She wanted to tell him to go to the devil,
but she had returned the gag to her mouth and was only able to
silently glare at him.
He laughed out loud. “Spirited mort, ain’t
ye. Well then, not hungry yet? So be it.” He seemed to think of
something as he turned to leave her and stopped to turn back to
her. He stepped toward her and yanked the gag out of her mouth.
Star gasped, choked and coughed a moment
beneath his watchful grin and thought if she had her gun now she
would shoot him dead without a second thought, without a trembling
hand.
“Oi want to know about this flash, Sir
Edward. Will he pay for your return?”
She shook her head, “No, you are out there.
He will not. He cares much more about his money than he does
me.”
“Is that whot ye think? It isn’t what Farley
thinks. He said that the flash warned him away from you and your
brother the other night. He let Farley live in exchange for the
promise that he would never come near ye or yer brother ever again.
Oi guess your flash made a mistake.”
Star was shocked to hear this and wanted to
question him further but held her tongue as Ally hurried on, “So,
the flash has blunt enough to pay. Good.
Zounds
woman, of
course he’ll pay it…any man in his right mind would pay it for
ye.”
“You are out there. Sir Edward has always
implied that he has an aversion to being forced into doing things
he does not like, and finds another way.”
“Well, it queers me to understand whot ye
mean by that. He don’t have a choice. He hands over the ready or we
kill ye. Simple. And Farley will kill ye if for no other reason
than to exact his revenge.”
“Then I suppose I am in trouble. Sir Edward
has no obligation to pay for my release, and he is the sort to hunt
you if you were so unwise as to kill me. He will hunt you, torture
you and then after days and days he will kill you. That is the sort
of man you are dealing with now.” Star told him. She wasn’t sure if
this was true. She rather thought it was, but she meant to unnerve
him with this statement.
He pulled a face at her and said, “Oi’m not
listening to any more of this. Going outside for some air, Oi am.
Don’t ye be trying nuthin.”
“How could I try anything all trussed up like
this, sir?” Star asked sweetly. She heard him go outdoors. A
picture of Sir Edward reading the ransom note flashed in her mind.
What would he think? What would he do? Would he try and find
her?
She was free of her ropes, yes, but how could
she get past Ally and make her way to the shed for a horse? What
had they done with her gig and her horses? No doubt left them loose
on the road to prove the truth to her abduction. Once again a
picture of Edward formed in her mind and her heart told her,
he
is coming, never doubt it, he is coming!
* * *
Dilly’s eyes were wide open with fright as
she answered Sir Edward’s sharp questions when all at once Jeffries
burst through the front door and into the central hall where they
were standing and shouted, “The gig…the horses…they just came up
the drive they did without Miss Berkley…Miss Star…is missing.”
Jules turned to him and quietly explained
that they were in fact, now searching for her, but that it would
have to be done quietly as she had been taken for ransom.
This set Jeffries to groaning and Sir Edward
put a comforting hand on the man’s distressed shoulder as he could
see he was overcome.
He turned back to Dilly who had gasped and
burst into tears. “Dilly, this will not help. Do calm yourself. You
were saying she was on her way to Miss Madison to take her up and
go to Hastings to meet her brother and Miles Denning? You are
certain of this?”
“Yes, yes…it was early morning…”
“Right,” he turned to Jules.
“There is no mention of Georgie in the
letter,” Jules said and then without waiting for a response added,
“Look here…we are wasting time. We must repair to Madison at
once.”
“What exact time did Miss Star leave, Dilly?”
Sir Edward pursued.
“Not sure, but Oi think it was near or just
after nine this morning,” Dilly said and sniffed loudly.
“Do you remember what your mistress was
wearing,” Sir Edward wanted all the facts.
“Ay, that Oi do. She had on a pretty little
straw bonnet with a blue ribbon. She didn’t wear her spencer but
she took it along and a short waisted blue muslin gown.”
With this piece of information, Sir Edward
spun on his heels and hurried outside, Jules right behind him. They
had left their horses tethered at the hitching post and it didn’t
take them long to mount and start off.
“Devil is in it, Ed! What next do we do? I
don’t understand any of this. You said you frightened the devil,
Farley off the other night.”
