Chapter Twenty
Somewhere on the road
to Gretna Green
Just before dawn
The day had turned cold and brutal with rain and wind, and Gerald was reminded of what must have gone through when she fled Vern Stiles. Gerald, Percival, Wright, and three of Wright’s men pursued Vern’s trail. Banbury had stayed behind to assist with the clean-up of the stables and to make sure the women and children were all right. Gerald had not worried about leaving Banbury, along with his father, and Connery to oversee everything. He knew they, as well as the Regent’s men, would continue to question Grom. Doctor Baker had arrived just as they were leaving. The good doctor would tend to Grom’s wounds, but the giant would be kept in the cellar until they returned.
After riding for the rest of the day and most of the night, they weren’t any closer to finding them. Gerald was beyond frustrated. They had stopped at every inn along the way and questioned the innkeepers and their wives…and any servants they ran into who worked at various inns in case they might recognize the description of Vern and Selena. As time passed, frustration began to build within him.
Gerald was determined to find her. But how could Vern be that much farther ahead of them? The barn hadn’t been on fire that long, so he couldn’t have had that much of a head start. “We’ve not missed a single inn on this road. So far, we’ve turned up nothing. There are absolutely no signs of the bastard,”
he said to Wright.
“There is one more inn on this stretch of road, and then, a mile-long stretch with no other establishments. It’s a pity we don’t have a better description of his carriage. All Grom could provide was ‘it was black with red interior leather, powered by four brown horses,’”
Wright elaborated. “I’m sure he didn’t dispose of the horse he stole. So that may be tied behind.”
“Sounds like you’ve traveled this road a bit,”
Gerald said with a wry smile.
“I’ve traveled it a time or two, but not for the reasons you think,”
Wright chuckled. “Usually looking for someone else’s sister or loved one.”
“Ah, Wright, you’ll forever be the last bachelor standing eh,”
Percival teased.
“Why should I limit my charms to just one lovely lady when there are so many who yearn for my attentions?”
Wright quipped back. “Poor Percival, now that you’re a newly minted viscount you’ll no longer be able to travel from port to port wooing those luscious senoritas. You’ll have to take your rightful place among the ton , manage your estate, marry a dewy-eyed debutante, and spend the rest of your life landlocked.”
“I only just got here. I haven’t even been to Rose Point,”
Percival said. “Besides, there will be a lot to sift through after all this is over. Finding a dewy-eyed debutante is not exactly first on my list.”
“All right you two, before you launch into tales of your romantic exploits, shall we get back to our search?”
Gerald said dryly.
“I believe there is one more inn in this area before a stretch of highway and the next batch of inns,”
Wright said. “If I recall, it’s just around the bend. I won’t pretend to know the name of it.”
“Either Vern greased their palms or threatened the innkeepers. There’s no way he could be traveling in a carriage with Miss Bowles and not have stopped,”
Percival said. “Unless these innkeepers are the same as the ones, I’m used to dealing with in port towns.”
“People elope to Gretna Greene, so innkeepers and tavern owners are used to keeping silent about the couples who stop for the night. I suppose it’s part of the culture here,”
Wright added.
“That must be the inn up ahead,”
Gerald said, pointing to a white inn with heavy smoke coming from its chimney, just as they rounded the curve in the road. “Let’s spread out,” Gerald said in a low voice. “We’ll cover the front door and the back so the bastard can’t escape.”Look for a black carriage with a red interior. I’m certain the horses have been changed several times by now if he’s here.”
Gerald and Percival went in, while Wright and one of his men watched the front, and Wright’s two other men went to the back.
It was the same routine they’d followed at every stop.
Gerald strode up to the innkeeper and began to ask him if he’d seen Vern and Selena. He went on to describe Selena and what he knew of Vern.
“No milord. We’ve not seen anyone that matches that description,”
the innkeeper, a man named Lampshire said, shaking his head.
“Have you seen a black carriage with a red interior come through this day?”
Gerald persisted. Looking around Gerald saw several black carriages, although he’d have to get closer to see if their interiors were red. At this point, he would check.
Still, the man shook his head.
Gerald’s gut told him that the innkeeper was lying. “Mr. Lampshire,”
Gerald said, trying once more. “Are you married? Do you have children? A daughter perhaps?”
The balding stout man nodded. “Aye, my wife Margie and my daughter Helen.”
“Then you understand how important it is to protect the women we love from evil predators and criminals.
The innkeeper heaved a deep sigh as Gerald continued to press him. “This brute kidnapped my fiancée. He’s wanted by the authorities in Portugal and England for both murder and attempted murder. He won’t hesitate to do it again. She is in grave danger. Surely you, as a husband and father understand how devastating it would be to lose either your wife or daughter to such a vile man as this.”
Still, the man shook his head.
“Aye. We saw them,”
an older woman stepped out from the kitchen. “I’m Mrs. Lampshire. Please don’t be angry with my husband. He was threatened by that devil. But seeing you gentlemen here, I believe in doing the right thing.”
“What can you tell us?”
Gerald asked.
