Page 50 of The Allure Of Lord Devlin
Mr. Fillion, who’d slipped from the box, returned with a bucket of water and threw it over Fiona. It did its job and Fiona began to come around.
Devlin’s head lowered, and he let out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. His muscles tightened and flexed. He’d give Longton what he wanted. He couldn’t let Fiona suffer. He could not appeal to the man. Longton was insane.
Fiona was whimpering softly as Fillion once more approached. She tried to avoid his hands, but soon the sharp knife was nearing her eye this time and she screamed.
Devlin flailed in his chains. “Stop. Stop. I’ll tell you where it is.”
Longton nodded at Mr. Fillion, and he stepped away from Fiona.
“It’s sealed in a tin and I’ve hidden it in Kensington Gardens, so it wasn’t easily accessible.” Longton wouldn’t be able to access the gardens until it opened to the public on Saturday. It was a lie, of course. The Duke of Sinclair held the original parchment. “You’ll never find it without my help. I’ll have to take you there.”
“He’s lying,” said Mr. Fillion.
“We’ll soon find out. I’ll have to bribe a guard and break open the locked gate to get into the gardens tonight.” He turned to leave. “Cut him down, but keep him chained.”
“What about her?” Fillion asked.
“Leave her here. If he’s lied, we’ll need her again.”
Fiona sagged in her chains. He’d bought her some time. He hoped his friends could work out where they were, and soon. What would Longton do when he learned there was nothing in Kensington Gardens? What would he do when he learned the Duke Of Sinclair had already shown the parchment to Prinny and the Prime Minister?
He prayed to God that Sinclair had done just that.
ChapterFifteen
Dharma and Hamish watched Longton leave with a man virtually carrying Devlin in chains to a carriage. She needed to follow, but she couldn’t leave Fiona here injured as she was, even though this was all her fault.
“Hamish, can you follow the carriage without being seen? If they see me, they’ll know they’re caught, but they don’t know you. Once they stop at a destination, come back. I’ll get Fiona and hopefully my brother will arrive soon with reinforcements.”
Once Hamish left, she raced into the stall to free Fiona. How could she stay mad at the woman when she saw what they’d done to her? “I didn’t tell them anything,” she said.
“Don’t talk. I’ll try to get you down. Do you know where they’ve taken Devlin?” Fiona nodded. “My brother will be here soon. I’m going to have to shoot the hand-irons off. Hold as still as you can. I only have one shot.”
She wondered if she should use her only shot, but she couldn’t get Fiona down any other way. Luckily, her shot hit the mark, and the clasp broke and the chains fell away. Fiona slumped to the floor. She got her some water to drink and tried to wipe the blood off Fiona’s face.
“Devlin’s leading them on a goose chase. He’s lied to save me. Plus, Longton thinks he and I are the only people who have seen the parchment. They don’t know that you and the others have seen the parchment, too.”
“They soon will, though.”
The familiar male voice made Dharma’s hope flare, but when she looked up to see Fencourt there, holding a pistol, her blood curdled.
Stay calm. “What are you doing? You told me your father deserved to be caught.”
“He does, but that will ruin my family. I cannot stay in England and allow them to scorn me like they did to Devlin. So, you and I are going on a little trip.”
“You’re going to desert your father? Your country? For something you didn’t do? Lord Devlin didn’t give up. He fought to show society what a fine man he was. And he tried to show how noble he was.”
Fencourt smirked as he walked closer to where the two women sat on the floor of the stable stall. Fiona almost crawled into her lap. “But he knew his father was innocent. I know mine isn’t. I can’t live with the shame.”
Dharma slowly rose to her feet. “Taking me with you will only add to your shame, because I do not wish to go. You’ll be kidnapping me.”
Fencourt aimed his pistol at Fiona. “I’ve been busy the last few days when I learned the depth of my father’s situation. I have gathered enough gold to start again in the Americas. I already own a plantation in Virginia. If you do not come with me, the lady dies.” The pistol pointed directly at Fiona.
Dharma believed him. “So you already own a plantation? You tricked me earlier by denying it. That is the first place my family and Devlin will look. They will come for me.”
“Not if they’re dead. I suspect father will see to that. Besides, once I get you with child, it will be too late. He won’t want you back then.”
Would he? If he loved her, he would, but there’s the rub. She didn’t know. Fiona said nothing. It was as if the life had been sucked from her and she’d given up to fate.
