AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Grant stared at Sabrina in disbelief. “Anyone else in there?”
“Graeme and the vicar are. I’m afraid Jeannie is going to shoot the captain. She’s incredibly upset.”
“Grant, hand me down,” Kathleen said in an impatient tone.
“Of course, but no running off half-cocked.”
“I have to get to her before something terrible happens.”
She wriggled, trying to slide off the horse. Grant kept a firm hold.
“Kathleen, if we go charging in there, we might startle her. She could fire the gun, or Brown might take the opportunity to go for her or one of the men. He’s probably armed.”
“I know, but—”
He gave her a squeeze. “We’ll get her safely out, I promise. But we have to be careful.”
She obviously didn’t like it but gave a terse nod. Grant helped her off the horse and then dismounted.
“Grandda, can you take the horses?”
“Aye, then I’ll join ye.”
“No, you go up to the nursery and stay with Gus. Keep him safe. Who knows who else is lurking about the damn place?”
Angus nodded and led the horses away.
“Excellent thinking, Grant,” Sabrina said as they hurried up the steps. “I’ve already got an armed footman outside the nursery, but it makes sense to send Angus up there.”
“We don’t need him rushing into the middle of this,” he said as they entered the hall. “And beforewerush, tell me how this happened.”
“Apparently the captain decided to sneak in and try to find my necklace,” Sabrina said. “He seems to be alone.”
Grant couldn’t believe the gall of it. “Is the bloody idiot insane?”
“He’s desperate,” Kathleen replied as they headed to the back of the house. “Brown said he needed the necklace to cover his losses on the land scheme and pay his men.”
Hell and damnation.
“So, desperateanddangerous.” He turned to Sabrina. “But how did he end up with Jeannie holding him at gunpoint?”
“As far as we can deduce, she spotted him upstairs and retrieved a pistol from Graeme’s study,” Sabrina said. “Then she followed him to the library. She started shouting at him a few minutes ago. Graeme and I were in the front hall, because David had just arrived to talk to us.”
They turned the corner to see one of the grooms stationed outside the library door. He was armed with a pistol and held up a warning hand. They could clearly hear Jeannie, who sounded on the verge of hysterics.
“Oh, God,” Kathleen whispered.
Grant put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her. “I still cannot believe Brown took such a risk.”
Sabrina made a disgusted noise. “It wasn’t much of a risk. Most of the staff are scattered about the countryside, searching for people. Brown probably climbed in through the library window, which is why he’s in there now. He was going to leave the way he came.”
“Does he have the necklace?” Grant asked her.
“No. I locked it in Graeme’s safe in the study.”
Kathleen jerked out from under his arm. “What does that matter? Ineedto get in there.”
“We might be able to use the blasted necklace as leverage if things go sideways,” he replied. “Offer it to Brown, then track him down later.”
