Almost a Countess by Jenna Jaxon
Chapter 22
After bidding Dora and the duchess goodnight, Finn made his way down the corridor, pausing to twitch his skirts out of the way. Every step or two, he managed to step on the hem of the gown and pitch forward. Marcella, in an effort to give him enough length, had given him too much. Perhaps the maid could take the skirt up tomorrow. But then what would he wear in the carriage? There had only been one gown in Lady Downing’s chest to alter for him. None of Dora’s came close to fitting him, and he wouldn’t have dared suggest the duchess donate one of her own to the cause—even though the disguise had been her idea. Well, this costume had proved its worth today at the innyard.
Depressing the latch, Finn pushed the door open and stood on the threshold, the premonition that something was wrong washing over him like a cold tide. Before he could retreat, a hand grabbed his bodice and yanked him into the dark room. Off balance, the damned skirts swirling about his legs, Finn stumbled into someone, windmilling his arms in a vain attempt to right himself. The man grabbed him around the waist. Finn took the opportunity to jab him in the kidney. They both went down, and the room erupted with cursing as other men converged on them. Damn, how many were there? Finn renewed his efforts, pounding any part of the man beneath him he could lay a blow on.
“Light a damned candle!”
Scarlet’s voice, by Christ. Finn redoubled his efforts as new hands grabbed at him. The light flared, revealing Scarlet, Gates, and another soldier whose name Finn didn’t recall. Finn rolled up onto his feet, or tried to, but the damned skirts were caught under his body, and he plummeted back down onto the hapless private who’d originally grappled with him.
Lieutenant Scarlet’s fist crashed into the side of Finn’s face, knocking him on his back, his wig flying off into a dark corner. “Thought to get by us with a clever disguise, did you, Aberfoyle?” He drew back and let fly again, hitting Finn in the left eye, which immediately began to swell.
“What’s the matter, Scarlet? Only able tae hit a man when he’s down?” Taunting his attacker might not be the wisest idea, but Finn needed to distract the man long enough to somehow get to his feet. Once standing, he might have a chance, although the odds were certainly against him.
With a growled blasphemy, Scarlet reached down and hauled Finn to his feet then aimed a blow at his head, whipping his arm around from the side.
Finn blocked that move then drove his fist into Scarlet’s stomach with such force the lieutenant doubled over and the shoulder seam of Finn’s bodice ripped open. But before Finn could follow his punch with another blow, Gates and the other soldier grabbed his arms and pinned them behind him. He struggled, and almost tore free, but Gates landed a blow of his own, catching Finn on his chin. The light wavered out.
When he came to, he was trussed like a Christmas goose, his hands and feet tied with rope, lying on the bed, with Gates holding a pistol trained on his head. The situation could have been worse, but only if they’d simply killed him outright. At this point, they likely would.
A sickening realization disrupted Finn’s attempts to get his bearings. Scarlet had nothing to lose, really, if he wanted to kill Finn. And much to gain. The charges of misconduct would fall away upon Finn’s death, and his murder would be put down as an unfortunate happenstance. The culprit’s death occurred while he was attempting another escape from justice. Under those circumstances, Scarlet would likely get away scot-free.
The loathsome officer approached the bed, a grin on his face. “Come to just in time for the fun to begin, have you, Aberfoyle?”
This was not going to go well for Finn. The man was out for blood, and if Finn couldn’t manage to get loose, or somehow deter Scarlet from the next in his series of punishments, Finn might very well die tonight. The thought spurred him to action. He pulled at the ropes that bound his hands, rolled toward the edge of the bed, and yelled at the top of his voice, “Help! Help! They’re killing me!”
Scarlet punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of Finn and effectively cutting off any breath to call for help. Gates pushed him back onto the bed, while the third soldier shoved a gag into his mouth and tied it tight. The fourth soldier, the one he’d landed on originally, sat dazed in the corner of the room.
“You’re going to need more help than a few servants when we’re through with you.” Scarlet nodded to Gates. “Check the corridor, make sure no one’s coming to the rescue.”
The soldier opened the door a crack then shook his head. “All’s clear.”
“Good. As soon as the inn settles down for the night, we’ll spirit you away, Aberfoyle. Your little lightskirt won’t miss you until breakfast.” Scarlet cocked his head. “Unless you had a tryst arranged with her tonight?”
Finn’s heart sank. If he’d read Dora’s signals right, she was indeed going to attempt a rendezvous with him in his chamber. He didn’t even want to contemplate the consequences. He grunted through his gag and shook his head violently.
