Page 120 of Miss Prim and the Duke of Wylde
George nodded. “So we turned back, and as we were approaching the house—”
“Still keeping to the cover of the trees,” Harry put in.
“We saw Meg and Thomas coming around the house,” George continued. “They’d left the rose garden and were hurrying across the front lawn.”
“We didn’t know what that was about, so we followed.”
“We were suspicious by then,” George said, “so we didn’t join them, and luckily, it’s easy enough to track people through your type of forest.”
“Mind you, we nearly gave the game away by squealing like girls when Maurice and Tisdale crept up on us.” Harry shook his head. “Those two are very good stalkers. No wonder you always take them when you go hunting.”
George was nodding.
Drago clenched his jaw, then prompted, “What happened then?”
“Ah,” George said. “The four of us followed Thomas and Meg—he was leading her through the forest, but she was right on his heels—to the ruins of the old cottage.”
“We heard a dog barking, and Meg rushed ahead,” Harry said. “She went down into the cellar, and Thomas followed.”
“You may be sure all four of us rushed to see, and luckily, the dog was barking and they were talking, so they didn’t hear us, and…” George blew out a breath. “Well, Meg got it all out of him.”
Harry nodded. “She kept asking questions, and Thomas was so pumped up in his own conceit, he told her all about his scheme. He couldn’t resist telling her—and the four of us listening as well—how he’d arranged for all the accidents.”
“Including the incident when Meg rescued the puppy.” George met Drago’s eyes. “That was Thomas, too, right from the get-go. And he used the puppy again to lure her away and get her to rush down into the old cellar.”
“But…” Stunned, Drago spread his hands.“Why?”
“Oh, she got him to explain that, too, and it all made horrible sense, but”—George darted a glance toward the front hall—“he’ll be here any minute.” He looked at Drago. “As soon as we’d heard enough and knew Thomas was planning to tie Meg up and leave her and the dog trapped in the cellar to die, your men said we should get back here and tell you what had happened the instant you returned. They stayed to free Meg once Thomas left.”
“We were still close enough to see that Thomas did as he’d said,” Harry reported. “He climbed out of the cellar and shut the door. He was pushing a rock over it when we raced off to get here and warn you.”
Drago was starting to piece together the sequence of events. “How long were you waiting for me in the hall?”
“Only about a minute,” Harry said.
Drago nodded curtly. “You’re right. Thomas will arrive soon.” While one part of his mind was reeling over Thomas’s betrayal—wanting to know the how, when, where, and most importantly, why—another part, a more pragmatic and incisive part, was swiftly analyzing and adjusting. “He’ll want to be with me when I learn that Meg is missing. He’ll want to be here to manage things—to help organize the search to ensure no one other than him goes near the cottage.”
George and Harry stared at him, mutely waiting for orders.
Grimly, Drago thought through the prospects. “We need to keep Thomas here, preferably unsuspecting, until we’re sure Meg is safe and as many others as possible are present to bear witness to the revelations.” He focused on George and Harry. “If Thomas lays eyes on either of you as you are, still breathless and disheveled, he’ll guess we know, and who knows what he might do then?”
Drago paused, imagining possible scenarios, then waved down the corridor and led the way. “He’ll expect me to hold court in the library.” He walked faster and glanced at George and Harry. “You two can take refuge in the study next door. With the connecting door ajar, you’ll be able to hear everything said in the library.”
George and Harry nodded, and Drago went on, “Once the others start returning, that’s the time you two should come in as well—make sure you go out of the study into the corridor and come into the library from there.”
Harry said, “As if we’ve arrived with the others.”
“Exactly.” Drago paused at the door to the library and pointed at the next door along. “That’s the study. I’ll open the connecting door.”
He waited to see the pair disappear into the study and close the door, then went into the library and quickly crossed to the connecting door. He opened it and nodded to George and Harry as they positioned themselves just out of sight around the now-open panel. Satisfied, Drago turned, swiftly crossed the large library, and sat in the chair behind his desk.
He’d only just leaned back—only just allowed his mind to shift to Meg—when a rap on the door heralded Fothergill. The butler walked in and impassively announced, “Mr. Hayden, Your Grace.”
Thomas walked in, a frown on his face. “Drago. Have you seen Meg?”
Rather than answer, Drago nodded a dismissal to Fothergill. “Thank you, Fothergill. Lord Denton and Her Grace’s cousins will, no doubt, turn up shortly. Please show them in when they arrive.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Fothergill bowed and retreated.
