Page 39 of Enchanted By the Lyon
My Darling Sandra,
If you are finding this tucked away in the book I gave you, then perhaps I am gone from this world. Trust no one, especially Barlow, for he is mean spirited, and I expect he will be the reason I am no longer at your side. He has threatened me repeatedly that unless I give him a small fortune to see him out of debt, that he would kill me. Consider this letter a death bed confession and an admission that my life is in danger at his hand.
The enclosed document will give you all you need to claim my estate as my wife. Remember that I loved you from the first moment we met and I will always keep you in my heart.
Your loving husband,
Rupert
A soft knock on her bedroom door alerted Cassandra that Fanny must have forgotten something. She quickly folded the letter and document carefully placing them back inside the binding of the book to once again hide their existence. She wasn’t ready to share her secret with anyone as yet. Another knock sounded and she rushed to place the book in a drawer before grabbing her robe.
Opening the door expecting to see Fanny led to immediate fear as she quickly rushed to kneel next to the man who was lying on the floor. Risley! He was breathing and moaning at the same time, but as she reached out her hand to see to any injuries, he grabbed her wrist unexpectedly.
“Run!” he gasped, before he lost hold of her and he passed out cold.
She didn’t need to be told a second time that she needed to get the hell out of the house. Standing, she began running down the hallway when she was grabbed from behind.
“I warned you to stop investigating me,” a chilling voice cackled in her ear.
A cloth was put over her mouth and nose leaving her with no alternative than to breathe in whatever noxious odor her assailant had doused it with. Her head began to swim and she started to lose consciousness. She was quickly turned around to see Barlow Vaughn’s face leering down at her before it began to blur.
“We can tie her up later. Let’s get the bloody hell out of here,” another voice ordered as Barlow lifted her up and heaved her over his shoulder as though she weighed nothing.
Her last thought before she passed out was that as evil as Barlow was, he wasn’t working alone.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Lucius waited inthe front parlor for Asher and Patience to join him for their afternoon ride. He was puzzled that Cassandra wasn’t already in attendance since they had agreed to meet here and he had to admit he was slightly disappointed that he couldn’t take advantage of the time alone together as they waited for their friends. He would never get enough of Cassandra’s sweet kisses.
“Hades, you best hurry. We’re late.”
The sound of Patience’s voice and the nickname she had for her husband brought a smile to Lucius’s mouth.Hades and Persephone… who would have thought that their whole relationship would have started with these names for one another. Lucius was as happy for Asher as he was for Saxton and Wickes. The four friends had come a long way from their days of being bachelors and the most eligible lords of theton. Lucius was looking forward to the day he would ask Cassandra to become his wife.
Patience came into the room all smiles but her happiness quickly faded. “Cassie isn’t with you?” she asked coming to stand beside him.
“She was to meet me here,” Lucius explained.
“It’s not like her to be late,” Patience declared and came over to Asher when he stood in the doorway. “Something’s wrong.”
Asher leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Nothing is wrong, my love. You’re overreacting.”
She swatted his arm. “I am not overreacting. If Cassie was supposed to meet Lord Blackthorn here, then she would be standing with us right now. If anything, she would have arrived early.”
Lucius scowled. “I’m certain she’ll be here shortly. We were all very late getting home this morning. Maybe she slept in.”
Patience frowned. “And miss an opportunity to be with you, my lord? That would be highly uncharacteristic of my friend. I’m telling you, something in me says Cassandra is in trouble. Call it a woman’s intuition.”
Asher took hold of his wife’s hand and pulled her close before turning to stare at Lucius. “Didn’t you hire a bodyguard to watch over her?”
Lucius nodded. “Yes, and he’s highly recommended by Mrs. Dove-Lyon. I’m not worried. Risley is reliable.” He went to the window and pulled back the drapery. There was still no sign of Cassandra and her horse, nor her guard. Only his horse and his friends’ horses tied to the hitching post tacked up and waiting for their riders. “Maybe we should ride over to check on her just to be safe.”
“Perhaps that’s a wise decision,” Asher said agreeing. “With everything you told me about Barlow and Forbes, Patience, you need to stay here.”
She began pulling on her riding gloves. “No,” she said heading out to the foyer. “I should be perfectly safe with both of you standing guard over me. Let’s stop wasting time and go find our friend.”
Lucius was the first out the door and already mounted by the time Asher and Patience emerged from the house. He didn’twant to wait. “I’ll meet you there,” he shouted before nudging his heels into his horse’s sides.
“Be careful,” Asher called out as he, too, quickly went to his horse so they could follow close behind.
