He had to admit, she was a talented actress and played her part well. His anger toward her continued to simmer, however. He’d fallen for Maria, and still carried the residual scars even after ten years, hence his reasons for avoiding entanglements. He always seemed to pick the wrong woman.
“Oy, Jocko, get her off him,” Idle yelled toward the guards. “Separate the two of them.”
“I truly hate that man,” she murmured, her movements more frantic. Under the guise of more wracking sobs, she pulled at the rough hemp. It bit into his skin, but with each tug, the tension lessened.
Jocko and a second guard rushed over, a rifle cradled in his arms. The other one remained to guard the entrance.
“Stop,” he whispered at the thug’s approach. She’d loosened his bonds enough to allow him to twist his hands, the circulation returning with a vengeance.
Elizabeth looped her free hand around the other arm, almost strangling him. “Just one more second, this isn’t exactly easy—”
Jocko wrenched Elizabeth off him, his thick lips twisted in a sneer of contempt. She cried out with genuine pain. From the way her jacket bunched, the man had a brutal hold on her arm.
“You hurt her and you die!” Langdon said with deadly seriousness. He might be irate at her, but he still cared about her wellbeing. The other man might have the upper hand right now, but things had a way of changing.
“Brave words...” Jocko said, but he released Mrs. Adare nonetheless.
“Untie me and find out.” Langdon was itching for a way to release his pent-up fury. He’d won his fair share of fights and never shied away from confrontation. It had gotten him into trouble a few times, but he wouldn’t apologize for it.
With a wicked grin, Jocko wrenched Langdon up by his lapel and shoved him to the floor.
Langdon’s arms were still bound and he fell to his side, his hip connecting painfully with a rock protruding through the sand. The blackguard was within striking distance. Langdon hooked his foot around the other’s ankle. Jocko stumbled, straightened himself, and kicked him in the thigh. Pain raced along his leg.
“Stop,” Elizabeth yelled, throwing herself between them. “If you hurt him, the wedding is off. You can kill me right now.”
Her threat made no sense, but she had given him time to recover from the shock of the kick. He pushed himself to a sitting position, and once again found his arms wrenched upward until he stood with the aid of his tormentor.
“Quit your caterwauling, woman,” Jocko half hauled Langdon to the far wall. He didn’t make it easy on him. He dragged his feet, intent on resistance. Men like Jocko pounced on any sign of weakness.
“I will caterwaul all I like, you brute!” she shouted back, stubborn chin raised.
The thug released Langdon with a grunt and shoved him hard against the cave wall. His head hit the stone, the pain ratcheting across his skull. Stunned, his legs weakened, and he sank down the wall until his arse reached the floor. Away from the fire, a damp chill settled around him. .
“It is decided. I will travel to London, and use the powers of the ministry to find out if you’re telling the truth or not. If you are, then I shall procure the special license and Bradley will remain here with you and my men.” Idle approached Mrs. Adare and palmed her chin. “You will sign the paperwork now.”
“How do I know you will not go back on your word and try to kill Langdon?” she asked.
Defiant to the bitter end. His admiration for her grew stronger. Which made his distrust even more confusing.
“How do I know you’re not lying?” Idle shot back.
The two were at an impasse; a result of manipulation and lies. Oh, what a tangled web...
“Enough,” Bradley said, raking a hand through his hair. “Mrs. Adare said she would sign the papers, and in the time I have known her, she has been a woman of her word. Signing the paperwork is a gesture of faith. I don’t fancy killing anyone, and I am certain none of those involved wish to die. So please, let us all agree on a plan and go with it.”
A weak link in the chain. There was always one. Langdon could use this to his advantage.
After a telling moment, Elizabeth said, “Give me the paper. I will sign it with the understanding that once you have proven my innocence in this, I will marry you in good faith and you will let Langdon go free.”
“You have a deal,” Idle said.
While it all sounded above-board, desperate men did desperate things. He pulled every bit of reserve he had and began to work the knot. In the next chamber was the exit to the hut.
The two days they spent in the hut had cemented his love for her. Yet she had been fooling him the entire time. Humiliation warred with self-preservation. If need be, they would lose themselves in the caves, but that could also mean uncertain death. Every scenario seemed to have the same outcome. He had to have faith he’d find the means to escape. It was his only assurance that he and Mrs. Adare would truly be safe.
