“How was she?” Thel asked. His hands were clenched in the sheets of the bed he sat on, his knees coming up to his chest because the bed was so low to the ground. He tapped his toes on the ground in a rhythm before flushing and stopping. Olivia had no such restraint. Her knees bounced up and down asshe listened to Mr. Ringwell’s story, his words painting a vivid picture in her mind.
She was acutely aware that if her parents had not given in, she might have ended up in a similar position. She knew that had she been in Constance’s place years ago, the earl wouldn’t have needed to convince her to abscond.
“Though she was frowning, she appeared well,” Mr. Ringwell said. “I couldn’t tell if she was staying with him willingly or if he kidnapped her.”
“It won’t take long for them to reach Gretna Green and marry,” Olivia said.
“Then we have to stop him before that happens,” Mr. Ringwell said. “But how? There are others nearby. Highwaymen. He doesn’t allow any of them in the house, as if they are an army surrounding the princess in her castle.”
“Then we bring our own army,” Thel said. “You return and watch Constance. If you get a chance to rescue her without revealing yourself, do it. Otherwise, wait for us to return, and we’ll confront him together. Dawson won’t get away with this.”
###
Olivia slammed her hands down on the desk. “What do you mean, he’s not available?”
Her hair fell into her face. She blew it away from her lips with a puff of air. She could only imagine how awful she looked. They had expected it to be much easier to find someone to come with them to arrest Mr. Dawson for kidnapping, but the first two places they had checked had laughed at their request. When pressed, it became clear that Mr. Dawson had bribed the local law enforcement to ignore his activities.
The man was always one step ahead.
They had split up and taken horses to the outlying communities, hoping to find someone who was not on Mr. Dawson’s payroll.
This small hamlet was her best bet, as it was insulated from the nearby towns by a river that made it difficult to sneak in without being seen by the entire town. She had counted upon that, and on her appearance ensuring she would be received without incident. Unfortunately, the sheriff she had been assured was here was not.
They were running out of time. The sun was high in the sky. Dawson would continue to Gretna Green without delay. They might already be—No. That was foolish. She was only digging herself into despair, thinking such things. She had to trust in Mr. Ringwell, watching the house. If something awful happened, he would act.
“We haven’t had a sheriff since the last one died,” the young man in front of her said. “But if it’s a lawman you’re after, Mrs. Jeffries, the baker, was saying a constable from the city came to speak to her last night. Maybe he’s still about.”
“Where would he go next?” Olivia asked. She didn’t care how or why a London policeman was about, as long as he was willing to help them.
The boy scratched his chin. “The blacksmith, perhaps? He’s got the only other big house hereabouts.”
“Thank you,” Olivia said before rushing out and mounting her horse. The animal was stubborn as a mule and refused to move faster than a canter but was the only creature she trusted herself to ride in her state of agitation. Breaking her neck would help nothing. Her only other options for mounts had been their carriage horses, which were too large for her to ride safely. She’d been lucky the owner of the inn had been willing to lend her the animal.
She exited the town through the same bridge she had entered and found Thel waiting for her at their rendezvous point. The heavy furrowing of his brow told her everything she needed to know about his success.
“Nothing?” he asked.
She told him what she’d learned, and together, they rode up the hill until a house became visible. As they approached, the door burst open, and a uniformed man stepped out. To Olivia’s shock, it was the same constable who had interrogated her at Thel’s house.
“You,” Thel said.
The constable came up short, his eyes wide. “Lord Lowell. What are you doing here?”
“We should ask you the same question,” Olivia said.
The man’s eyes widened further as he took her in. “Lady Allen.” Then he scowled. “Are you two involved as well?”
“Involved with what?” Olivia asked.
“Burglaries,” he said. “I’ve tracked a gang of thieves to this area, but they’ve vanished.”
Olivia glanced at Thel. “Could it be…?”
Thel nodded. “Most likely. Constable, I believe we can help each other.”
“Thel!” came a new voice. It was Mr. Ringwell, riding up the path on a black mare. He came to a stop next to Thel, and she could tell from the grim look on his face that he did not have good news, either.
“I’ve been searching for you for hours,” Mr. Ringwell said. “Dawson has locked her in the house and left. I tried to approach but was nearly spotted by the guards Dawson set. We must act now! This might be our only chance to get to her before it’s too late.”
