Anette had heard enough. Who was this man that was threatening her father? She didn’t recognize him as her attacker.
What was she going to do? She couldn’t just go back to bed, not with what she had just overheard. Her father knew more about her attempted abduction than he had let on. One thing was certain: as long as her father was being threatened, no one was safe.
She needed to tell her brother what was going on. He would know what to do. He had to.
Turning on her heel, she quickly headed towards her brother’s bedchamber on the second level. She arrived at the door and opened it, not bothering to knock to let her presence be known.
“Caleb,” she whispered as she approached the bed.
In a swift motion, Caleb sat up in bed and pointed a pistol towards her.
She came to an abrupt stop.
Caleb’s tired eyes looked at her in surprise. “Anette?” he asked. “What are you doing in my bedchamber?”
“I needed to speak to you.”
“At this hour?” Caleb inquired as he lowered his pistol.
“I assure you that it is of the utmost importance,” Anette said.
Caleb returned the pistol to under his pillow and asked, “Can it not wait until morning?”
Anette shook her head. “I’m afraid not.”
With a gesture towards the end of the bed, Caleb responded, “Well, I’m already awake. You might as well tell me what has you so troubled.”
As she sat down on the end of the bed, she asked, “When did you start sleeping with a pistol?”
“I have for many years now.”
“Is it not uncomfortable?” Anette asked.
Caleb leaned his back against the wall. “You get used to it,” he said. “But I daresay that you did not want to speak to me about my sleeping habits.”
“No, that is true,” Anette replied. “I just overheard the most distressing conversation between Father and a man that I did not recognize.”
“You were eavesdropping?” Caleb asked with censure in his voice.
“I was,” Anette replied, seeing no reason to deny it. “I woke up and I was curious as to why Father was awake at such a late hour.”
Caleb flicked his wrist. “Proceed, then.”
Anette bit her lower lip before saying, “The man was ordering Father to come up with some information and threatening to harm me if he didn’t do his bidding.”
In a swift motion, Caleb sat up and grew solemn. “What else was said?” he asked. “I need you to be as specific as possible.”
“They were just going back and forth about how Father needed to obtain that information, and quickly,” Anette said.
“Did you get a good look at the man that was talking to Father?”
“I did not,” she replied. “His back was turned to me, but he had dark hair and broad shoulders. Also, he had a French accent.”
Caleb reached for the pistol before he stepped out of bed in his long nightshirt. “Wait here,” he ordered. “I will be back shortly.”
“You are leaving me?” she asked.
“I need to go see if Father is all right,” Caleb said as he strode over to the door.
