Page 93 of How to Start a Scandal

Seth braced himself on his desk at the news. The men who had fought at his side for years were injured. And if they had been attacked—

‘What is the meaning of this?’ Seth’s mother demanded.

Seth looked down at the note in his hand as the terrible understanding dawned on him. ‘Caroline, did you ever meet Mr Pattinson?’

Caroline blinked and shook her head. ‘No.’ She turned back to the maid who was openly sobbing. ‘What happened to Burton and Harold?’

‘A physician is on his way,’ Seth said. ‘Mr Nash requires assistance as well.’

Seth’s mother followed his gaze and gave a choked cry.

‘When the physician comes, have him see to Nash, Harold and Burton.’ Seth checked the chamber of his pistol.

‘Where are you going?’ Seth’s mother demanded.

‘To the wharf.’ He clenched his hand into a fist, balling up the note. ‘Mr Pattinson thinks he has Caroline.’

Caroline’s brow furrowed. ‘Me?’

‘Except there is now another dark-haired young lady in this home,’ Seth said grimly.

Caroline gasped. ‘Violet.’

Seth closed his eyes against the pain radiating from his very soul. ‘Yes. Pattinson doesn’t have you. He has Violet.’ Seth tucked the pistol into the band of his breeches. ‘And I’m going to get her back.’

Violet wriggled in an attempt to free her hands of their bindings. Not that she could be so easily liberated, not when the ropes were tied so tightly they sawed into her raw skin with every movement.

At least she had been told to tie up Susan and had been able to do so with looser bindings. Her maid sat in the chair Violet had been forced to strap her to. Sobs hiccupped from Susan and echoed in the large warehouse.

It was empty within, save for a stack of crates at the rear of the building. Mr Pattinson stood beside Violet, his arm locked on the crook of her elbow. She twisted her wrists.

His hand tightened on her. ‘Enough struggling, or I’ll shoot your maid.’

‘What are you going to do with us?’ She glared at him.

His pale gaze swept to the single small door leading into the warehouse. ‘I’m going to kill your brother.’

Her brother?

Her confusion was fleeting when she recalled how he’d referred to being her family’s solicitor. It wasn’t because she was Seth’s wife and now a Sinclair. It was because Mr Pattinson thought she was Caroline.

Well, she wouldn’t correct him and she certainly wouldn’t let him succeed in what he planned to do. She stopped moving as he’d demanded and glanced around frantically. There had to be something, anything, she could use as a weapon. The ground was filthy, a mess with piles of dirt and refuse.

And then she saw it: a rock. Just larger than the palm of her hand.

‘I want no part of this.’ Violet jerked her arm free from Mr Pattinson’s grasp.

‘You’re already involved.’ He snagged her arm again. As she had anticipated.

She yanked herself from his hold once more and used the momentum to topple over. She slammed hard to the ground and a puff of dust welled up around her. Quick as she could, she patted behind her for where she expected the rock to be. Grit collected on her fingertips, then she bumped something soft and wet. She wouldn’t think too hard about what that could be.

Mr Pattinson uttered a gruff curse and reached down to pull her up. Violet floundered and kicked her feet on the filthy floor in an effort to free herself from his grip. More dust stirred up, but though it covered her actions of trying to locate the rock, it did little to aid in its recovery.

The solicitor grabbed her shoulders and hauled her upright. As she was dragged over the floor, she snagged something hard and rough. The rock.

She closed her fingers around it and hid it within her hand tied beneath the other, concealing it from view. Mr Pattinson gripped Violet so hard, she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out.

‘If you do that again, your maid suffers for it,’ he growled. ‘Do you understand?’