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Jane’s eyelids flickered, but as the light touched her eyes she groaned. Becoming aware of pain at the back of her head, she reached towards the sore spot. She touched the bump gingerly and found a little crust of dried blood, though there was no deep wound. Something had hit her on the back of her head—but what?
Letting her eyes travel round the room, Jane knew that she had never seen it before in her life. This was not her room, but it did not look like an inn bedchamber. Her memory was fuzzy—where was she and how had she got here?
She closed her eyes for a moment as she puzzled over what had happened to her. Suddenly the details of the abduction flooded back.
Where was Mariah? Opening her eyes, Jane pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked about her. There was no sign of her friend and a shiver of dread ran through her.
She had evidently not been left in the same room as Jane. Was she somewhere in the house? Why had those villains been abducting her? It must surely be for her fortune. The rogues could not know that it was tied up in a fund and could only be released by her trustees. If they were expecting to be paid a ransom, they might be disappointed and what would happen then?
Jane was afraid for her friend. The kind of men who would hold up a coach, wound the groom and snatch two innocent women might be capable of anything. If their demands were refused, they might be violent towards their captives. Both she and Mariah might be in danger of their lives.
Glancing towards the window, she considered taking a look out when she heard voices outside the door of her room. Closing her eyes, she forced herself to lie still as the door was unlocked and someone came in. She made a little moaning sound as she sensed a presence near her and hoped that her captors would believe she was still unconscious.
‘Damn that man Blake,’ a man’s voice said close to her. The voice was harsh, rough in tone. ‘She is still unconscious. He must have hit her too hard. He is a thoughtless devil, for she may die—and then we’ll be hung for sure if they catch us.’
‘We should fetch a doctor,’ another voice added. This was a cultured voice, a gentleman’s voice, but not one she knew. ‘If she is ill, she may well die without attention. When I agreed to this business, I was told the other young woman was a willing participant in the plan. This girl should never have been abducted. What made him do it?’
‘Blake couldn’t afford to leave her behind. She might tell someone what she had seen—and he needs time with the other one.’
‘Where has he taken her?’ the second voice commanded.
‘No idea. Captain Blake is a close-mouthed devil. Never lets his right hand know what his left hand is doing.’
‘He is certainly a vicious brute.’
‘What are we supposed to do with this girl? Blake doesn’t want her. It would have been better to leave her on the road. The coachman would have taken care of her. I don’t want to hang for her murder.’
‘I have no intention of being hung for this affair. Blake struck this young woman. Until then I had no certainty of what was going on. I was hopeful that the Fanshawe girl truly wished to elope.’
‘That tale won’t help you if the Runners catch us. You’ll hang with the rest of us if this goes wrong. We dare not fetch a doctor. The girl will be all right here for the moment. Blake will decide what to do when he comes.’
The men were moving away, leaving the room. Jane heard the door close and the key turn in the lock. She opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. They had gone. She was alone, but she didn’t intend to wait around for Blake to decide what to do with her. Jane didn’t like the sound of the man they called Blake at all. She thought he must be the man with the odd colour eyes, one brown and the other a greenish colour that some called hazel. She’d looked into them seconds before he’d struck her.
Cautiously leaving the bed, she walked softly to the window and glanced out. She was in what appeared to be a private house in the country. From what she could see the grounds looked a little neglected, as if there wasn’t quite enough money to keep them immaculate.
Now she knew why she was here. She had seen too much. Given the chance, Jane could have described the height, build and hair colouring of the men—and in particular the one with the peculiar eyes. Blake was obviously the ringleader. He’d kidnapped Mariah for her money—but what would he do to her when he realised that she had no power to release her fortune into his hands?
Jane hoped Mariah would somehow be able to fend the rogue off until help could be got for her.
If only Andrew had been with them! She was sure her brother would have done something to prevent the men snatching them both.
She must concentrate her thoughts. Somehow she had to get away from here and get help for her friend. Mariah was brave and resourceful. Had she been carrying her pistol she might have shot one of them—as she had the man who had been about to murder their good friend Lucinda, Duchess of Avonlea, earlier that year. Jane was a little comforted by the knowledge that Mariah would not be made a nervous wreck by the abduction. No, wherever Mariah was being held, she would hold her nerve and do her best to outwit her captor. Yet she could not hold out for ever against ruthless men.
