Page 61 of Rescuing a Tantalising Heiress
“Aren’t you ready with them yet? Hurry up. We need to get going. I want to be in London by the morning. We’ll travel under cover of darkness,” he said as the two men dragged Isabella and Augusta from the room.
“Where are you taking us? You’ve no right to do this,” Isabella said, still struggling as she was dragged down the stairs.
But Victor ignored her, and it seemed he was agitated about something, hurrying them along and shouting at the two men to make haste.
I hope Edward gets here soon,Isabella thought to herself, for if they were taken to London, they may never be found.
A carriage was waiting outside, and two other men—whom Isabella could only presume made up the original four who had snatched her from Burlington Grange—helped bundle them into the carriage.
“There’s no time to waste,” Victor said, but as he spoke, Isabella could hear the sound of horses—many horses—charging at a gallop.
The gates were open, and through the carriage window, Isabella could see a charge of what seemed like a company of cavalry. Victor let out a cry, ordering the four men to make all haste with the carriage.
Isabella turned to Augusta, the two of them knowing just what the other was thinking. Their feet had not been bound, and now they kicked out at the door on the far side of the compartment, each falling through it as the herd of horses charged through the open gates.
“Father!” Isabella cried, seeing the duke amidst the throng, and to her delight, there was Edward, too, along with many others she did not recognize.
“Augusta,” a voice cried out, and Isabella saw Hugh amid the throng, as the horses charged the four bandits, who scattered this way and that.
The cords binding Isabella’s wrists had not been tightly bound, and pulling with all her might, she wrenched herself free, calling out to Edward, who now charged towards her.
“Help us, Edward, please,” she cried, but as she did so, and before the viscount could reach her, Isabella was grabbed from behind and wrenched back into the carriage compartment.
Victor had hold of her, his arms around her neck and waist, hauling her backwards. She tried to scream, struggling in his grip, but now she felt the tip of a knife pressed to the small of her back.
“One move, and I’ll kill you!” Victor snarled as he pulled Isabella back through the carriage and out of the other door, hauling her up the steps of the house, where he held her up for the company to see.
“Isabella,” Edward cried, and Victor pushed the knife more forcefully into the small of Isabella’s back.
Augusta had run to Hugh, who now had his arms around her, whilst the other riders had formed a horseshoe at the bottom of the steps, the four bandits now apprehended.
“You’re surrounded, Victor—there’s no escape. Your quarrel is with me,” Isabella’s father called out.
“My quarrel is with anyone who would seek to destroy my business interests and ruin me,” Victor called back.
His breath was hot on Isabella’s neck, and his hands were trembling as he held her in his grip.
“You can’t win, Victor. We’ve got you surrounded. Let Isabella go. She is innocent in all of this. You’ve betrayed our society and its ideals—you’ll be punished for this, but don’t let yourself be punished for harming an innocent woman, too,” Edward said, and now he slipped down from his horse’s saddle and stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to the house, at the top of which Isabella and Victor were standing.
“Let her go? I don’t think so—she’s my guarantee,” Victor said, and as he spoke, he dropped the knife, slipped his hand into his coat, and pulled out a pistol, holding it to Isabella’s temple as she let out a cry of fear.
Edward recoiled, and Isabella’s father gasped.
“No, Victor—this isn’t the way. This isn’t how it needs to be,” Edward said, holding up his hands to show he was unarmed.
Isabella’s father was now standing next to Edward, the two of them looking terrified as Victor pressed the pistol firmly against Isabella’s temple as he cocked the firing mechanism. Victor’s hands were trembling, and Isabella’s heart was pounding in fear of what was to come next—would he really kill her?
“And why should I listen to you? I’m finished with you, Edward. With all of you—your noble society, what nonsense,” he said.
Isabella knew she had to do something. She would have only a moment to act before Victor pulled the trigger. Her father was staring at her, his face etched with fear, shaking his head as he held out his hands to her.
“Please, Victor—my daughter. I’ll do what you ask. I’ll withdraw my support for the amendments. Keep your damn plantations. It’s your soul,” Isabella’s father replied with desperation in his voice.
But as he spoke, Isabella pulled forward, catching Victor by surprise. His grip on her loosened, and she lunged out at him, kicking him in the shin as he let out a cry. The pistol fired, its bang echoing with a cloud of smoke as cries rang out all around. Isabella rolled down the steps as another shot was discharged from the pistol, and she found herself in the arms of…
“Edward,” she cried as he pulled her to safety.
“My darling, Isabella. Oh, how happy I am to see you!” he exclaimed as she clung to him, the smoke of the pistol shots now clearing as she looked around for her father.
