Ella backed away, wishing a servant or even the earl would make an appearance. She couldn’t show her fear or he would become suspicious. “I’m not sure what you mean. Many guests, I’m sure, have enjoyed the beach.”

  “No, you’re the one who was close to the caves snooping around. You know, don’t you? I can see it on your face.”

  Ella inched backward. Should she scream now? She wasn’t sure she was capable. In her books, her heroine would confront the villain and have a concealed weapon on hand. This definitely wasn’t one of her books. And she had no ready plan.

  “You’ll excuse me.” She turned to walk away when a bony hand grabbed her arm.

  “And where do you think you’re going?”

  The air stopped moving into her lungs.

  “Who do you work for?”

  “Unhand me or Lord Grosvenor, my fiancé, will deal harshly with you for your impertinence.”

  He chuckled, the harsh, brittle sound raising the little hairs on the back of her neck. “He has to find me first, doesn’t he?”

  Ella decided this was the time to scream when suddenly she felt a cold blade against her throat.

  “Don’t think about trying anything. You and I are going to take a nice walk to the beach.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.” She dug her heels into the plush rug.

  He pressed the blade harder. “You’ll come along like the nice mindless twat you are or I’ll gut you right here on my father’s Aubusson rug. It would be a shame to destroy such a beautiful work of art, don’t you agree?”

  Ella now understood what it actually meant to be frozen in fear. She was like a marble statue, unable to move, think, or speak.

  “Get moving.”

  “Just go. I won’t try to stop you.” She hated the way her voice cracked.

  “You? Stop me?” He laughed bitterly, his eyes raking over her. “Your fate is in the hands of your fiancé. Let’s hope that he’ll do anything to not see your lily-white neck slit. He only needs to guarantee my safe passage back to France.”

  He pointed in the opposite direction, away from the butler and servants who should be buzzing in and out of the hallway in preparation for luncheon. “Start walking.”

  “Release me and my fiancé will allow you to return to France.” Her voice quivered despite her attempt to sound confident.

  His harsh bark emphasized his prominent Adam’s apple.

  “You’re a terrible liar. Start walking, and if you make a sound…” He poked her neck with the sharp point of the knife.

  She gulped, trying to suck air into her lungs. Her knees started to shake.

  Her mind and heart raced. No one would miss her until luncheon. Margaret wouldn’t alert anyone, and Sebastian would think she was remaining in her room because of the strain of yesterday’s activities. No one would miss her until it was too late.

  She would have to save herself. She wrote such scenes all the time, but translating fiction into real life, like penetrating terror by staring into soulless eyes that radiated hatred, was a whole different experience.

  Ella hoped that the gardeners might be out, but no one was near as they crossed the gardens and headed into the woods. Ella’s mind buzzed with how she could accomplish her escape. She had to do it soon. Once on the beach, she could run. She could shove him and hope that he wasn’t fast with the knife. The odds seemed pretty steep. Anger and sadness swept over her. She didn’t want to die. She wanted a life with Sebastian. Just when she had met someone who would remain loyal and love her, she was lost.

  She wasn’t going to allow this evil man to win. He thought she was a pampered aristocrat. Little did he know how badly he had erred in his choice of whom to kidnap.

  Ella marched ahead, unwilling to give up her future happiness to this skinny coward. She had had enough of cowardly men. She had a plan.

  And she hoped she lived to brag to Sebastian about its success.

  Chapter Ten

  Frustrated that neither the man of business nor the earl himself had appeared in the library, Sebastian wandered into the spacious dining room where a luncheon feast had been spread out buffet-style on the long tables. Since it was sunny, tables had been set out on the outdoor terrace.

  Not hungry, Sebastian only came into the area in search of Ella. He couldn’t believe how badly he lusted for her and how badly he behaved. He hadn’t meant to allow the kiss to get out of control. After her experience with Malden, she deserved to be treated preciously and respectfully. He wanted to make up for all the hurt that she had endured from her father and Malden.

