shall not come with you. If you try to touch me, I shall scream…’
‘And who will listen? No one will risk their person to save you, madame. Especially a cheating impostor…’
‘No…’ Constance let out a cry of fear. ‘Do not touch me. My friends will avenge me. You’ll be sorry…’
‘What friends? Who will stop me?’
‘I should be happy to oblige the lady,’ a harsh voice spoke from behind him. ‘At this moment a loaded pistol is pointed at your head, rogue. Lay one finger on the lady and I’ll shoot you like the dog you are.’
The man grunted and turned his head just as Moraven brought the side of a second pistol crashing against his skull. He yelled in pain, reeling away and holding his hand to his bleeding flesh. His companion, seeing that the newcomer was still holding a pistol trained on him, turned and ran. The wounded man stared at him in disbelief for a moment longer and then took off after his accomplice.
‘Are you all right? They did not harm you?’
‘No. Your arrival was timely, sir,’ Constance replied, taking a deep breath to steady herself. ‘They wanted me to go with them – to explain myself to their master, Monsieur Renard, I think.’
‘Go inside the house, Constance. You look as if you could do with a glass of cognac.’
‘I am not sure we have any. I have never ventured into the comte’s wine cellar.’
‘It’s just as well I have,’ Moraven said with an odd smile as he pushed her inside the house. ‘Whatever else he may have been, the comte was a good judge of cognac.’
Constance swallowed hard as the door was closed behind them and the bolt shot. ‘Thank you. I’m not sure what I should have done if you hadn’t arrived. There were people about but whether they would have helped me I do not know.’
‘It depends. Some might have stepped up to help, but many prefer to ignore an altercation for fear of being hurt themselves.’
‘Yes, I know…’ Constance realised her hands were trembling and set down her basket. ‘How foolish of me. I feel a little shaken…’
‘It is hardly to be wondered at. Come, sit down and I shall fetch the brandy for you.’
Constance obeyed. It was so stupid of her for she did not normally give way to nerves, but her knees felt like jelly and she thought she might fall if she did not sit.
Moraven returned in such a short time that she knew he must have brought the brandy up from the cellar earlier. He handed her a glass and she took it with both hands.
‘Drink it all. It will sting your throat but you’ll feel steadier.’
‘Thank you.’ She lifted it to her lips and drank a sip. It did sting her throat but she drank some more, then set the glass down still a third full. ‘That is enough. I am much better already. I suppose it was the shock. I’ve walked safely at night for months – now in the middle of day someone tries to abduct me. Why?’
‘I think you know the answer.’
‘They knew I wasn’t the countess. How can they know? Madeline never went out in company.’
‘Then someone must have come here and seen her – one of her husband’s friends perhaps? That someone must have told your enemy.’
‘Yes, perhaps…’ Constance stood up. ‘I must prepare the soup for our meal.’
‘Rest for a little
‘And who will listen? No one will risk their person to save you, madame. Especially a cheating impostor…’
‘No…’ Constance let out a cry of fear. ‘Do not touch me. My friends will avenge me. You’ll be sorry…’
‘What friends? Who will stop me?’
‘I should be happy to oblige the lady,’ a harsh voice spoke from behind him. ‘At this moment a loaded pistol is pointed at your head, rogue. Lay one finger on the lady and I’ll shoot you like the dog you are.’
The man grunted and turned his head just as Moraven brought the side of a second pistol crashing against his skull. He yelled in pain, reeling away and holding his hand to his bleeding flesh. His companion, seeing that the newcomer was still holding a pistol trained on him, turned and ran. The wounded man stared at him in disbelief for a moment longer and then took off after his accomplice.
‘Are you all right? They did not harm you?’
‘No. Your arrival was timely, sir,’ Constance replied, taking a deep breath to steady herself. ‘They wanted me to go with them – to explain myself to their master, Monsieur Renard, I think.’
‘Go inside the house, Constance. You look as if you could do with a glass of cognac.’
‘I am not sure we have any. I have never ventured into the comte’s wine cellar.’
‘It’s just as well I have,’ Moraven said with an odd smile as he pushed her inside the house. ‘Whatever else he may have been, the comte was a good judge of cognac.’
Constance swallowed hard as the door was closed behind them and the bolt shot. ‘Thank you. I’m not sure what I should have done if you hadn’t arrived. There were people about but whether they would have helped me I do not know.’
‘It depends. Some might have stepped up to help, but many prefer to ignore an altercation for fear of being hurt themselves.’
‘Yes, I know…’ Constance realised her hands were trembling and set down her basket. ‘How foolish of me. I feel a little shaken…’
‘It is hardly to be wondered at. Come, sit down and I shall fetch the brandy for you.’
Constance obeyed. It was so stupid of her for she did not normally give way to nerves, but her knees felt like jelly and she thought she might fall if she did not sit.
Moraven returned in such a short time that she knew he must have brought the brandy up from the cellar earlier. He handed her a glass and she took it with both hands.
‘Drink it all. It will sting your throat but you’ll feel steadier.’
‘Thank you.’ She lifted it to her lips and drank a sip. It did sting her throat but she drank some more, then set the glass down still a third full. ‘That is enough. I am much better already. I suppose it was the shock. I’ve walked safely at night for months – now in the middle of day someone tries to abduct me. Why?’
‘I think you know the answer.’
‘They knew I wasn’t the countess. How can they know? Madeline never went out in company.’
‘Then someone must have come here and seen her – one of her husband’s friends perhaps? That someone must have told your enemy.’
‘Yes, perhaps…’ Constance stood up. ‘I must prepare the soup for our meal.’
‘Rest for a little
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