“Not one scream, dear daughter,” George hissed from behind her. “Not one, or I’ll sink this blade into you.”
Fear enveloped her as she closed her lips and nodded.
“Good. Move backward with me.” He pulled her along until she was almost falling, then she was spun around to face his coach waiting in the shadows. George shoved her hard, and she stumbled inside. She tried to rush through to the other door to escape, but the two ghoulish men from his home were there, and they grabbed her, one pinning her arms to her sides and the other smothering her mouth with his hand.
“Bind her wrists and gag her,” George snapped.
Harriet struggled, clawing and kicking, till George’s knifepoint pricked her chest, cutting through the rose-colored gown she wore. She stilled, and the men on either side of her bound her hands. One balled up a bit of cloth and forced it between her lips.
Unable to resist, she cast her gaze out the window of the coach, hoping Redmond’s driver might see her. But her last hope failed her, and she sank defeated back against the seat.
“Do you have any idea the trouble you’ve caused me, little Harriet? Faversham has been flapping with gossiping tongues about where you’ve run off to. Your little adventure has brought shame upon my name and my home. You’ll pay dearly for it, and Lord Frostmore won’t be able to hide you this time.”
Her eyes widened at Redmond’s name, and it didn’t escape his notice.
“Oh, I knew you were there. It was only the only place close enough, and it was too cold for you to be in the woods for long. It’s quite clear that you’re mad. Why else would a young woman run to a notorious wife murderer for help? Luckily for you, we have a doctor waiting at Thursley to declare you disturbed, and I have a local magistrate preparing to sign papers to the effect as we speak. Then I shall have a guardianship over you for the rest of your life. How long that is depends on whether or not you please me.”
Harriet stared at him. Horror filled her until she felt nothing else. This man was a true devil, hidden behind a mask of caring and decency. She had hoped he would forget her in time, but his obsession ran too deep.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he snapped. “I rescued you from a murderer.”
Of course he would paint himself the hero, rescuing her from the Devil of Dover, but he was the only devil in this tale.
“If you remain sensible, you may have the gag removed.” He nodded to one man, who pulled the cloth from her mouth. They must be too far from Dover now for him to worry about her screaming. “We won’t make it back to Faversham tonight. I have a room secured at an inn nearby. We shall sleep and proceed to Thursley tomorrow.”
“One room?” Harriet asked, her voice cold, her body still numb.
George smirked. “Of course. I can’t very well leave you alone in your own room. Not in your condition. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
She swallowed down a wave of nausea and tried to clear her thoughts. She would have to be smart, play as though he’d defeated her. Once his guard was down, she would fight to the death to win her freedom again.
“I can see you plotting and scheming, my dear. Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work.”
The rest of the journey, George talked about his grand plans, how he would wait a respectable amount of time before marrying her, scandal be damned. She was, after all, only his ward and not his daughter. Harriet allowed herself to escape deep within her mind. She was back in Frostmore, exploring the old house, walking through the snow-covered grounds, running to Redmond and throwing herself in his arms. George could never lay claim to these memories. They were hers alone.
They reached the inn just after nightfall, and George told the innkeeper that they would take their meal in their room. Harriet sat across from him at the small table, eating reluctantly. She wondered if George would drug her, but she knew he would enjoy her screaming in pain and would likely prefer her to be fully aware of her powerlessness when he took advantage of her. He was obsessed with possessing and controlling her, the sort of man every woman feared, even the bravest ones.
George finished his meal and reached forward to clasp her hand where it lay on the table. She tried to pull away, but his grip tightened hard enough to leave red marks.
“I want us to be friends, Harriet.”
“And I want you to let go of me.” She tried to keep her tone polite.
He rose from his chair and came to stand behind her. He stroked her loosely coiled hair, then dug his hand into it sharply, forcing her head back to look up at him. His other hand clamped around her throat.
“My dear sweet Harriet, do not anger me. I only wish to still that wild spirit in you. It will do you no good to fight.” He loosened his hand on her throat just as her vision started to go black. She coughed violently as she gasped for air. But he wasn’t done with her. He jerked her to her feet and moved her toward the bed.
“Come over here and rest. You may sleep soundly knowing that I will be here to watch over you.”
His words sent an unholy wave of revulsion through her. She tried to wrench free of his hold. George struck, his fist catching her in the jaw. Blood blossomed in her mouth.
“You monster!” She tried to run for the door, but he crushed her body against it before she could lift the latch.
She elbowed him hard, and he collapsed against her. She slid out from under him and rushed to the table, snatching his dinner knife. Her father’s lessons hadn’t included training on short blades, but she felt she could handle it if it came to it.
George spun to face her with a growl. Harriet raised the blade, feeling her father’s spirit inside her like a burning flame. She would fight him with everything she had. But her throat tightened with fear as she saw the pistol. He pulled the trigger and nothing happened. She exhaled in relief, but she had only a second before he charged at her.
Redmond stared at the distant gates to Frostmore and the black shape sitting there in between them. Devil had chased the coach all the way to the gates and then stopped, barking once or twice before he’d gone silent, still is a statue. He was waiting for Harriet to come home, and it broke Redmond’s heart.
