Eliza yawned at the table while a maid poured her tea. She didn’t understand why she was so exhausted, nor did she understand where Evan had run off to. The servants mentioned he had taken one of Haversham’s servants to collect the remaining things left at Mary’s townhouse and would return by noon. Yet, why could he not have stopped there on the way home?

“Eliza, have you set a date for the wedding?” Haversham asked.

“No, we have not. He only just asked for my hand, and I never gave him an answer. How typical.”

Haversham chuckled. “Give the earl a chance, dear. That wench following him about has created quite the stir. Cannot blame the man for trying to keep his family and future countess safe.”

Eliza desperately wanted to understand the depths of what pushed this woman forward. No woman went to these lengths unless it was out of desperation. She took a sip of her tea and set her cup down.

“Would someone care to tell me the story who has more information that the ridiculous tales being gossiped about?” Eliza asked.

Mary and Haversham exchanged a worried glance, then Mary said, “Are you sure you want to know, Eliza?”

She nodded. “I am aware of Evan having some part in this miserable tale.”

“As you wish. I will let Haversham tell you what he knows.”

Eliza ate a piece of fruit but the somber expression of Haversham’s face worried her. He cleared his throat and began, she feared, a litany of unsavory characteristics of the man she loved.

“Three years ago Lady Amelia’s husband, Lord Vincent Crawley, found the woman in a home of ill-repute, to put it politely. Clearly trained in conniving her way into money, you can imagine the grand production she played into making her his new wife; who, by the way, had only been departed for three months before that scoundrel made his way to the bawdy house.”

Mary wrinkled her nose in distaste, but remained quiet.

Haversham continued. “The story has it that when Amelia married Crawley, she insisted the will be changed so that she inherited the townhouse and his eldest could not contest the matter. Furthermore, she went to great lengths to put distance between Crawley and his son. Little did the wretch know that while Crawley requested the changes made to his entailment, the solicitor, who happened to be his youngest brother, never submitted the change.”

Eliza gasped. The woman had been turned out of house and money. This explained a great deal.

“As you can imagine when she soon discovered, from his solicitor, she would receive nothing and had already racked up some debt, Lady Amelia was put on notice to clear out of the townhouse by this week, or—“

“Or what, Haversham?” Eliza demanded.

“I am not clear of all the details; however, I had heard she was given three options. You should understand that months--maybe even a year--before the poor man’s demise, Amelia roped in one of my own sons, Radcliffe, and several others in hopes of moving on to the next wealthy protector. Amelia, these last few weeks, knew of the scandals that plagued Radcliffe and used them to her advantage. There is no telling what the woman will do when she realizes none of her plans came through.”

Eliza had a sinking feeling. “A cornered animal is dangerous.”

“Indeed, it is. My lady, I advised Radcliffe this morning for him to go ahead to the townhouse to collect your remaining items and promised I would send you along with your servants and his carriage once you and Mary had finished chatting for the morning. He thought it would be best if you both travelled separately, so I will return him safely to you at the estate once he has returned.”

This discussion, over breakfast, clearly shed the unsavory character Evan attempted to deal with in a manner that did not put all at risk. Somehow, she did not figure this woman criminally insane, yet the recounting of this past worried her.

She loved Evan even more than she did before. There was no apology she could offer him to forgive her impertinent behaviour or her horrid displeasure when all he attempted to do was the honorable thing in protecting his family.

“Lord Haversham, you have my thanks for explaining this sordid tale. I now understand the whole of the situation. Yes, I do think you are correct in your recommendation I travel separately. In fact, I do think I shall ready myself.” Eliza rose. “Lord Haversham, Mary, it was a lovely visit.”

“My dear, you are welcome to visit any time you desire for any length of time.”

She made quick work of assembling her servants and collecting her things. It was not until she and the servants were in the carriage, well into their travels, that a niggling feeling in her belly settled. She wondered how Annabelle and the viscount were doing or if Evan’s mama was well.

Ladies did not get niggling feelings. However, the odd sensation was the same when her husband had been near his death. She, of course, would never say a word to a soul about how she felt; no one would understand.

“My lady, do you have a preference as to who will make your dress for your wedding?” her maid asked with a kind smile.

“No, I do not. I have not given the dress much thought.”

“While I am certain the master might object to you leaving the house until that woman is put in Bedlam, I am sure we can arrange to have your dressmaker brought to the house.” The manservant grinned. “Such a wonderful plan. We can even go as far as to planning the church, though I imagine he will want a quiet wedding in a parish church. The less people know the better. It worked for Lady Annabelle.”

“I agree.,” Eliza said. “Once we have settled I shall check on the dowager countess and ask if she would aid in our planning.”

Both the maid and valet crinkled their noses and pouted.

“What was that for you two?” Eliza asked.

“Beggin’ your pardon, my lady, but do not hold much weight into what the dowager countess says,” the maid replied. “She has been in a foul disposition since Lord Radcliffe moved her into the dower house.”

Sadness gripped her heart. The woman surely had to be lonely and experiencing some sort of malaise being separated from her only daughter. Evan had his reasons, but it was up to her to attempt to mend the hard feelings between Evan and his mama.

“Was she really so horrible?”

“Nay, my lady, but she has a horrible temper. When the master’s father was still alive all the servants below suspected she drove him to drink and into the arms of a lover. It was rumored she favored another.”