“I know, damn it! I should have put a bullet
in his head, but was trying to avoid any scandal that might attach
itself to his lordship and Star. Apparently, he means to take his
ounce of revenge and get some bounty for it.”
“Revenge? But you let him live?” Jules was
astounded.
“Aye, but I interfered with him. I threatened
him. Hell…I should have killed him.” Suddenly he stopped his horse,
“
Devil a bit!”
“What? What?” Jules caught his friends’ reins
and then put a hand to his heart. “Getting too old for this….”
Sir Edward went to the edge of the road where
he found a soiled chip bonnet and a piece of a blue muslin gown. He
held them up, his face drawn in fury as he shook it. “I will have
their blood, Jules!”
Jules was aghast as he realized the meaning
of this. “My God, she put up a fight, Edward…she put up a fight
.
Certes
! Until this moment, none of this seemed…real.”
“Aye, ‘tis real, and my sweet Star didn’t go
quietly, that is for certain and has no doubt suffered the
consequences of her bravery,” Edward answered grimly.
Edward lost no time in pocketing the torn
material and tying the hat to his saddle before remounting. “We
must immediately visit Georgie,” he announced.
“Edward…what if the scoundrel has them both?”
Jules suddenly went white.
“I don’t think so, Jules. The abduction took
place here…or near here before Star arrived at Madison.” Edward
shook his head. “It was only Star he was after. Mark me, he will
realize his error of judgment right before I put out his eyes for
going near my Star.”
Jules looked at him oddly for a moment before
daring to say, “Your Star, eh?”
“That is right,
mine
!” Edward glared
at him before he started his horse off into a lope.
“I am pleased, Edward…honestly I am,” Jules
said hurrying after him, “And we shall find her, I know we
shall.”
“You are right and you shall dance with the
lovely Miss Madison at our wedding…as I am certain we shall at
yours.”
“Aye,” Jules beamed, “But first, let’s
go tear this Farley to pieces!”
It didn’t take them long to travel the short
distance to Madison House and bark a command for Miss Madison to
attend them.
As it happened, Georgie was reading to her
mother in her mother’s bedchamber. As her mother shooed her off,
she hurriedly made her way to the library where both men
impatiently paced awaiting her.
“What? What is wrong?” she said as soon as
she witnessed the expressions on their faces.
Jules found that the relief he felt at
finding her safely at home overweighed all else as he went forward
and took her into his embrace, exclaiming, “Georgie, my sweetheart,
you are here!”
“Yes, yes, Georgie is here safe and sound,”
Edward said irritably but we don’t have time. “Georgie…we need to
speak. There is no time to lose.”
* * *
Jules was rattled and Edward was forced to
put up with his non-stop chatter regarding what they should and
shouldn’t do, even as they strode into the Mermaid Inn.
Georgie had not been able to tell them
anything helpful, and thus, there was just one other notion, Edward
had. Find Farley. Someone at the Mermaid would know where he was
wont to go to ground.
It didn’t take him long to slide a coin
toward the bartender and demand, “Tell me where Farley’s hovel is
located and there will be another coin for you.”
The bartender shook his head, “Here is the
thing, sir…he never told me, and Oi never asked.”
Sir Edward reached across the counter and
grabbed him by his shirt, “Tell me what you do know.”
The bartender was no fool. It was obvious
this flash was out to kill. “Eh now, easy flash…easy.” He nodded at
a burly individual who had just sauntered into the Inn. “He might
know.”
Sir Edward turned, walked up to the fellow
and held up a coin, “Farley goes to earth somewhere. I need to know
where that somewhere is.”
The man reached for the coin and Edward held
it away, “Tell me what I want to know first.”
“What do ye want with Farley?” the old grubby
man asked.
“Never mind what I want with him. Start
worrying what I might want with you, if you don’t tell me what I
need to know.”
“Careful covey…no need for threats. I owe him
naught. He did me wrong some months ago. Didn’t give me my fair
share, so I don’t owe him anything.” He nodded, “He lives in Romney
Marsh…a single cottage all alone.” He held out his hand. “I’ll tell
ye more when ye hand over the blunt.”
Edward put the coin in his hand and added
another, “Now.”
