Passionately Yours (Hellions of High Street 3)

Her look of remorse eased ever so slightly. “You will save her, won’t you?” she asked in a small voice.

“Yes,” said Alec grimly. “And then I shall pummel Edward Thayer to a bloody pulp.”

“Isobel came straight to me,” said Andover. “But much as I wished to rush off to the rescue, I had no notion of where her captors may be headed. Isobel told me that Thayer is the likely culprit, but whether he would head north or to some other hideaway was impossible for me to guess at.” He gave a helpless shrug. “So I thought it best to wait for you to return.”

“That was the right move,” assured Alec. Already he was making a mental checklist of what he would need to set off. Pistols, powder, foul weather cloak, bread and cheese so he could ride hard…

“Hell and damnation.” He smacked a fist against one of the stall doors. “My stallion went lame this afternoon. I’ll need to find a decent mount, but at this hour—”

“Take my chestnut gelding,” said Andover without hesitation. “He has both spirit and stamina. You may push him hard and he won’t let you down.”

“My thanks.”

“I’ll go fetch him now, and bring him around through the back gate of the mews, so as not to attract any undue attention.” Andover cleared his throat with a cough. “The authorities have not yet been informed of what has happened. I thought it best to let you decide how to handle the matter. Your aunt and servants have been sworn to silence for the time being. And Miss Caro’s mother is away visiting friends, so we need not deal with that complication just yet.”

“I’m grateful for such quick thinking,” murmured Alec, his regard for the other man rising another notch. Despite his easygoing manner, Andover appeared to be a very solid, sensible fellow in a crisis.

“While you gather your weapons and clothing, I’ll make up an oilskin sack of essentials, along with a blanket roll in case you need to sleep rough,” said Isobel, her fears giving way to steady resolve. “We haven’t any time to lose. With each passing moment, Thayer is taking Caro farther and farther away from us.” She swallowed hard. “To God knows where.”

“As to that, I think I know exactly where he is headed.” Alec waved Andover on his way and took his sister’s arm. “And when I catch up with him, there will be hell to pay.”

Once in the house, he left Isobel and his aunt to assemble supplies while he raced to his rooms for his pistols.

Oh, yes—he would cheerfully put a bullet through Thayer’s brain without blinking an eye if the miscreant gave him half a chance. But his former friend had a coward’s cunning and never dared face a fight unless he had found a way to cheat the odds.

Not this time, vowed Alec. The villain would be made to stand and account for his treachery.

As he slipped a packet of extra powder into his pocket, he heard the scuff of steps behind him.

“I’ve packed up all the essentials I could think of,” said Isobel.

He turned around. “Thank you. I’ve gathered what I need here. As soon as Andover arrives I shall be off.

“Oh, Alec.” She caught him in a fierce hug. “I’m terrified.”

“As am I,” he whispered. “But—”

“But what I mean to say is,” she interrupted, “those terrors don’t really matter. Your strength and courage is more solid than our Highland mountains—I know in my heart you will rescue her. It is your inner fears that worry me. Please, don’t be afraid of your feelings. The past is the past. The future…”

Isobel hugged him tighter. “The future is whatever you dare to dream it to be.”

Alec brushed a kiss to her brow. “You are wise beyond your years.”

“That is because you still think of me as a toddler in leading strings,” she replied with a wry smile. “Speaking of fears, you really need not fear so much for me. I’m far stronger than you think. I knew exactly what I was doing that night on the moor. You did not put me in danger—I chose to bear the message for the group knowing full well what it c

ontained.”

Isobel met his gaze. “In fact, I served as a courier on several other occasions for the group, but did not tell you because I knew you would worry about me.”

He drew in a ragged breath. “Well, a night of surprises.”

“I’m telling you this now, so you know that ladies are willing to take a risk when they feel the stakes are worth it,” went on Isobel. “And so, my dearest brother, should you.”

The truth was, he already knew that he was willing to risk everything, including his heart.

Alec squeezed her shoulders, then broke away. “I shall try not to disappoint you.”

Or myself.