“Hmm.” The lieutenant chuckled. “The lady doth protest too much.” He walked over to the candle and snuffed it out. “We shall wait a while and see who turns up. If it’s only the barmaid come to wait on you, we’ll ignore her, and she’ll be on her way in no time. If it’s your lady…well, perhaps we’ll have to let her in to join the party.” His face turned ugly. “You two have made us laughing stocks not only in Yorkshire, but within the regiment itself. But no one will be laughing after tonight.” He glared menacingly at Finn. “Certainly neither of you.”
Fury obliterated any fear he might have felt at the threat to him, and Finn strained against his bindings and screamed with all his might. He might have saved his strength as far as screaming was concerned. The gag muffled all sound. No one could have heard him from more than a foot away. The ropes, however, were another story. Whenever he struggled with them, they stretched just a little. If he kept tugging on them stealthily, he might be able to free his hands. And then Scarlet would find himself on the business end of these ropes.
Time stretched out, and Finn began to think he’d mistaken Dora’s signals under the table. He prayed to God that was true. The ropes had loosened considerably around his hands, but there was no way to work on the ones that bound his legs. Or was there? The men who’d bound him had done so by tying the rope around his legs and skirts. He slowly moved his feet, testing the play in those ropes as well. He was wearing shoes, not boots. One after the other, he slipped out of the mules. Under cover of the darkness, he might slip his feet upward, into the skirts of the gown. With nothing solid to hold the ropes taut, they should loosen. He could pull the rope away as soon as his hands were free, and at least have a fighting chance against these mongrels. They’d had the advantage of surprise when they overpowered him. Now that would be on his side. He was, however, outnumbered four to one, although the first man he’d fought seemed much less of a threat. He’d not moved from his corner where he lay groaning. Three to one odds were better, but not much. He’d need to figure out a plan. Praying Dora was fast asleep next to the duchess, Finn concentrated on freeing his hands.
A scratching at the door brought Finn’s heart into his throat. Dear God, let it be the maid.
The door opened, and he could just make out Dora’s silhouette in the doorway.
Finn screamed at her, but it came out as so much air and hum.
The figure slipped inside. “Finn?”
A muffled squawk followed by sounds of a struggle brought Finn to the brink of madness. He couldn’t see a damned thing, and what he imagined was worse.
“Light the candle.” Scarlet’s voice sounded satisfied.
It flamed, revealing Hopkins with one hand over Dora’s mouth, the other across her breasts.
She’d come in nothing but her robe and shift, not even her corset to protect her from the man’s filthy touch.
“Well, well, what do we have here?” Scarlet paced over to Dora, whose wide eyes showed her overwhelming fear. “You played quite the lady when we called at your home, Miss Harper. Pity you’re no more than a common, lying strumpet.”
Anger flashed in Dora’s eyes. She bit down on the hand covering her mouth. The soldier let out a yelp and cradled his hand. Simultaneously, she elbowed him in the side, and he careened backward. Dora opened her mouth to scream.
But Scarlet calmly drew his pistol and pointed it at Finn’s head. “Scream and he dies.”
Her lips clamped shut, and she turned her wide-eyed gaze to Finn. “Are…are you all right?”
Finn nodded, both terrified for her and inordinately proud of her courage. He had to find a way to get her out of this room before the situation got even more out of control. With his tongue, he pushed at the gag and managed to shift the wadding to the side. Overjoyed, Finn sucked in a breath and shouted, “Run!”
Without question, Dora whirled toward the door, actually put her hand on the latch and pulled. Unfortunately, Gates slammed it shut and pushed her into the center of the room.
Dora turned to the lieutenant, eyes blazing. “I demand that you release me, Lieutenant Scarlet. You have no authority whatsoever to detain me.”
“I can hold anyone I suspect of aiding and abetting a criminal. Especially one wanted for treason.”
“That is a spurious charge, and you know it.” Dora started toward Scarlet, but the man pressed the muzzle of the pistol against Finn’s head, and she stopped in her tracks.
Finn held his breath, feverishly working at the ropes that still restrained his hands.
“How did you manage to find us?” Dora looked more perturbed than frightened. “Was it the soldiers in the yard at the Olde White Hart? Did they tell you they had seen us?”
Scarlet shook his head. “They must have been on patrol from elsewhere. I’ve no idea who they may have been. No, it was your Mr. Cardrew who tipped us to your deception. When I asked after your father’s health, the good doctor informed me that he’d never treated your father. But he had tended a cousin with a bad ankle.” His smile exuded evil. “A cousin with dark auburn hair.”