“Ye take Lydd Road as far as it will go, and
then fork off onto the deer path through the Marsh. It stands
there, his cottage with only one outbuilding. Ye can’t mistake
it.”
Sir Edward with Jules right behind
immediately strode hard out of the inn. He had but one purpose, one
need. He was going to secure his beloved safe and sound and then
tear Farley apart, limb by limb.
* * *
Star had been sitting in the darkness of her
room, just a bit of dim light filtered in through the cracks
between the wallboards. She didn’t think there was even a lock on
her door and was waiting for a chance to make a run for it. Nothing
good could come of it if she charged wildly out and right into
their waiting arms. No, she would bide her time, perhaps when they
had fallen asleep.
All of a sudden, she heard Ally shove a chair
across the room and snap, “Whot did he do? He brings me a cob? How
am Oi supposed to run with a cob if the need comes up?”
He went outside with a slamming of the door,
and she could hear the two men cursing one another up and down.
Their voices grew fainter and she realized they must be headed for
the shed to put the horses away. Should she make a run for it
now?
How far could she get on the open marsh?
It wasn’t dark outside yet, perhaps she
needed to wait…if she only had a gun. She got up and hurriedly
searched the main cabin when she heard, “Stubble it,
blubberhead.”
She hurried back into her small room and went
back to her position. On the other side of the door, Farley
grumbled angrily, “That’s whot Oi got and there wasn’t anything
else to be had. Here, take the basket and put some food in yer
mouth.”
Ally said nothing to this and Star assumed he
was eating, when all at once Farley pulled open her door. She
squinted against the light from the main room and he said, “Whot
did ye do, Ally? Took away the gag? Whot’s wrong wit ye?”
“Well, who is she going to yell to way out
here?”
“Oi suppose it don’t matter,” Farley said
frowning at her. He threw over his shoulder, “Ever had a flash mort
in yer bed, Ally?”
Ally chortled. “Whot? No, did ye?”
“No, but Oi’m thinking now…we could…”
“Eh? Ye must be mad. Sir Edward would skin ye
alive,” Ally said screwing up his mouth. “Besides, Oi don’t hold
wit taking a woman against her will. No…Oi’ve done many things in
m’time, but not that.”
“Well then, ye can watch…” said Farley going
toward her.
Star felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her
stomach. She could see the glint of a knife in his belt. What she
needed was to stay calm and make certain she got her hands on that
knife. Oh yes, because he wasn’t expecting her to have her hands
free, was he, she told herself.
“Well now pretty mort, let’s see if ye are as
good as ye look,” Farley leered at her.
Ally at his back said, “Hold, Farley…just
wait a minute here…”
Chapter Twenty-Six
SIR EDWARD HEADED towards the dike. It was
both wide and deep, but he meant to take it flying.
Jules pointed his hunter to follow and did
just that. On the other side, he called after Sir Edward, “Well
done, damn impressive, I doubt my horse would have taken it if he
weren’t following yours.”
Sir Edward didn’t answer him. He was intent
on getting to his destination. The sun was going down and neither
he nor Jules knew Romney Marsh well enough to take any shortcuts in
the dark. They would now have to stick to the road.
Jules looked around and called out, “Are we
on the right road? Is this Lydd?”
“Yes, did you not see the fingerpost?” Edward
answered sharply. “Just follow me, Jules and have your gun ready.
These blackguards may hear us coming.”
It took them less than five more minutes to
reach the turn in the road and bear down the deer path. Farley’s
cottage loomed ahead and Sir Edward gritted his teeth. Never had he
ever felt this way before.
He slowed his horse to a stop and Jules
inquired worriedly, “What are you doing? What do we do now?”
“We go on foot,” Edward said as he
dismounted. “Here…give me the reins. We’ll tether them here to this
bush as there aren’t any trees around.”
A mist had formed and he looked around with
some satisfaction. Mother Nature apparently meant to lend them a
hand as they crept toward the cottage.
* * *
Farley sneered over his shoulder, “Ye don’t
want her, Ally? So be it. But ye can’t be telling me whot to do, so
stay out of m’way, fer Oi mean to have this one.” He winked at Ally
and turned to Star and said, “Let me show ye how a man does
it.”