Henderson exhaled. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.” The lip of the cliff face was overgrown with sea grass, the ground heavy from the rain. Feet dangling over the edge, the lack of a foundation triggered a moment of panic in Langdon. He reeled his fears in. This was not about him. It was about her. One hand gripping the rope, he found a toehold on the worn path. Sea air buffeted him from all angles.
Bradley was within grasping distance of Elizabeth, and he wanted to shout out a warning, but he dared not frighten her.
Henderson continued to lower Langdon, each inch seeming to take hours. His eyes glued to Elizabeth’s face, he tried to offer her an encouraging smile. It proved difficult to keep a positive outlook when she was in danger of falling to her death.
“Mrs. Adare, stop this nonsense. We had a deal,” Bradley said.
“You were blackmailing me with Langdon’s life. He is safe and my father is dead. I have no reason to keep to the bargain.” Each syllable she uttered was laced with heartache and grit.
“Give it up, Bradley. This is over. You can’t win,” Langdon said. With the aid of the rope, he managed to use several rocks to propel himself in her direction. Henderson’s comforting shadow gave him perspective.
The servant had managed to gain more ground and stood on a wider area on the path. He had the advantage of height and he clasped her ankle. “There you’re wrong, Langdon. She gave her word and she will keep it.”
“Leave off, Bradley, do you want to get us both killed?” Elizabeth shouted, her eyes full of fear. “If I am dead, you will have nothing.”
“If I let you go, I will have nothing.” Bradley pulled at her leg and the path under his foot sent pebbles peppering down to the rocks below.
Langdon kicked off once more. He reached for a patch of sea grass next to Elizabeth but changed his mind at the last second. “Lower me down more,” he hollered to Henderson, and the rope gave, placing him at the same level as Bradley. He reached for the man’s arm and his fingertips brushed the fabric of his jacket before his momentum took him the opposite direction.
Another swing of the rope and he grasped the sleeve. Bradley snapped his head around, fury in his gaze. He jerked his arm and tried to shake off Langdon’s grip. He held firm. The wind continued to whip at them. Up close, he could see the scratches on Elizabeth’s hands, her knuckles white under streaks of blood. Langdon was at a handicap with the rope, but he dared not rid himself of it. He had to gain the advantage. Using the heel of his boot, he slammed it into the other man’s side. The action pushed him away.
Bradley bellowed with rage and released her leg. He twisted and used the advantage of the rope’s momentum to punch Langdon in the gut. The breath left his lungs and his fingers on the rope loosened. He felt himself falling, and he looped his arm around the hemp at the last moment. His wrist hit the rock wall, scraping the skin off the back of his hand.
“Langdon!” Elizabeth cried, terror making her voice high.
Bradley had managed to clasp her foot once more, his face red, eyes blazing with resolve. “Back off or I will bring us both to our death.”
Elizabeth strained against the pull of his weight. Tears glistened in her eyes. He had to save her and quick. There was no more time to fight with Bradley. He had to rescue her at any cost to his own life.
“You’re about to do just that. Henderson, bring me up and quick. She’s going to fall,” he shouted. Feet planted on the cliff, he walked up the side of it until he was parallel to Elizabeth.
He met her desperate stare and snaked an arm around her waist. She grabbed his lapel with one hand. With the servant still tugging her down, she began to slip. He couldn’t let go of the rope and the helpless feeling the knowledge evoked sent bile to his throat. “Put both of your hands around my neck. It is the only way.”
“I am scared,” she whispered.
So am I. “Trust me, Elizabeth.”
With a nod, she glided her arm around his neck and let the other hand leave the rock.
“You’re not getting away from me!” Bradley shouted.
She half-hung on him, her grip slipping. One slender foot settled over his roped one, granting her some leverage. Langdon hit the side of the wall with enough force to steal his breath.
Bradley was exposed to the same impact. He cried out as he fell backwards, his arms and legs flailing. A sickening smack of his head against the wall sent his body limp, and he tumbled down the rock-face, lifeless.
Elizabeth buried her head in the crook of Langdon’s neck, sobs racking her body. The rope began to move upward, each pull an inch closer to safety. In all his adventures, he could never recall any as harrowing. One slip of her hand and she could have shared Bradley’s fate.
He kissed the top of her hair and wished he could hold her tight. It wasn’t possible. Not yet. Once she rested, he wanted answers. He had almost lost her tonight, not because of Bradley, but in part because of Zander. He deserved the truth whether he liked what he learned or not.
