Page 7 of Rescuing a Tantalising Heiress
“And comb her hair, Hetty. She’ll be horrified when she wakes up if she finds herself looking like this,” Augusta said.
Edward felt like a bystander, and it seemed wrong to remain in the room whilst Isabella was being tended to in such a way. He stepped out onto the landing and sighed. It was a dangerous situation, and the thought of the kidnappers worried him. He wondered who was behind the wicked deed, and to what lengths they would go to secure their quarry.
The Duke of Burlington was a powerful man, and it did not surprise Edward to think he had enemies. The duke was also keenly involved in the life of the House of Lords, and whilst the two men usually agreed on matters of the law, Edward had seen many a heated and impassioned exchange between Isabella’s father and his opponents.
But no one would kidnap her for political reasons, surely. Perhaps the duke owes someone money,Edward thought to himself.
He returned to his bedroom, flicking idly through the piles of papers on his desk. There was a great deal to do, but Edward could not settle, not as Isabella still lay unconscious in the bedroom next to Augusta’s, and the threat of the kidnappers hung over them.
With a sigh, Edward tossed the paper he was reading aside and hurried to get dressed. He penned a hasty letter to the Duke of Burlington, intending to give it to one of the stable hands to ride at all speed to Burlington Grange, which lay some fifteen miles to the west, across the border into Hampshire.
He wanted to know the house and grounds were secure, and having put on his riding clothes, he hurried out of the house towards the stables. It was a beautiful morning, and the sun was already warm.
“Some excitement, my lord. Mr Marston just told me,” the groom, Albert Robinson said as Edward entered the stable yard.
“That’s right, but I don’t want the matter to go any further. Do you understand? Here, send one of the stable lads, tell him to ride with all haste to Burlington Grange and see this letter delivered personally into the hands of the duke,” Edward said.
The groom nodded, calling to one of the stable hands, who came running.
“Take this to Burlington Grange. If you ride swiftly, you’ll be back by nightfall. See that it is delivered into the hands of the duke himself,” the groom said, repeating Edward’s words.
The stable hand—a young, athletic boy of sixteen—hurried off, and Edward watched as he rode out of the stable yard on the back of a chestnut mare.
“I want a horse saddled for myself. I’ll take Blaze,” Edward said.
Blaze was his favourite horse—a gelding with a fiery temperament, who could gallop faster than any of the others.
“He’s been giving us no end of trouble, my lord—he’s not been the same since you took him to London last month,” Albert said, shaking his head and tutting.
Edward ignored him. Blaze had been useful to him—a fast horse, able to ride swiftly from danger.
“Be that as it may, I want to ride him now,” Edward said, and the groom nodded.
“Yes, my lord. I’ll have him saddled,” he replied and went off, shaking his head, as Edward folded his arms and waited in the sunshine in the stable yard.
He thought about Isabella, shaking his head at the horror of her ordeal. He imagined how he would feel if it had been Augusta who had been kidnapped and a ransom demanded of him. It made him shudder to think of it. His sister was not much older than Isabella, and there was no reason why a man wishing to extort money from a rich aristocrat should not have chosen her for his wicked plan over Isabella.
I’d go to the ends of the earth if it was my sister,he thought to himself as he imagined the terror now gripping the Duke of Burlington.
A loud whinnying and a snort announced the arrival of Blaze, and Edward looked up to see Albert jostling with the horse, who stomped his hooves and snorted.
“He’s feisty, my lord. Are you sure you can handle him?” the groom asked.
Edward raised his eyebrows. He was more than capable of handling the horse, and stepping forward, he took the reins, whispering in the horse’s ear to calm him. The groom watched as Blaze quieted, standing patiently now as Edward climbed into the saddle.
“He just needs a firm hand, Albert,” Edward replied, grinning at the groom, who shook his head in astonishment.
“It seems you’ve got just such a hand, my lord,” he said as Edward pulled at the horse’s reins and rode him out of the stable yard and onto the forecourt in front of the house.
The parkland stretched out in front of him, giving way to moorland and trees beyond. The driveway curved across the low bridge, where a stream ran into what had once been planned as a boating lake, where an island rose in the centre, and a small boat was tethered to a jetty. Edward surveyed the scene before him. There was no sign of anyone, but with plenty of places to hide, Edward could not be sure who was hiding or lying in wait.
And if they are, what do they intend to do? An all-out assault on the house, or to bide their time?he asked himself, knowing such men would not take kindly to losing their quarry—nor would their employer.
He intended to make a thorough search of the estate, and turning the horse along the driveway, Edward galloped off in search of any sign of the would-be kidnappers. This had not been the morning he had intended, but Edward had no intention of allowing Isabella to be the victim of such wickedness—he intended to find those responsible and see justice done.
Chapter 4
“More smelling salts, my lady? She’s not stirring, is she?” a voice above Isabella was saying.
