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Leah covered her mouth with her hands, watching as the Duke and the bandits did battle. Three against one—it wasn’t fair. It was perfect.
The two bandits struggled with the Duke, while her Gentleman pulled his sword, which was at his hip. He was the one who still held Maria, except it was only by her wrist.
The Duke was wrestled onto his back, held down by the two, while her Gentleman placed his sword at the Duke’s throat. He opened his mouth to say something, which would have revealed all, when, to Leah’s disappointment, several of her father’s grooms came running, equipped with weapons.
“Stand down,” one of them said to the masked men, “or I’ll shoot.”
Leah and her Gentleman shared a look. She knew that her face was twisted in fury. How dare he fail her, a second time? He turned away, jumping through the hedge at the back of the garden. In moments, it was over; the masked men had all fled the scene.
Leah stepped over to Maria, who was breathing heavily, tears rolling down her cheeks. She handed her maid a handkerchief. She stood, silently pondering the failure of her Gentleman. This was more than a setback.
All he’d had to do was to slice through the Duke’s throat. They’d had him, right where he should have been. Instead, he’d run.
* * *
The Constable from Bridesdale had arrived, along with Colonel Fitz. They were using as much manpower as possible, in the hopes that they would catch them.
As the group entered through the back door, Selina came running down the hallway. Her eyes were wide in fear.
“Are you all right?” she asked him. He took her hands in his.
“Yes,” he assured her.
“My Lady,” the Constable said, “we’re going to question them.”
Selina nodded, looking at Jasper.
“I’ll speak to you later,” he promised. When he turned away from her, he noted Lady Leah’s look of disdain. Lord Kirby looked very tired.
The entire group was ushered into the parlor. Jasper sat, a glass of brandy in his hand, listening to Lady Leah’s lady’s maid give her version of the story.
“I—I didn’t hear them coming,” Maria said, her voice shaky with hysteria. “I was looking out over the gardens.”
“They must have been following us,” Lady Leah added, smoothly.
“Is that so, My Lady?” the Constable asked.
“It is,” Lady Leah replied. She was seated beside Jasper. Her hands sat in her lap.
Jasper frowned. For someone who had been in grave danger for the first time in her life, Lady Leah seemed calm, unruffled. When standing beside her maid, who was in tears, she seemed…off.
“They must have been waiting for us to get to a point where they were in between us and Kirby Hall,” Lady Leah pointed out, “stalking us.”
Maria burst into a fresh wave of tears. “I’ve never been so frightened in my life, Constable.”
Maria was dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. She was clearly still in distress.
“I’m so terrified, I can barely recall what happened,” Lady Leah added.
“Not one thing?” Jasper asked, watching Lady Leah’s eyes widen. She shook her head.
“Not a thing,” she confirmed. He remembered what she’d done. Stood there, while a blade was pressed to his throat. She could have easily cried for help. She’d done nothing.
“If you recall anything more, please let me know, My Lady,” the Constable said.
Lady Leah stood up and curtsied. “Come, Maria, let’s get you some tea.”
She led her maid off. As soon as the door closed, Jasper looked at the Constable.
