Page 51 of The Allure Of Lord Devlin
“I think Mrs. McTavish has suffered enough. If I come with you and I swear not to escape, you will let her come with us, and we will let her out near Mayfair. I can’t leave her here in case your father returns.”
Fencourt considered her request and slowly lowered his pistol. “Let’s go then.”
Dharma helped Fiona stand, but she collapsed. Fencourt scooped her into his arms and Dharma could have run, but his gun was still aimed at her. Besides, she would not be responsible for Fiona’s death. She’d given him her word. Seems she was honorable, too.
* * *
Unbeknownst to Devlin, Hamish, who was following, alerted Sin and Tobin and the men of the rescue party, who happened upon him on the way back towards Kensington Gardens.
Hamish,The men joined the chase. They were not far behind the carriage.
Sin called across to Tobin. “Tell the men we wait for Devlin to get out of the carriage, then attack. Devlin is a sitting duck if we attack when he’s still in the carriage.”
“Once we have Devlin, try to take Longton alive, and then we can take him to the magistrate.”
“My Lord, we will need to go back to Lady Dharma and Mrs. McTavish.”
Tobin almost fell off his horse at Hamish’s words. “I beg your pardon?”
“Lady Dharma is who sent me after the carriage. Lord Fencourt told her where his father was holding Lord Devlin. Surely, Lady Clayton told you, sir.”
Tobin cursed under his breath. “I haven’t spoken to her. It’s mere coincidence we found you. We were heading to Longton’s town house. Are you telling me she is somewhere with Mrs. McTavish?”
“She’s at Tattersalls in the stall on the left wing of the stable, where Lord Devlin and Mrs. McTavish were being held.”
“And you left her there?” Tobin almost roared.
“Keep your voice down,” Sin hissed into the wind.
“Sorry, but I’m going to go back for Dharma. Hamish, you come with me. You have enough men without me.” Before Sin could nod, the two men peeled off and rode back the way they’d come.
Sin sent one man to gallop past the carriage so they had someone in front. The men in the carriage didn’t seem to notice, thank goodness. They were drawing near to Kensington Gardens and suddenly the carriage slowed.
Sin nodded to his men, and they spread out, hidden away from the street lamps.
The carriage door flung open, and Sin watched Longton ascend. He walked toward a small gate, his pistol drawn, and Sin watched as he shot the lock off the gate. Calling to the other man in the carriage, he pushed Devlin out suddenly, causing him to drop to his knees.
A tall, burly man stepped out of the carriage behind Devlin and grabbed the chains binding Devlin’s wrists, pulling him to his feet. Longton was making his way toward a small gate in the hedgerow. How the Earl knew a gate was there was anyone’s guess.
“We need to take down the man who has Devlin first,” Sin whispered to his men. “I’ll shoot him. You be ready to race to free Devlin once I fire. And you,” he indicated to the second man, “Then follow me as I chase down Lord Longton. It’s better if I take him since he’s an Earl. If I have to kill him, I will.”
The plan almost worked perfectly except that before Sin could reach Longton, the traitorous Earl turned and fired. The bullet hit Sin’s shoulder, and before Sin could stop his man, he’d fired back and Longton fell to the ground, a bullet through his heart.
Sin cursed into the darkening night. “Damn. It would’ve been better if we’d taken him alive.” His shoulder burned, but it was a mere flesh wound. It had simply grazed the top of his shoulder. He made his way over to where the burly gent lay cursing on the ground. “Oh, do be quiet and let Thompson here bind that wound or you just might bleed to death.”
Just then, they heard galloping horses and Sin turned with his pistol raised, but it was only Tobin returning with Hamish. He lowered his weapon as Tobin swung from his horse and ran to where Longton lay, unmoving.
“Bloody hell. They were no longer in the stable. Is he is very much dead? Fencourt took Dharma, and it would have been better to see if Longton knew of his plans.”
“He has Dharma? Quick, get these chains off me.” Devlin shook the chains as he rose to his feet. Sin walked over and he lay Devlin’s hands on the edge of the carriage wheel. “You’d better be an excellent shot. Perhaps Tobin should do it, given your injury.”
Before Tobin could say anything, Sin fired, and the lock on the chains broke open. Devlin shook his wrists and watched the chains fall away. He rubbed his hands together to get the circulation back.
Sin asked, “Are you all right? Can you ride?”
“I’m fine. Just a bump on the head where they knocked me out. They tortured Fiona, not me. Is she still alive?”
Tobin shrugged. “I have no idea. She wasn’t in the stable.”
