Passionately Yours (Hellions of High Street 3)

But then, he was not a gentleman—he was an odious serpent. A twisted coiling of malice and evil.

A shudder snaked through her, but masking her fear, Caro said coolly, “I assure you, sir, I am no more happy with your hired ruffian’s mistake than you are.”

“How the devil did this happen?” he snarled. His hand was still fisted in the tartan trim, and he gave the fabric a little shake.

“Isobel and I decided to take a walk to Sydney Gardens. As the weather was turning chillier, she lent me a cloak. It must be that your men mistook me for her.” Caro feigned a look of innocent uncertainty. “But I don’t understand what is going on. Why would you wish to abduct Isobel?”

He didn’t answer right away. Eyes narrowing in thought, he stared off into the distance.

Trying, no doubt, to come up with another way to sink his poisonous fangs into Alec.

Thank God he and his sister were out of harm’s way. Thayer could not hurt them.

He seemed to think otherwise, for an ugly smirk slowly curled his lips. “Perhaps this mistake is actually a most fortuitous stroke of luck. You may be even more useful to me than the Urquehart chit.”

“Me?”

“Oh, yes, I saw how Strathcona looked at you the other night in Sydney Gardens, and how he reacted to my being with you.” His low laugh made the hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. “He cares for his sister. But I think he is besotted with you. To ensure your safe return, he’d be willing to do most anything.”

“You are mistaken,” she said, trying to keep the tremor from her voice. “His Lordship and I are merely friends.”

“I think not.” A speculative gleam lit in his eyes. “I would wager you are far more than that. He is a romantic fool and always has been.”

The gleam then turned into a leer. “What about you, Miss Caro? Are you equally foolish? Have you given him your heart?” He leaned in closer. “And perhaps your virtue?”

She recoiled. “You disgust me.”

“Do I?” His expression hardened.

Getting a grip on her emotions, Caro remained silent.

“A word of warning—you should have a care to keep a civil tongue in your head. Making an enemy of me would not be wise.”

We shall see who turns out to be the most dangerous adversary, thought Caro. But in the meantime he was right—she would watch her words for now, and wait.

Thayer turned abruptly and pushed her back toward the carriage. “We have a long journey ahead of us. You will have plenty of time to think of ways to sweeten your words.”

My thoughts will be on honey, but only because it is useful in trapping loathsome flies.

Swiping the sweat and dust from his brow, Alec slid from the saddle with a muttered oath of relief. The hired nag had been hell to ride, its jarring gait having left every bone in his body feeling bruised.

After lighting one of the stable lanterns, he quickly rubbed down the animal and then turned to make his way to the back entrance of the house. It was late and he was famished. A cold collation of beef and cheese, a glass of Highland malt to mellow—

“Alec!”

The narrow beam of light suddenly illuminated Isobel’s pale face and red-rimmed eyes as she rushed through the doorway. “Thank God you have finally returned!”

His fatigue-fogged senses snapped to full alert. “What’s happened?” he demanded.

“Caro…” she stammered. “The Gardens… a pair of horrible men… it happened so fast—”

“Take a deep breath and a moment to calm yourself,” he counseled, though he was wild with worry. “If I am to be of any help, I need to know exactly what has occurred.”

“Miss Caro has been abducted.” Andover came up behind his sister. “By two men in Sydney Gardens, who forced her into a carriage just across the canal bridge and drove off.”

“It was a nondescript vehicle, black with dark green wheels and no other distinguishing markings,” added Isobel, who had quickly composed herself. “She had gone to fetch us some meat pasties from a costermonger. I—I should have gone with her.”

“Then you both would be captives,” said Alec, forcing himself to react reasonably. “And we would have no clue as to what occurred. Your observations will help me find her all the quicker.”