Chapter Twenty
Evan
Evan and Jude had a successful morning. He patted his chest where the special license sat safely in place in his coat pocket.
He could now marry Marina wherever and whenever they wished.
Both men stepped out of the carriage in front of the Sidmouth townhouse.
He encouraged Jude to come with him, in case he could convince Marina and her family to let him marry her that very day.
The special license was burning a hole in his pocket.
Who was he kidding? He just wanted to ensure he never slept apart from his beloved again.
Shouts and cries came from a few houses down. “Help! Help! You must help her.” Jude and Evan both looked in the direction of the cries and saw Tabitha running toward them with two maids quick on her heels. “Evan! Jude! Thank God. Someone took Marina.”
Evan stilled and fought to remain standing, gripping Jude’s shoulder.
Jude spoke first. “Tell us everything that occurred.”
“We were walking back from seeing Juliana,” Tabitha explained, her breaths coming rapidly.
“One moment we were talking and the next she was screaming before I saw her get pulled into a carriage. I tried to call for someone to go after her, but there were no other carriages around. I ran straight here.”
“How long ago was this?” Jude asked.
“Five minutes ago, ten at the most.”
The maids nodded behind Tabitha.
“Let’s get inside,” Jude said. “Her family will need to be informed, and we will make a plan.” Jude shifted his focus to Evan, who still gripped his shoulder and fought not to cast up his accounts. “Evan. Let’s get inside. Now.”
“It’s Minto. It has to be,” Evan said. “He is the only one with a reason to take her.”
They met Brooks at the door, who let them right inside.
“Please have his lordship attend us right away. It’s urgent,” Jude commanded.
Brooks pointed toward the drawing room and rushed off to do as Jude asked.
Once they were in the drawing room, Jude focused on Evan. “If Minto took her, then he’s on his way to Gretna Green.”
Evan’s stomach turned. Why did he leave her? He should have kept her by his side until he married her to ensure her safety. He understood the extent of Minto’s desire to get what he wanted. “Then we must leave, right away.”
“If he was in a carriage, we have an advantage. We will go on horseback. We will need weapons and a plan,” Jude said.
Evan ran both hands down his face.
“What is going on?” Arthur asked, rushing into the room, with his mother following closely behind.
Evan stepped forward. “Marina was taken. We believe it was Minto on the way to Gretna Green.”
Her mother gasped, and Arthur balled his fists. “That blackguard is dead,” Arthur said.
His mother gripped her son’s arm. “Bring your sister home. You must hurry. He may not wait until he gets to Gretna to force himself upon her.”
This time, Evan’s stomach churned. He found a nearby houseplant and tossed everything from his stomach.
He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before turning to face everyone, fury raging beneath the surface.
“Arthur, grab your father’s guns. Jude and I will ensure horses are saddled and readied. ”
Arthur darted off to do as he was told. Evan and Jude started toward the door when Marina’s mother stopped Evan. “You will bring her back. I know it.”
He offered a meek smile to her and nodded. “I will. Or else I will give my life trying.”
He only hoped he would get to her before Minto caused her any harm. The thought of Minto forcing himself on Marina made him angrier than he’d ever been in his life. He’d murder the man with his bare hands. Hell, he may do that anyway.
The horses were saddled, and Arthur had given them each a gun. “We must get Graham. He is the best horseman, with the fastest horse. We shall need him,” Evan said.
They rode to the Powis townhouse. Arthur stayed with the horses while Jude and Evan went inside. They were shown to the drawing room where Diana already sat. “Is something amiss?”
“We should wait until your husband arrives,” Evan said, pacing the room.
Thankfully, Graham and Matt entered the drawing room. “What has happened?”
“Minto took Marina.”
Diana gasped, and Graham rushed to his wife.
Matt focused on Evan. “You believe he’s taken her to Gretna, right?”
Evan and Jude both nodded.
Shifting his focus to Graham, Matt spoke again. “Graham, you and I each need a gun.” He nodded toward the guns on Evan’s and Jude’s hips.
Diana was crying, and Graham attempted to calm her. “I don’t want you alone, darling. I’ll have a carriage readied for you.”
“Tabitha is at Sidmouth house with Marina’s mother. Send her there to await our return,” Evan said.
Graham nodded. He kissed Diana’s temple and asked his butler for the carriage before retreating to his study to grab guns for Matt and himself.
When Graham returned, he caught a footman. “I want you to personally see that my wife is brought to the Sidmouth townhome. Escort her inside and do not leave her until she is with the other ladies.” He shifted his focus back to Evan and Jude. “We’ll saddle the horses and meet you out front.”
Evan and Jude departed the townhouse and updated Arthur that Graham and Matt would join them. An extra man wouldn’t hurt. Evan would take all the help he could get to ensure that Marina returned safely and not married to that blackguard.
Once they cleared London and reached the road leading to Gretna, they followed Graham’s lead to push their horses as much as they could. Graham’s expertise from his days as a horse breeder would help to ensure that one of their horses didn’t go lame during the chase. They had to save Marina.
Evan would never forgive himself if anything happened to her.