Page 61 of A Wicked Business

“Flint?” Felix exclaimed, though any accusations he might have thrown at the earl died as he saw the devastated look in his eyes.

“This is all my fault,” Keston whispered, shaking his head.

Felix stepped closer. “There’s no time for recriminations, not for either of us. Tell me what you know. Where would he take her?”

“Derbyshire, sir.”

Felix looked up as the butler, Kimble, of whom Belinda had spoken so fondly, stepped forward.

“She shouted the words as he forced her from the house. He—He had a pistol, sir or I should never have—”

The old butler’s words faltered, his eyes swimming with tears.

“This is not your doing, Kimble, but mine,” Keston said, his voice heavy with self-loathing. “I enraged the man and drove him to it.”

“I don’t give a damn whose fault it is!” Felix raged, losing what remained of his wits as terror for Belinda drove him on. “Where exactly would he take her?”

“He’s got an estate in Derbyshire, close to Matlock Bath,” the earl said, and seemed to crumple, sitting heavily in the chair Doris had just vacated, clutching at his chest and breathing hard.

A commotion at the door had everyone turning and Felix let out a breath as his father strode in.

“I saw you come in,” he told Felix. “There’s the most ridiculous rumour about Lady Belinda—” He broke off as he saw the anguish in his son’s face. “Devil take it,” he growled.

“That blackguard Flint has abducted her. He’s got a property in Derbyshire, outside Matlock Bath,” Felix said, struggling to keep his voice even.

His father’s expression hardened. “The bloody swine! Damn him for his impudence. Don’t worry, we’ll find her. If he’s taken the train, I’ll have him stopped. If he’s going by carriage, we’ll be there hours before he is.”

“Knight.”

Both Felix and his father turned as the earl spoke and he looked from one to the other of them.

“I know you owe me nothing, but my daughter—”

His voice broke, such pain on his face that Felix wondered if he had only now realised how precious Belinda was to him.

Gabriel Knight reached out a hand, the enmity between the two men forgotten. He clasped Keston’s shoulder. “We’ll get her back.”

“I took the liberty of having the carriage readied,” Kimble said, gesturing outside.

“Good man,” Felix said, hurrying to the door, his father following.

“Wait!” the earl staggered to his feet. “I’m coming too.”

Felix didn’t wait, not caring what the earl did, but his father nodded as Doris rushed forward. “Me too! My lady will need me.”

Felix muttered curses of impatience as his father, the earl, Charles, and Doris all piled into the carriage, which made it quite close quarters.

“We’ll go directly to the station first,” said Gabriel. “If there’s no sign of them there, at least I’ll have trustworthy men to help us. We’ll leave some there on watch and take the first available train.”

Felix nodded absently. The carriage picked up speed as the traffic cleared but it still seemed a snail’s pace to Felix, who endured the passing minutes in an agony of impotent rage and misery. Visions of what Belinda must be suffering, of how frightened she must be, paraded behind his eyes until he thought he’d run mad. He sat on the edge of his seat, gazing out of the window, his fists clenched upon his knees.

“I’ll kill him,” he said softly.

“Calm yourself,” his father said, his voice stern, which was more than Felix could stand.

“Calm myself?” he repeated, outraged. “This, from you? The man who would tear the world apart at the seams if Mama was taken away?”

Gabriel squeezed his arm. “Yes, I would. I’d be out of my damned mind, and I would need to rely on those who were more clear-headed to keep me on the right path. Felix, if you don’t get a hold of yourself, you’ll end up doing something stupid.”