“Your -” Rupert spluttered, his face becoming mottled with rage.
“Yes, that’s right; my husband. I am Lady Havistock,” Isobel smiled feeling somewhat bolstered by phrasing the words. “I shall call him if you like. I am sure he would like to make your acquaintance. He has after all been trying to find you.” Isobel turned casually as if to shout, and paused when Rupert spat a volley of foul language at her, along with the promise that she had not heard the last from him. Within moments he and his henchman disappeared through the conifers.
As soon as they had disappeared Isobel closed her eyes in a silent prayer before spinning on her heel. It took every ounce of self-control she possessed to walk casually back to Edward and the gardener. Both men looked up at her as she approached, looking startled as soon as they saw her pale, haunted face. She ignored their questions and continued into the house, her tread measured and steady. As soon as she crossed the threshold into the kitchen, she took to her heels, not stopping until she burst through the library door.
The men within lurched to their feet at her wild entrance. Isobel didn’t stop until she launched into Dominic’s arms and felt their reassuring strength surrounding her.
“Isobel?”Dominic’s look of shock penetrated the cloud of fear fogging Isobel’s brain. “What the hell?”
Isobel could do nothing but hiccup and gasp for breath. Everything within her trembled violently.
“He’s here,” she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. “Through the trees, at the far side of the rose garden.” She got no further as the men within the room lurched into action. Within seconds, the grounds were being thoroughly searched.
Isobel was moved to sit before the hearth, a brandy in her hands as Dominic rubbed her arms to ward off the chill from her shivering flesh.
“Darling, look at me,” Dominic demanded, raising his hands to cup her face and turn her unfocused gaze towards him.
Isobel sucked in a shuddering breath, as her jumbled emotions swung wildly between the urge to laugh wildly at her bravado, and cry piteously onto the broad shoulder of her husband. His reassuring presence before her, finally penetrated the cold fog of fear that enveloped her. Together with the warm liquid that burned as she swallowed, within moments she had calme
d enough to recount their conversation.
“He can’t hurt you Isobel,” Dominic fought hard to keep his voice softly soothing. “You are perfectly safe.” Dominic turned Isobel’s chin back towards him, waiting for several moments until her watery eyes locked with his steadily reassuring gaze. “He was trying to scare you. To make you believe that he poses a threat.” He didn’t add that he could very easily have carried Isobel off to God knows where and they would not have known for several long moments. Long enough for Rupert to kidnap her again. Dominic placed a tender kiss on her hair and drew her into his arms. Rupert had now thrown down the gauntlet; his actions of the afternoon no different to calling Dominic out. It was now down to Dominic to call the arms and name the place.
Several hours later the men returned, stamping their feet and blowing their hands against the pervading cold. Anger and disappointment shimmered in the air at their failure. Tracks had been located and followed only to be lost in the woods, where little snow had fallen through the thick canopy of the trees.
Once everyone was supplied with brandy, they settled around the roaring fire and waited.
“I’m going to go over and warn him.” The bitter anger in Peter’s voice was clear. “He’s my uncle. It’s down to me to bring him into line.”
“You will do no such thing,” Dominic’s argued in a voice that was cold and deadly. He raised a hand to ward off Peter’s objection.
“He’s getting desperate. Don’t you see? By approaching Isobel today, he is hoping he can scare her into running again. He is hoping that if he gets hold of her, he can gain access to her funds. I don’t think he is as brave or foolhardy to try to snatch her from the gardens. He needs her away from here. He needs to get her to leave.” Dominic turned toward his wife. “When are you five and twenty?”
Isobel frowned as she tried to absorb his logic. The brandy was very nice, but her thoughts were getting very muddled. “Next Thursday,” she mumbled carefully placing her glass down on the table beside her. She wanted them to include her. It wouldn’t bode well if she was too sozzled to remember what they had decided.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Edward asked, struggling to follow Dominic’s logic.
“Rupert is getting desperate for money. While he remains at the country house, he is a sitting duck for his debtors to find him. He needs cash and fast. So, he needs Isobel. Peter won’t give him any money. There is nothing left at Gosport Hall. Willowbrook is closed to him. Isobel is the only option. She has significant funds becoming available to her next week. He needs to get his hands on them.”
“But why not snatch her this afternoon when she was standing before him.”
“He knew I’d scream and create such a racket, neither man would get very far. He seemed a little shocked to learn that I am now married.”
“I’ll bet he was,” Dominic declared flatly. They had taken great pains to ensure the house staff remain quiet about the wedding for now and it appeared he had been successful.
“So what do we do now?” Sebastian’s voice broke the silence. “Do we just wait for him to become even more desperate, and break into the house to snatch her?”
“I’m not going to be bullied by him any longer!” Isobel snapped, drawing the startled gazes of the men within the room. Yes, I was scared when I saw him. Of course I was. The man beat me senseless, practically daily. But when I saw him outside in the cold light of day, I saw him for the horrid little bully he really is and suddenly he didn’t seem all that scary anymore.”
“Be wary of him, darling,” Dominic cautioned, his voice harsh at the thought of his wife being subjected to such brutality. “You should be proud of your bravado, but don’t allow it to make you reckless. He is unpredictable and has kidnapped you once already.”
“We need to have someone watch Rupert’s house. The moment he leaves I want to know about it,” Edward’s voice was laced with menace.
Dominic turned toward his wife, knowing she wouldn’t like what he was about to say. “For now, no more strolls in the garden.” He was surprised when she just meekly nodded. Cautiously he surveyed her empty glass and quietly replenished her drink, pushing it into her hands mutely, before returning to his customary position before the hearth.
“I’ll organise the watch on Rupert’s.” Edward declared firmly, relishing the possibility of meeting one of Rupert’s ‘associates’ in the bushes.
“I need to go to visit Hubert to ask him a few pertinent details.” He shared a measured look with his wife.