“Well, how will you know if you do not try?”
Graham’s soft question seemed to light a fire within Christopher, making him feel as if he must talk to Alaina at once.
“I guess I should head to London,” was all Christopher said before once again mounting his horse and turning back toward the bridge, intending to leave Waverley posthaste. Before getting up to full speed, Christopher turned back to his friend. “I guess I owe you a debt of gratitude, my friend. You will have to forgive my poor manners and the haste of my departure, but I have a long journey.”
“Be ready for the day I shall call in the debt,” Graham chuckled. “There is no need for forgiveness. I hear love can make you stupid and blind. It seems you have been afflicted with both.”
Hearing the good-natured teasing in his friend’s voice, Christopher relaxed a bit and acknowledged, “It appears I have been afflicted, as you say. Farewell, for now.” Christopher spurred his horse up to full speed, quickly disappearing around the first bend in the drive, leaving Graham to contemplate the course of events.
It was unlike his friend to keep such matters from him, but then again, it was love, the strangest of phenomena. As Graham sat atop his horse, not quite looking forward to the ride ahead but eager to be home, it was clear to him that his affection for Alaina did not match the fervor he had just witnessed from Christopher. It was possible that the feeling of love had not graced the duke’s life just yet. Graham had always thought that he would know if and when he met the love of his life, but now he was not so sure. Graham shook his head and smirked a bit, sighing as he made his way back toward home.
Having been shoved out of the house by Edward, with assurances he would be fine and would not do anything against doctor’s orders, Charlotte, Alaina and Evelina found their way to the main shopping district in London, hoping the bustle would revive their spirits after so much caretaking. With nothing in particular they wanted to buy, the mother and daughters found themselves wandering, glancing in windows in case some wares should catch their eyes. It was an uncharacteristically sunny day, but with a bit of cold still in the air, Alaina found herself quickly worn out and in need of rest. Evelina had just spotted a hat that piqued her interest, when Alaina pleaded for relief.
“Please, you must allow me to return to the coach. It seems that I am more tired than I thought. You would not think that sitting for long hours and watching someone sleep would be so exhausting,” Alaina reasoned, hoping her mother and sister would take pity on her and end the shopping outing early. They had each taken turns as caretakers for Edward, but, even in moments of solitude, sleep was ever elusive this past week; visions of Christopher haunted her as soon as she closed her eyes.
Seeing her sister’s fatigue, Evelina acquiesced. “If you allow us a few moments to look at this hat, we can head to the carriage straight away.”
Charlotte took a look at her eldest and, feeling a more immediate rest would be required, suggested, “Why don’t you make your way to the conveyance now? It is just a few steps away from the shop, so you will be in view. The driver is waiting for us anyway. We should only take a few minutes, and then we can all go home.”
Knowing that her mother was making an exception, Alaina was quick to jump at the chance for some peaceful alone time. “Thank you, Mama. That would be wonderful.”
Alaina quickly turned on her heel and made her way to the door of the carriage, accepting the assistance of the footman as she stepped up into the conveyance and quickly settled into the interior. Assured of her daughter’s safety, having watched her approach and the footman open the door, Charlotte turned and ushered her youngest through the portal of the milliner’s shop.
In the carriage, Alaina relaxed into the bench facing forward, thankful for the blankets and the warming pan they had brought. The coals still maintained some level of heat, even after a few hours of window shopping. Covering herself with one of her throws, Alaina leaned her head back against the wall of the carriage and closed her eyes. It had certainly been an eventful season, with much more drama and stress than Alaina had expected or wanted. She was thankful that her father was on the mend, as evidenced by his increasingly cantankerous mood, seemingly sick of all the company after being fussed over for the last week.
Alaina was still reeling from the garden party, and lamenting the end of her courtship with Graham. She did not love him, that was true, but she held him and his family in affection, and she was sad to have lost that close relationship.
And then there was Christopher. Initially, she had hoped he would visit her in the days following her return to London. They certainly had some unfinished business to discuss. But as time passed, seeds of doubt began to drown out her hopeful spirit. She was convinced that at least by now he would have heard of the severed courtship, and would feel free to call upon her. Maybe he was just giving her time to be with her family? Or maybe it was that he had decided that he really preferred the bachelor lifestyle? In Alaina’s mind, nothing made sense and, to be frank, it was starting to give her a headache.
Rubbing her temples to relieve some of the tension, Alaina heard a slight commotion outside the carriage, almost like someone calling or racing after a companion. Thinking little of it, Alaina kept her eyes closed against the daylight streaming in through the open window of the coach.
