Page 92 of Noble Scoundrel

“Lady Katherine. Where are you going?”

She spun around at the sound of the deep voice and saw a middle-aged gentleman with ink-black hair and a heavy gaze stepping into the hall.

Calming her breath, she smiled as she searched her memory for his name. “Lord Lowndes. You startled me.”

The lord’s expression darkened with apparent concern as he continued toward her. “Do tell me you are not leaving us so soon.”

Doing her best to disguise the anxiety buzzing through her, she replied, “I’m afraid I’m not feeling very well. If you would please extend my apologies to Lord Shelbourne—”

“No need, my dear,” Shelbourne interrupted as he entered the hall behind Lowndes. “You may offer them to me yourself.”

As he came to stand beside her, she offered a weak smile. “I apologize for leaving early, my lord. But I must be going.”

Worry was evident in the older gentleman’s gaze as he slid a curious glance toward Lowndes. “My dear Lady Katherine. You do look quite unwell, indeed. I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to leave unescorted. I will take you home myself.”

“That is unnecessary. It will only take a moment for my carriage to be brought round.”

Lord Shelbourne smiled gently as he shifted his attention to Lord Lowndes. “I shall see to the lady. Please rejoin the party, my lord.”

Lowndes gave a shallow bow, then turned and strode away. For a moment, Katherine considered calling him back, feeling suddenly uneasy.

Shelbourne stepped toward her to take her elbow in his hand as he opened the front door to reveal a carriage painted all black already pulled up. “See, my carriage already awaits, my dear.”

Panic flared as she glanced at the man beside her to see his grey eyes had gone frighteningly flat as his hand tightened around her arm. Panic turned to anger as she spoke in clipped tones. “I’d thank you to release me, my lord. This instant.”

Shelbourne sighed and the look of gentle concern slid easily from his face to be replaced by a sharp expression of censure. “Are you frequently so demanding and contentious, Lady Katherine?”

“Always,” she retorted, realizing she was seeing Shelbourne’s true nature for the first time. And he was a deceptive bastard.

“Well, we haven’t the time for it. Get in the carriage.”

“I will not,” she replied through clenched teeth.

Shelbourne released another suffering sigh as he glanced over her head to his butler, who’d seemed to appear out of nowhere. Shelbourne gave a short nod and the servant’s fist shot out, connecting with Katherine’s temple. The explosion of pain caused her legs to give out and her vision to blur with stars. Pain and heavy confusion blocked her ability to resist as the butler lifted her in his arms and carried her swiftly down the front steps.

While she struggled to regain her wits, a sound like that of an enraged lion’s roar cut through the quiet night, and Shelbourne’s voice held a note of unease for the first time. “Into the carriage. Now.”

The butler tossed Katherine into the waiting vehicle. She immediately righted herself on the seat as Shelbourne climbed quickly in behind her. The door was barely shut before the vehicle took off at a frantic pace.

Another shout of pure fury echoed through the air.

“What the hell was that?” Shelbourne muttered.

Katherine blinked away the shadowed haze from her vision to see him staring intently out the window.

She knew what the sound had been. And she had no doubt Hale would not be far behind them. For a moment, she considered telling Shelbourne just so she could watch as his fear was justified. But there would be time for that later.

Right now, she intended to get some bloody answers.

Breathing deeply through her nose, she shifted herself to a more upright posture. Though her head throbbed, she forced the encroaching fog from her brain and glared at her captor. “Why have you taken me? What do you want?”

The older man’s grey eyes fell heavily on her position in the corner of the seat. “Your family has been far more trouble than I expected.” His gaze narrowed. “Let us hope, for your sake, it proves to be worth it.”

Katherine tensed and repeated her question. “What do you want?”

“Just a little time with the young duke,” he replied with a dismissive wave. “Nothing more.”

She swallowed the lump of fear that arose at the mention of her brother—confirmation that Shelbourne had been behind the kidnappings the whole time. She felt so foolish for trusting him, for reaching out to him after Frederick went missing—the very man responsible! “You will never get to him.”

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