Chapter Six
One hour earlier (moreor less) outside Foxborough House
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Abigail asked as Tobias yanked her out of the carriage that was meant to convey her and her father to the church. “This is not the time for—”
“Mr. Chesterfield,” her father called. “Release my daughter this instant!” The coachman clambered down from his box, ready to offer assistance while a pair of footmen hurried down the front steps of Foxborough House.
Tobias must have realized he was about to be stopped from whatever foolishness he was planning for he practically threw Abigail onto his horse as if she were a bale of hay being tossed onto a cart.
She landed belly down with a loud, “Oomph!”
Then Tobias mounted the steed himself. “I’m better for her than Mr. Townsbridge,” he shouted, “so I’m taking her to Scotland in order to make her mine!” The horse reared back and Abigail screamed, convinced she would fall to her death. But the beast slammed its front hooves onto the ground and took off as if the devil himself were in pursuit.
A hand gripped her bottom, adjusting her position.
“Good God, Toby! Let me down!”
He ignored her completely. It didn’t matter how much she kicked or screamed, he just kept riding. “I am going to kill you,” she tried. “But before I do, I shall have you tarred and feathered.” The horse didn’t stop. In fact, it felt as though it ran faster as they left London behind and started along the north road. “I’ll never forgive you for this, Toby. Do you hear me? I want to marry James!”
“No, you don’t,” Tobias finally muttered. “You’re miserable when you’re around him. But with me, you’ll be happy.”
“No, I won’t!” She tried to grab at him with her hands in an effort to make him stop, but as she did so, she made a maneuver that caused her weight to distribute in such a way that she found herself falling.
“Dear God,” Tobias shouted while she screamed in terror. And then she hit the ground with a thwack and the world she knew turned to darkness.
#
WHEN ABIGAIL CAME TO, she noticed three things. One, everything hurt; two, she was tucked into a comfortable bed; and three, the man who’d put her there stood too far away for her to hit.
“I’d like to strangle you right now,” she said.
He spun away from the window he’d been looking out of and rushed to her side. “You’re awake,” he gasped with heartfelt concern. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight. “I’ve been so dreadfully worried about you.”
Abigail shook her head while trying to come to grips with what he had done. Avoiding another scandal would be impossible since she’d failed to appear at the church. People would talk and draw all sorts of conclusions. In truth, there was no way out of this mess that did not involve her being dragged through the mud in some way or other, most likely with James and the rest of her family in tow.
She glanced around the sparsely furnished room which contained just the bed, a chair, a small table, and a wash stand. “Where are we?”