Somehow Jane must get a message to Andrew—or, if he were still away on that mysterious mission with the army, to the Duke of Avonlea. He would surely try to help them if only because of the help he had received when his beloved wife was being blackmailed. To do that Jane must first escape her own captors.
She had a clear view of the gardens from her window. She noticed with some satisfaction that there was a large tree quite near her window. As she took stock, Jane saw a man riding away from the house and wondered where he was going. She drew back from the window, but he did not look in her direction.
Perhaps this was her chance to escape. Jane was about to attempt to open the window when she heard something. Realising that someone was coming back to her room, she made a dash for the bed, but it was too late.
She stood staring at the man who had entered and felt a trickle of ice from the nape of her neck down to the small of her back. He was carrying a tray with food and wine, which he set down on a small table near the bed. Jane decided he was not an ill-looking man. His features were regular and he had what she might have thought, in other circumstances, an attractive mouth. His hair was a rich brown, his eyes almost black with a hint of silver in the pupils. She was wary, but somehow not frightened.
‘I thought you were faking it earlier,’ he said and a rueful smile lingered on his mouth. ‘You needn’t be afraid I shall give you away. Nor shall I harm you. I am very sorry for the way you have been treated.’
It was the man with the cultured voice. He was wearing clothes that were not suited to his station—part of a disguise, she imagined. Yet she was certain that he was a gentleman. She relaxed and moved closer to him.
‘I heard you mention someone called Blake. Is he the man with the odd-coloured eyes?’
He frowned. ‘For your own sake, do not let anyone else hear you say that. It would be best not to let the others know that you heard us talking.’
‘Who are you?’ Jane asked. ‘Why were you abducting Mariah? Is she here, too?’
‘No, she was taken elsewhere. Do not ask more for I could not tell you. It is a complicated story and not one I am proud of. The pity is that you became involved. You should have stayed in the carriage rather than risking yourself,’ the man said. ‘I deeply regret that you were taken, Miss—?’
Jane’s thoughts moved swiftly. She thought he was telling the truth when he said Mariah was elsewhere. She must have been brought here because the abductors did not know what to do with her.
‘It is Jane—Jane Blair.’
Jane gave no sign of her inner trepidation as she offered her mother’s maiden name. For the moment she would keep her true identity a secret.
‘Well, Jane, I am sorry for helping those rogues with what has turned out to be a bad business. I am not sure what I can do for the moment. There are three others in the house besides myself and all are armed—but nothing more will happen to you if I can help it. You have my word that I shall protect you from Blake and his lackeys somehow.’
‘You said it would be best to fetch the doctor,’ Jane said. ‘Your friend said Blake would decide what to do—why do you serve him if he is such a monster? You appear to be a gentleman. Are you in trouble that you would stoop to such a wicked act?’
‘It isn’t what you think.’ A dark colour stained his neck. ‘These men are not my friends. Nor am I involved in this wretched affair for money—but I shan’t tell you why, so don’t ask.’
‘What is your name?’
He hesitated, then, ‘I’m called George by my friends.’
Jane was sure he was hiding something from her, but she should have expected it. He was hardly likely to tell her his life history under the circumstances.
‘Are you intending to let me go?’
‘I wish I could. Perhaps later.’ George, as he called himself, looked uncomfortable. ‘Most of the men have started to drink. Eat something and I’ll see what I can do once they are off guard. If I tried to take you out of here by force, you might be killed. I might manage two of them, but three is too many. This needs careful planning.’
Jane glanced at the food. She was hungry, but more than that she was thirsty. However, she had no intention of touching anything this man had given her. He might be trying to poison her.
‘There’s nothing wrong with it,’ he said. He took a piece of the bread, spread it with butter and ate it, then drank some wine. ‘You won’t die from eating this, Jane Blair.’
‘Thank you. I might eat some later.’ She moved towards him, making an appeal to his sense of fair play. ‘If this Mr Blake is what you seem to imply, he will kill me, won’t he? Do you want to hang for murder as well as abduction?’
‘I don’t want you to die.’ He couldn’t meet her eye. ‘If we’re caught, we’ll hang anyway. I was told the other girl was willing. It was supposed to be an elopement made to look like abduction because the girl’s guardian wouldn’t let her marry—but she was certainly not willing. I wasn’t sure what was going on until Blake told them to take you, too. Obviously, I’ve been tricked into this sorry business. I was a damned fool to go along with it, but there were too many of them for me to stop it happening.’
