He stood and pulled her to her feet. “I have a carriage waiting outside. We will get both of you safely inside it. No arguing. I don’t give a wit about Mrs. Gwyn. Do you trust me?” He had a moment of doubt what Grace’s answer might be, but she nodded her head and pulled her mask back down. Cage put his back in place and blew out the candles. Then he took his sister’s hand. He promised himself never to let go of her again.
****
Caroline tried to exude an air of nonchalance as she strolled down the hall to the music room. She knew from many years of social seasons that confidence was the best way to belong in any situation. If you were certain you belonged, no one else would dare question you. When she arrived at the closed door, she took a deep breath and cracked it open. She glanced back down the corridor, still empty. Pressing one eye to the crack, she scanned the room.
Caroline’s breath hitched in her chest. A young woman stood on the moss-covered platform in a long white shift, her hands behind her back. Her long honey-colored hair hung looselyaround her shoulders. Eyes wide and shiny with tears, her lips trembled with barely suppressed sobs. Caroline opened the door and slipped into the room. The woman’s head swiveled to stare at her.
Caroline scanned the room. They were alone, thank the Lord. She held up her hands in front of her and moved swiftly toward the platform. “I mean you no harm. I’m here to release you. I have a carriage waiting outside. Please, come with me.”
The young woman shook her head. “I’m lashed to this tree.”
Dear Lord. “What is your name?”
“Dorothy…Dorothy Boyd.” Dorothy’s voice cracked.
Caroline quickly climbed onto the platform stepping behind Dorothy and tugged the knots tying the woman’s hands together. Deciding time was most certainly of the essence, she reached to unsheathe her knife. “I’m going to use my knife to slice the ropes. Stay still.”
Dorothy nodded her head.
Caroline sawed at the thick rope, trying to be careful not to slice at the woman’s wrists. Damnation, did Mrs. Gwyn think this girl had super strength? “Don’t worry, Dorothy, my sole purpose tonight is to find you and get you home.”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing in here, missy?” A raspy feminine voice shouted from the doorway.
Caroline froze. The rope was almost in half. She gathered her wits and cut the last slice to free the woman. Caroline reached for Dorothy’s hand, and they jumped off the back of the platform.
Mrs. Gwyn barreled across the room toward them. “Hey there! That girl belongs to me.”
Caroline pointed her stiletto at the red-faced Madame. “You don’t get to own anyone. This woman is coming with me.”
“You!” Mrs. Gwyn gasped and stopped in her tracks. “You dare come at me again with that knife. Stealing my property. Youlittle wench. I’m going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget,” the madame ranted, her attention so focused on Caroline she didn’t hear the door open behind her. Morgan and another woman slipped into the room.
Mrs. Gwyn began to move toward her and Dorothy. The girl stepped behind Caroline with a small cry. Caroline’s temper boiled over. “You horrible woman. You think you can take young girls off the street and use them for your own gain? It may be legal, but it’s despicable. I will ruin you; just you wait and see,” Caroline shouted, spewing all her anger at Mrs. Gwyn’s gaunt over-painted face.
Morgan pulled a large candlestick off a side table and crept silently up behind Mrs. Gwyn. He brought it down on the back of the woman’s head. Mrs. Gwyn crumpled to the ground.
Next to her, Dorothy yelped. Caroline’s posture sagged. Her hand that held her stiletto, still outstretched, began to shake. Morgan grabbed hold of her hand and gently removed the knife from her fingers. She went directly into his arms, burying her head against his shoulder.
“You were magnificent, duchess,” he murmured.
She straightened and took a deep breath. “This is Dorothy.” She glanced over his shoulder at the woman he’d arrived with. The blonde looked stricken by all that had happened. Who was she?
Morgan turned. “Grace, lock the door.” The woman went immediately and did as he asked. He looked around the room. “Usually, in a music room, there is a closet for the instruments.”
Caroline scanned along the walls as well. “There.” She pointed. “I see a knob over there by the fireplace.”
Morgan strode across the room and wrenched open the door. Then returned to pick up Mrs. Gwyn’s arms and drag her to the closet. Propping her up against the back wall next to a cello, he shut the door, turning the key in the lock. “Just like we planned.Out the French doors to the veranda.” He walked over to the blonde woman, grabbed her hand, and led her over to Caroline and Dorothy. “This is Grace, my sister.”
Caroline put a hand to her mouth. He’d found his sister here at Devonshire’s party? Tall and blond with wide full lips, the resemblance between brother and sister was evident. Grace wore a plain black mask. Caroline gasped and glanced over at Cage, his expression a mask of stony-eyed focus.
“Outside, pretend like we are all having a grand time.” He stripped his jacket off and hung it around Dorothy’s shoulders. “Ready?”
Caroline nodded. She took Dorothy’s hand, and they stepped out into the night air. Morgan wrapped an arm around his sister’s waist, then the four of them made their way swiftly down the veranda and into the garden without seeing a single soul.
“This way,” Morgan led them down the length of the house and around the right side.
Caroline had never been so happy to see William’s broad, serious face. “William, our mission was more than successful. This is Dorothy, and Grace, Lord Wrotham’s sister.”
William opened the carriage door and helped both ladies inside. Caroline was just about to climb in when Morgan grabbed her elbow. “Not yet. We must go back in and exit the front door. Someone will eventually discover the unconscious Mrs. Gwyn, and we don’t want anyone suspicious of us.”