  She hadn’t withered or become bitter like other women in her situation. Instead, she took up writing and developed many friendships during her seasons. He looked forward to when the blasted fighting with France would be over and he could return to a normal life. A time when he could spend months with his bride at his estate in Derbyshire.

  He quickly left the dining room, avoiding Lady Ethel who sat with a few of her social-climbing friends, who eyed him in a hungry fashion. He only wanted one woman. He was relieved that he never had to play silly games with silly women again.

  Where was Ella? Maybe he could convince her for a walk in the garden and a few kisses behind the shrubs. The promise of sweet, innocent kisses with Ella was more exciting to him than any of the jaded games he had played with other women.

  A maid came rushing at him, her hands fluttering in the air.

  “Lord Grosvenor, I’ve been looking all over for you. Something is terribly wrong. She would never wear that morning day dress to luncheon. She said she’d be only gone a few minutes. I didn’t even fix her hair.”

  Sebastian recognized the woman as Ella’s maid who had travelled in a separate coach with Aunt Euphemia’s maid. “You are Margaret?”

  Margaret curtsied, looking at him from under her eyelashes. “You remember my name, my lord?”

  Spare him from flighty, flirty women. He remembered her name because he paid attention to everyone in his environment. It was vital to remain alive. He never ignored the servants. He had learned the hard way that servants had the potential to do great harm.

  He wondered if one of the reasons he was drawn to Ella was her capacity to trust, in marked contrast to his suspicions of everyone. From his work, he viewed everyone as a potential threat.

  “She is missing. Nothing else makes any sense.”

  Sebastian’s body tightened into alert mode, the blood rushing into his clenched muscles, ready for battle. “Ella is missing? Why didn’t you say so?”

  He towered over the diminutive maid.

  “I…thought I did…my lord.”

  Frightening the talkative maid so badly that she couldn’t speak wasn’t productive. “Tell me, Margaret, what makes you think your mistress is missing?”

  “She didn’t come back to the room for me to change her for luncheon.”

  “Ella didn’t come back from where?”

  “She said she had an important errand but would be back in plenty of time to prepare her hair and change out of her morning dress.”

  A surge of energy shot through him—the need to act immediately. His heart and mind were off like a racehorse at the gate. Ella was in danger. He marshalled his control and spoke calmly. “And what was her errand?”

  “She didn’t say, but I assumed she was to meet you. She became very excited after our discussion. She actually didn’t take the time to even allow me to brush her hair.”

  He took a deep breath to calm himself enough to not grab the maid and shake the information out of her. “What was your discussion about?”

  Margaret blushed. “I’m not sure Miss Evans would want me to share her private discussion.”

  Sebastian gritted his teeth and clenched his hands. If the maid had any idea what he was capable of, she’d be running screaming down the hall. “If she is missing, I need to know everything she said before she left her room.”

  Margaret chewed on her lower lip. “She wanted to know who the attractive men in service were.”

  His little detective was quizzing Margaret to find their missing man. Smart woman. Except, not that smart if she put herself in the crosshairs of a dangerous man. He swallowed hard, trying to stop the panic clenching his throat.

  “And what did you tell her that spurred her to leave so abruptly?”

  “I told her about the earl’s valet and how he treats everyone as if they are below him because he’s the earl’s bastard son.”

  “And that was of great interest to your mistress?”

  “Yes. When I told her that he’s very thin and tall with no meat on him at all, she went rushing to the earl’s library.”

  His palms grew damp, and icy sweat ran down the back of his shirt.

  When Ella found the library empty, had she gone in search of the valet? Surely, she wasn’t that reckless. The valet must have recognized her from the beach.

  “Go to Lady Beaumont and tell her to come to the beach immediately. Do you understand?”

  “Lady Beaumont never appears for luncheon. I’m sure she will not want to be disturbed.”

  Sebastian grabbed the woman’s arm. “Margaret, this is important. Do as I say. Go now and give the lady my message. Right. Now!”

