Lady Bess

Holland led him to the garden doors, and the earl pulled a face. “Outside, man? Why outside? We

can find a quiet room.”

“I don’t want anyone to hear us, to see us go off alone together and wonder at it. Too many gossipmongers about, and Prinny loves gossip.”

The earl complied, but when they stepped outside and into the fresh air, he felt as though he had had too much too drink. His movements felt labored. His eyes couldn’t focus, and a sudden dawning hit him. “You … champagne … you … devil!”

He felt arms link under his underarms and looked up to see a young, well-dressed man. He heard the man say to Holland, “Our debt is done after this.”

“Yes, yes, only hurry,” Holland said.

The earl tried to grab hold of the man at his back but found he had no control of his hands. He tried to kick at Holland, who held his legs, but though he struggled to move, he realized he barely was able to jiggle his legs.

His last thought as he blacked out completely was, Aye then, Holland means to throw me in the river, and whatever I’ve been given will surely leave me unable to swim …

* * *

Bess watched as Holland opened the garden door for the earl to pass through. She witnessed the earl’s hesitation before he went outside, and something in her stomach fluttered.

Wrong—this was all wrong. What did Holland want with the earl?

And what was wrong with her beloved? The earl appeared suddenly as though he were bosky, and she knew that he wasn’t.

She saw him hold onto the door frame as though to steady himself. She saw him shake his head and blink as he swayed. Holland actually put an arm about him as though to steady him. What the devil was going on?

Anyone else would think he had had too much to drink and was going out for a bit of night air to clear his head. She knew better. She had only a moment ago been speaking with him. She rather thought he hadn’t anything to drink but the glass of champagne …?

That glass the maid had handed to him specifically. She hit her forehead as dawning lit in her brain. He had said it tasted poor quality, but hers had not.

Of course—it had been laced with something dreadful!

Holland had done something to the earl’s drink!

Bess was certain of this, and she ran to the garden doors without any other thought. She arrived just in time. Horror filled her heart as she gasped and reached out a hand as though to stop them.

She saw the earl as he swayed and began to fall. A young man, unknown to her, scooped the earl up by his armpits while Holland took the earl’s legs.

They carried him towards a coach. She could see the crest on it, and with a shout in her throat, without thinking, she started forward after them but stopped when she felt nails digging into her bare arm.

She turned and discovered Lady Sonhurst at her side, hissing at her like a cat. The woman spat, “Stay out of my way, chit!”

Bess grabbed the woman’s arm. “Stop!”

Sally Sonhurst whirled on her, withdrew the long pin that held a cluster of pearls in her hair, and without a moment’s hesitation stabbed Bess squarely in her stomach.

Bess gasped and staggered backwards as Sally picked up her skirts and ran towards the coach in which the earl had already been deposited.

For a moment, Bess was in shock, grasping out to hold onto something to keep herself from falling over, and then she found both Donna and Robby flanking and supporting her.

Donna saw the blood around the pinhead of pearls and shrieked as Robby took command. “Hush.” He looked at Bess and said gently, “Easy there—I’m going to pull this out …”

With a quick movement he withdrew the pin, whose four inches had been pushed into Bess, and she gasped with pain. Blood flowed freely over her gown, and she said, “I am fine. We don’t have any time. Fine—just need something to catch the blood,” she said to Donna, who immediately bent, tore off a piece of her underskirt, and applied it to Bess’s wound.

“Who did this?” Robby demanded.

“Lady Sonhurst,” Bess said and then looked at Donna. “They have drugged the earl and carried him off. She is in cahoots with Holland—though what they are planning I cannot conceive.”

Robby said, “Stay here, both of you. I am going to tell Bess’s father that we are taking her home.”