.
Rachel sat still and watched, as her guards paced the small room at the top of the church. Her hands were bound in front of her, but at least she was in an open space. She had no clue why she was at a church. After Lord Fosse took her from the trunk, he’d helped her upstairs. They’d passed more guards along the way, at least a dozen, who didn’t seem like they belonged in a church. She’d asked where they were going, but Lord Fosse wasn’t listening. He simply continued to compliment her and tell her everything would be all right. Then he’d left her in a room, saying he had to deal with a naughty priest, before he closed the door, calling her by her mother’s name the entire time. She didn’t understand it at all.
Then the guards had bound her, and when she’d started to protest, they’d threatened her with the trunk.
So, she’d remained silent and waited.
The guards had spoken to one another a few times, but she’d not gained their names or why she was here, but they’d otherwise been kind and gentle with her. Where had Lord Fosse gone?
She heard a thump and then a shout.
A scream of pain.
Both guards turned toward the door and pulled out guns.
Rachel pulled in a breath.
The door opened, and Lord Fosse rushed in, a gun in both hands. He looked frightened half to death as he spoke to the guards. “Go down there and do what I’m paying you to do!”
The guards frowned, but did as they’d been asked.
Fosse closed the door behind them and locked it. Then he smiled at Rachel. “We’ll just wait here for the priest to arrive.”
“Why do you we need a priest?” she asked, as she gained her feet. “My lord, I don’t understand why we are here at all. Do those men work for you?” She’d thought at the time that Fosse left her, that they were working for the priest, though she didn’t understand why a priest would put her in a trunk.
There was more shouting.
Rachel jumped as a shot rang out.
Fosse’s steps made noise on the weak floor beams as he walked to her side. “Don’t worry. All will be well soon. I’ll make sure of it, and then we’ll spend the rest of our lives together.”
“What?” Rachel asked, but had no time to gain an answer when there was a knock on the door.
“Who is it?” Fosse hissed.
“Dabney,” came the reply. “Open this door now!”
Rachel frowned, sure she’d heard wrong. But then Fosse was opening the door, and Lord Dabney came in.
Fosse frowned. “Where’s the priest and my other witness?”
“Our witness was detained,” Dabney frowned. “Lord Eastridge is here, and he brought what looks like an army. Lord Woodley and Lord Yall are presently outside the building. My men are holding them back.”
Rachel brightened. “My father’s here?” And so was Reuben. She didn’t understand why Yall would be there, however.
Then Dabney looked at Rachel. “We better leave out the back. We’ll take the lady with us.”
“But what about my wedding?” Fosse stomped his foot, quite ridiculously.
“What?” Rachel backed away. “I want to go to my father and Lord Eastridge. Let me see them.”
Fosse spoke gently, as though she were a child. “You can’t go with them, my lady. You have to stay with us.”
“Why?” Rachel asked.
Dabney started at the door. “We’ve no time for this. You can marry her when we reach the country, or even the continent.”
Marry? Marry who? Her?
Rachel frowned at Dabney. “I can’t marry you. I’m engaged to Lord Eastridge.” And Fosse was her father’s age.
Fosse continued to smile. “Florentia, I’ll not let you marry another man. Not this time. You’ll like the continent. I’ll take you wherever you wish to go, and we’ll be together. You can have whatever you want.”
Rachel felt cold as she spoke. “I’m not Florentia. I’m Rachel, her daughter.”
For a moment, Fosse looked lost, then he was smiling again. “You’ll be happy. I swear it.”
Feet rushed up the stairs, and then there was a knock.
Dabney looked at the mad earl before he spoke to the door. “Who is it?”
“The priest.”
Fosse ran to open the door, just as Dabney shouted “No!”
The door flew open, knocking the earl to the ground, and then Reuben came in.
“Reuben!” Rachel raced to him, but Dabney caught her bound hands and yanked her back. She nearly fell. He was stronger than he appeared.
Something sharp and cold came to rest at her throat.
“I’m leaving, and I’m taking her,” Dabney said. “Leave, taking others with you, and I’ll make sure to send her back to you whole and in good health. Otherwise, I cut her throat now, and spill her blood.”
Rachel’s heart pounded in her chest and she remained as still as possible.
REUBEN SAW the terror in Rachel’s eyes. The light that spilled through the open door showed her paleness and knew he had no choice. He looked at Dabney. “Before I go, tell me something. Why did you wish to kill the king?”
He’d figured out Dabney was the assassin, when he’d found Lord Castell knocked unconscious in the basement of the church, and then saw Dabney racing up the stairs to the church’s tower. Dabney was the assassin. He was close to the king, could get close enough to kill him, but was not a friend of the crown. Jasper’s note had said Lord Castell was connected, but it had taken tonight for Reuben to see the truth. Castell was following Dabney as well, working to save the king’s life. Yall had mentioned from the beginning that he had other men on the assignment, others looking for the assassin. Reuben should have known Yall would ask his own heir. If the situation were any other, he might have laughed at the fact that Yall had entrusted both his sons to save the king.
The note Dabney had been looking for on the night of Castell’s party, had likely been about himself. Both he and Dabney had tried to break into Castell’s office that night. Only Reuben had succeeded.
“How did you get past my guards?” Dabney asked.
“I came through the back.”
Dabney motion with his head toward the room. “You come in, and I’ll take the lady out. You stay here until you’re sure I’ve gone. If I’m followed, I kill her, do you understand?”
Reuben nodded and moved, glancing around the room for anything he could use. “But tell me why you wished to kill the king?”
Dabney moved, taking a frightened Rachel as he spoke. “Our king is mad. His heir is putting our country in debt. It’s time for a new order.”
They circled one another. Dabney passed Fosse’s still form. Rachel tripped and screamed.
Dabney leaned the blade away, and looked to make sure he’d not hurt his hostage.
But Rachel’s trip had been for show.
She’d kicked Fosse’s gun Reuben’s way.
Reuben reached for it, just as Dabney was turning to look at him.
Rachel’s body was being used as a shield, so Reuben only had one choice.
He pulled the trigger and shot Dabney’s hand.
The man screamed.
Rachel fell to the ground, gathered her skirts, and ran to Reuben.
“Go.” Reuben started for the door.
Dabney blocked the way, not only recovered, but with a second gun in his hand. It appeared that Fosse had been holding two. He pointed at Rachel and then Reuben. “Let her come with me.”
“No.” Reuben stepped in front of her.
Rachel grabbed him. “Reuben, don’t be a fool. Let me go with him. He’ll kill you.”
Reuben spoke to her without turning around, all the while making sure Rachel stood behind him. “Listen to me. He has one bullet. He can’t shoot both of us.”
“He won’t hurt me, Reuben,” she pleaded.
“Yes, he will.” He gazed at her from over his shoulder. A final look, before he turned away. “He’d kill the king. He’d kill you just as easily. You must go.”
She was sobbing. “I’m not letting you die.” Even with tears, she tried to fight to get around him.
Stubborn woman.
“Listen to the lady,” Dabney taunted.
He could hear shouting from downstairs. Likely the duke and the earl would call for more men, enough to overtake the guards, but until help arrived, he was on his own. He heard Fosse begin to stir, and knew he was running out of time. Rachel might be able to get away from a defenseless Dabney, but not two men.
Reuben sighed, and thought of the only way he could get her to see reason. “Rachel, I’ve been working all this time to find an assassin. I only started courting you, because I thought Lord Castell was the assassin, and I didn’t want you ruined. Now let me protect you. There’s no longer a reason to die for me.”
He’d always known he’d give his life for hers. Now he could.