It was intimate and it was perfect and he regretted having to walk away. But there were matters he had to attend to if they were to marry as fast as he hoped.
Putting on one of the dresses Gabriella had sent over, Juliette studied her reflection in the cheval glass. Jillian had been sent up to help her prepare for her return to Huntley House since Florian was apparently quite serious about adhering to proper etiquette. He would not allow the two of them to spend more time together alone. Not when she was well enough to go back home. Which meant she had not seen him since he’d left her the previous evening, hungry for more of his kisses but grateful for his restraint. As much as she longed for them to be together, she would have regretted relinquishing the sanctity of their wedding night.
With this in mind, she tied her bonnet in place and made her way downstairs to the foyer where Florian stood in quiet conversation with Sarah. He must have heard her upon the stairs for he turned to greet her, his expression characteristically serious while his eyes... his eyes conveyed warmth and such depth of emotion Juliette felt a wild urge to fling herself into his arms.
Instead, she nodded politely, observed wryly that his hands were clasped behind his back so he could not touch her, and went to greet her maid, who welcomed her with a happy smile.
“I intend to call on your brother later today,” Florian murmured for Juliette’s ears alone while leading her out to the awaiting carriage. “If he approves of my intentions, we shall soon be betrothed.” He handed her up behind Sarah and shut the door swiftly, as if fearing he might otherwise follow her into the conveyance.
If only.
Rather, he took a step back and signaled for the driver to set the horses in motion. Juliette moved in order to look out the window. She watched his somber form until he vanished from sight and then fell back against the squabs with a sigh.
From beside her, she heard a chuckle and glanced up to meet Sarah’s dancing eyes. “You truly are besotted, my lady.”
Juliette smiled in return. “As well I should be when glancing at my future husband.” The carriage rolled on, picking up speed.
“Indeed?” Sarah grinned. They rounded a corner. “I am relieved to hear that all will be set to rights. Considering all the nasty rumors circulating the City, I feared—”
A jolt and a pistol shot halted the carriage along with whatever Sarah had been meaning to say. “My lady.” Sarah’s hand touched Juliette’s arm in alarm.
Beyond the carriage, voices arguing, presumably with the coachman, followed until another shot pierced the air and all went silent. Juliette’s heart leapt frantically against her chest. Steadying herself with a deep breath, she tried to remain as calm as possible. She would be fine. She had to be. Her future with Florian awaited.
The carriage door was wrenched open and a tall man with a thick white scar running right beneath his left eye came into view. His gaze went directly to Juliette. “Get out.” He pointed a pistol in her direction to ensure she complied.
“Take me instead,” Sarah offered with a wobbly voice. She was already leaning forward, her arm stuck out in front of Juliette in an effort to hold her back.
The man glared at Sarah for one fleeting second before returning his attention to Juliette. “We’ve no need for your friend there. It’s you we want. Now get out or suffer the consequence.”
“I will go.” Juliette pushed Sarah’s arm aside. She had no idea who the men were or what their motive was for insisting she come with them, but she would not allow them to harm Sarah.
“No! You cannot!” Sarah’s voice was desperate.
“Return home,” Juliette told her as calmly as she was able. “Tell my brother what has happened.” She began climbing out but paused in the doorway just long enough to give Sarah a meaningful look. “And make sure Florian knows as well.”
Sarah responded with a jerky nod. Her eyes were wide with fear.
An arm came around Juliette’s waist. “That’s enough.” Her kidnapper hauled her down into the street so Juliette could see that each end had been closed off by workers, or men pretending to be workers. They’d diverted traffic and trapped them without anyone taking notice. “Time to go.” The man who held her grabbed her wrist so tight her skin twisted and burned beneath his fingers.
Pulling Juliette along, he dragged her toward another carriage, taking her past Raphe’s driver, whose lifeless body lay sprawled out next to the whinnying horses.Dear God!They’d actually killed a man without second thought! Blood pooled beneath his chest, staining the road in a morbid shade of glistening red.
Fearing she might be sick, Juliette turned her head away and allowed herself to be shoved up into her assailants’ carriage. She would comply without complaint lest they choose to punish her by murdering Sarah as well.
So she told herself to keep a tight leash on her composure. Succumbing to tears would serve no purpose beyond annoying these men who’d already proven themselves quite merciless. There was no telling what they might do if she proved too difficult for them to manage. Instead, rational thought and a clear assessment of the situation at hand was the only chance she had of escape and perhaps even of survival.
The man who’d grabbed her got in and sat down beside her while his companion made himself comfortable on the opposite bench. Black curtains blocked out all light, casting them in grimy shadows. A dull object pushed into her side.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” the man beside her muttered.
“I wasn’t planning to,” Juliette told him sharply. Across from her the other man aimed his pistol straight at her chest.
“Smart girl,” the man beside her said, his weapon nudging her hard in the ribs as the carriage rolled forward. “You wouldn’t want to risk a shot going off by accident, would you?”
“No.” She said nothing further, remaining silent as the carriage moved onward, her greatest fear being the lack of clues left for Florian and Raphe to follow.
To Florian’s relief, everything seemed fine at the hospital when he arrived to make his first rounds after more than a two-week absence. His patients had been well taken care of by the new physicians Viola had hired, and even Haines was there, back at work without a hint of his recent bout with typhus.
“I asked the chief magistrate to press charges against Blaire,” Viola said as the two of them strolled through the wards while assessing the standard of care that was being provided. “He will go on trial next week for severe negligence and if found guilty, could go to prison for up to a year.”
