Page 32 of My Highland Fling
His legs trembled, and he plonked onto the nearest chair.As far as he knew, Gabrielle had purchased her phone here.He doubted her parents had the number.He thumbed the phone to activate the screen and discovered it unlocked.Ramsay checked the recent calls and saw one from Tilly.Immediately, he hit redial and listened to the ring tone.
“Gabrielle,” a cheerful voice said.“I wanted to check in with you.Is everything okay?”
“Tilly, this is Ramsay.Gabrielle’s parents sent guards to collect Gabrielle and take her back to the palace.They’ve arranged another wedding and aren’t giving her any choice.I want to find her.Can you help me?”
“They snatched her?”The woman’s voice lost its warmth.“Did they hurt you?”
“I have a few bumps.Nothing painkillers won’t fix.I wondered if you knew why Gabrielle’s parents were so insistent on marriage.Gabrielle and I are happy together.She is an amazing woman, and we have something special together.”
“You made her happy.I know that,” Tilly said.“Gabrielle’s parents have overextended themselves and desperately require money to fund their spending habits.Gabrielle’s two older brothers are no better.Why should Gabrielle help them out of this mess?She works so hard for her charities, and her parents won’t even let her have new clothes.I makeover the old ones for her.She is a lovely child with a true heart, and I hate her parents using her in this manner.”
“What should I do?Do you have any ideas?”
“Most of the guards are loyal to the king, but I’m hearing whispers.They’re not paying the staff on a regular schedule.It’s possible I could locate employees willing to help Gabrielle escape, but her parents will have her closely watched.I don’t know how soon they’ll arrange a wedding.It was a big celebration for our country, but now…”
“Do you know the Russian man they’re marrying her off to?”
“No, but I’ll discover those details for you.I have friends who’ll speak with me.I’ll call them.”
“Don’t put yourself or them in danger,” Ramsay said.
“You’re a decent man, Ramsay.I can tell.Gabrielle is an excellent judge of character, and if you’ve caught her attention, you’re a worthy man.”
Ramsay swallowed hard.The Mitchells always treated him with respect and praised him, made him feel respectable and clean after his past mistakes.For a stranger to tell him the same made him feel ten feet tall.
“What will you do?”Tilly asked.
“If you could obtain more info, it would make my decisions easier.”
“I’ll call you back on this number as soon as I learn something.”
“Thanks,” Ramsay said.“I’ll text you my phone number, so you have that, too.”
Tilly hung up, and Ramsay stared at the wreckage in the room.Perhaps Saber could help him here, too, because now he surveyed the damage, he didn’t think his bank balance would stretch to cover the cost.
Tilly rang while he was tidying the worst of the mess.
“Gabrielle’s parents have arranged for her to marry Adrik Popov.Have you heard of him?”
“No.”
“He’s a member of the Russian mafia and leads a large territory.A powerful man with contacts in the US.”Tilly’s voice turned grim.“He’s older than her father.”
Crap.“When does the marriage take place?”Ramsay’s heart beat faster, his feline agitated and pushing into prominence.
“Two days from now.Ramsay, the man has a terrible reputation—he prefers young women, and Gabrielle won’t be his first wife.He’s married six times as far as I can ascertain.Each of his wives has died under suspicious circumstances.It’s no secret he desires a child.”
“But what about the stories in the newspapers?The stories of Gabrielle having a fling with a mystery man.The broken engagement?Won’t the gossip scare him off?”
“Not from what I hear.Gabrielle’s parents would lie, anyhow.To them, Gabrielle is an asset for their use.”
“We must be able to stop this marriage.Rumors usually have some basis in truth.”
Tilly made a choked sound, and Ramsay thought he heard a sob.It told him everything he needed to know, and the news was terrifying.
Chapter 16
Marriage
