Page 63 of A Proposition for the Comte
‘Where does this road lead to?’
‘The main road, sir. It doubles around and then turns north.’
Everything was wet out here and he knew any clues that might once have been found would now be long gone. Still, he pulled at a broken twig in the hope of finding strands of red hair entwined about it. But there was nothing.
‘You said she went missing around three?’
‘Yes, my lord. The clock at the church had just struck the hour. I looked down to check on my own timepiece because it was running fast.’
‘Then we will ride two hours from London and visit the inns. The dark would have been here by five at the latest and I have my doubts they’d have ventured further than that.’
Unless they had turned south or east or west? Or ridden on through the night?
He could not think about everything that might not be. He had to concentrate on what was likely. With sense and reason he would find Violet, he could only believe that.
They had stopped finally at a posting house, at least two hours having passed since they’d left the city. Her kidnapper had uttered barely a word for the whole journey leaving Violet to surmise that others would be there to meet them.
Her stomach felt sick with fear, the pad of sticky sweetness that had been held over her nose leaving her with a heavy head ever since she had awoken. Had Aurelian found the signet ring? Would he come to find her? Everything rested on him for she knew there was no other man in the world who could save her now. The tone of their last meetings also worried her for the closeness she had felt with him had dissipated somewhat under all the confessions between them.
The man in front leading her into the inn stopped. ‘If you try to run I will use my gun, do you understand? I have nothing at all to lose by it now that we have come this far.’
She did not meet his glance as she nodded. With Harland any eye contact always annoyed him further and she did not want to risk the same here. What would they want with her? What could she tell them that would allow her more time?
Surprisingly once inside she was taken to a tidy room, the door closing behind her. Walking to the window she tried to open it but it was jammed tight with paint and age. One storey up. It would be possible to jump if she could only open it.
Taking her knife from her pocket she began to shave away the wood, rattling the window every second or so just to see if she had loosened it. The panes were too tiny to crawl through even if she could break them so she would have to pull the window itself free.
Forty minutes later, the key turned in the lock. Hiding her knife in a pocket she stood before the glass, hoping that the newcomer would not notice the pile of wood shavings on the sill and floor.
A different man entered and this one looked more dangerous than the last. He was older, larger and altogether angrier.
‘Come.’ He gestured to the door and she had no alternative but to follow him, down a passageway and then some stairs. At the end of another corridor was a tiny cell, solid iron at its entrance apart with a small grated peephole high up.
‘There has been a change in plans and you are to stay here for the night.’
Swallowing, Violet looked into the gloomy dark as she heard the scurrying of tiny feet. The smell was of old hops and alcohol and fermenting straw. Further off were the louder voices of men.
When she did not step forward he grabbed her roughly, hitting her on the side of the head with his fist and shoving her in.
‘Be quick about obeying instructions, my lady, or you will be dead.’
Did he know who she was or was he just being facetious? The pain of his blow had her falling to her knees, her arms wrapped around herself in order to fend off another punch.
Then the gate was shut and the light went with him, leaving her in a complete and utter darkness.
Aurelian reached the third tavern just after eleven. There was a carriage in the stables and five horses bedded down. Not a busy place, then, and largely off the road. He was thankful for the full moon which allowed them light.
The innkeeper was cagey and brusque when he answered the door.
‘We have a large party coming so you would be better travelling on, sir. There’s a posting house on your right three miles north which should be able to see to your needs.’
Lian looked up at the peeling façade and noticed a curtain twitching on the second floor.
‘I’ll go and try my luck there, then. Good evening to you.’
As he walked back to the carriage he signalled to Tucker to stay where he was inside and called out the new directions to his driver. Within a moment they were off and he made a point not to look back. He didn’t want to give any impression that he knew things at the inn they’d just left were unusual.
‘Things don’t add up. I’m sure Lady Addington is there,’ he said to Tucker as soon as the carriage began to move and the man beside him nodded.
