Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Selene blinked, slowly opening her eyes. Her head was splitting, and she felt like she was going to be sick. Horrified, she gazed around. She was in a dark, dilapidated room, with cobwebs hanging in long strings from the ceiling.

She tried to move and then realized that she was bound fast with rope.

“Help!” she screamed, terror overtaking her. “Help!”

A tall man in a black cape entered the room. She realized it was the same man who had kicked her in the lane, dragging her to the carriage and this place, wherever it was.

She could see his face, now. A long, aquiline face. He had a small white scar above one eyebrow. She didn’t recognize him.

“Who are you?” she stammered, her voice thick with tears. “Why have you done this to me?”

His eyes flickered over her. “Ah yes, we have not been properly introduced, Miss Bomind,” he said, in a polite voice, as if they were meeting in a drawing room. “I am the Marquess of Eaton.” He smiled, in an unpleasant way. “The Duke of Trenton and I go back a very long way, but I was closer to his late wife, Mary.”

Selene’s head was spinning with confusion. “What…?”

“Do not be impatient,” he snapped, glaring at her, the polite voice vanishing. “I have a friend, Miss Bomind… a very close friend, who desires that you leave Trenton House. Permanently.” Abruptly, he smiled at her again. “You see, my good friend and I have a plan that involves the Iron Duke, and you are standing in the way of it.”

Selene gaped at him. “I still do not understand.”

“Are you a dunce, Miss Bomind?” he sneered. “I heard you were a clever woman but clearly, not clever enough to connect the dots.” He sighed dramatically. “The duke’s affection for you is standing in the way of my good friend getting what she wants… which is to marry him.”

“Lady Gwen,” said Selene faintly. “She has orchestrated this?”

“Very good,” said the man. “Now you are starting to piece it together!” He smiled. “Lady Gwen tried to discredit you by altering a letter from your father, letting the duke read it, which said that you planned blackmail but alas, that did not work, as the duke did not kick you out as we hoped, and you are still ensconced at Trenton House.”

Selene’s head started to clear. It was all making sense, now—why the duke had been so cold with her recently. He had read that letter. He thought she was planning to blackmail him.

She took a deep breath. “And she started spreading rumors about me and the duke.”

“Exactly,” said the man, in a patronizing way, as if she were a foolish child who had finally discovered the answer to a troubling sum. “But we decided that would take too long, and the duke might still not let you go. His affection for you seems quite strong. He is enamored with you. Quite touching, really.”

Selene was silent, digesting this. “But why are you doing this for Lady Gwen? You abducted me, which is a capital offense. Why would you do such a thing for her?”

His face tightened. “As I said, the duke and I go back a long way,” he replied, his eyes hard. “I once loved his late wife, Mary. I wanted to make her mine. But alas, she chose him and then he killed her through neglect. He let her ride in a carriage when she was heavy with child.”

Selene gaped at him. “He didn’t kill her! She died in childbirth, which is risky for any woman! How can you hold such a grudge against him after all this time?”

“Because I despise him,” he said, a look of hatred crossing his features. “He took what was rightfully mine and then didn’t take care of her, killing her in the process.” He paused. “And once you are permanently gone, and Lady Gwen marries him, I will enact my revenge completely, for I have Gwen twisted around my little finger, you see. She thinks I love her.” He looked scornful, giving an incredulous bark of laughter.

“We are going to bleed the duke dry of his money,” he continued, in a casual voice, “which I need quite badly, due to a few bad investments, here and there.” He paused, glaring at her. “But I will fetch a pretty price for you, Miss Bomind, which will help fill the empty coffers, as well. Skin as dazzlingly white as yours is much coveted in Arabia, you know.”

A wave of pure fear swept over Selene. “What…?”

He smiled. “Yes, you are going on a very large ship. In fact, it will be docking in a day or so. As soon as I get word that the Santa Maria is here, you will be on it.” His smile widened. “Say goodbye to your life in England, Miss Bomind. You are bound for a much fairer climate.”

***

Ian paced outside the front door, glancing at his pocket watch. They were late—he had told Selene to be back by noon and it was already one o’ clock.

He tensed, seeing the carriage rattling through the gates at last. It drew alongside him. He was just about to rush forward, to give Selene a tongue lashing for her tardiness, when Mrs. Kittles came tumbling out, running toward him, her eyes wide with distress. In the background, he saw that Lenore’s face was streaked with tears.

There was no sign of Selene.

“What the deuce is the matter, Mrs. Kittles?” he demanded, fear gripping him like a vice. “Where is Miss Bomind?”

“Oh, Your Grace,” cried the housekeeper. “She has been abducted! She went to the post office by herself, and she never came back.” She drew an agitated breath. “A man saw her being dragged into a carriage by a man. We informed the constabulary, who are searching for her as we speak. That is why we are so late. It took us so long to even discover what had happened to her, and then I had to speak to the authorities at length.”

Ian’s heart froze with horror. His mind started spinning frantically.

She is gone. Someone abducted her. But why? Who would do such a terrible thing?

“Papa!” Lenore was scrambling out of the carriage, running to him, wrapping her arms around his legs, gazing up at him with wild eyes. “Someone took Miss Bomind!”

