Chapter 29
Having given Gabriel her concealed hairpins, Mary released his hair.
Slowly, sensually, with hips swaying, she made her way to his front once more. Every moment that Lady Kerr allowed her to take control of this “erotic game” was one more moment that Gabe had to try to free himself.
Please let this work!
“I do so adore how you play with your toys, Miss White,” Lady Kerr stepped forward to halt at Mary’s side. “I commend you on your abilities.”
Swallowing the bile that rose into her throat, Mary turned to Lady Kerr. “Why thank you, your ladyship. I am a quick study. To be shamefully honest, I…rather relished it.”
Lady Kerr gestured toward Gabe. “Then please, continue.”
Mary turned toward Gabe, prepared to deal another blow. But the look in his eyes stopped her. He blinked once, then looked to one side of the room. Mary understood his signal; he had picked the lock of the manacles and wanted her to move out of the way.
She winked her comprehension. In the appearance of rounding behind him again in order to “play” with him, Mary stopped behind the chair.
The moment she had repositioned herself, Gabe surged upward in a motion shocking for someone who had been as sorely abused as he had, and in one swift motion, shoved Lady Kerr with both hands, one cuff of the manacles still fastened around one wrist. Lady Kerr fell over backwards, screaming on her way down and landing firmly on her bottom, the back of her headthuddingdispassionately on the hard surface of the floor and knocking her unconscious.
Gabe wavered on his feet before crouching down to untie the ropes at his ankles.
Despite vehemently despising Lady Kerr, Mary hurried to her side and checked for her pulse.Thump-thump, thump-thump. She was alive, most assuredly.
The door scraped open and the large footman rushed inside, apparently having heard their lady’s shout of distress.
Gabe leapt forward, prepared to combat the man. Mary was amazed that his injuries did not appear to hinder him. His face, chest, and one side of one thigh were soaked in blood, and the flesh of his face had begun to swell.
With a bounce to his step, Gabe bounded toward the man and punched him square in the jaw. The footman howled and doubled over, giving Gabe an opening to jump on the man’s back, grasping the chain for his half-opened manacles with his other hand and pulling tightly against the man’s neck.
Thinking quickly, Mary retrieved the length of rope that had been used to tie Gabe’s ankles to the chair, rolled Lady Kerr to her side, and bound the lady’s wrists together. Just as she made the final tug, two meaty hands encircled her neck and pulled her to her feet.
With a strangled gasp and panic leaping through her breast, Mary used one hand to pull at the man’s fingers, and the other to reach behind her head. She scratched his cheek and made contact with one of his eyes, and he grunted in response.
“Goddamnedbeast!” Gabriel growled. “Won’t bloody well lose consciousness.”
The footman thrashed, knocking Mary off-balance.
Gabe roared in frustration. “That’s enough!”
There was theclinkof a chain, a gasp, and a loudthunk, and Mary was released. She stumbled forward and spun around, holding her throat and pulling in deep, relieved breaths.
With a vacant expression, the guard slowly tipped sideways until he fell to the ground with a solidthud, Gabe standing over him with his manacles fisted in one hand.
“Are you well?” Gabe asked, stepping toward Mary. “Did he hurt you terribly?”
She rubbed at her neck, where the guard’s painful grip had been only moments before. While it still stung, Mary didn’t believe that a dreadful amount of damage had been done. “I am well,” she said, her voice turned gruff.
Eager to be on their way, Mary bent to check for the guard’s pulse.
“Have I killed him?” Gabe sounded entirely too fervent.
“No,” Mary croaked, rising. “We had best make our escape quickly.”
“Just a moment.” Gabe stopped her as she stepped toward the door.
Mary looked back at him and patiently waited as he used her hairpins to unlock his second wrist from the manacles.
“That was very dangerous what you did, bursting in like you did,” he said with his face turned down as he focused on his task.