Jane seized her opportunity. ‘If you help me, we might be able to find her—and I wouldn’t tell anyone you helped abduct us. You could be a hero and no one need know the truth.’
‘You talk too much, Miss Blair,’ he said and turned towards the door. ‘Eat your food. If anyone else comes, pretend you don’t know anything. I’ll help you if I can. You have my word.’
‘The word of a kidnapper?’
‘Be careful, Miss Blair. I may be your only chance.’
His look was angry as he went out.
Jane sat on the edge of the bed as he locked the door again. Her legs felt like jelly and she was in sudden need of something to eat. After a few minutes to catch her breath, she took a piece of bread and spread it with butter, swallowing a few mouthfuls before washing it down with wine. The wine was a dark red and tasted dry on her tongue. She would have preferred water, but there was none in the room.
At least the food took away the shaky feeling she’d had in her legs. She wondered if he had told her the truth about there being three other men in the house. He called himself George. It wasn’t his real name, of course, but it was something to fix in her mind. She’d heard him speak to someone else he hadn’t named, and their leader was Blake.
Jane cautiously tried the window. It opened easily and she wondered why it hadn’t been locked. Did they imagine that she could not escape from here? Perhaps most young women would not dare, but Jane had climbed trees from early childhood. She glanced at the tree, which was sturdy and grew to the right side of the window. She could climb out onto the wide stone window ledge and edge her way along to the tree. It would be a risk because there was still a small gap between the ledge and the nearest branch, but she thought she could probably do it if she tried.
Seeing two men riding towards the house, Jane closed the window and drew back, keeping watch from behind the curtain. The men dismounted and walked towards the main door, disappearing inside. Her head was throbbing, but she forced herself to think slowly and not panic. She could not dwell on how far up she was or how much her head hurt. Unless she took her chance now, she might die.
One of the riders was probably Blake. Had he come to tell them what to do with her? No doubt he would want her silenced for good. There was no time to lose. She must take her chance for escape now—or the ruthless Blake would almost certainly murder her and dispose of her body. The other men were wary of him. George had promised to help her, but she could not rely on his word. None of them would risk their own lives for hers.
Opening the window, Jane cautiously climbed out on to the ledge. At least it was in reasonable repair and felt solid beneath her feet. Her back pressed against the glass, she edged her way along the stone sill and then realised that she was too far from the branch to reach out and grab it. The branch itself was thick and substantial enough to take her weight, but there was a gap of perhaps two feet beyond what she could reach.
Jane’s heart was racing and her palms were damp. She knew that she would have to jump and grab at the branch. If she missed, she might fall to the ground and break her neck, but if she stayed here the infamous Blake would undoubtedly break it for her.
Taking a deep breath and looking at the branch rather than the ground, Jane jumped and grabbed. Her hands touched, but could not hold the branch she was aiming for and she felt herself slithering and falling—but she was falling into the tree. Sharp bits of twig scratched her cheek and her bare arms as she crashed downwards and then, suddenly, she stopped. Her skirt had caught on a broken branch, breaking her fall a short distance from the ground.
Jane caught hold of a stout branch and clung to it as she recovered her breath and tried to stop shaking. She had come close to death and the shock was making her feel sick and weak, but her head was telling her she couldn’t stay where she was for long. After a few seconds, she was able to think clearly again. She tugged at her gown, which held stubbornly to the branch for a few seconds before ripping and setting her free. Steadying herself with deep breaths, she clambered down and then fell the last few feet to her knees.
Jane’s hands were stinging and so were her arms and legs. She glanced down and saw blood on her leg where the silk had torn away. Her right palm was bleeding and her cheek was stinging like mad, but these were not the worst of her injuries. As she stood up the pain in her right ankle shot through her and she gasped. Had she broken it? She tried to put weight on her right foot and found she could stand, though the pain was too bad for her to do more than limp.
She had to walk or hop as far as the woods that bordered the gardens. If the men looked for her and saw her here, they would recapture her easily. There was no choice but to hide somewhere until her ankle became a little easier. Let it be a sprain and not broken!
It was all she could do not to cry out each time she put her right foot to the floor, but she gritted her teeth and did a sort of hobble skip. Every movement hurt and she was afraid that someone would look out and see her before she reached the safety of the wood.
