Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

L ogan woke up with a start from a nightmare. They had tied Charlie to a stake that was smoking and smoldering with flames, but no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't reach her. Shuddering at the memory of the dark dream, he glanced out the window. The sun was coming up; it would be a good day to travel. And yet, he felt an unease that he could not shake. He'd tossed and turned all night and now felt a heaviness settle in his chest. Around his heart.

He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his face. Logan hoped to say his farewells when he broke his fast. Bronson was probably checking on the horses and making sure they were fit for travel. They wouldn't have more than a day's travel and he planned to ride Justice. The stallion wouldn't appreciate being tied to the back of a wagon, and Logan was certain they were both healed enough to make the journey home. He wanted to ride his horse, not sit in a carriage.

He would soon say his farewells to the family over breakfast. But what if Charlie didn't come down? He thought back to last night's ball—the last time he'd seen her. Charlie had blurted out she was a witch. Not just her but all the women in her family and most of the women at the ball as well. He'd been shocked at first and said nothing as his mind had tried to comprehend Charlie's revelation. Fool that he was, he could have kicked himself for his initial reaction. He remembered seeing the tears in her eyes before she turned and ran back down the garden path into the ballroom.

Charlie had avoided him the rest of the night and when they'd left the ball, she'd hurried into the women's carriage without even a glance in his direction.

Logan rubbed his forehead, unable to comprehend it. They— she had saved his life. But it wasn't with hocus pocus. A doctor had been there to do the healing. And Charlie had bathed his head and fed him tea and broth that first night when he was feverish.

Why am I questioning all this?

"Because I'm still in shock, I think," he uttered aloud, "which explains why I'm speaking to myself."

Why did it even matter? Charlie and her family were good people. They'd gone out of their way to help him and Bronson, and to care for Justice and Moonbeam. They'd been as kind and caring to him as his own family would have been.

Charlie.

Beautiful and brave, Charlie was an Incomparable . As funny as she was lovely, she was truly special. But it had nothing to do with her being a witch. It had to do with who she was inside: her kindness, her strength, her goodness.

Charlie is the same today as she was yesterday. Nothing had changed about her, except that she'd opened her heart to him.

She'd risked a lot to tell him, given how dangerous it was for her kind. He'd never believed in hocus pocus nonsense and had always attributed strange happenings to some naturally occurring phenomenon. But he also knew that throughout history women had been burned, hanged, and drowned for even the suspicion of practicing witchcraft. Women healers who worked with herbs, widows who owned property, even elderly spinsters who'd done nothing but live alone, had been accused and tortured to death. "People fear what they don't understand," he muttered aloud. "I never asked her to explain—never said a word to her. Instead, I just gaped at her like an idiot."

Charlie had trusted him with the truth of who she was.

And how did he repay that trust?

By making her cry, you bloody oaf!

Did he care if she was a witch—whatever that really meant—when she and her brother had risked their lives to save his?

A vision of emerald-green eyes and cascading blonde hair rushed through his mind. And her sweet voice… He remembered her sitting next to his bedside, talking to him after the attack. He remembered feeling the heat pulsing through him as he waltzed with Charlie at their dancing lesson and then again last night at the ball. He remembered the warmth in her eyes when his gaze met hers. Yes, she'd been shy, but he saw the glimmer of passion in the depths of her green eyes. A passion that had called out to him, so much so, that he couldn't help but kiss her in the garden at the ball. And when her luscious lips tentatively kissed him back, he'd yearned for more. So much more. Yearned to discover and explore her sweetness…

What am I doing? I'm crazy about her.

It was as if a sudden bolt of lightning had struck him. A stark vision of her tears streaming down her face before she ran from him shot a knife-like pain to his heart. He straightened.

She must think me a cad! I cannot leave things this way.

He threw back the covers and called for Bronson.

The older man pushed open the door. "Yer up! Good. I was just about to head out to the stables to check on our horses. If ye still want to leave today, we should get an early start."

"I did a terrible thing, Bronson."

"I'd have a difficult time imagining that, but go ahead. What happened?" his valet asked.

"Charlie told me something last night, something that surprised the devil out of me. But my reaction was the opposite of what it should have been," Logan lamented, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Then you must fix it, my lord," the older man said in a firm tone.

"Yes! I need to find her, but she may still be asleep." He knew Charlie enjoyed sleeping in, something else he found endearing about her. Well, there was nothing to be done. He'd send a servant to wake her so he could make amends.

He put on his pants and threw a linen shirt on, tucking it in. As he was pulling his boots on, someone pounded on the door. Bronson opened the door to Charlie's maid, who stood there with Chapelle at her feet. The woman was wringing her hands and crying.

"Calm yourself, Millie," Bronson said in a soothing tone. "And tell us what the matter is."

