Page 99 of The Curious Life of the Unfortunate Duchess
“Your conflict is not with me,” Leonard told him softly. “That man is the one who made you promises he could not possibly keep.”
He nodded toward Percival who was ever so cautiously trying to make himself unseen. Cooper glanced at the Viscount and aimed the gun in his direction.
“You are correct on one thing,” he agreed. “My quarrel is with Lord Gordon who promised me an easy five thousand pounds. I must say, my Lord, it was not easy and I am still without the funds you promised.”
“It was him!” Percival squeaked, waving his hands foolishly toward Leonard. “If he was not so stubborn, you would have your money. It is here, now, as we stand about bickering.”
Leonard’s heart tightened, the confession as good as any they were bound to hear.
“Father, how could you do this?” Elizabeth sobbed and Leonard desperately wished to console her. “I am your child!”
“That is precisely why I can do this!” Percival growled. “You are my daughter and my property. You need not grow hysterical, when you were fed and cared for by these men.”
“Fed and cared for?” she echoed, aghast. “Look at my wrists! My ankles! I was starved and bound in the dark! He threatened my life!”
“I would not have killed you if you had behaved yourself,” Cooper snapped with undue annoyance. “But you had to escape, had to give us trouble.”
“And who do you think helped me?” Elizabeth hissed. “Mark helped me. He hid me in a cabin in the woods while you believed he was searching for me.”
“Elizabeth…” Leonard told her in a low, warning tone. The look of madness in Cooper’s eyes was unquestionable. The Duke did not want the situation to end in bloodshed.
“What lies are you sprouting, girl?” Cooper barked. “Mark is holding the staff as we speak. If he was your ally, would he not be coming to your aid?”
Elizabeth did not respond and Leonard hoped she would not speak again. Her words only appeared to be angering Cooper and it was clear to the Duke that the man was not fully in grip of his faculties.
“Come along, Your Grace,” Cooper continued. “Let us find where you have put the ransom. I have no desire to be here any longer than necessary.”
Leonard knew the ransom was not where he had left it and he hoped to stall Cooper until he could think of a sensible way out of the danger they faced.
“I do not know where Lord Gordon has put it,” Leonard insisted. “The man stole it from me.”
Cooper glared at both men.
“What game is this?” he snarled. “I will give you two minutes to locate that money or Miss Elizabeth gets a bullet in her comely little head, is that clear?”
Leonard pushed her further back.
“He knows where it is!”
Cooper had had enough and he attempted to fire into the air but nothing happened although if it was done intentionally or merely to scare the group, Leonard could not be certain. Everyone choked back screams as they ducked and cowered on the ground, fearing that they might be Cooper’s next target.
“The next one is for Miss Elizabeth.”
Leonard jumped forward, intending to wrest the gun from Cooper’s hands but Cooper anticipated the motion and moved the pistol toward the Duke. In the final seconds, Leonard jousted out of the way, barreling the man down with his muscular frame and they ended on the ground, fighting for the pistol which had yet to be fired.
“Leo, no!” Catherine and Elizabeth screamed as the gun finally fired. The ladies watched in horror as the men fell apart.
“LEO!” Both women ran toward him but Leonard was on his feet, his hand on the pistol aiming it at Cooper.
“Catherine, run for the guards!” he huffed. “Herbert, find me more bullets. You, Cooper, you stay where you are.”
Cooper lay where he was but when he turned his head to the side, Leonard’s heart stopped in its chest. Percival had been shot in the struggle, blood pouring endlessly from his chest.
“Father!” Elizabeth sobbed. “Father!”
Percival stared up at her with glazed eyes, the light fading from his irises.
“I…did not…know…he would hurt you,” Percival choked. “I…only…wanted the…money…”
