“Charles?” Alaina squeaked out, almost unaware of speaking out loud.
Christopher’s cousin started at her exclamation, not having expected an awake prisoner, but he recovered quickly. “Why, yes, my dear. I was worried that Felton had delivered such a blow, you might never wake up, giving me little hope to barter with your husband. But I am relieved to see he was not so rough.”
Again, Alaina’s mind was slow to catch up. “Felton?”
Charles huffed, seemingly annoyed as he walked behind the desk, took a seat and stated, “Yes, Felton, Mr. Reid, myhelper, if you will. I have always said he was too hot-headed to deal with matters such as these. I do apologize for his rash action.”
“Rash action?” came a voice from the door of the study, and Alaina recognized Felton Reid’s voice, his tone even more slimy and malevolent than it had been on their first meeting. “I fear,my lord,it is just the fact that I did not happen upon the marquess that has you upset. I believe the word you used was folly.”
Alaina heard Felton walk into the room and round the desk, where he entered into her vision, the look in his eyes more sinister than she could imagine, the edge in his voice clear and dangerous.
“Come now,” Charles rejoined with a half-chuckle. “I was only saying that in jest, truly; your plan worked out just as well as any.”
A silence fell upon the room as the two men stared each other down, and Alaina felt that she was stuck inside a powder keg with the fuse already lit. It was an effort to remain still, Alaina’s head throbbing uncontrollably as she strived to stay in a more upright position. Eventually, Charles turned to her. “Felton has ambition to start his own trade of contraband or something, and I want to rise above the position that was purchased for the cast-offs of the Kendall family.”
Felton was fast in his reproach. “Ye swindled me into thinking I could make a profit selling goods from your trading company under the table. It was only after I haddealtwith a few of your business partners that I found out yer business was little more than a sham!”
“It could be more if I had even a fraction of the money of a marquessate!” Charles bellowed.
“It could be more if you decided to not piss away yer money on gambling!” Felton returned Charles’s ire.
“That is a mere pittance of what we could earn!”
“We?! What about ye and the lady?” Felton screamed and moved closer to Charles, leaning over his chair in a show of physical power.
Alaina watched as Charles’s demeanor changed, softening under Mr. Reid’s pressure. “Can we just agree that Lady Alaina is a way to satisfy both our needs?”
Felton took a deep breath and stood once more, turning his glare on Alaina before asking. “How long until we send word to the marquess?”
“I figure we can wait until the morning to deliver a note as to the terms. By then, Christopher will be worried enough to accede to any of our demands and should be in London,” Charles asserted.
The fog that had plagued Alaina since waking up in the study had started to lift enough for a well-placed glare. “You both are despicable. Why, you are no better than Percy,” Alaina quipped.
This time it was Charles’s turn to stare daggers at Alaina. “My dear, if you value your life, you will not compare me to Percy.”
At this, Felton hurled a taunt. “Still smarting from being the second choice of Lady Barbara?”
“Enough!” roared Charles, and Felton and Alaina fell obediently silent.
A thud sounded somewhere upstairs, causing the party of three to jump in unison. When silence followed, the two men shared a look. Charles nodded, and Felton left the room to investigate. Alaina met Charles’s eyes with an unspoken question, and he shrugged. “This old place makes the strangest noises, but one can never be too careful. I am sure Mr. Reid will return shortly. Your husband will receive our demands in the morning and, if he agrees, your captivity should be short. We shall endeavor to at least act civilly.”
Obviously, her fate was tied to Charles’s good graces, and she decided a tight smile and mute nod would best suffice.
“You never could make it through a window soundlessly,” Graham stated flatly. Sneaking into the hunting lodge window was what he least expected from his impromptu trip to the country. They had precious few moments to prepare once they had seen Nicholas to a bed and sent other servants to check on the remaining staff with the coach, though there was little hope for them. Christopher had been restless and convinced Alaina had to have been taken somewhere close, and a quick ride found the occupied hunting lodge.
Soon enough, the measured creak of the staircase sounded, almost too slow to pick out from the other noises the old house made. Graham and Christopher were in the bedroom across from the landing and had, in unspoken concert, moved toward the door, keeping to the large rug under the four-poster bed to avoid noise. With Christopher against the wall next to the door, and Graham in the corner with the door’s hinges, they waited as they listened to the explorer check the first bedroom, and then the second.
The door handle was tested on the bedroom of their choice, and as it was slightly turned, and the door slowly opened, Christopher was quick to cock and aim his pistol directly at the one who entered within a split second. Graham followed up behind the intruder, the sound of the gun cocking close to the man’s ears. Christopher was surprised to recognize Felton Reid, Charles’s manservant, butler, and man of miscellaneous other talents, it seemed, but he quickly recovered his aplomb.
“Alright, Mr. Reid, where is Alaina? Tell us and we might let you live,” Christopher growled, low and guttural.
Felton started, as if surprised to find anyone in this creaky house, and Christopher was happy that they had maintained their element of surprise. Felton held his silence, and Graham pressed the muzzle of his pistol to the base of the manservant’s skull.
“My friend asked you a question,” Graham asserted. So intent were the friends on their own weapons that they failed to see Felton’s own weapon until it was too late.
Bang! Bang!Two shots rang from upstairs, sending Charles and Alaina almost clear out of their seats. Alaina’s head had cleared some, but her attempt to stand in reaction to the gunshots made her lightheaded and, feeling the weight of her head and ankle tethers, she soon sat back down. Charles seemed more capable and intent on an explanation for the commotion he heard, and was only steps out of the door to the study when he was stopped short.
“Christopher? Thank heavens you are here!” Charles quickly pivoted, from captor to captive. “My man has gone off the rails and has been keeping me hostage in an attempt to extort money from you, my dear cousin. He even set a trap for Alaina.”