But before the maid could answer, Caden showed up at the door. "Logan, something's happened to Charlie," Caden said, his face etched with worry. "She's been kidnapped. I think it was the highwaymen. They found your horse and were going to steal it. Barry, the stable hand, said Charlie was feeding Justice and Moonbeam sugar cubes and apples this morning just before dawn. He went to get more hay for the stall and when he returned, two men dressed in black had trussed her up and were trying to take your horses. Justice attacked one man and went after both when they tried to take Moonbeam. Barry hid behind a stack of wood; the poor lad's only fourteen. They might have killed him had he tried to intervene."

"The lad did the wise thing," Logan said, his gut twisting in knots at the thought of Charlie and his horses being harmed.

"Barry said both horses returned to the stable without riders as he was leaving to get help," Caden added.

"We must hurry. Where are my boots?" Logan muttered as he scanned the room.

"They're on your feet, m'lord," Bronson said.

"Quite right," Logan said as he glanced down at the worn-leather boots.

Millie hiccupped and let out a wail. "Oh, milord, ye have to save her."

"We will, Millie, I promise," Logan said as Bronson helped him into his jacket.

"Millie, go tell Grandmama and the others," Caden ordered. "And make sure they send for Dr. Thakur."

Logan reached for his leather satchel and winced as he felt the newly stitched skin stretch around his wound. He glanced up and saw the valet's eyes on him.

"Bronson," Logan said as he opened the satchel and pulled out his knife. "Don't warn me about the wound."

"Aye, my lord. The lass is what's important. We have to find her before…" His voice trailed off. "We'll find her."

"I have two footmen armed and waiting to help," Caden said.

"We're right behind you," Logan said, sliding the blade into his right boot, and grabbing his pistol.

The three men sprinted downstairs. The cat had run ahead and was out the door, leading the way to the stables.

I'm coming too! You'll need me , Chapelle meowed as they caught up to her.

"You can ride with me, Chapelle," Caden said as though he could understand the cat.

"I won't ask," Logan said, shaking his head. "But if the cat can help, we want her with us."

"Aye! She's special, that one," Bronson added.

Logan had the distinct impression Bronson already knew that Charlie's family was different. But for now, he wouldn't think about it. They had to rescue Charlie. "If the men who abducted Charlie are the highwaymen who'd escaped from jail, they would be out for revenge."

"If one hair on my sister's head is harmed," Caden seethed, "I'll beat that lousy sheriff to a bloody pulp."

The men entered the stables and saw the blood on the ground. Justice stood in front of his open stall, as if waiting for Logan. Logan quickly checked the horse. "This blood isn't Justice's. Where's Moonbeam, Justice?"

" Neighhhhh …" Justice tossed his head and snorted. A whinny sounded from behind them.

The men turned their heads as the mare trotted back into the stables with her reins wrapped around the stableboy's fist. "I was checking her out, milord. She doesn't appear harmed. The blood on her back must be splatters from the man whose arm yer horse nearly bit off."

"Barry, do you remember anything else?" Caden demanded.

"Yes, my lord, like I told ye, the earl's horse reared up and those devils couldn't catch him. But I saw them grab Lady Charlie. They stuffed something in her mouth and tossed a bag over her head." Barry's lips trembled and he sniffed back tears. "I'm sorry I couldn't help her, my lord. The thieves had guns so I ran and fetched you as quick as I could. But Lady Charlie fought like a tiger cat, even if her arms and legs was tied up," he added, with a note of pride in his voice.

That's my girl! Chapelle mewed. I'm sorry, Caden. She's still too far for me to reach her. We need to hurry. Something is very wrong. I can feel it. If they hurt a hair on her head, I'll scratch their eyeballs out.

"We're going to find her, Chapelle," Caden said aloud, stroking the cat's head.

"Oh! And I heard two names: Gunter and Theo," Barry added. "Theo—he's the bigger one and the leader. The man called Gunter said his name and the bigger man crushed in his face with 'is fist."

"Good!" Logan said, patting the boy on the shoulder. "What you've told us will be of great help."

"Otis," Caden addressed one footman. "Alert Lord Drakos, the Earl of Wharton, to what's happened. We believe the bastards who kidnapped Lady Charlie were the highwaymen who escaped from the gaol. Drakos will know what needs to be done."

"Does Lord Drakos know about the sheriff?" Otis asked grimly.

"I'm sure he has his suspicions," Caden replied. It appeared even the servants knew of the sheriff's suspected duplicity.

The footman nodded and leaped on his horse, kicking up a cloud of dirt as he raced down the lane.

Caden tucked a rifle and two boxes of bullets into his saddle and handed rifles and extra bullets to Logan and Bronson.

Caden, Logan, and Bronson gained their mounts and rode off, along with two other footmen.

Logan urged Justice into a gallop, his thoughts only of Charlie and bringing her home. Hang on, Charlie, we'll find you!