“How do you know his name?”
“Your father told it to me when he wrote his letter.” He gestured to where Chiverton was holding out a note that clearly showed her father’s wax seal.
The butler handed it over to her with a slight frown. “It says Miss Wong is to be moved.”
“Moved to where?”
Mr. Pearson gave a teasing kind of shrug. “I’m not allowed to say, I’m afraid. His Grace wished to keep the woman’s destination private.”
“Private! You can’t simply take a woman out of our home.”
“Of course not. But His Grace can have one removed at his direction.” So saying he gestured to the men behind him. While he’d been talking, three other burly men had crowded into the hallway, and he now pointed them up the stairs.
“You cannot go up there!” Emmaline cried as she dashed forward. She meant to stand in front of them, but she hadn’t expected Mr. Pearson’s speed. Or strength.
She’d taken no more than one step when he caught her about the waist and swung her back around. “I can’t let you interfere, my lady. You might get hurt.”
His arms were like rope, thick and unforgiving. And they were a shock to her mind and body. No man had ever handledher as such, picking her up and setting her aside like a sack of potatoes.
“Don’t touch me!” she cried as she slapped him as hard as she could manage.
Or she tried. He caught her wrist as easily as some caught a tossed ball, and he held her arm aloft, well away from scratching his eyes out. She twisted as viciously as she could, but to no avail. His hand was heavy, his grip bruisingly strong. And when she went to kick him, he rapidly spun her around, flattening her back to his front.
“Go on, boys. Find her quick.”
He didn’t have to encourage his men. They were already halfway up the stairs, but at his words, they quickened their pace.
“Let me go!” Emmaline screamed, but it made no difference. Even Chiverton appeared lost as he waved his hands in distress.
“Unhand her immediately!” he bellowed, but Mr. Pearson spoke right over him.
“I know this is upsetting. It’s not my intention at all.”
She slammed her feet down as hard as possible, cursing her lack of shoes. Damn it, his boots were thick. His arms were tight across her belly in the most horrible way.
“Stop it!” she cried, and she wasn’t the only one.
One of his men appeared at the top of the stairs with Yihui casually tossed over his shoulder. She was fighting, but they had her pinned. Then Emmaline watched in horror as the man banged one of her feet against the wall. Everyone could hear her howl of pain and Emma’s captor jerked sideways.
“You’re not to hurt her.”
“Then she shouldn’t scratch, damned foreign cat.”
“Let her go!” Emmaline screamed. So did Millie who was hitting one of the other men with a book. Down the hall, a pairof footmen came running, but they were young men against hardened brutes—easily shoved backwards and out of the way.
“Please, please,” Mr. Pearson kept saying. “This is only making things harder.”
Emmaline jerked her head back as hard as she could. She was held tight to Mr. Pearson’s front, and she desperately hoped to crack the man’s jaw.
She didn’t. Her head thunked heavily into his muscled chest and made no apparent impact. The others went less easy on the staff. One slammed Chiverton into the wall. The other punched their hardiest footman hard enough to knock him off his feet. And in very short order, the man carrying Yihui swept out the door.
“Where are you taking her?” Emmaline screamed. “You can’t do this!”
But of course, they could. They did. They were gone in less than three minutes while the ducal household was left in shambles. Last to leave was Mr. Pearson. He set her down and dashed toward the door in one fluid motion.
She was quick, too, rushing after him, but what could she do except grab his coat? It tore in her grasp, and she heard him curse, but he didn’t slow. Within a few breaths, he leaped into the carriage as it barreled down the street.
Emmaline might have been impressed by his athleticism. Instead, she was revolted, sick to her stomach as she watched the carriage escape. Her skin crawled with the memory of his arms around hers. She’d been completely helpless.
