Page 55 of Rescuing a Tantalising Heiress
“I just hope no one objects to it. My father…well, I don’t really know what he thinks about the matter of my marrying or not. I suppose it’s always been expected of me, though I’ve shied away from it. I always preferred my books to ball gowns, and I was never one for gossiping in salons or idling away my time on picnics or attending luncheons. I hope my father won’t stand in our way,” Isabella said.
“He wants you to be happy, Isabella. That’s why he’s left you in our care—he wants to find out who’s responsible for trying to kidnap you, and I’m sure he’ll be only too glad to discover the man who’s done so much for you already has fallen in love with you. How could he object?” Augusta asked.
But before Isabella could reply, Caesar began to bark uncontrollably, his whole body quivering as he growled towards the shrubbery.
“Oh, Caesar, stop this, please. You’re…” Isabella began, but she had not finished speaking when a figure sprang through the rhododendron bushes, grabbing at Isabella and dragging her into the shrubbery.
She let out a cry, screaming as another man appeared, catching hold of Augusta, who cried out in fear. Caesar was still barking, yapping at the ankles of the man who had hold of Isabella and was dragging her further off past the garden.
“Be quiet,” the man cried, kicking out at Caesar, who yelped in pain.
“Let me go,” Isabella exclaimed, fighting with the man and struggling in his grip.
He shook her angrily, but Isabella caught his arm, sinking her teeth into the bare skin of his forearm, near his elbow. He let out a cry of pain, momentarily releasing his grip on her. Isabella kicked out at him, striking his shin with all the force she could muster.
But as she did so, he pushed her roughly back, causing her to fall. Pain seared through her ankle, and with a cry, she fell to the ground, knocking her head on a tree stump, her vision momentarily blurred.
“Tie her hands,” she heard one of them say.
“You do it. I’ll deal with the other—she won’t scream again,” the other said, and as Isabella felt her hands being tied roughly with a cord, she fainted.
Chapter 23
Isabella awoke to the rocking motion of a carriage. Her head hurt, and she tried to open her eyes, groaning as she rolled onto her side. Trying to move, she realized her hands were tied, and now she recalled what had happened in the shrubbery, her eyes flicking open in fear of what was happening now.
“Augusta?” she exclaimed, and she looked around her, relieved to find Augusta looking back at her across the carriage.
“You’re awake, I thought…oh, well, it doesn’t matter. Are you all right?” Augusta asked as Isabella struggled to sit up.
She had been lying across the seat, and now she found her ankles were bound, too, almost rolling onto the floor as she struggled with her bonds.
“I’ve got a terrible headache, but…what happened? There were two men. Caesar was barking, one of them grabbed me, but then…” Isabella said, unable to remember anything past the events she now recounted.
“You fought with them, but you were knocked unconscious. They snatched me, too—presumably because I was a witness. They dragged us both through the shrubbery and into the woodland. One of them had a knife—he held it to my side and threatened me. I’ve never been so scared in all my life. The carriage was waiting for us on the bridleway. I don’t know where we’re going, but they bundled us both inside, and …” Augusta said as tears rolled down her cheeks and she sobbed.
Isabella struggled with the cords around her wrists. She wanted to comfort Augusta, even as she feared for the terrible circumstances they found themselves in. This was it—this was what Edward had been so fearful of.
They had been snatched from the garden of Howdwell Height, a place Isabella had grown to feel safe in, believing the danger to be passed. But that danger had been lurking, watching and waiting for the right moment to pounce.
“Do you know who they are? Do you know anything about them?” Isabella asked, but Augusta shook her head.
“I don’t know anything. One was tall, the other short. They’ve got nasty faces covered in scars. One of them looks like he’s been in a fight recently—his lip’s swollen, and he’s got the remnants of a black eye. They were merciless. My dress is torn—they dragged us both through the undergrowth. I’ve got scratches all over my arms and legs,” Augusta replied.
She, too, had been tied at the wrists and ankles, and Isabella realized her own dress, too, was similarly torn. Her head was hurting terribly; the pain centred on what she presumed to be a wound inflicted as she had fallen.
“I’m so sorry, Augusta. You shouldn’t be here. I don’t know why they took you, too. It’s me they wanted,” Isabella said, feeling terribly guilty for having dragged Augusta into her own ordeal.
She knew they would not hurt her—she was far more valuable to ransom, but as for Augusta…
“Because I saw them, I suppose. I’d have raised the alarm. Oh, if only Edward hadn’t gone off to speak to Hugh—he’d have been with you, and…but they must’ve been watching the house. They knew we were alone, that no one would come to help us!” Augusta exclaimed, and Isabella feared she was right.
She had been too blasé about the matter, telling herself the danger was passed. But it had not passed, and now the danger had returned. She and Augusta were in the middle of it, speeding in a carriage to an unknown destination and a fate Isabella could hardly bear to contemplate.
“I’m so sorry, Augusta,” Isabella said as Augusta sniffed.
She gave a weak smile and shook her head.
“No, I’m glad I’m here. I couldn’t bear to think of you alone. We’ll get through this together. Edward is looking for us by now, I know he is,” she said, and Isabella only hoped her words were true.
