Page 38 of A Tempting Maid for the Beastly Duke
Rose swallowed heavily. She would be able to recognize that voice anywhere. Mr. Trent appeared like a dark shadow emerging from the woods, like death itself, promising nothing but chaos. Rose wondered what he was doing there. But one glance in his direction assured her that he was not there to help them.
“You two,” he addressed the two boys who had kidnapped Rose and brought her there in the first place. “Go home.”
“But, boss—”
“Now!” Mr. Trent’s voice was the sound of a volcano erupting. There was no arguing with him. There was only molten hot lava, swallowing everything and everyone in its path. The boys knew better than to stand in the way of such power.
Mr. Trent waited until they disappeared from sight. Then he turned to Rose and Henry.
“My, my, my,” he said, clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth. There was a coldness in his eyes that sent a chill through Rose, and she couldn’t shake that feeling of sheer unease that settled over her like a dark shroud.
The man, on the other hand, seemed to relish in her shock, a cruel smirk playing at the corners of his lips as he addressed them. His words sent a wave of dread washing over her, and she felt her heart begin to race with fear.
“I have to say that this wasn’t how I pictured all of this,” he admitted. “You, my boy, weren’t supposed to be here, but I suppose I can dispose of you later.”
Rose stifled a gasp. Dispose? She couldn’t let that happen. Not even if that meant her own demise.
“I have to admit that I like… no, no,” he shook his head as he spoke, remaining at a safe distance from the two of them, “thatI love how fate arranges things sometimes. You see, I came here without much of a plan. I only had a burning desire to see that man suffer, but I had no idea how to go about that. It seemed that he himself had become very good at making himself suffer. But then, I saw the way you two were looking at each other, and I knew it… I just knew it…”
“Knew what?” she spat at him angrily.
He raised his eyebrows at her. “What, my dear? Why, that you two are utterly, madly and hopelessly in love with each other, of course!” He laughed at his own words, while Henry gave her a shocked gaze. She didn’t have time to explain anything to him now.
“That is not true!” she shrieked, in hopes that he would listen to her, but it was all in vain.
“Oh, but it is,” Mr. Trent nodded slowly and with much conviction. “I know William better than you think I do. We both stared death in the face, and you get to know a man then, better than you know your own self. I could see that he harbors deep feelings for you. The one thing I could take away from him, to make him suffer. Now, he will know what it is like to truly lose everything…”
That was when Mr. Trent pulled out a knife, and Rose knew they needed to act fast if they were going to have any hope of escaping this nightmare.
Chapter 22
William was resting in his room, attempting to find some semblance of peace after the tumultuous events of the past days. His thoughts were a maelstrom of worry and guilt when suddenly, the quiet was shattered by the sound of shouting in the hall. He recognized the voice—it was Mr. Hancock, his typically unflappable steward. William had never heard Mr. Hancock raise his voice in his life.
Alarmed, William threw aside the book he had been pretending to read and rushed to the door. As he stepped into the corridor, Mr. Hancock came barreling towards him, his usually composed face twisted with panic.
“Mr. Hancock, what on earth is—” William started, but his steward cut him off, breathless and frantic.
“There is no time to explain, Your Grace! It is Rose! Mr. Trent has her by the waterfall! He has a knife!”
William’s blood ran cold. The words settled with a chilling clarity. “What? How do you know this?” he demanded.
“We need to go now, Your Grace!” Mr. Hancock insisted. “I’ll tell you everything on the way, please!”
William didn’t need to hear any more. Without another word, he bolted down the hallway, Mr. Hancock struggling to keep up with his long strides. They raced through the manor and out into the grounds, the urgency of their mission lending them speed. The waterfall wasn’t too far away, but William didn’t want to waste any time walking. Instead, they mounted two horses and headed in the direction of the waterfall.
“Two maids were on their way to the mansion,” Mr. Hancock explained. “Their path leads right by the waterfall, where they heard commotion. They hid in the bushes to see what was going on, but they dared not do anything. Instead, they rushed to the mansion and told me everything.”
“It is good they didn’t show themselves,” William nodded, as they urged their horses on. Although the waterfall wasn’t far away, to William it felt like an eternity. “But are you sure it is Stephen?” He couldn’t believe it.
“They said the man who came to visit you, Your Grace,” Mr. Hancock explained. “There was no one else.”
William nodded silently. Mr. Hancock was right. As they neared the waterfall, the sound of rushing water merged with the distant sound of shouts and voices. William’s heart pounded as they burst through the tree line to the clearing where they all stood.
Mr. Trent stood near the edge of the pool, a wild look in his eyes and a knife glinting in his hand. He was on the rocks at the edge of the waterfall, holding that very knife to Rose’s throat. Henry was shouting at the man, his face twisted with panic. “Let her go! Let her go!” But William could see that Stephen had no intention of doing that.
William could feel little droplets of rain on his forehead. He knew that would make the ground beneath their feet even more slippery, and Rose was already dangerously close to the edge. The waterfall wasn’t tall, but the bottom was littered with large, jagged rocks. A fall from that height could be deadly. The thought filled William with dread.
That was when Stephen noticed William’s arrival. Mr. Hancock followed immediately behind. Stephen’s head snapped up at the sound of their arrival, surprise flashing across his face. His grip on Rose immediately tightened. William could see fear in her beautiful eyes, but also bravery and determination. He was certain that she gave them hell while they brought her there.
