Page 82 of Suddenly a (The St. Clairs 5)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Hudson strummed hisfingers along his thigh nervously as the carriage drew closer to Morris Park. The five men remained quiet the entire trip. Each was armed, thanks to Jeremy, though Evan had declined a pistol, revealing he always carried one, a habit from his war years.

He wondered if they would have to use one in order to force Morrison to hand Mia over.

Trying to keep his mind a blank had been impossible. Images of his lovely wife filled it. He only hoped that her cousin hadn’t hurt her in any way. If he had, Hudson would kill him on the spot with no regrets.

Glancing out the window, he said, “We are approaching Morrisfield. The village is a little over two miles to the north of Morris Park.”

He watched out the window as they passed through. Consulting his pocket watch, he saw it was almost seven o’clock. Sunset would come around a quarter past eight. He hoped they would be back on the road by then. It would take longer to reach London as darkness fell but he prayed he would spend what was left of this night in his new home with his wife in his arms.

They reached the end of the sleepy village’s main thoroughfare and continued. Suddenly, the carriage screeched to a halt and he heard George shouting. Hudson threw the door open and leaped from the carriage.

His heart nearly burst with love and happiness. A disheveled Mia limped toward the coach, her long, dark hair having lost its pins, spilling around her shoulders and down her back.

“Mia!” he cried and ran to her, his arms enfolding her, his mouth on hers, taking, taking, grateful beyond words.

He broke the kiss and his hands cradled her face. She winced and he saw the bruise on her cheek.

“Morrison did this to you?” he asked, trying to keep the anger from his voice.

She nodded. “They’re looking for me. We need to get inside the carriage.”

Hudson swept her off her feet and carried her there. His four companions looked on in relief as he told George, “Give us five minutes and then continue to Morris Park.”

They all entered the carriage and seated themselves, Mia in his lap, his arms about her protectively.

“Get the basket,” he ordered and Jeremy pulled out the hamper Catherine had insisted they take along, filled with bread, cheese, apples, and a carafe of wine.

His brother opened it and poured wine for Mia, who accepted it gratefully, draining it and returning the glass to Jeremy.

“Food can wait,” she said as Jeremy took out the bread. “I assume you know Morrison took me since you are here.”

“Annie saw you get into a carriage,” Hudson said. “Knowing the warehouse had burned to the ground only a day after I threatened him, I told the family your cousin had to be the one who’d abducted you. But why?”

She still trembled. He stroked her back, trying to calm her.

“He admitted having the fire set. He removed my notebooks first, wanting me to interpret them for him so he and his wife could become rich off my ideas. He claimed they were Father’s work and belonged to the estate.”

Anthony snorted. “As if you would give that bastard the time of day.”

“I would have,” she said. Her eyes brimmed with tears. “Lady Morrison told me if I didn’t, she would see you burned just as the warehouse, screaming for mercy.”

“My God!” Hudson’s arms tightened about her.

“I explained that it takes many attempts and a long time to bring a device to fruition. They obviously didn’t want to wait that long so Lady Morrison hit upon a new scheme.” She bit her lip to still it. “They were going to murder you, Hudson, so that your wealth would come to me.”

An angry murmur filled the carriage.

“Then they would kill me,” she whispered. “It would be made to look like an accident. As my closest relative, Morrison would inherit all.”

“I will tear him apart and then slice him into pieces,” Hudson promised, his voice low and deadly.

“How did you escape?” Evan asked.

Mia took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “While they were congratulating themselves on their brilliant idea, I ran. I knew if I could make it into the woods, I could lose them. I know the area like the back of my hand. Morrison pursued me, though, along with his driver and footman. I don’t know how close they are. I’ve been hiding for several hours and was making my way toward the village when your carriage appeared.”

The vehicle started up and Mia cried out.

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