Freya swallowed her fear and did what Lord Duncan said.Where is Lord Graham? she wondered.He was supposed to be searching the area for a possible attack. If I know anything of the man, he will make an appearance.
Within less than a minute, the coach began to slow, and Lord Duncan awkwardly began to lift himself off her. “Cannot say what we will face, my girl. You must keep your wits about you, if we are to survive.”
There was no time for more conversation, for the coach rolled to a halt, and a man with a mask unlatched the door and pulled it open. Freya belatedly realized Lord Duncan had been shot. Blood dripped upon his coat sleeve. “My lord…” she reached for him, but the masked man ordered, “Move and I will kill you now. You are not important to me.”
Freya knelt on the coach’s floor, frozen with fear.Was this the type of danger her new friends had described?she questioned herself. However, there was no time to determine how to respond, for the man ordered, “Out! Both of you!”
Lord Duncan offered her his uninjured hand to assist her to the seat. “Do as they say, my dear,” he warned in hushed tones.
It was only then that she realized there was another person standing behind the man who held the gun on them. She nodded her agreement. She moved carefully as the man with the gun let down the coach’s steps, but he made no effort to assist her.The second man caught her arm and tugged her from the way so Lord Duncan could also crawl down. She noted Mr. Nichols’s hands rested on the top of his head, for a third man held a gun pointed at the coachman. As predicted, Mr. Hartley was nowhere in sight.
“Down!” the man ordered Lord Duncan, and His Lordship managed to step down backwards, holding on to the side of the coach with his one good hand.
His Lordship turned slowly. “Now what?”
“You will walk until I tell you to stop. Up the hill to the tree line,” the man ordered.
“Could I not tend to His Lordship’s…” Freya began, but the second man gave her a hard shove, nearly knocking her to the ground.
“Walk! Now!”
“I am fair, girl,” Lord Duncan told her. “Do as the man says.”
Tears filled Freya’s eyes, but she did as Lord Duncan instructed. His Lordship came along beside her and reached for her hand. It was the earl’s way of telling her that she was not alone. He would protect her, and she made the silent promise to protect him in return.
Aaran kicked hishorse’s sides a second time when he spotted Mr. Kepper assisting Justin Hartley. “What occurred?” he demanded as he reined in quickly before the pair.
“I fell from the coach,” Hartley shared as Kepper formed a sling out of tied together handkerchiefs. “When Mr. Nichols put the horses at a run to escape masked men. Likely broke my wrist.”
Aaran’s eyes had not yet spotted Duncan’s carriage, which came rolling their way in obvious alarm. Nichols reined in whenhe spotted them. “Are His Lordship and Lady Freya safe, Mr. Nichols?” Aaran asked.
“Gunmen took Lord Duncan and the lady, sir,” Nichols reported.
“How many?” Aaran demanded.
“Three, my lord. All in black,” the coachman explained.
“You will see Mr. Hartley to Thom Manor and explain what occurred to my brothers. I will follow the trail. Did they place His Lordship and the lady on horses or on a wagon?” Aaran asked.
“No, my lord. Lord Duncan and the lady were made to walk,” the coachman explained.
Aaran knew he frowned.Not what I expected, his mind announced. “Where did this take place?”
“A bit near a mile back, but before the turn off for the main road to London,” Mr. Nichols explained.
“I mean to follow the trail. You will repeat all you observed to Lord Orson, who has orders to follow me.”
“Aye, my lord,” Nichols said as Kepper assisted Hartley into the coach. “One moment, though, sir,” the coachman called as Aaran took up his horse’s reins.
“Yes?”
“His Lordship, sir,” the coachman said with his own frown. “I believe Lord Duncan was shot. A bullet pierced the side of the carriage, and there were drops of blood inside and on the steps. As best as I could tell, the master covered the young lady when the shooting began. He crawled out of the carriage, back side first.”
“Struck seriously?” Aaran questioned.
“The master walked proudly across the open pasture leading to the hillside, but the young lady was attempting to tie a handkerchief about Lord Duncan’s arm as she scampered along beside him.”
“Warn Lord Thompson we will require his services.”
