Daffin gave a grim nod. “I had no idea what we were up against.” He wanted to slam his fist into the nearest wall. He would have if he hadn’t been in the presence of ladies.
“What will they do with her?” Nicole sobbed. “You don’t think they’ve… murdered her already? I will die if anything happens to her.”
“We can only hope they will want to negotiate,” Grimaldi replied.
“Negotiate for what? They shot at her once before,” Nicole replied.
“Yes, but if murder was their intent, they could have killed her on the street today,” Daffin replied.
“Oh, God. I cannot bear it.” Nicole shook her head. Tears streamed down her pale face.
“Negotiate?” Lady Harriet asked, her brow furrowed.
“Probably for a ransom,” Grimaldi intoned, a growl in his voice.
“None of us can think of any reason anyone would want to hurt Regina. A ransom must be what they’re after,” Daffin added.
“Oh, dear.” Lady Harriet pressed her handkerchief to her eyes.
“Poor Regina.” Nicole’s voice was high with worry. “I cannot imagine how frightened she must be.”
Lady Harriet’s eyes darted from one man to the other. “What do we do?”
Mark expelled a breath. “Unfortunately, the only thing we can do for the time being is wait for the kidnappers to make their demand.”
“I’ll get her back,” Daffin growled. “If it’s the last thing I do.”
***
The demand came the next day. A piece of parchment had been nailed to a tree near the entrance to the lane. Extensive questioning of the servants revealed no one had seen who’d left it. No doubt the bastards had crept in under cover of night after Daffin had fallen into an exhausted slumber. One of the groundskeepers had found the note and brought it to the house. Strangely, it was addressed to Daffin.
While Mark and Nicole looked on, Daffin ripped open the letter and scanned the page.
Bring five thousand pounds to the Pantheon bazaar on Thursday at one o’clock in the afternoon. Leave it in a bag at the confectioner’s booth on the far side of the arcade. Don’t be late or Lady Regina dies.
It was Monday, December twenty-seventh, which meant they’d have to be back in London by Thursday afternoon. Italso meant the kidnappers intended to take Regina back to London.
It was probably better that way. Daffin and Grimaldi needed reinforcements. If they returned to London, they could call upon the other runners to help, as well as some of Grimaldi’s spies.
“Let me see the letter,” Nicole said. Daffin handed it to her and she examined it carefully. “It’s definitely written in a man’s hand, and there are no misspelled words.”
“What does that mean?” Lady Harriet dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief.
“It means whoever wrote this has some education, or at least access to someone who has,” Daffin replied.
Daffin scanned the page again. At the bottom of the letter, there was what looked like a flourish of ink. A mistake of the quill perhaps… or… He tilted the page slightly. It could be aQ.A largeQ.That initial sent prickles along the back of his neck.
Mark cursed under his breath. “Five thousand pounds.”
“It’s nothing. I’d give all the money we have to get Regina back safely,” Lady Harriet said.
“I want to go with you,” Nicole said to her husband. “You’ll need more people to help, and you and an army couldn’t keep me away.”
Grimaldi opened his mouth to protest. “But darling—”
“Nicole’s right about one thing,” Daffin said. “This time, we shall need a team of our own.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
