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Authors: Tarah Scott
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cousin’s arms.
“You are unharmed, Annabelle?” Miss Summerfield said between sobs.
“Yes, yes, and you?” Lady Annabelle pulled back and began examining her head where she’d been injured.
“Yes,” she replied with a hiccupped laugh. “I hit my head in the fall from the carriage.”
“Oh, Lena.” She again hugged Miss Summerfield. “This is all my fault.”
“No,” her cousin said. “You saved us.”
Lady Annabelle shook her head. “I got us into this mess.”
“I should have been firmer in my refusal to accompany you to the arboretum,” Miss Summerfield said.
Discomfort edged through James at being privy to the intimate exchange and he started to step from the carriage.
“I should never have snooped into Lord Harley’s business,” Lady Annabelle said. “Why would he kidnap us over a tin box of jewelry?”
James froze.
“I don’t know,” Miss Summerfield said. “It was madness.”
“Tin box of jewelry?” he said.
Lady Annabelle nodded. “Two days ago, I saw Lord Harley bury something in Miss Morgan’s arboretum. That’s why we were there—why he—” She shook her head. “Why kill us over jewelry?”
“Ye say he buried the box?” James said.
She nodded. “We dug it up. He caught us as we were burying it again.” Her brow furrowed. “He asked about you, accused me of conspiring with you, and mentioned an investigation. What investigation?”
“Where is this box?” James demanded.
“Lord Harley put it in his pocket,” she said.
James grasped the handle above the door.
“You aren’t leaving us?” Lady Annabelle darted a glance past him, out the open door.
“Lord Harley can no’ hurt you anymore,” he said.
Her eyes grew wide. “Did you kill him?”
With every fiber of his being, James had wanted to kill him. “Nay, my lady. The law will deal with him.” And quite well, if the jewelry in the tin box belonged to any of his victims.
Her brow furrowed. “I have not known the law to be harsh with men in his position.”
Anger whipped through James. How right she was. “Never fear, Lord Harley will no’ escape justice.” Not this time.
She flashed a tremulous smile and he was startled by the leap of joy his heart took. When she released her cousin and grasped his hand with trembling fingers, he stilled.
“I can never repay you, sir. You saved my cousin.”
“Mr. Benning saved Miss Summerfield,” he said.
She gave a small laugh. “I have him to thank as well. And I will never forget what you both have done for us.”
“We are relieved you ladies are unharmed. Give me a moment to see to Lord Harley, then we will escort you home.”
Her expression sobered and she released him. “Of course.”
James caught the fear beneath the civil reply and wanted to enfold her in his arms and assure her no one would ever again do her harm.
His heart chilled.
He would never be able to hold her close. She belonged to another man.
Chapter Nine
The carriage stopped in front of Annabelle’s home and nervous tension knotted her stomach at the prospect of facing her parents. Lord Ruthven opened the door. She caught sight of the bright light that spilled from the mansion and drew a sharp breath. Lord Ruthven’s head snapped in her direction. Her cheeks heated. His gaze sharpened, then he glanced out the door and looked back at her. His expression had melted into neutrality, but she knew he understood her consternation. The only reason there would be so much light was because the entire house was roused.
Lord Ruthven jumped from the carriage. Annabelle exchanged a glance with Lena, then Lena took the hand he extended toward her. She stepped from the carriage, then Annabelle followed.
“Courage, my lady,” Lord Ruthven said. “They will be relieved you are safely home.”
“Then they will lock us in our rooms,” Lena muttered. “And rightfully so.”
They started up the walkway and got three steps when the front door opened. Annabelle started at seeing
“You are unharmed, Annabelle?” Miss Summerfield said between sobs.
“Yes, yes, and you?” Lady Annabelle pulled back and began examining her head where she’d been injured.
“Yes,” she replied with a hiccupped laugh. “I hit my head in the fall from the carriage.”
“Oh, Lena.” She again hugged Miss Summerfield. “This is all my fault.”
“No,” her cousin said. “You saved us.”
Lady Annabelle shook her head. “I got us into this mess.”
“I should have been firmer in my refusal to accompany you to the arboretum,” Miss Summerfield said.
Discomfort edged through James at being privy to the intimate exchange and he started to step from the carriage.
“I should never have snooped into Lord Harley’s business,” Lady Annabelle said. “Why would he kidnap us over a tin box of jewelry?”
James froze.
“I don’t know,” Miss Summerfield said. “It was madness.”
“Tin box of jewelry?” he said.
Lady Annabelle nodded. “Two days ago, I saw Lord Harley bury something in Miss Morgan’s arboretum. That’s why we were there—why he—” She shook her head. “Why kill us over jewelry?”
“Ye say he buried the box?” James said.
She nodded. “We dug it up. He caught us as we were burying it again.” Her brow furrowed. “He asked about you, accused me of conspiring with you, and mentioned an investigation. What investigation?”
“Where is this box?” James demanded.
“Lord Harley put it in his pocket,” she said.
James grasped the handle above the door.
“You aren’t leaving us?” Lady Annabelle darted a glance past him, out the open door.
“Lord Harley can no’ hurt you anymore,” he said.
Her eyes grew wide. “Did you kill him?”
With every fiber of his being, James had wanted to kill him. “Nay, my lady. The law will deal with him.” And quite well, if the jewelry in the tin box belonged to any of his victims.
Her brow furrowed. “I have not known the law to be harsh with men in his position.”
Anger whipped through James. How right she was. “Never fear, Lord Harley will no’ escape justice.” Not this time.
She flashed a tremulous smile and he was startled by the leap of joy his heart took. When she released her cousin and grasped his hand with trembling fingers, he stilled.
“I can never repay you, sir. You saved my cousin.”
“Mr. Benning saved Miss Summerfield,” he said.
She gave a small laugh. “I have him to thank as well. And I will never forget what you both have done for us.”
“We are relieved you ladies are unharmed. Give me a moment to see to Lord Harley, then we will escort you home.”
Her expression sobered and she released him. “Of course.”
James caught the fear beneath the civil reply and wanted to enfold her in his arms and assure her no one would ever again do her harm.
His heart chilled.
He would never be able to hold her close. She belonged to another man.
Chapter Nine
The carriage stopped in front of Annabelle’s home and nervous tension knotted her stomach at the prospect of facing her parents. Lord Ruthven opened the door. She caught sight of the bright light that spilled from the mansion and drew a sharp breath. Lord Ruthven’s head snapped in her direction. Her cheeks heated. His gaze sharpened, then he glanced out the door and looked back at her. His expression had melted into neutrality, but she knew he understood her consternation. The only reason there would be so much light was because the entire house was roused.
Lord Ruthven jumped from the carriage. Annabelle exchanged a glance with Lena, then Lena took the hand he extended toward her. She stepped from the carriage, then Annabelle followed.
“Courage, my lady,” Lord Ruthven said. “They will be relieved you are safely home.”
“Then they will lock us in our rooms,” Lena muttered. “And rightfully so.”
They started up the walkway and got three steps when the front door opened. Annabelle started at seeing
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