Eliza sighed. A life filled with such resentment was a life wasted. She would still visit her and attempt to form a friendship. All Eliza could do was try.

* * *

Evan waited at the front door of Eliza’s cottage. The servants should be down any instant with with the last trunk. The collection of items should have not taken so long but he did not realize the volume of new gowns Mary had commissioned for Eliza.

They were all so lovely and while the woman never thought she would need them, he could have had new ones made for her, yet figured she would appreciate the gesture if he stopped in and retrieved them himself.

He glanced up toward the stairs waiting for some sign of Henry returning, but nothing. The minimal staff Mary kept here had since moved on and the furniture was covered.

Evan began walking up the stairs when he heard a thud. Had the servant hurt himself? He raced up the stairs. Evan reached the room, but the servant was nowhere to be seen and the trunk sat open.

The right side of the wardrobe door had been left open with the final gown hanging carelessly. When he opened the other door to the wardrobe, a leg fell out nearly hitting him. He lifted the man out and instantly recognize Henry. Evan laid him on the floor. He had taken a blow to the head as blood dripped down his face.

“Lord Radcliffe! Is anything the matter,” the driver shouted from below.

“Summon the constable!” he yelled back.

Evan turned to rush downstairs. Something hard hit the back of his head. Pain splintered through his skull. Then the room went dark.

* * *

Evan awoke to a pounding headache. He winced and blinked into focus a dimly lit room. He shifted and couldn’t move. His arms, he couldn’t move his arm. Panic sent his heart into an erratic rhythm before he realized he was tied to a chair. What the devil had happened? He’d been in Eliza’s room. Had it been a robbery that he and the servant walked in on?

“Hello! Is anyone there? Show yourself at once.”

Pain reverberated through his head, but Evan shouted over and over until footsteps approached. He craned his neck to see who it was but the pain at the back of his head warned him not attempt in turning it any further.

Dodds stepped into view. “Well, well, well, Lord Radcliffe. Seems you have found yourself in quite the predicament.”

“Dodds! What is the meaning of this?” Evan ground out, knowing all too well who else might be involved.”

“I will leave the explaining to Amelia, but for now I do believe I owe you…” Dobbs rammed a meaty fist into Evan’s jaw.

Thud. Evan took the first of two blows to his stomach.

“That would recompense for the ball the other night,” Dodds said.

The man went to hit him again when Amelia screamed. “Enough! I cannot have his face broken before we are married, you insolent fool.”

Married? Did the wench honestly believe she was going to force him to marry her?

Amelia stepped in front of him and stroked his cheek. “It has been far too long, love. If you had just played along nicely none of this would have happened.”

“You are delusional if you think you will ever be my wife.”

She clucked her tongue and grinned. “I think you have forgotten what we once had, my lord. Shall I remind you?” Amelia ran her hand up his thigh until she reached his manhood. “I can make this all go away. All you have to do is send her away and marry me instead.”

“No, Amelia, that will never happen.”

“Do you really want to be responsible for her death? All I have to do is say the word and her pretty little face will be no longer.”

Evan finally understood what must be done yet, if he was not found soon, he would never see his beloved Eliza again. How on earth would he manage to get word to his valet with the plan formulating in his head? He had to convince Amelia to give him a wee bit of freedom to try and execute his plan flawlessly.

“No, I have not forgotten, Amelia. You have gone too far though.”

She cackled and sat in a chair across the room.

“Too far, you say. My lord, you failed to heed any of my warnings. So, naturally, I was forced to find a more effective manner of convincing you.”

“So, you want to be a countess. I do not imagine how you expect that to happen after you went to these lengths. The constable will find you. How do you think you will avoid capture?”

“We will be traveling to Gretna just as soon as Hubert arrives with our cart. There will be no delay either.”

Evan had to carefully select his next words. “Amelia, dear, if we are to be wed, I will have to make arrangements to have Lady Winston removed.”

“I will take care of that.”

“No, you will not. I will see to the task of the matter myself. Now, if you will remove these confounded ropes I want to see my valet.”

She glared, her lips pursed and her arms folded across her chest. “We shall hire a boy to fetch him on our way at a staging inn and not a moment sooner.”

“Hubert is here, let us go. There are runners afoot and I will not hang in the gallows for this, Amelia. If I go, you go.”

Evan prayed they would not get as far as the staging inn. One day soon, they would be married; he hoped. This plot of Amelia’s would be uncovered before anything more terrible happened.

Amelia untied him and stepped back. She reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a pistol, then aimed it at him. “Go on. Up the stairs and toward the back.”

He nodded and followed the instructions until he met with Hubert at the door who gave him a wry smile. “Looks like Dodds had fun without me. I promise you, we are far from finished.”

Hubert pulled out a pistol and struck him on the side of the head. Evan lost his balance and braced against the doorframe for support.

“Get on the back of the cart and cover yourself. Make a scene and I will blow your brains out, then I will find your lady and do the same to her.”

Evan complied but not before a wave a nausea washed over him. He slowly climbed into the back of the cart and landed with a thud, covered himself. He he closed his eyes.

The pain from his injuries would make this an uncomfortable ride but dreaming of Eliza beneath him, at his side and bearing his children would be the only thought that would see him through this abduction.