Page 63 of Lord Carlisle's Enticing Lure
To one side, she heard the scramble of a living thing in the brush.
Was it another man? A friend of Clive’s…or…?
She could not wait. Should not. Now was a chance!
She began to cough. “Suzette,” she cried with alarm, “I…I am ill. I…” She reached out to support herself against the trunk of a tree. “I had too much to eat at dinner or…or something was bad. Not good.” She doubled over. “Awful.”
The girl scrunched up her face. “I don’t feel sick. Are you sure?”
Giselle put a hand to her head. “Mine was bad.” She made herself gag.
“Oh! No!” The girl scurried backward. “Don’t do that on me!”
“Cut me loose. I-I can’t stand up. What did they feed me? They want to kill me and…and I-I see stars.”
The girl yanked on their joined hands. “Come inside.”
“No! Untie me! I’m going to lose my dinner.”
“Oh! Oh!” Suzette picked at the rope. “Don’t do it…don’t. Let me! Ugh.”
Suzette worked at the tie on her own wrist and picked it loose.
Giselle sank to her knees.
Clive sprang from the trees, Langley with him, and another man, too!
Suzette gaped at Langley, who grinned like a madman and, in one move, wrapped a gag around her mouth. Then he bound her with the rope she had loosened from Giselle’s wrist.
Clive had Giselle’s hand free.
“Hurry,” she pleaded with him, fearing for all their lives. “There are four inside.”
Suzette kicked at Langley, grunting, trying to pummel him. But he had the better of her.
From the corner of her eye, Giselle could see how their other friend crept to the back door.
“Three are men,” she told Clive.
“We’ll get them,” he said as he hugged her. “Stay here.”
“No! Have you a gun?”
“This!” He fished in his greatcoat pocket and pressed a small knife into her hand. “If you need.” Then he was on his feet, into the fray behind Langley.
“Q’uest c’est?” Franchot banged the little door open, and it screeched on its old hinges.
Paul was right behind him. “What gives?”
Not a second passed before Langley had Franchot on his knees…and Clive had Paul.
“Two more inside,” Clive told his friends as he clung to a gyrating Paul, but swung at him, knocking him senseless to his back.
Maurice cursed as he stepped into the doorway. It was the wrong move.
Kane swung in front of him, surprised him, and knocked Maurice flat on his back, tying his hands.
Clive rounded the doorway.
