Chapter Thirteen

Something was wrong. Lena felt it clear to her toes.

It had been nearly a week since Jack related what Hanover had told him about his nephew, and since that day, Lena had noticed extra security at the doors of the club, as well as more floor supervisors than usual.

Several times she'd attempted to ask Jack why there were more guards, but he refused to give her an answer.

But what bothered her the most was that George was no longer alone when he collected her in the morning or when he drove her home when she was done—there was always another guard riding with him.

This told Lena that Jack wasn't only concerned that Barnaby would run up a huge debt, but that he posed a threat to the club. Surely Jack didn't think that he would try to rob him.

Lena was done for the day and left by her customary route, stepping into the carriage when she reached the alley yard. George closed the door behind her, and the carriage tilted when he climbed atop.

She would be glad when she reached home. For some reason, she was quite exhausted today. Yesterday's receipts were larger than usual, and she'd had to re-count the money that went to the bank several times to make sure it was correct. Jack had said that he expected receipts to increase even more when the railroad was completed. He told her he expected more people to travel to Willowbrook to do business, then stay overnight and return to London the next morning. His thinking was that they'd need someplace to relax, eat a good meal, and pass the time by playing a few hands of cards. What better place to do all three than Jackson's Gentlemen's Club?

Lena made a note that she'd have to arrive at the club earlier in the mornings to complete her work, if that were the case. Or perhaps even ask for an assistant.

The carriage traveled the distance from the club to Corbin House, and she arrived home in record time. "Thank you, George. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yes, Miss Osbourne. Have a nice evening."

"I will," she replied as she went to the door.

Franklin waited, as usual, with the door open.

"Good evening, Miss Osbourne. How was your day?"

"Busy, Franklin. It was quite busy. Is my sister in the library?"

"No, miss. She and Rupert are out riding. She should be back soon, though. They've been gone quite a while already."

"Then I'll wait for her in the library."

"Yes, miss. I'll tell her when she returns."

"Thank you, Franklin," Lena said, then went to the library to sit for a while. She opened the book she'd been reading, but before she finished the first page, her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

*

"Excuse me, MissMagdalena?"

A voice echoed in her head.

"Miss Magdalena?"

It took Lena several moments to realize someone was calling her. She opened her eyes and saw their butler standing over her.

"I'm sorry, Franklin. I must have fallen asleep."

"Yes, miss. But I thought you should know Miss Esther hasn't returned yet, and it's getting quite late."

Lena was startled awake. Her heart thundered in her breast, and she couldn't breathe.

Just then, the stable master appeared outside the library door and motioned for Franklin to join him. The two men spoke briefly, then the stable master almost ran from the house.

"What is it, Franklin?" Lena asked.

"I sent Edwin to fetch Mr. Corbin, miss. Rupert's horse came back without a rider."

"And Esther's horse?"

"It hasn't returned."

Lena clamped her hand over her mouth to stop the cry that wanted to escape, but she couldn't muffle it. She'd never been so frightened in her life. Essie would be lost without anyone to guide her. She wouldn't know which way to go to get back home. Would her horse wander? Would it find its way back to the stable on its own?

"Franklin, please send some men out to look for Rupert. Something must have happened to him if his horse returned without him."

"Edwin has already sent several men to look for him, miss. I'm sure everything is fine. We should know soon."

"Yes, Franklin," Lena said, trying to convince herself that everything was fine.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door and Franklin almost ran to see who was there. He wasn't gone long and returned carrying a message.

"This came for you, miss. A lad brought it. I didn't recognize him. He must have been from one of the farms nearby."

Lena took the missive and opened it. The writing was obviously a man's hand—crude and hardly legible. She wondered who could have scribbled so poorly.

Miss Osbourne,

If you ever want to see your sister again, bring ten thousand pounds to the Willowbrook crossroads by noon tomorrow. And come alone. Don't tell Corbin what you are doing or you'll never see your sister again. I'll kill her.

The paper in Lena's hands fluttered to the floor. She stared at it as if it was burning hot and she dared not touch it.

"Are you all right, Miss Magdalena?"

Lena lifted her gaze and stared at Franklin. His mouth moved, but she couldn't quite make out what he said. The only words going around in her head were the last words of the missive. I'll kill her. I'll kill her.

I'll kill her.

Lena clamped her hands over her ears to stop the words and the loud commotion coming from beyond the room.

"Lena?" a voice called her.

"No!" she screamed.

"Lena," the voice said again, then again.

Lena tipped her head back to face who was talking to her. It was Jack. Jack was here.

She jumped from the sofa and wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him as if he was the lifeline she needed to save her.

"He has her! He has Essie! He's going to kill her."

"No, he isn't. We won't let him."

"He wants ten thousand pounds, or he said he's going to kill her, Jack."

For the first time, Lena realized that Jack wasn't alone. Brad had come with him. He read the message Barnaby had sent and handed it to Jack.

"He's a dead man, Jack. I'm going to kill him," Brad said.

"It won't come to that," Jack replied. "We'll get Essie back and turn him over to the authorities. They can take care of him."

"No," Brad growled. "I'm going to kill him."

As he spoke, a commotion erupted in the foyer as several stable hands carried Rupert in on a makeshift stretcher.

"Send someone for Doctor Edwards, Franklin," Jack said.

"That's already taken care of, sir."

"Thank you, Franklin. How is he?"

"Not good, sir. He's been shot, and he's lost a lot of blood."

"Take him to a room and send Cook up to do what she can until the doctor comes."

"Yes, sir."

Lena listened to Jack take control of the situation and was ever so glad he was here. She hugged herself and rocked back and forth on the sofa. She didn't know how she would go through this if he weren't here, and if he weren't the strong leader that he was. She knew at that moment that she loved him. She loved everything about him.

Finally, they were alone. Franklin had gone to do everything Jack had ordered him to, and Brad had gone up to check on Rupert.

Jack went to the sideboard and poured Lena a glass of wine and himself a tumbler of whiskey.

"Here, drink this," he said, holding the glass out to her.

"I'm all right," Lena said, wanting to refuse the wine. She needed to keep her mind clear.

"No, you're not. You're ready to fall apart." He placed the wine in her hand.

Lena took a swallow, then another. She placed the glass on the nearest table, then focused on Jack.

"Jack…" she said. That was the only word she got out before her throat closed and a river of tears streamed from her eyes.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "It's all right to cry, sweetheart."

And she did. She tried to stop the tears from falling and the painful sobs from racking her body, but she couldn't. A fear so uncontrollable consumed her that she knew she had lost the grip on her emotions. And still, Jack held her while he whispered words of comfort. He was the perfect balm to ease her pain.

Finally, Lena was able to stop her tears. "Jack, what am I going to do?"

"You aren't going to do anything. We are going to take care of this. We're going to do exactly what the message tells us to. We're going to get the money he wants, and you're going to take it to the Willowbrook crossroads at noon and exchange it for your sister."

"But the note said not to tell you what had happened."

"Barnaby won't see me, so he will never know I'm aware that he's taken your sister."

"But I can't allow you to pay the ransom. You can't afford to lose ten thousand pounds. That's more than a month's profit."

"You let me worry about that. You only have to worry about getting Essie back. Can you do that?"

"Yes. Oh, yes."

"That's my brave girl."

"Hold me, Jack. Will you hold me a moment longer?" she asked.

"You know I will. I'll hold you forever and never let you go."