Page 77 of Taken By the Dangerous Duke

“I will do as you ask,” said Margaret.

“There’s a good girl,” said Gerald. “Perhaps you won’t make such a bad wife after all.”

Margaret was led out of the coach and back into the home she had lived in since birth. It did not feel like home anymore. The house was so much darker than she remembered it. And there was a lack of a family portrait. That was not something that she had noticed when she had lived there, but there had never been one, and it seemed strange now. The people forcing her into the house were in no way her family.

She was led to a familiar room—her bedroom. Only, there was one small change. There was a large lock on the outer side of the door; she was to be held prisoner in her own room.

“And the window is locked too, so don’t go getting any ideas,” said her father. “Gerald will be staying with us until the deed is done, and you know what he is capable of.”

“Father, even you must know this is lunacy.”

“You brought this upon yourself, Margaret. You will thank us for this later,” he said.

“Father! Do you even believe that you are doing this for my own good or is it only about the money?” asked Margaret.

“Just do as you are told,” was all that he said.

Margaret was pushed into the room, and the door was locked behind her. She believe what her father had said, but she still went to the window to find that it had been hammered shut. Her room was on the back side of the house. Even if the duke came, would he be able to hear her?

Margaret searched the room. Her belongings had been meager when she had lived there, and what little she had left behind had been disposed of or moved out. She checked all of the drawers and cupboards, but all she had was the clothes on her back.

She went to the window again, just in case, and tried the door, pushing on it gently in case someone was waiting outside. She truly was locked inside. Her last place to look was under the bed, and that came up empty. Dusty but empty. All she was able to forage was a small piece of graphite that had been part of a larger stick she had once used to sketch with in her teenage years. She had been firmly discouraged from sketching by her parents, and they had told her it was a waste of time for a woman, buts he suspected it was more to do with the cost of supplies.

So, she waited. She did not know how long she waited, but the door eventually opened slowly, and the maid walked in. The maid kept her head down, holding a tray with a cup and a plate on it. On the other side of the door stood her father.

“You have to help me,” whispered Margaret when the maid came to the table to place down the tray.

“I can’t help you escape again,” said the maid. “They don’t know I helped you last time, but they beat me when you did. They are watching your every move.”

“I didn’t get a chance to thank you properly,” whispered Margaret quickly. “I should have called for you and taken you from here. I am sorry for that.”

The maid only nodded, not making any eye contact. Margaret saw a slip of paper in the maid’s apron, and she positioned herself so the maid was between her and her father.

“This is all I get?” asked Margaret, taking the slip of paper. She added in a hushed tone, “Play along.”

“I only brought you what I was told to,” replied the maid, a little confused.

“Just leave the tray and get out,” shouted her father from the door.

Margaret jammed the graphite under her nail and scribbled a quick note on the paper before slipping it back in the maid’s apron.

“Get that to Duke Garriot and he will save us both, I promise you,” said Margaret.

The maid did not say anything. She adjusted the tray slightly on the table and turned to leave. As soon as she was out of the room, the door was closed and firmly locked behind her.

All Margaret could do now was wait.

CHAPTER37

Paying A Ransom

“Any sign of her?” asked Arthur, stopping to try and regain his breath.

“Nothing,” said Parker. “I searched all of Oxford Street, but no one has seen her this morning. You don’t really think that someone has taken her, do you?”

“I don’t want to think that, but I am starting to.”

“Who would do such a thing?” asked Parker.

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