Page 134 of Winterset
“An hour?” I cursed. They could be anywhere by now. “I need you to run to the stables and have two horses saddled immediately.”
She nodded but stood there in shock.
“Go now. And hurry!”
She sprang into action, and I sprinted back down the stairs and burst into the ballroom, searching out Damon for assistance. I scanned the crush for him and Hannah and found them in the center of the ballroom, waltzing.
They were surrounded by a dozen other couples, but I couldn’t wait until the dance was finished. I shouldered my way through the onlookers, decorum done away with.
The fuss caught Damon’s attention, his eyes widening when he saw me at the center of the commotion. He led a confused Hannah to me and took us both to the side of the ballroom to speak.
“What has happened?” he demanded, gripping my arm in concern.
I quickly explained what I knew: Markham knocking me unconscious, waking in the butler’s pantry, discovering Kate had been taken. “We have to go after her,” I said.
“We will find her,” Damon promised. “Do you have any idea where he might be taking her? Did he say anything to you?”
Damon’s question triggered my memory of Markham’s words right before he knocked me unconscious. “He told me to congratulate him,” I said. “That he means to marry her.” His intention hit me like another blow.
“They are likely on their way to Scotland, then,” Damon said.
“Gretna Green.” The small town just over the border where many couples went to make their clandestine vows. Damon was right; Markham was surely taking Kate there in an attempt to force the marriage. I ran toward the front door.
Damon’s footfalls followed close behind mine as we rushed to the stables. There a stablehand had just finished saddling our horses. I said a quick prayer of thanks to the maid for following through on her word and seeing that our horses were ready.
We swung into our saddles and dashed down the drive in the darkness. At the gate, we went north, but we did not travel far before we came to a fork in the road.
“What is your plan?” Damon asked.
I glanced down each darkened road, hoping I might see a clue, but saw nothing. I could not be sure which route they’d taken.
“I’ll go one way; you go the other,” I said. “One of us will find her.”
Damon did immediately as I said, starting down the left road as I began down the right.
The only thing I knew for certain was that time was of the essence.
Kate
The cloth binding my wristsbit into my skin. I wriggled my hands, trying to loosen the restraint, but it did not relieve the discomfort.
“Don’t bother,” Markham said. “Even if you got it off, I would put it right back on. I’d tie it tighter too.”
“Why are you doing this?” I asked. “I left. I posed you no threat.”
“Because the only thing I dislike more than being lied to, Miss Lockwood, is being made a fool. I won’t allow that to happen again.”
“What is it you plan to do with me?”
“Thatisthe question, isn’t it?” He released a heavy breath, fogging the window. “I could make you marry me. You are still quite pretty.”
“You cannot make me marry you, Markham.”
“I think I could. You would do anything to save your precious Mr. Jennings, would you not?
“Don’t touch him,” I said through gritted teeth.
“I thought so.” Markham grinned. “Unfortunately, I am not offering you marriage. I thought about it and even made Mr. Jennings believe that was my intention. But you are mad, Miss Lockwood. I could never tarnish the title I have sacrificed so much to secure.”
