Page 57 of A Dream of Redemption
“None, it was easy. No one saw me take her.”
Helen thought she recognized the voice. Was it Glover? Who else would be so bold to kidnap her? She’d known all along that it could only be one of Glover’s men who had snatched her, but even so her body began to tremble in fear.
Her kidnapper lowered her to the floor and she felt dizzy as the blood rushed out of her head. Still blindfolded, she found herself being tied to a post of some kind. She refused to give in to her fear and cry. She would not give Glover the satisfaction.
“Well, let’s see why Homeward is willing to risk all on ya ladyship.” With those words she felt hands at the front of her gown and then a huge wrenching as her bodice was torn in two. “My, my ain’t that a pretty sight.”
She finally gave a small cry when a hand molded one breast and painfully tweaked her nipple.
“So she does speak,” Glover said snidely.
“My brother is going to kill you for what you just did.”
“Then I best do more. If I’m going to die I might as well make it worth my while,” and a hand began to gather up the hem of her gown.
Helen’s mind froze, refusing to understand the implications of what he just said. He was going to rape her. And no one was here to stop him. In that brief instant, it really sank in; her understanding of what life for Clary and Simon must’ve been like came into brutal focus. The overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, fear, and anger.
She wanted to rant and rave at the injustice of what was about to happen to her. She also wanted to rail against the world for the life that the man she loved had had to lead. She wanted to crawl into a hole and die. How could people be so cruel? All of this had finally destroyed her faith in human nature. The blinders had been ripped from her eyes, and she saw the world for the cold, hard place it really was. A world her money and status had always protected her from.
She had wanted to run immediately to see Clary, to tell him that his past did not taint him in her eyes. She would never blame him for doing what he thought he had to do in order to save himself and Simon. All she wanted to do was hold him in her arms and try and heal the hurt that had been done to him.
She prayed that God would give her the chance to let Clary hold her in his arms and heal the hurt that Glover was about to inflict upon her. If she knew that was a possibility she could endure anything Glover would do to her.
She would be strong and brave like Clary had been, and survive.
For Clary would come for her, Helen was in no doubt of that.
—
Clary ran up the steps of Lord Coldhurst’s London residence, fear almost blinding him. When he reached for the knocker, the door opened and the butler stood there, disdain etched on his features. Clary did not have enough time for pleasantries. “I must see his lordship.”
Roberts stepped in his way, blocking the door. “Do you have an appointment?” The butler knew damn well who he was, and that his lordship had forbidden his entry.
“You know well I don’t have an appointment, but if you don’t step out of the way I will not be held accountable for my actions. Lady Helen is in trouble.”
The butler immediately stepped aside and led him toward his lordship’s study. Clary didn’t wait to be announced but immediately pushed past Roberts and stepped into the room without knocking.
His lordship stood. “What the hell are you doing here? I thought I made my position very clear—”
“Glover has Helen.”
He watched his lordship sit back down, his face turning deathly pale. “Are you sure? I thought she was upstairs.”
His next words were likely to get him killed on the spot, or at least badly beaten and Clary would not blame his lordship for his actions. “She was snatched from outside my lodgings. Simon saw it happen from down the road but arrived too late to intervene.”
His lordship slowly rose from the chair again. “And what may I ask was she doing at your lodgings?”
“I believe she’d come to see me. Your sister has a mind of her own, and I suspect she is equally as stubborn as her older brother.”
Anger was now blazing on Lord Coldhurst’s face as he advanced on Clary.
He said very calmly to the enraged marquis, “I did not encourage her. But if you still want to beat me black and blue, do so after we have saved her. I don’t think I need to tell you that if Glover gets her on a ship she is likely lost to us forever.”
“And whose fault will that be? You are the one who filled her head with helping those less fortunate than ourselves.”
Clary laughed. “No, you are wrong. I was one of those less fortunate. I know what happens to them, and yet I helped no one but myself until your sister opened my eyes. I’d have been more than happy to simply get Glover out of the orphanage, but she was the one that made me promise to go after Glover to ensure he did not continue his trade elsewhere.” He moved to stand directly in front of his lordship. “Your sister has more compassion and more empathy in her little finger than all of society combined. You should be proud of her. We should be proud of her.”
Her brother appeared to be lost for words but Clary could see his pride mixed with fear for his sister shining in his eyes. “Standing here arguing with you is not helping,” his lordship finally uttered. He walked to the door and called for Roberts, who appeared immediately. “Send word to all the Libertine Scholars. Tell them Helen is in trouble and I need their help.” When he turned back to Clary, he said, “I hope you are going to tell me you know where she is.”
