“I am unclean,” Clara insisted.
He chuckled. “Always the lady.”
“Taylor, bring water up to one of the rooms for these two.”
Taylor scowled but did as he was told. Clara grabbed Abigail’s hand. “Come along we need to freshen up.”
Abigail looked at her confused, but Clara continued to lead her up the stairs.
Once they were in the room, Abigail said, “What are you doing? You are willing to spend time with him? You can’t! He's a monster. You don’t know the things he will do.”
Clara grabbed her by the shoulders and said, “I wanted to buy us time. We need to get Taylor out of the inn and then we can overpower Dolan.”
Abigail frowned and shook her head, “We already tried that.”
“If we make it out into the streets, we can find someone to protect us.”
Abigail scoffed. “You have no idea what you are talking about. No one will help us.”
“We have to try. If we don’t, we will be on a ship with Dolan. He isn’t thinking rationally. There is no telling what he has planned for us.”
Abigail started to cry. “We can get out of this!” Clara insisted.
She thought about Sam and knew he was looking for her. She felt the tears well up but forced them away. She couldn’t let herself fall apart. She needed to get back to Sam. She needed to get back to Henry. This couldn’t be the way everything ended. Clara took a deep breath. No, she would not let this be the way this ended.
~
Sam, Jack, and Devons stopped in front of the Claremores townhouse. Sam took a deep breath as they walked to the front door but was startled when the door was opened by the butler and the Claremores stepped out. They looked at them in shock. The Duke of Claremore scowled, “Out of my way, Kincaide.”
“Where are you going?” Sam demanded.
“Where your wife has insisted we go. To the country. We expect a decent allowance.”
Sam wanted to tear Clara’s father apart but refrained. “We need a word before you leave.”
The Duchess of Claremore looked at him with disdain. “We don’t have time for this.”
“Let me be clear. I am not asking,” Sam whispered menacingly.
The Claremores looked at each other but the duke finally turned back and said, “Come in.”
“You and the Duke of Peyton may enter but your friend will have to wait outside.”
Jack scowled at them. “He comes with us. Now lead the way to your drawing room, Your Grace.”
They entered the elegant room and sat. Sam waited for them to get settled but finally said, “Dolan has taken my wife.”
The Claremores looked at each other in shock. It made Sam’s heart drop. They had no idea.
“When was the last time you saw Dolan?”
The duke frowned. “He came by a few nights ago. We had hoped he would help us, but he declined. He said he was leaving.”
“Where did he say he would go?”
The duke remained silent.
“Did you not hear what I said, he has your daughter.”
