Come to the Featherstone Inn. I know you’re familiar with that place. Bring Emma with you. If you bring her to me, Lady Bridget will be released to you.
If you fail to comply, Lady Bridget will never again see the light of day. I wonder if she’ll beg for her life? It might be entertaining, but this is business, and I have no intention of showing mercy.
You have twenty-four hours. If I don’t see you, I will assume you’re not coming. Lady Bridget will pay the price for that mistake.
There was no signature. No indication of who the note had come from. Of course not. This vile criminal wouldn’t want to risk being tied to his crimes with any evidence.
A painful chill had taken root in Reeves’ chest, a sort of frigid rage unlike anything he had ever felt before in his life.
He couldn’t turn his daughter over. That wasn’t something he was even going to consider, and it was shocking that anyone would ask. There was nothing in the world that would compel him to sacrifice Emma.
But he couldn’t allow Bridget to be killed either. If she were murdered for the crime of knowing and trying to help him, Reeves knew that he would never be able to forgive himself.
“I believe he’ll do it,” the driver spoke up. “He’ll kill Lady Bridget if he doesn’t get what he wants. He would have killed me if he didn’t need me to deliver the ransom note. If you don’t give Emma to him, he’ll kill her.”
“Papa?”
Reeves spun around, his heart sinking.
Emma was standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with horror. “Is someone going to kill Bridget?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“Emma, I told you to stay in the sitting room…”
“But are they?”
“No,” he said. “No one will hurt Bridget.”
“You’re lying to me,” she whispered, her eyes searching his. “I can tell when you lie, Papa.” She swallowed hard. “Someone wants me. They want you to give me to them so they don’t kill Bridget. That’s what you were talking about.”
“Emma, no one is giving you to anybody. You don’t need to worry about that.”
“And what if I want you to do it?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Papa, you can’t let her die! You have to go and save her, and you have to take me with you!”
Reeves stalked past her, out of the room. The note crumpled in his fist.
Emma ran after him. “Papa!” she insisted. “If you let them kill Bridget, I will never forgive you!”
“I won’t let anyone do anything to Bridget,” Reeves growled, fury spiking through him. “I fully intend to go and meet this villain, Emma.”
“So, we’re going?”
“You’re going nowhere. You’re staying right here, where you’ll be safe,” he said. “I’m the one who’s going.”
“But, Papa…”
“Emma, we’re not having a conversation about this. My mind is made up. You’ll stay here at Greystone, where I know nobody can harm you. I’m not going to put you at risk. Not for anything in the world,” he said. “You’re right that we can’t leave Bridget in danger. I’m going to go and help her. I don’t want you to worry. But I’m going on my own. I’ll take care of this, and when I return, we’ll all be safe.”
CHAPTER 32
“Think about this logically,” Norman cautioned as Reeves pulled on his cloak. “You can’t just charge in there. Whoever this fiend is, he’ll see at once that you don’t have Emma with you, and he’ll act. He might shoot Bridget the moment he sees you coming.”
“Well, what would you have me do?” Reeves demanded, throwing his hands up in frustration. “You can’t possibly be suggesting that I take her with me.”
“To begin with, I’m suggesting you takemewith you.” Norman’s voice was calm and rational, and Reeves didn’t see how anyone could be so cool at a time like this. “You shouldn’t go on your own. You might need someone to help you, and you should let me come along and be that person.”
