‘S-so where is he?’
He pointed towards a pile of sacks by the far wall. ‘Over there.’
Emmy instantly flew towards them, narrowing her eyes to try to see in the dark. It was then that Jasper suddenly caught her from behind and because she hadn’t been expecting it, she toppled over in a heap with him on top of her.
‘What are youdoing.?.?. and where is Jake?’ She began to beat at him with her fists as panic coursed through her.
‘I’ve no idea,’ he admitted as he held her in a vice-like grip. ‘But this was the only way I could think of to make you see sense.’
As she stared up at him, appalled, she saw the glimmer of tears on his cheeks and a desperate look in his eyes.
‘You mustknowhow much I love you,’ he choked. ‘But because of what happened with Father I can’t stay here now. I have to get out of the country and I want you to come with me. I was actually boarding a ship that would get me away but at the last minute I couldn’t leave you. We are meant to be together!’
‘Don’t talk suchrubbish!’ she snapped.
His expression changed and he glared down at her. ‘I know you don’t loveme,’ he snarled. ‘You only have eyes for Jake. I’ve seen how you look at him and how your eyes light up whenever his name is mentioned. But if I can’t have you, no one will, especially not my goody-goody brother, damn him to hell! If you’d just agree to come away with me, I could make you love me in time, I know I could!’
Emmy was furious as she lashed out at him as best she could. ‘Stop talking such nonsense! You know very well we can never be together; we’re cousins!’
His lip curled. ‘You’re ahypocrite,’ he snarled. ‘That doesn’t seem to bother you when it comes to Jake and he’s as much your cousin as I am! And anyway, there’s no reason we can’t be together now. The only thing holding me back before was the threat of being cut off.’ He gave a short bark of laughter. ‘But that’s not a problem any more. And I don’t want any children. All I want is you!’
‘Just go and give yourself up to the police,’ she implored him. ‘If your father’s death was an accident as you say it was, they’ll listen to you.’
‘Huh!’ he sneered. ‘Fat chance of that happening.’ Then suddenly without warning he flipped her over on to her stomach as if she weighed nothing and after fumbling in his pocket, he took out a length of fine rope, and began to bind her hands behind her back.
The first real feelings of panic began to rush through Emmy as she tried to reason with him. ‘Look .?.?. just let me go and I’ll forget I ever even saw you,’ she begged but her words fell on deaf ears and once her hands were securely tied, he flipped her over again and proceeded to tie her feet together until she was trussed up like a turkey.
‘This is silly,’ she told him, trying to keep her voice calm. ‘You can’t keep me here indefinitely. Aunt Imogen will have the police out looking for me if I don’t go back.’
He was breathless again now as he sat back to survey her. The rope was cutting into her wrists and ankles and she had to blink back tears when she realised what a fool she had been to follow him.
‘I have no intention of keeping you here forever,’ he told her, his eyes cold. ‘Just until you decide to see sense and come away with me.’
She opened her mouth to tell him that this would never happen but immediately thought better of it and clamped it shut again as he struggled to his feet and lifted his rucksack.
‘I’ve got a small fortune in here,’ he bragged and she detected a strange glint in his eye. ‘Enough to set us up for some time to come. Think of it .?.?. a life in the sun, no more having to pander to dear old Aunt Imogen. We could be so happy if you’d only give us a chance. I’m going to go and get us some food and drink now. We can stay here while you think about it. Oh, and don’t bother screaming. No one ever comes here apart from the down-and-outs when darkness falls and they’re usually in such an opium-induced state they wouldn’t take any notice of you.’ Without another word he turned and climbed the stairs, closing the door at the top behind him, plunging the cellar into total darkness. Next came the sound of the outside door slamming shut.
Emmy’s tears came then, so fast that she could hardly see, but after a while she forced herself to calm down so she could think what to do. All around her, creatures were foraging in the darkness and the hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention as a pair of tiny red eyes passed within a hair’s breadth of her face.
‘Ugh!’ She began to wriggle and roll across the floor until she came to the wall where, somehow, she managed to manoeuvre herself into a sitting position. The wall was damp and within minutes she could feel it seeping into the back of her gown as she wrestled with the rope on her wrists. But it was useless; the more she struggled the tighter the rope became and so eventually she sat very still listening for the sound of anyone who might be within earshot.
On the far wall was a tiny window covered in a metal grill but it was so high up she knew there could be no chance of escape there, even if she managed to get free. It finally sunk in that she was Jasper’s prisoner and there wasn’t a single thing she could do about it. But he was saying that he loved her so surely he wouldn’t hurt her? Remembering the hint of madness she had seen in his eyes, she suddenly wasn’t so sure and as she sagged back against the damp bricks she let her tears fall once more.
‘Good evening, Aggie. And how are you all this wonderful evening?’ Jake said cheerily when Aggie opened the door to Imogen’s house that evening.
Aggie frowned as she looked past him, ignoring his cheery greeting. ‘But ain’t Miss Emerald wi’ you, sir?’
The smile slid from his face as he handed her his hat. ‘Of course not. Why would she be on a weekday? I’ve been at the Harley Street practice today.’
‘But she popped out on an errand fer the missus this mornin’ an’ she ain’t come back,’ Aggie told him fearfully. ‘The missus is in a right two an’ eight about it an’ she’s convinced somefin’ ’as happened to ’er.’
‘Have you reported it to the police?’
Aggie shook her head. ‘No, Mr Jake. The missus were convinced she’d be wi’ you if she were anywhere but if you ain’t seen ’er, where could she be? She don’t know the place like I do. Yer don’t fink she’s got lost do yer?’
‘It’s highly unlikely.’ Jake was frowning now as worry descended. ‘If she did get lost, all she’d have to do is hail a hackney cab and it would bring her home. Was she in good spirits when she left?’
‘Oh yes, sir. Bright as a button she were.’