“The man said it was their honeymoon and ‘e didn’t want to be disturbed. He was coarse and ugly, I would never have put a lovely lass with such an ugly old toad as that one. He handed my husband a few gold coins and then turned around and threatened us.”
“Margie, hush,”
the innkeeper said to his wife.
“Giles, we have to help that lovely girl.”
“All right,”
Lampshire said. “My wife is right. He threatened us. He’s a mean son of a bitch. “He said if we told, he’d burn down our inn.
“But if he tries, I’ll have my blunderbuss Bess waiting for him,”
Margie said.
“What room are they in?”
Gerald asked the innkeeper. When a second ticked by with no answer, he repeated his question, this time in a thunderous voice. “Room?”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Giles.”
His wife flipped open the registry and read through the names on the list. “M-milord, it’s the honeymoon suite, room 201 at the end of the hall,” she said.
Gerald took the stairs two at a time with murder on his mind.
“I should have taken you when I had the chance,”
Vern said, stalking her to the other side of the large room.
Selena was standing in the corner gripping a chair in front of her as a barrier. My God! How could this have happened? Her life had become a living nightmare once more. Somehow, the vile man had slipped past Gerald and the men, as well as the posse of men the Prince Regent had sent. Her head whipped around the room. What could she use as a weapon? But she could see nothing. Perhaps she could lift the chair. But it was too heavy to wield. She’d been so happy in the days she’d spent at Bellwood. Despite her worry about Vern being out there, somewhere, she’d felt loved and cared for. Gerald had lived up to every girlhood dream she’d had about a knight in shining armor. He was kind and loving and he made her laugh and so handsome she could swoon. His family had welcomed her with open arms. She felt that she truly belonged. That her future with Gerald was something bright and full of light and love. But Vern had found her. Somehow he’d slipped past the footmen and had kidnapped her. And now she was once again alone, facing her worst nightmare. She wished she could close her eyes and wish herself back to Bellwood. But she couldn’t afford to close her eyes, not even for a second.
She trembled as he pressed against the wall. Vern cackled like a demon as he reached out and flung the chair away. He pressed himself against her and grabbed her by the throat. “I can’t wait to make you mine, my beauty.”
He bit her shoulder, making her scream as he dragged her to the bed. She tried to push him off, but he held her arms over her head in an iron grip as he yanked up the hem of her dress.
“No, leave me alone!”
she screamed, thrashing back and forth she managed to free her leg and kneed him in the groin.
He howled in pain as he rolled off her.
Selena scrambled off the bed and frantically searched for something she could throw at him.
“Oh, I see you like it rough,”
he rasped. “We’ll be married soon enough, so it won’t matter if I take what should have been mine weeks ago…so let’s make it now. After all, this is the honeymoon suite.” He grabbed her once again. Foul, whiskey breath washed over her, and she gagged at the stench. She had to fight. She could not allow him to assault her. To steal the precious gift reserved for Gerald. Tears came to her eyes as she remembered Gerald’s kisses, the touch of his hands, his smiles, his tender words…
Vern caught her by the hair and dragged her back to the bed. Throwing her onto the mattress he tore at her dress exposing her legs and thighs. “That’s better,”
he muttered. “Happy honeymoon, my dear little wife. After we marry and I get my hands on your inheritance you’ll die in an unfortunate accident, and I’ll be so grieved I’ll have to leave the country.”
“You vile beast,”
she screamed, spitting in his face.
“Bitch!”
He backhanded her and Selena fell back onto the bed, dazed.
Suddenly the door to the room smashed open and the heavy weight of Vern disappeared. Trembling, she sat up and saw Gerald appear as if from a dream, slamming a bloodied Vern against the wall.
“Say your prayers, you bastard,”
Gerald growled, wrapping his hands around Vern’s throat.
Heavy footsteps sounded from the hall and Wright ran in. “Stop, Gerald. You can’t kill him.”
Percival followed Wright into the room. “My lord, you must let justice see him hang.”
Both men tried to pull him away, but Gerald’s hands continued to tighten around Vern’s neck.
“Gerald, my love, please stop…”
Selena’s faint voice reached his ears. Slowly reason returned and he slammed Vern against the wall.
He turned and rushed to Selena who was sobbing on the bed. Gathering her into his arms, he hugged her fiercely. He pulled away and regarded her face. “My God, what did that bastard do to you?”
he rasped. Her face and throat were black and blue, and blood was pouring down her face. Gerald pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and gently cleaned the blood, looking for the source of the wound.”
“I think it’s from a cut above my eye,”
she whispered.
Gerald carefully dabbed at the cut, trying to stop the flow of blood. He knew from experience that cuts above the eye bled profusely.
“You make a habit of coming to my rescue,”
she murmured.
Gerald chuckled softly as he continued to tend her wounds. “My love, I will gladly spend the rest of my life coming to your rescue,”
he said tenderly.
“I hope you won’t have to. I hope this is finally over,”
she said, her eyes filling with tears again.
“It’s finally over, my love, I promise. I promise. I promise.”
Gerald said, his voice catching as he kept saying it over and over again pulling Selena into a tight embrace and rocking her as she wept into his shoulder.