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“Don’t be frightened by the rifles, sir. This is just a precaution for our safety. We won’t fire as long as you don’t do anything that would harm us,” Dr. Wynn, a younger man says. Well, he’s around my age, so not young but certainly younger than his colleague with white-grey hair looking at me over his spectacles and stumbling over his words.
“Please. I don’t have a lot of time to waste. I don’t know how long I was tied up in the woods, but you must believe me. My daughter has been kidnapped. Lord Heath Everton agreed to accompany me on the journey and to pay the debt for her release. But once I informed him that despite his help, he wouldn’t be getting my blessings to marry my daughter, he knocked me out and tied me up. He left me for dead!”
A deep laugh rumbles through the residents of Colderidge. “Well, isn’t that rich!” the voice says, and I know instantly who it is. I fear that his voice will live forever in my head, refusing to leave. Heath Everton himself, steps forward.
“This man is lying. He’s an imbecile.” He waves his hand toward me. “Look at him. Doesn’t he appear as one of the lunatics that wander the streets throughout the day and night, with nowhere to sleep? Nary a word can be trusted once it leaves his mouth,” he scoffs.
“And what do you have to say about this?” I ask, raising my wrists and dropping the hood of my dirty cloak. “Do you suppose I did this to myself?” I shake my hands at everyone.
The crowd gasps, and some of them squirm.
“Sir, you must get that wound looked at immediately,” Dr. Wynn says as his colleague peers through his spectacles.
“Well, that is ghastly, isn’t it?” Heath pulls out his handkerchief and presses it against his nose. “He must have been mugged and beaten by people looking to have a laugh,” he says.
The crowd turns to face him, scowling. My body shakes at the possibility of changing their minds about me. A smile turns up on my face, and Heath spots it. His eyes blaze like hell, and those forehead muscles bulge.
“You can’t believe this man? He’s insane! Tell me, do I strike you as someone who would leave a man for dead, solely because he refused to give me his blessings to marry his daughter? Do I strike you as someone quite so desperate, when I have so many other lovely ladies at my dis… Ahem… I can propose to?” he asks, wandering over to a group of giggling hyenas dressed in silk, batting their eyes at him. He smiles at them, pinching the chin of one, and she chortles.
The crowd mutters among themselves. Their doubt is reappearing, and a weight slams into my chest, attempting to knock me breathless. “He’s lying. He’s so accustomed to getting what he wants, he can’t accept rejection! He became furious and decided he’ll get what he wants without me in the picture,” I pant. “Ask his servant, Mario!” I say, as soon as I spot him, shrunken next to Heath, looking at the ground. “You were there, Mario! Tell them I’m not lying, please! For the sake of honour,” I beg.
Mario doesn’t even glance in my direction. The crowd waits too long, and the silence drags on before they fill it with their own speculations.
“Please,” I groan. “I need you to believe me. My daughter doesn’t have long left. If I don’t make it back to where she is with the money, she’ll die in two days. The beast has taken her captive, and he’s vowed that he’ll kill her if I don’t bring the money to him in thirty days. Those thirty days are quickly ending, and I can’t lose my daughter. Please. I beg of you, accompany me on the journey. My horse knows the way. He’ll get us there. If you all can donate some of your wealth to rescuing her, I’ll be forever in your debt.”
“Ah!” Heath raises his finger. “And now there’s a beast. Do you believe me now? He’s an imbecile with a money-making scheme, and I’m outraged that he’s tried to disgrace my good name. He even tried to mug me once, and I exercised mercy on him, but he clearly needs help. Who knows what he did to his daughter? He might have even killed her, for all we know. Or he’s the one keeping her captive to trick us all into giving him money. He deserves to be locked away, in the asylum or imprisoned,” he yells.
Killed her? Me? I would never. This is outrageous and a complete waste of time. If I can’t have them willingly come with me, I’ll let them chase me there. “Come on, Chance,” I whisper. “Let’s go and get Olivia.”
My brilliant plan is given a swift death, however, as the crowd attempts to block Chance. He rises on his back legs, neighing out a warning.
The crowd yells, “He really is insane!” They gasp.
“Sir! I must insist that you gain control of that horse and dismount him willingly, or we will kill him!” one of the soldiers warns me.
My breath leaves me at that. They can’t kill Chance. I can’t lose my boy due to his loyalty and my stubbornness. Besides, if they kill him, they’ll still manage to capture me. I’m out of choices. With tears falling down my cheeks, I shout a command, and Chance obeys, lowering his front legs and holding still. “That’s a good boy,” I whisper, choking on emotion. “I failed.”
A gushing waterfall of tears blind by eyes. My body can’t stop shaking, so much so, that I miss my step on the stirrup. By a stroke of luck, I regain my balance and lower myself to the ground. With my chest rattling, I gasp for air. “Please,” I whisper, my voice dying. “Please, we must save her.”
Like a cat being grabbed by its scruff, I’m hauled toward them by the neck of my cloak. The small ties strangle me, but the soldiers don’t care.
“What have you done with your daughter, you old bastard?” Someone shouts from the crowd behind us. “Let him tell us what he’s done!” they demand.
“Well?” The soldier looks at me.
Wheezing, I point at my throat. He rolls his eyes and grabs me by my arm instead. “Where you’re headed, you’ll wish you were dead. And unless you talk, you’ll live out your last days there,” he says as I cough. “You have until the mobile cage arrives.” He shakes me. “Go on, tell them!”
With snot running out of my nose, I wail. “I’m telling you the truth. There’s a man, he’s called ‘the beast…” I start, but the soldier grabs me by the back of my neck.
“That’s enough,” he grunts.
Struggling, I continue to shout, “He’s captured her because of a debt I owe. He won’t release her until that debt is paid. And if it’s not paid, he’ll kill her. Please.”
The soldier throws me to the ground before giving me the back of his hand. “I said, that’s enough!”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Adam
