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“Yes. A gentleman happened to pass by, and he said it belonged to some Lord Vance.”
At the sound of the name, a feeling of dread hit Andrew in the gut. What would Tabitha be doing at Lord Vance’s house in the middle of the night? Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good. His heart raced a mile a minute and his brain did the same, going through scenarios in his head. Andrew called for his horse to be saddled immediately.
Luckily, he knew the street where Lord Vance lived. He hoped it wasn’t too late. Why hadn’t she told him? Surely she knew he would help if she was in trouble. Did Tabitha trust him so little? He would get answers, but first, he had to rescue her, because knowing Lord Vance, she was in danger.
Andrew rode to the house like he was chasing the devil himself. The ride took only a few minutes at the speed he was going, but it seemed to take an eternity. He jumped off the horse at the front gate, not even waiting for Thorne’s man.
He took the steps two at a time up to the door. As he made his way to the entrance, another one of Thorne’s men came from around the house.
“Is the lady still in there?”
“Yes, sir. I circled the house and saw movement in a room on the south side. It’s the only one with light coming from it.”
“Stay here. If anyone but myself or the lady comes out, stop them.”
“Yes, sir.”
Andrew pounded on the door, loud enough for the entire house to hear. If Tabitha was in there with that monster, there was no telling what was happening. At the thought, he again banged on the door.
Finally, the door was opened. It was all Andrew needed to burst in. The servant who answered was shocked at the intrusion and started to speak when Andrew grabbed him by his shirt.
“Where is she?” Andrew practically seethed with anger.
“She’s in the library with his lordship.” The servant pointed the way and hurried in the opposite direction. Obviously, the servants had little loyalty to their employer.
Sprinting down the hall, Andrew came up to the library door but found it locked. Andrew looked at the second man of Thorne’s who had followed him inside. They both knew what needed to be done. Each took a few steps back and on Andrew’s word burst forward and kicked the door down. Andrew entered first, and what he saw made the blood in his veins turn to ice.
Tabitha was trapped between a desk and Lord Vance. Tears streaked down her face. Her hair and clothes were disheveled, like she had been in a struggle. A red haze of rage fell over Andrew’s vision as he focused his attention on Vance.
Andrew charged, and the force of his weight took both men crashing into a nearby table. The sound of the commotion caused a few servants to come to the doorway. Andrew stood first, then reached down and grabbed Lord Vance by his shirt. He brought his arm back and punched Vance in the stomach, causing Vance to double over, finally collapsing when Andrew threw an upper cut to his nose. The bastard fell to the floor with a hard thud.
Breathing heavily, the sweat glistening on his brow, the anger slowly ebbed out of Andrew. He backed away from Vance, who was sprawled on the floor, blood streaming from his nose, unconscious. Andrew turned to find Tabitha leaning against the desk for support. She looked like a frightened animal, in too much shock to know what to do.
Andrew reached for her, but she flinched. Was she frightened or simply unbelieving that he was there? Either way, they had to get out of Vance’s house before he woke.
The sound of low voices brought Andrew’s attention back to the servants still in the doorway. Andrew spoke to Thorne’s man, who was standing nearby. “Get them out of here, all of them. Listen to me,” he said to the servants. “You saw nothing here tonight. Forget we were here, or you will pay dearly.”
The man ushered the servants out and closed the door behind him.
Andrew turned his attention back to Tabitha, who tried to take a step, but her legs gave. Instantly, Andrew was at her side, sweeping her up in his arms. The sight of her trembling, clothes in disarray caused the rage to boil forth again. Then he felt Tabitha’s hand on his chest. It was like a wave of peacefulness swept over him, cooling the fury running rampant.
She looked at him. “Take me away from here.”
It was all he needed to hear. Andrew held her close, carrying her out of the room. He didn’t give a second glance at Lord Vance, who was stirring from his position on the floor. Andrew carried her out of the house, then placed her on his horse before mounting behind her.
Andrew took Tabitha to his home and carried her into the parlor. He placed her on the settee, then poured them both a brandy. While she settled, he dismissed Thorne’s men for the night, letting them know he would contact their employer in the morning with an update of the events. That done, Andrew placed a drink in front of Tabitha on the table and stepped away.
He stood several feet away by the mantle, not sure what to say. When he had barged into Lord Vance’s home, he had been shocked at what he had seen. The scared expression on Tabitha’s face would be with him for days to come, he was sure of it. All he knew was that look had brought to the surface all the possessive and protective feelings he had toward her. Seeing her cornered by that monster, Andrew would have killed the man if he’d had less restraint. Even now, seeing Tabitha in the state she was in made Andrew want to finish what he had started.
The room continued to be cloaked in silence. Andrew wanted to give Tabitha time to collect herself before speaking. He glanced toward her as she sat on the couch, her head bowed. Questions raced around Andrew’s mind.
After a long draw on his brandy, Andrew spoke. “Are you going to tell me why the hell you were at Lord Vance’s house?” He couldn’t help the sharp, agitated edge that crept into his voice.
Tabitha’s continued silence made Andrew more frustrated. He waited for her to answer until he became restless, pacing the floor like a caged animal. Through it all, Tabitha refused to speak. Andrew let out a loud sigh and downed the last of the brandy before he threw the glass into the fireplace.
In three long strides he was at Tabitha’s side. He knelt in front of her, grabbed her arms, and gave her a gentle shake.
“Why? Why were you there, Tabitha? Damn it,” he shouted in annoyance, “after everything we have been through.”
