“Wait a moment.” Taylor caught him by the arm as he made for the door. “Do you think she’s telling the truth?”
“She’s told the truth about everything, Taylor. I don’t think she would be so forthcoming only to start lying now.”
“He’s clever,” Lady Reeves observed. “But I knew that you would be, Arthur. You’re very like your father.”
The comment about his father might have provoked him under different circumstances. As it was, all he could think about was to pull free of Taylor’s grasp and make his way toward the door. “Are you coming?”
“I…” Taylor turned back toward Lady Reeves. “She’s making a run for it!”
Arthur pressed his gun into his friend’s hand. “Go after her,” he urged. “I beg it of you. Go after her and see if you can catch her. Ihaveto go to Isabella.”
Taylor nodded and gripped Arthur’s shoulder for a moment. “Take my horse,” he suggested. “You’ll get there faster if you ride than if you have to take the carriage.”
“What about you?”
“Don’t worry about me now. I can manage this. Remember, I’m used to dealing with her sort. Go quickly now, and I wish you luck in finding Isabella.”
Arthur couldn’t afford to wait any longer. To leave his friend on his own did feel wrong, but it felt equally wrong—no, much more wrong—not to rush to his wife’s side. He set off at a run. It didn’t take long at all to unhitch the horse from the carriage, and then he mounted and was off.
Thank goodness he hadn’t gone too far. Thank goodness he had only to ride across town in order to be by her side. But he knew that it still might be too late. He urged the horse to go faster. How much time had been wasted in trading words with Lady Reeves? How long had danger been descending upon Isabella? Was there still a chance to reach her in time?
He couldn’t even allow himself to think about what she might be facing—what might be done to her. All he knew was that he would never be able to forgive himself for the mistake he had made in leaving her. If only he hadn’t! If only he had given upthis desire for revenge and stayed with her when he had had the chance. If he’d done that, there would be nothing to fear tonight. No one would ever have gotten near her.
She told me over and over. She told me that she wanted me to choose her. To make her my priority. And I never did. It’s no one’s fault but mine. If I lose her tonight, I won’t even be able to seek revenge because I will be the one to blame.
The thought stabbed at him like a knife, and he rode on, faster.
CHAPTER 32
“Isabella!”
Her sister’s scream broke through the terror Isabella felt as the man wrestled her down the hall. There was more light here than there had been in the bedroom, and she could see that the man’s face was obscured by a mask. Still, she suspected that this was someone she wouldn’t have known even if she could see him. She could think of no one who would bear her this kind of ill will, who would try intentionally to harm her like this. Even her father, who had never been kind, wouldn’t have done anything like this—it was impossible to imagine him being this kind of cruel.
Felicity burst out of the bedroom. Isabella tried to scream to her sister to go back, not to get involved, but her captor still had a hand over her mouth, and she couldn’t make herself heard. But the thought of Felicity in danger made matters so much worse than they had been. Isabella was terrified for her own safety, but looking after her sister was more important to her than anything else in the world. If this man decided, for whatever reason, torelease Isabella and claim Felicity instead—well, there could be nothing worse than that.
Felicity ran at the two of them. Isabella tried with all her might to scream for her sister to run, but it was hopeless. She couldn’t make herself heard.
And then Felicity launched herself at the man, striking and scratching like a feral cat, screaming for help. “Someone, come quick! The Duchess is being abducted!”
The man lashed out at Felicity and threw her to the floor. Felicity’s head struck the wall, and she lay there, unmoving.
Horror surged through Isabella, and she fought all the harder against her captor, desperate to reach her sister’s side. Why did no one come? Hadn’t anyone heard the commotion? This man was moving toward the front door which was probably the way that would lead him past the fewest people—most of the servants would be at the back of the house at this hour. Still,someonemust have noticed that something was amiss!
If Arthur were here, this wouldn’t be happening. He would be in this part of the house. He would have noticed, and he would have put a stop to it. She was sure of that. Whatever Arthur’s feelings for her might or might not be, she knew that he would never permit her to be abducted. He would never allow her safety to be compromised. He might not love her as she loved him, but he was a good man.
She longed for him desperately.
As the man dragged her toward the steps that would lead them to the foyer, she struggled one last time to break free and run to her sister, who still hadn’t moved since falling to the floor. But then her captor dragged her around the corner and out of sight of Felicity.
Hope left her.
It was too late. She was going to be taken, and who knew what would happen to her sister?
And then she heard the sound of footsteps running toward her, and a voice called her name. “Isabella!”
She knew that voice. How well she knew that voice!
Arthur was there in a moment, wrestling the man off her and shoving him away. He caught Isabella and held her close, and Isabella watched in horror as the man stumbled and fell backward down the stairs. It was a fall that might have been fatal if he had landed differently, but he managed to fall into a sitting position. He rolled up onto his feet, assessed the situation for a brief moment, then turned and sprinted down the stairs and out the door.
