Leonard knew he could not permit his anguish to keep him from the most important matter.
He would find Elizabeth and bring her home.
Chapter 19
The chair was very uncomfortable, escalated by the fact that Elizabeth’s arms and legs were bound by twine which cut into her tender skin.
A blindfold covered her eyes but the highwaymen had not taken proper precautions and if Elizabeth tilted her head upward slightly, she could easily make out the room in which she was being held captive.