“Yes,” said Ian, still in shock, putting a hand on her head, caressing her hair automatically. “But why…?”

“I heard Lady Gwen talking with a gentleman on the grounds while I was out bird watching,” cried Lenore, gazing up at him imploringly. “They did not see me. They were standing close together. I heard the gentleman telling Lady Gwen that he would get rid of the governess, to leave it to him.”

“What?” Ian stared down at her in horror and confusion. He crouched down in front of her, gazing into her face. “Tell me exactly what that gentleman said, Lenore. It is extremely important.”

Lenore looked scared, swallowing hard, but nodded. “He said, ‘Do not worry, I will get rid of the governess, and she will never be coming back to Trenton House.’” Lenore gulped. “He said, ‘Leave it to me.’”

Ian swore beneath his breath. “What did this gentleman look like, Lenore? Describe him to me.”

Lenore frowned, thinking deeply. Ian held his breath, gazing at Mrs. Kittles, who was as white as a sheet.

“He was tall,” replied Lenore, her eyes as wide as saucers. “And thin. He had fair hair and brown skin, like had had been in the sun a long time.” She hesitated, squinting, as she tried to remember. “And he had a scar above one eyebrow, Papa.”

Ian gasped, gripping her tighter. His heart gave a sickening lurch. He knew a gentleman with a scar above his eyebrow. And that gentleman was tall and thin, with fair hair, and tanned skin from being abroad for a long time.

“A scar? Can you describe it to me?” He tried to keep his voice calm, so as not to alarm his daughter. “You are doing so well, Lenore.”

Lenore frowned, taking a deep breath. “It was shaped like the moon when it is not full, Papa. When it is half its size.”

Ian’s heart tightened. Lenore had just described the Marquess of Eaton. A gentleman who despised him, and had recently confronted him at the Winter ball, claiming that he was responsible for Mary’s death. A gentleman who he now knew had once been in love with his late wife.

And this gentleman was so intimate with Lady Gwen that he had been walking the grounds with her, talking about getting rid of the governess.

His heart filled with a rage so intense it was as if a red mist descended over his eyes. Desperately, he fought it. He needed to stay calm and focused and think clearly if he was going to find Selene.

“Thank you, Lenore,” he said grimly, standing up, his heart racing. “You have been a great help.” He turned to the housekeeper. “Take Lenore to the kitchen for hot chocolate and cake, Mrs. Kittles. Make sure she is comforted. She has had a great shock.”

“Of course, Your Grace,” said the housekeeper, putting an arm around Lenore’s shoulders, leading her away.

“You will find Miss Bomind, Papa?” Lenore stopped, looking back at him. “You will bring her home?”

“Yes, Lenore,” he said, through gritted teeth, as another wave of rage overtook him. “I will bring her home. I promise you.”

***

Ian slipped into the guest chamber that Lady Gwen was occupying, gazing around intently. Luckily, the lady and her father were visiting a neighboring estate today, so he wouldn’t be disturbed in his search. His instinct was to rush out to look for Selene, but he knew that he would have a greater chance of finding her if Lady Gwen had left some evidence as to where Eaton might have taken Selene. Clearly, the two of them were in cahoots together.

I am going to find proof of what you are doing, Lady Gwen. I do not know why you are doing it, exactly, or where Eaton comes into the picture, but I am going to find out.

He set to work, methodically opening every drawer, peering into the wardrobe, going through her trunk. Lady Gwen had brought a lot of possessions with her, and it took some time, but he told himself to be patient. Eventually, he found a pile of letters in a hat box beneath the bed, tied in red string.

He took them, sitting on a chair near the window, opening them. His heart tightened. His instinct had been correct—they were love letters from Eaton to Gwen. He glanced furtively over his shoulder at the door as he bent his head, reading them quickly.

When he was finished, he sat back, gazing out the window, so stunned he couldn’t even think for a moment. His mind was racing with everything he had just discovered.

It was so sinister, and so twisted, that he was having a hard time grappling with the truth of it. But he was slowly getting his head around the convoluted evil they had been concocting together.

Lady Gwen wants to marry me so that she can steal money from me behind my back to give to Eaton, who has made bad investments, while continuing their affair the whole while.

And to do that, they need to get rid of Selene, as Lady Gwen deduced—quite correctly—my feelings for her, and Selene would be an impediment to that plan.

He ran a hand over his face, groaning in agony, as the truth struck him forcibly. Lady Gwen had altered that letter from Selene’s father to discredit her in his eyes, as well. She had deliberately left that letter on his desk, hoping that it would enrage him enough to dismiss Selene. When that didn’t work, they had moved to an even more evil, desperate plan: abduction.

He stood up, grabbing the pile of letters. He needed them as proof. He was going to confront Lady Gwen and demand to know where Eaton had taken Selene.

He strode out of the room, his heart tightening. He knew who had abducted her, and why they had done it. But he didn’t know what they were intending to do with Selene after the abduction—it hadn’t been outlined in any of the letters.

They want her gone permanently. What are they planning to do to her?

Fear gripped his heart. He needed to find Selene as soon as possible… before she was hurt… or lost to him forever.