Before she could react, the man spoke, his mouth curving in a malicious smile.
“Abigail, dear. We meet again at last.”
Abigail gasped. The voice was familiar. But surely... no, it couldn’t be.
“What is the meaning of this?” She demanded.
The masked man chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry. You will soon understand.”
He grabbed her by the arm, pulling her out of the carriage. She resisted, of course she did, but her efforts were futile. His grip was too strong.
“Let me go! Help!” she screamed, to no effect.
Elizabeth - God bless her - tried to help, pummeling the man’s back while tears coursed down her face. “Let her go, you brute!”
The man turned and, with a violent shove, hurled Elizabeth against the opposite wall of the coach.
“Please, don't hurt her!” Abigail screamed, frantic with fear. “Let us go. Are you insane?”
The man merely sneered at Abigail, tightening his grip on her arm.
“Oh, don’t you worry, Lady Elizabeth. I shall release you unharmed. I need you to deliver this to your brother.” The man shoved a crumpled piece of paper into Elizabeth’s trembling hands.
“Tell him if he ever wishes to see his wife again, to meet me at noon today. At the place specified on the note. Tell him to come alone and play no tricks. I have my men watching his residence.”
With that, the man yanked Abigail’s arm again, causing her to stumble within the confines of the carriage. The footman was now at the door, staring wide eyed and confused at the mayhem inside. He was little more than a boy. She opened her mouth to tell him to run and call for help, when the attacker retrieved a nasty pistol from his coat pocket and pointed it at her head.
“Get out of my way if you want your mistress to live,” he snarled, and the boy fell back white-faced.
Then he dragged her out of her coach and into his own, which was jammed against hers at an odd angle. Before she could fully comprehend all that had happened, they were off without meeting much more resistance.
She swallowed.
“Whatever it is you are trying to accomplish, you will never get away with it. I know who you are. My husband will see you in jail for this. In fact, I thought he had already sent you there.” Her insides were shaking, but she was proud that her voice came out even.
“Shut up!” The masked man snarled back with such venom that she shrank back. “You think you are so clever, don’t you? Cozying up to the new earl, having me dismissed and thrown in jail. And then marrying the freak. Quite the coup for you. But it will be all for naught. I will kill you and your husband. And then the estate will be mine. As it always should have been.”
Panic threatened to overwhelm her. Dunson was obviously deranged. How could he own the estate? Instinct prompted her to keep him talking.
“How could killing us help you own the estate? It is entailed.”
“Yes, it is. And I’m the heir presumptive. I bet you didn’t know that little detail, did you?” His mouth twisted in a malicious sneer.
Her heart was pounding so fast it surprised her he couldn’t hear the drumbeat.
“In that case, you will be the first suspect in our murders.”
His raucous laugh dripped with scorn. “Oh, no. I won’t be. It will look like a crime of passion. Your husband walks in on you and your lover. Full of jealousy, he shoots you and then kills himself. It is the perfect story, really. Everyone knows your husband is a jealous fool. Especially after yesterday’s fight.”
“That won’t hold,” she shot back desperately. “Elizabeth saw you kidnap me.”
Dunson scoffed.
“That silly chit. After I’m done with her, she will be so confused, even she will believe the story. But just to make sure, I will marry her. So that she can never testify against me.”
His cold-bloodedness chilled her to the marrow. It was a diabolical plan that would destroy them all.
And it very well might work.