Alaina felt a shadow fall across the opening, blotting out the sun, and she heard the coach door snap open. Thinking her mother and Evelina had made quick work at the milliner’s, Alaina opened her eyes, ready to greet each of them with a smile, only to find someone entirely different filling the doorway.
“Percy! What are you doing here?” Alaina exclaimed, having no trouble recognizing his narrow face and mean-spirited eyes.
Percy gave a lazy smile, and his eyes seemed to glitter with rage. “Lady Alaina, what apleasure.”
He motioned, as if he was about to step up into the coach itself but then thought better of it. Alaina noticed that his clothes were rumpled, although they appeared to be of fine quality. She did not smell any intoxicants on his breath or person, so she had a hard time believing his appearance was due only to a night of carousing and a late morning rising. Seeing him outside her carriage door made the hair on her neck stand on end, and her heart beat faster; surely the man was not here to say hello.
“What do you want?” was all Alaina could manage without her voice wavering between rage and fear.
“Well, it is funny you should ask,” Percy answered, his smile only growing more sinister. Reaching his hand into his pocket, he deftly removed a small pistol and pointed it at Alaina. The handgun was small enough to be blocked from sight on the street. “If you would come with me, please, I would have no reason to use this,yet. And do not get any ideas to run or scream, I am quite a good shot.”
Swallowing hard, Alaina quickly considered her options and saw no means of escape. Gritting her teeth in frustration at having to cooperate, Alaina slid off the bench seat and cautiously made her way to the open door. Percy took a step back to allow her to descend the steps, but kept close to the carriage, so as to not raise an alarm on the street with the gun.
Stepping down to the ground, Alaina found it hard to hold her tongue. “I am not sure what you expect to accomplish by doing this, but it is sure to end in folly.”
“My dear, you underestimate your value mightily. I imagine my cousin would be willing to pay a tidy sum to keep you safe, even if I find yourvaluequite minuscule,” Percy stated matter-of-factly. Choosing to remain silent, lest the information of her and Graham’s severed courtship bring more danger, Alaina just glared.
Alaina looked around as much as she could, given Percy still largely blocked an escape route outside the carriage. She only saw the driver, who seemed to be similarly detained by a subtle knife wielded by a large, burly man who was clearly one of Percy’s lackeys. His hair was cut super short to his head, and he had one golden earring, giving him the look of a pirate from a fantastical book. The back of the driver faced her, so she had no way of getting his attention. The footman who had assisted her into the carriage was conspicuously missing, most likely away for a break at an opportune time.
Looking up and down the street and seeing an almost empty thoroughfare, as the hour approached teatime, Percy took the opportunity to proceed with what Alaina surmised was an abduction. “If you please, follow me this way, my dear,” Percy motioned for her to proceed down the sidewalk, away from the shop with her mother and sister.
Alaina walked slowly in front of Percy, hoping he would assume that her purposefully minced steps were merely ladylike, but she had no such luck. “Now, do not think you can hope to garner escape by slowing our procession. Remember the gun, darling.” Percy almost whispered, even with no one about, so close to her ear that she could feel his breath. And then, as if she needed a reminder, he prodded her back with the pistol, which prompted her to speed up to at least her normal walking pace. He certainly was not going to make it easy for her to flee. In the distance, too far for Percy to be concerned with, Alaina noticed a pair of men walking quickly in their direction. It took a moment, but Alaina recognized the footman by his uniform, almost too far away to see his face clearly. The man trailing wore a peculiar top hat, not quite stylish, but black and distinctive.
Percy was still distracted by their slower-than-expected getaway, and being behind Alaina, he had still not noticed the men approaching. As they reached the street corner, Alaina lingered before attempting to cross, even though the street was fairly empty. Percy muttered something profane under his breath and pushed her forward, causing her to stumble and almost fall. This motion cleared Percy’s vision, and he caught sight of the men. In the same moment, Alaina’s footman pointed in their direction, and the taller man he had been escorting gave chase. Percy immediately gave up Alaina’s capture in order to make a clean escape, turning the corner in an attempt to get away. The man in the top hat, who had still been a few shops away, called out, “Stop! In the name of the law!” as he raced after Percy.
It seemed unlikely to Alaina that the man in pursuit of Graham’s cousin would have difficulty closing the gap. To her surprise, another gentleman, similarly dressed in the same topcoat and hat, stepped out from an alleyway just in time to throw Percy to the ground. A few moments later, the original man who had given chase stopped just short of Percy’s prostrate form. Almost at the same moment the footman reached Alaina at the street corner.
