Passionately Yours (Hellions of High Street 3)

A shudder slithered over her skin.

“And I imagine Wrexham has provided you with a very handsome dowry as well,” he mused. “So I shall be not only protected by an influential aristocrat but wealthy in the bargain.”

Another flight of madness, thought Caro. As if the earl would hand over a farthing to a miscreant who was guilty of abduction, as well as a host of other foul deeds.

But for now it was prudent to play the meek mouse and bide her time until the moment was right to transform into the cat with claws.

Thank God for the full moon, thought Alec as he passed through the outskirts of town and urged the big gelding into a canter along the road leading north. He meant to ride hard, and Andover had not exaggerated the sterling qualities of his horse. Beneath the pounding hooves and sweat-lathered muscles, the miles were flying by.

Eight hours.

He calculated that Thayer had a headstart of at least eight hours. The carriage would travel more slowly and be required to stop more frequently to change the horses, so he would quickly begin to cut the distance between them. There was, of course, the question of what route Thayer was taking and where he was heading.

But Alec was confident that he was right in guessing his enemy’s destination.

A hunting lodge just over the border—a place Thayer had bragged about to an erstwhile friend as a spot where he had debauched more than one young lady by seducing her with false promises of marriage.

A poisonous snake does not lose his venom, thought Alec, unless his fangs are pulled out by force.

Bending low, his own hair tangling with the flying mane, he spurred the bay to a faster pace.

Chapter Twenty-One

Stiff with fatigue, Caro stumbled on descending from the carriage and nearly pitched headlong onto the rutted ground.

“Be careful, you silly chit,” growled Thayer, steadying her with a rough grab. “We don

’t want to call attention to ourselves.”

Her only response was a small nod. He seemed to enjoy her silence, taking it as a sign that she was thoroughly cowed.

Let him think that, she mused, flexing her aching shoulders to loosen the knotted muscles. In the meantime, she was watching and waiting for her chance to escape.

Already she had managed to find the small penknife in her reticule and hide it in the sash of her gown. She had also dropped a few coins into the “V” of her corset.

Other than those paltry things, she had only her own imagination and resolve to rely on.

Her sisters would be proud of her, thought Caro with an inward smile. Rather than act on impulse, she had controlled the first blaze of anger and was being guided by pragmatism, not passion.

Perhaps I am getting older and wiser.

Reminded of the need to stay alert, she put aside such musings and took a careful look around her. It was important to learn where she was. They had traveled all night with only a few short stops for the driver to rest. It was now late afternoon, which meant they had been on the road for a little over twenty four hours…

Caro gave thanks for the fact that Anna was a stickler for accuracy when it came to the details of her novels. Because of her sister’s research, she knew that a carriage could cover roughly five miles in an hour.

One hundred and twenty miles. That meant they were almost halfway to the Scottish border. So, that left her another day and half to find a way to escape. Flight would be easier while still in England.

Quickening her pace, she hurried to get in as many steps as possible in the small area Thayer had allowed for stretching her legs. When the time came to bolt, she would need to move quickly.

As for rescue…

Caro tried not to think of Alec galloping in on a white charger, a knight in shining armor flashing a mighty sword and heroic smile.

For one thing, his horse was a dappled gray.

Expelling a rueful sigh, she reminded herself that even if he wished to be a hero, he had no idea of where to start looking for her. Yes, he would suspect that Thayer was behind the abduction, but there were a thousand—nay, a hundred thousand—places that her captor might be headed.

No, she must play the intrepid heroine and save herself.