Finn sighed. They’d been wrong not to tell the doctor the truth. Then he might have kept their secret.
“It was the work of a few minutes to ride to Bromley and discover you gone. You will be happy to know that your servants are most loyal to you, Miss Harper. It took quite a bit of persuading before they would tell us anything.”
“If you’ve harmed one of my servants, I swear to you, Lieutenant Scarlet, you will be made to pay for it.” Dora’s chest heaved as she scowled at the officer.
The lieutenant shrugged. “Since Aberfoyle had originally been heading south, we gambled that he would continue that way. So we headed down the Great North Road, checking every coaching inn to see if your aunt’s carriage had been spotted. When we got to Doncaster this morning, we found we were right on your tail. And lo and behold, a groom there mentioned you were planning to stop in Grantham tonight.”
To have their grand scheme brought low by the slip of a groom’s tongue was maddening, but something was bound to have tripped them up anyway. Finn listened to Scarlet with one ear while trying to concentrate on freeing his hands.
“You certainly had your share of good fortune with your hunt, lieutenant.” Dora’s tone was anything but congratulatory. “But Grantham has more than one inn. How did you know to come here?”
“That was a bit of luck, I must admit. We’d split up to cover each of the inns, and when Gates rode into the innyard here at The Angel, there stood your aunt’s rather elaborate carriage, Miss Harper. Your coachman had described it in some detail after we applied the correct persuasions. From that point, we simply bided our time. Discovering Aberfoyle’s disguise gave us quite a laugh, and in the end, it proved useful in assisting in our capture of him. Skirts can be so cumbersome when one is trying to run.” Scarlet scowled down at Finn. “You won’t be running any more, I assure you, Aberfoyle.”
Dora kept glancing from Scarlet’s face to the gun aimed at Finn’s head. Fear glazed her eyes. “If you release us now, I will see to it that you are not cashiered for your treatment of us.” Then her face changed as a look of absolute determination came over it. “But if you continue your persecution of Lord Aberfoyle, if you kill him, I swear on everything I hold holy, I will personally see to it that you are hanged by the neck until you are dead.” She peered directly at Scarlet, her face filled with righteous indignation. “And I promise you, the last thing you will see in this world will be my smiling face as they put the noose around your neck.”
Scarlet laughed, although the man’s face had paled considerably. “You’re a woman. You have no power to do anything at all to me.”
“I myself, perhaps not. But I have powerful friends and relatives, lieutenant.” She nodded to Finn. “As does his lordship. His uncle is the Marquess of Abernethy, one of the parliamentary representatives for Scotland. I am the daughter of a viscount, Lord Downing, and the niece of the Duchess of Ostroda.” Dora took a step toward Scarlet, who actually backed away, although he kept the pistol trained on Finn. “And I am the close personal friend of Viscount Trevor, who I believe you met. I hope you remember his face. A no-nonsense gentleman, if ever there was one.”
“What of it, Miss Harper?” Scarlet’s face had acquired a fine sheen of sweat.
“Should word of any of this get to him,” she waved her hands about the room, “well, I saw what he did to my brother, who had assaulted the woman Lord Trevor loved. He will not wait for courts martial or a hangman’s noose. If you’re lucky, he’ll simply shoot you and be done with it.”
“Shut up.” Scarlet pressed the pistol against Finn’s head so hard the barrel dug into his scalp.
Dora shrugged. “But if you’re out of luck, he will cut you to pieces with his sword and enjoy your every scream.”
“Hopkins! Shut this whore up!” Scarlet jerked Finn up in the bed.
“Sir?” Hopkins stepped forward but looked confused. “You want me to gag her, lieutenant?”
“I want you to stop her mouth any way you can.” He looked down at Finn and leered. “I’m sure you can think of something you can stick in there. Gates, grab her.”
Dora dodged around him and made a run for the door, but the soldier caught her easily and pulled her back into the room, forcing her down on her knees.
Finn’s heart stopped. After everything Dora had just threatened, Scarlet must be mad to order his men to do such a depraved thing. Neither Hopkins nor Scarlet would leave this room alive, so help him God.
With a lecherous look, Hopkins said, “Yes, sir,” and his hand went to his fall.
It was now or never. Finn made a final pull of the ropes and his hands came free. His legs were still bound, but he’d have to deal with that somehow. Right now, he had to stop Hopkins, standing before Dora, who looked utterly confused.
The man dropped his fall, his member tumbling out fully erect and ready.
Dora took one look and screamed. She tried to rise, but Gates held her down.
“Open wide, little missy,” Hopkins crooned.