  The maid backed up, her eyes wide in fright.

  “Yes, my lord.” She turned and scurried down the hallway.

  Sebastian sped out the front door, shocking the butler who didn’t make it in time to open the door before him.

  Sebastian had to get to the beach before Ella disappeared in the labyrinth of caves. As he sprinted, he played through every possible scenario. Ella’s unexpected recognition had forced the villain to act. Sebastian shut down the idea of Ella forced to accompany a desperate and dangerous man. He wouldn’t accept any outcome other than getting to Ella in time. The villain wouldn’t kill her without a clear escape plan in place. And the only escape was on the water.

  He hadn’t time to retrieve his pistol. Aunt Euphemia would know to bring hers. All he had was his knife and his all-consuming need to kill the traitor who touched Ella.

  His chest burned with exertion as he tore down the garden path. Guests and gardeners were startled by his shocking haste. Dashing into the woods, he didn’t slow as he leapt over the tree roots. He wouldn’t be stopped. Time was ticking.

  He cleared the woods and sprinted to the beach path. His heart stopped at the sight of Ella halfway down the path with the man holding a knife to her back.

  The need to shout to her, to act, was trapped in his chest. To review his options went against every instinct that screamed at him to act immediately—to save and kill.

  Instead, Sebastian dropped to his knees to hide. He needed the surprise factor to even the odds.

  If he rushed the man on the steep path, Sebastian couldn’t predict the outcome. Would his appearance offer a distraction and give Ella enough time to run down the path, or would it force the villain to act? Surprising a desperate man wasn’t Sebastian’s first choice when Ella’s life was in the balance.

  Sebastian’s entire body shook with the intolerable delay. He had to wait until Ella arrived on the beach to allow her the time and the space to run. He was breathless, and his pulse resounded in his ears.

  What Ella must be feeling paralyzed him, making him feel useless. He had brought her into this danger. He’d never forgive himself if anything happened to the woman who had quickly become vital to him. His life would mean nothing without her.

  Sebastian watched their slow descent. Ella took each step gingerly, acting as if she were unsteady on her feet, acting the part of a pampered lady. He knew differently. A rush of pride for this cunning woman swelled his heart. She had slowed the villain to give Sebastian time to find her.

  His heart hurtled against his chest wall as he readied himself to sprint down the path once Ella was on solid ground. Ella twisted and said something to the villain. He couldn’t hear her over the roar of the waves crashing and the wind. Whatever she said enraged the valet, who shoved Ella’s back.

  Ella tripped and went rolling down the path like the churned up seashells caught by the waves.

  Sebastian jumped to his feet and bolted down the path. He burst into gigantic strides with the advantage of the decline. He would have the blackguard whose attention was focused on Ella.

  Ella rolled to the bottom of the hill. Appearing unscathed, she jumped to her feet and sprinted down the beach, away from the caves.

  Distracted by Ella’s escape, the villain hadn’t heard Sebastian’s approach.

  The villain twisted back as Sebastian leaped on him, taking him to the ground. A well-placed kick knocked the knife out of the valet’s hand. Sebastian delivered several punches to the valet’s face and his liver before the man could react. With all of Sebastian’s pent-up energy and the difference in mass between the two men, it took only a few more blows for Sebastian to knock the man insensate.

  * * *

  Ella ran. Her legs pumped hard. The heaviness of wet sand slowed her. At least, in her simple morning dress and slippers, she was unencumbered to run and then to roll to make her escape. No one was on the beach this early in the day to ask for help. Where was Sebastian? Would he arrive in time to stop Gerard?

  The sensation of Gerard’s cold blade against her throat drove her to increase her tempo.

  Her entire being was primed and focused. Her back and shoulders tingled in anticipation of Gerard’s heavy hand on her shoulder, pulling her back against the shiny blade.

  She ran faster.

