Surprised and winded as he was, Carily let out a shout of laughter—which suddenly choked off as Jack closed his hands around the man’s throat.
Carily jerked and scrabbled at the relentless hands.But Ralph threw himself forward, gripping Jack’s arm, hauling him off, and allowing Carily to fight back.
Jack had no intention of making it easy, and he didn’t.Only once did he glimpse his uncle’s face, which bore an expression of undisguised horror.
Chapter Fourteen
“Lily?”
The whisper was unrecognisable to Tabitha.Had someone mistaken her for Lily when they had pushed and locked her in here?Was this a friend or an enemy?
“No,” she said clearly.“It’s Tabitha.”
“Lady Sark!”
Unmistakably, that was Nathaniel Meade, his voice betraying both shock and astonishment.
She removed the saw from the crack in the door.“Let me out.”
But the bolt was already being drawn back and Meade stood upright and blessedly normal by the light of the lantern in his hold.
“Dear God, what has happened to you?”he exclaimed, as though involuntarily.
“Where is Lily?”she demanded.
“I don’t know.I was looking for her when I found you.We were meant to meet on the terrace just before the supper dance, but she didn’t come, and I didn’t see her in the ballroom.The thing is, she didn’t come out either...”
“Then she’s still in the house,” Tabitha said grimly, striding back along the path.“I should have known Ralph had tricked me twice over.We must find her immediately.”
“I agree, but my lady, do you really want to be seen in the ballroom like that?”
“Like what?”she demanded impatiently.
“Your hands are bleeding all over your torn gloves.There’s dirt on your face and your gown, and cobwebs in your hair.”
Tabitha opened her mouth to deny that any of that mattered.Although, of course it did.She swerved toward the kitchen entrance.
