Dampierre’s mouth twitched, causing his artistically trimmed mustache to shift to the left. “You will get into the carriage, Miss Beaufort,” he insisted in a menacing tone.
Sophie noticed Marie’s wide eyes and discreet shake of the head. Was it a silent warning to obey or to bolt?
Then Dampierre played his trump card. Drawing his sword, he thrust it out to the right, missing Marie’s cheek by a whisker. “I would hate for Marie to have an accident. Scars … they can look so unsightly on a woman.”
Against all logic, against the voice screaming for her to flee, Sophie acceded to his wishes. Casting Marie a reassuring smile, she walked past Dampierre and climbed into the carriage.
Once they were all seated, with Marie deciding to sit next to Sophie, Dampierre sighed with satisfaction and said, “There … a much more refined approach, do you not think?” With the top of his cane, he banged twice on the roof and the carriage lurched forward, tearing out of the North Mews at breakneck speed.
“Victor,” Marie shouted in disbelief.
“Where are you taking me?” Sophie cried as she clung to the edge of the seat. Once they were out of the mews, it would be nigh on impossible for Dane to find her. “Here,” she reached around her neck in an attempt to remove the necklace. “Take it and let me out.”
Dampierre laughed: a high-pitched cackle that chilled her to her bones. “You think your pitiful necklace is worth the same as a man’s freedom?” he asked, his expression darkening. “Well, it is not.”
Sophie struggled to catch her breath. If he didn’t want the necklace, then what did he want?
Madame Labelle appeared aghast. Her gaze swept from Dampierre to Sophie and back again. “But, Victor,” she pleaded. “You said once you had the necklace you would be satisfied. You said it would be a fitting reward —”
“Be quiet, Marie,” he scolded. “I said Miss Beaufort would provide me with a fitting reward.” He turned his attention to Sophie. “Do you know what your brother’s interference has cost me?” He did not wait for an answer. “It has cost me my freedom. I cannot stay in this country of yours,” he said with an indolent wave of the hand. “I shall forever be looking over my shoulder and I cannot tolerate such a thing.” He leaned forward and gripped Sophie’s knee with his bony fingers. “But you, madame, you shall atone for the sins of your brother.”
Sophie brushed his hand away. “I will do no such thing,” she said straightening her spine.
“Oh, you will,” he replied firmly. “I do not need your permission. In truth, I prefer it that way.”
“No!” Madame Labelle yelled. “Miss Beaufort does not deserve to pay for the crimes of her family,” she choked, a look of torment etched on her face.
Dampierre banged his cane on the floor of the carriage. “And I did not deserve to pay for the crimes of mine,” he bellowed, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth. “These people they think they are superior, think they can dismiss me as though I am nothing.” He paused for a moment to regain his composure and then said with some impatience, “We will be married, and she will bear my sons and they will never have to bow and scrape. Their mother will be a lady, not some back alley whore, and I will show them all I am something.”
While Sophie sat in stone-cold silence, her face a mask of indifference, fear clawing at her soul, Madame Labelle brought her hands to her face and wept.
Chapter 26
Lord Delmont was in his study, standing in front of the fire when the Sebastian came charging through the door.
“Where is she?” Sebastian roared as he marched over to Lord Delmont, who was marginally taller and considerably broader than Sebastian, and punched him squarely in the face. Delmont reeled, raising his hand as a shield. Before he could even attempt to fight back, Sebastian grabbed him by the ends of what was a perfectly starched cravat and pulled him down so that they were eye level. “I shall give you until the count of three,” he snarled.
Sebastian was so enraged, so damn scared, he could barely think straight. He had stood and watched two hundred or more guests pile out onto the terrace and in the time it had taken to draw a breath, Sophie was gone.
No doubt, Delmont had been watching them, waiting for an opportunity to pounce.
“Do not dare tell me you know nothing about it,” Sebastian continued, wrapping his hand around the ends of the cravat to tighten his grip. He didn’t care if he strangled the man. “Was it your idea to lure me away with a decoy?”
Sebastian had pushed and shoved his way to a corner of the terrace, the elevated position giving the ideal opportunity to scan the crowd. Some of the guests had used the distraction to sneak off into a quiet corner as Delmont was renowned for having the largest and most secluded garden in the row.
Then he’d noticed Sophie, albeit it was only her elaborate wig and the back of her red dress. She’d stepped away from the crush and escaped through a topiary arch, out of sight. He had spent almost fifteen minutes weaving in and out of sculptured animals and giant cones before crossing the gravel path to another section of equally monstrous shrubbery. When he had eventually caught up with her he discovered, to his dismay, that the woman was not Sophie, but Antoinette.
“I had no choice,” she’d cried, “I had to do it.”
But Sebastian had not waited to hear her explanation. Trying to suppress the feeling of panic, he raced through the maze of shrubs and trees, past the more amorous couples, until he was back out onto the lawn. He’d charged through the middle of the crowd, pulling and pushing people aside, ignoring their cries and complaints, searching … searching, but to no avail.
Just when he thought fate had conspired against him, he’d spotted Delmont. Minus his mask, Delmont strode across the lawn and Sebastian had followed him back into the house.
“Well, was the decoy your idea?” Sebastian repeated. When Delmont did not answer, Sebastian firmed his grip and with his left hand delivered Delmont a low blow to the stomach.
Delmont spluttered and tried to catch his breath. He stumbled forward, his arms flailing as he attempted to free himself. Mustering every ounce of strength he had, Sebastian refused to let go.
His future, his whole life was in this man’s hands.