  Her heart pounded so hard that it felt as if it would burst. She was afraid to look back, fearful that more men might have joined Gerard in the chase. She gulped air into her burning lungs. Her legs cramped. The sound of the crashing waves was a distant backdrop to her jagged breathing and her heartbeat pulsating in her ears.

  She couldn’t keep up this pace much longer. She twisted to look back. Her astonishment at the sight of Sebastian caused her to stumble. Her rescuer was bent over on the hillside with his fists flying. He was pummeling Gerard.

  She could stop. She was safe. She halted.

  Grabbing her side which screamed with sharp pain, she bent forward to gulp more air into her lungs. Her breathing was as loud as a forge’s bellows.

  She took several more breaths in and out before she could stand upright. Her legs shook from the extreme effort to run to Sebastian. The need to be reunited with him helped her ignore the excruciating pain.

  Sebastian raced down the hill and crossed the beach to her with long, powerful strides.

  He’d come, as promised. He’d never abandon her.

  Ella sped up to reach him, elation filling her heart and soul.

  He barely slowed before sweeping her into his arms. “My God, Ella, I’ve never been more frightened in my life.”

  He held her too tight, but she didn’t care. His arms and his voice trembled. “I’ll never be able to forget that monster with a knife at your back.”

  Having Sebastian undone with emotions was disorienting for a brief moment. The big giant of strength and power had been afraid. Afraid for her. No one cared for her like Sebastian. It was humbling and empowering to be needed and loved.

  She soothed the hair across his forehead before holding his strong, beautiful face between her hands. “I knew you’d come, Sebastian. I knew you’d never let me down. I tried to slow him to give you time to find me.”

  “Of course, you did. You rolled down the hill to escape the bastard like one of the heroines in your books.”

  “You knew I only pretended to trip and fall?”

  He squeezed her forcefully against his chest as he carried her back to the path. “I never doubted you for a second.”

  She ran her hand along his cheek and neck. She couldn’t stop touching him, as if making sure he was real and wouldn’t disappear.

  He smiled and gently brushed her hair away from her eyes. “I will never underestimate you, darling. Haven’t I told you what a remarkable woman you are, and how fortunate I am to have found you, my Ella?”

  “And I never doubted that you’d stop Gerard.”

  A cold shudder wracked through her with the thought of Gerard, despite Sebastian’s radiating heat. She didn’t want to have any contact with or think about the evil man again. “Will you need to take Gerard to the house?”

  Ella dreaded the idea of being separated from Sebastian. She wanted to remain in the safety of his arms and to offer him every comfort.

  “He is still unconscious, but I’ll need you to return alone. I don’t want you to be associated with any of this business. You can slip in the house through the servants’ entrance.”

  “Thank you for protecting me and my reputation just as you promised in Lord Rathbourne’s study.” She pressed her lips to his, needing the reassurance of his touch.

  “I’ll always protect you,” Sebastian said, kissing her lips before devouring her mouth.

  His desperate demand was a new experience, nothing like his previous kiss. He consumed her with overwhelming need, sucking on her lips and tongue, raining kisses on every exposed inch of her skin.

  His chest heaved as he moaned, “I almost lost you today, Ella. I’ll never let you go again.”

  Ella returned his fervent kisses, lost in Sebastian’s desire for her. It was a heady feeling to be needed so desperately by this powerful man.

  Aunt Euphemia’s imperious voice cut through the wind and surf. “Grosvenor, release that girl!”

  “That damn woman has the worst timing.” His deep chuckle reverberated against Ella.

  She looked up from Sebastian’s shoulder to find Aunt Euphemia standing with a cloak over her arm and flanked by a large footman on each side.

  Ella tucked her head against him, wanting to savor the final moments before he released her. “I do not want a long courtship, Sebastian.” She spoke against his chest.

  Sebastian kissed her on the top of her head as he began the ascent up the hill. “We are going to marry as quickly as we can respectably. Aunt Euphemia will quash any speculation.”

  Although reluctant to release Sebastian, she pushed against him. “I can climb the hill. What will Aunt Euphemia think?”

 

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