“Move away from her,” Rupert snarled.
“I’m not coming to you,” Isobel defiantly crossed her arms, and shot him a contemptuous glare. Inside she was a quivering wreck.
“You’ll do as you are told girlie - or you die.”
“Do you seriously believe that you will get away from here if you harm her, or even have her with you when you try to leave?” Dominic fought the burning hatred in his gut, and tried to keep control of the panic that swept through him. “The gallows will be the easy option against what I will do to you if you do anything to her.”
“Come here,” Rupert beckoned her with a quick twist of the gun.
“No,” Isobel replied, refusing to budge. She daren’t look at her husband standing so close, yet so very far away. Having his reassuring bulk so near to her went a long way to calming her fraying nerves, and gave her the strength she needed to face her tormentor.
“Come here, or you die.”
“What do you think you will achieve by killing me? All you will do is add murder to your list of crimes. You will never be a free man. You had better have two bullets in that gun, because you need to follow your friend’s example and use the second shot for yourself. It would be far better for you, than the fate my husband will have in store for you.” Isobel tried to keep the tremor from her voice. She failed miserably.
“Well said, Isobel,” Dominic declared, mentally applauding her fortitude. Nothing his wife did any more shocked or surprised him but at that moment he was damned proud of her.
“I will let you live as long as you let me leave,” Rupert’s eyes flickered desperately around the room, clearly searching for a way out.
Dominic watched sweat bead on his brow and knew that the seriousness of his situation had begun to dawn on him.
The tension thickened within the room. Everyone paused, waiting for someone to do something, or say something, to break the stand-off.
Everyone jumped when Peter suddenly appeared in the doorway, a length of rope between his fingers.
Isobel felt a lightening rod of pain shoot across her entire front, a second before she heard the report of the gun being fired. Vaguely she saw the fine spray of blood mist the air in front of her. Pain burned through her, and she suddenly found it difficult to breathe. Stars danced before her vision and she slowly crumpled to the ground. She was aware of the thumping of bodies accompanied by a cacophony of voices she couldn’t make sense of. It all seemed such a very long way away.
“Isobel!” Dominic’s worried face swam into her vision.
“Dominic,” Isobel gasped softly. She struggled to focus on his face and fought the familiar swirling mists that threatened to drag her into unconsciousness. She whimpered when she tried to take a deep breath only for burning pain to lance down her side.
“Do something for me, Dominic,” Isobel whispered, tightening her fist on her husband’s shirt and drawing him closer.
“Anything, my darling,” Dominic’s murmured, in a voice that was as tender as his shaking fingers as stroked her face. Her eyes met and held his. “Loosen my dress, I can barely breathe.”
She was unsurprised when she heard the sound of her dress tearing and cool air brushed her aching flesh.
“The doctor is on his way darling; just stay with me,” Dominic’s voice was choked as he studied his wife’s pale features. Surely to God fate wouldn’t be as cruel as to snatch her from him now!
“Please darling, stay with me,” Dominic pleaded, glancing down at the steady trickle of blood now seeping onto the carpet. “Don’t you dare leave me, don’t you dare leave me alone again.” He watched in horror as her eyes began to cloud over, and knew she was about to slip into unconsciousness.
“Darling Dominic, I do love you so,” she said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. Breathing came easier to her now the confines of her dress had been removed, but came in shorter, more comfortable pants. “When I thought I had lost you to another, my world was torn apart. I knew I would never be the same again. I feel blessed to have been given a second chance to be a part of your life, in spite of Rupert’s best endeavours. Nobody could be prouder to be called your wife. I hope you know that.”
“Of course I do, my darling. Why do you think I pushed you to marry me so quickly? You were still on your sick bed for God’s sakes! I couldn’t bear to take the risk that you would not wish to marry me once you were hale and hearty.” His soft laugh was hoarse with emotion. “I had to capture you while you were too weak and feeble to run away.”
Isobel smiled at his gentle teasing. Her own eyes were awash with tears as she studied the desperate pleading in his gaze. A wave of dizziness assailed her, despite the fact that she was lying down and she knew that she was going to faint. Drawing in a deep breath took concentration. Fighting the swirling darkness that was gradually creeping towards her, she tried to gather her thoughts into some semblance of order. There was so much she wanted to say to him.
She raised her hand to draw his head down towards hers. Placing a tender kiss upon his lips she managed to whisper, “I love you, Dominic,” before surrendering to the dark void that swallowed her.
“Isobel!” Dominic shook her shoulders, fear lodged in his throat. “Isobel!”
“Dominic, come away now.”
Dominic shook off the firm hands that were pulling him away from her, and lifted her limp body into his arms.
“Isobel talk to me darling,” Dominic commanded, moving to sit on the chaise with her draped across his lap. Fear clawed at him, and he gave in to the horrifying possibility that she had gone. Clutching her to his chest, he rocked to and fro slowly and gave in to the grief; oblivious to everything other than the woman he held in his arms.
He thought the belief she had died was bad enough before, but it had been nothing compared to the pure despair that engulfed him now. Her beautiful smile, and gentle nature, had quickly secured her a place in the hearts of all of his family. Her warm humour, and tinkling laugh brightened his d