In what felt like an eternity, but was probably only mere moments, he arrived at Fredrick’s townhouse and pounded on the door, which was promptly opened.
“May I help you, my lord?” the butler asked.
Without waiting to be invited in, Harred stepped inside and demanded, “I need to speak to Lord Chatsworth at once.”
Fredrick appeared in the doorway of a room off the entry hall. “Whatever has happened?”
Harred knew there was no easy way to say this so he just decided to say what needed to be said. “Octavia has been abducted.”
In an instant, Fredrick’s jaw clenched and he looked dangerous. “Tell me what happened,” he ordered.
“Ruth and Octavia left to go to Gunter’s and someone intercepted their coach. A burly man held Octavia at gunpoint and made her leave in another coach.”
“Did the man say anything about who hired him?” Fredrick asked.
“Ruth did not mention that, but she did say that he refused the money she offered to leave Octavia be,” Harred replied.
A maid approached Fredrick and held out a piece of paper. “This was just delivered for you, my lord,” she announced. “It was delivered to the servants’ entrance by a street urchin.”
Fredrick accepted the note and read it. He lowered it to his side and revealed, “The note says that if I want to see my sister alive, I am to bring you to the northwest entrance of St. James’s Park tonight at midnight.”
“Then we must go,” Harred said.
His friend put his hand up. “Hold on,” he stated. “If yougo, you most assuredly will be killed and there is still no guarantee that her abductor will return her to me.”
“But can we risk not going?”
“Oh, I will be going with Rushcliffe, but you won’t be going anywhere near St. James’s Park,” Fredrick replied.
Harred wasn’t about to stand by and let his friends fight his battles for him. “I want to go,” he stated firmly.
“This is not the time to play hero,” Fredrick said. “Someone is intent on seeing you dead and they won’t stop until they accomplish that feat.”
“So you want me to do nothing?”
Fredrick nodded. “Now you understand.” He turned towards the butler. “Bring the coach around front and do so quickly.”
The butler tipped his head. “Yes, my lord,” he replied as he departed to do his bidding.
“I will bring Octavia back. You do not need to worry,” Fredrick said.
Harred trusted his friend, but he loved Octavia. And he wasn’t about to sit at home and do nothing to help her. “I am coming with you.”
“I don’t think that is wise—”
He cut his friend off. “I am going, and that is final.”
Fredrick looked as if he were going to object, but instead he said, “I understand your urgency, I truly do, but there is a chance this could go very poorly for you.”
“As long as Octavia is in danger, I refuse to just sit back and do nothing,” Harred declared.
“Very well,” Fredrick responded, “but you will do exactly what Rushcliffe and I tell you to do. Quite frankly, if it came down to Octavia’s life or yours, I would choose her.”
Harred grew solemn. “That is precisely what I want you to do. My life has no meaning without Octavia in it.”
Fredrick placed a hand on his shoulder. “If you survivethis, I hope you have the courage to tell Octavia how you really feel about her.”
“I intend to.”