Fortune was with her. Battered, bruised but triumphant, Jane reached the trees and disappeared into them. She tasted the salt of tears on her mouth, but they were tears of relief and she brushed them away. It was impossible to move quickly and she knew she wasn’t safe yet. The men were sure to come here as soon as they discovered she was missing.
Jane had to keep moving, but the pain in her ankle was getting worse and she wasn’t sure how much farther she could go. She had almost reached the limit of her endurance when she saw the hut just ahead of her and hobbled towards it. The door opened easily and she went inside. She could make out a pile of old sacks in the darkness and sank down onto them.
She couldn’t go any farther until she had rested her ankle. All she could do now was pray that the men would not find her.
Jane couldn’t be sure how much time had passed when she heard the sounds of shouting. Her stomach clenched; the voices were very near and she knew the men must be searching the wood for her. For a moment panic swept through her. She ought to have kept on walking, got as far away as possible. Perhaps she might have found help, but her ankle was still throbbing.
When the door of the shed started to open, Jane’s heart jerked with fright. If Blake had found her, he might kill her.
Her breath caught as she saw George enter. He pushed the door almost closed behind him, putting a finger to his lips.
‘Keep quiet. There’s nothing I can do for the moment, but I’ll come back later and help you. Wait for me.’
Jane opened her mouth to protest, but at a warning frown from him said nothing. Her chest felt tight and she could scarcely breathe as he went out again.
‘Anything in there?’
The voice was so close. Harsh and angry, she was sure it must be Blake and her heart hammered in her breast. If he came in and found her … but she could hear George answering him.
‘Just some old sacks. I told you she would be long gone by now. Why would she hang around here?’
‘The lot of you are damned fools. Why didn’t you tie her up or at least make sure she was in a room she couldn’t get out of?’
‘She must have climbed into the tree,’ a third voice said on a whining note. ‘You’ve got to admire a girl like that, Captain. It took a lot of pluck. Besides, what harm can she do? She doesn’t know who we are or what is going on.’
‘She hadn’t better or I shall know who to blame,’ the harsh voice muttered. ‘I suppose she’s gone now and there’s not much we can do about it. She saw my eyes, but if she doesn’t know my name it is a chance in a million that she can identify me.’
‘How could she know who you are?’ George said. ‘We should go back to the house. I have things to do. I only agreed to help with this because I thought the Fanshawe girl willing, Blake. Though it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I’ve fulfilled my part of the deal. I want what you owe me and an end to this whole rotten business.’
‘You’ll get what I promised when I’m good and ready—which will be when I get what I want.’
‘That isn’t what we agreed …’
Jane heard the angry note in George’s voice as the men moved away. He had told her his motive was not money, so what did Blake have that was so important to George that he would help abduct an innocent young woman to get his hands on it?
He had told her to trust him, but what kind of a man was he?
Shivering, Jane hugged herself and wondered if she should try to get away on her own once the men had gone. She wasn’t sure she would be wise to trust George—yet he had discovered her hiding place and kept it secret.
Jane walked to the door of the shed and stopped. If anything, her ankle felt worse than just after she had sprained it. It seemed as if she didn’t really have a choice. She would just have to wait and hope that George kept his word.
Night had fallen and Jane was beginning to turn cold when she heard something outside the hut. Then the door opened and a dark shadow entered. Her heart caught as she held her breath and waited for him to speak.
‘Are you there, Jane Blair?’
‘George?’ Her breath expelled in relief as she hobbled towards him. ‘I was beginning to think you had forgotten me.’
‘It took a while to get rid of the others and circle back,’ George said. ‘I didn’t want to arouse their suspicions. Blake is a nasty devil when his temper is up. I shouldn’t be surprised if what they say of him is true.’
‘What do they say?’
‘That he … well, he is supposed to have been thrown out of the army for causing the death of ten French prisoners during the campaign on the Spanish Peninsula in a particularly nasty manner. He is a bully and a cheat, I know that much, but I’ve never been certain of the rest.’
‘What does he owe you? What hold has he over you?’
Jane looked up at him. They had moved outside the hut and the moon had just sailed out from behind the clouds. For a moment she glimpsed an odd expression in his eyes, but in another moment it had gone.
‘It isn’t my secret. I can’t tell you,’ he said. ‘I know it must be hard for you to trust me after what has happened, but, believe me, this is the first thing I’ve ever done that I feel truly ashamed of—and I had a compelling reason. I just cannot tell you what it is.’
Jane gazed at him for a little longer, then inclined her head. ‘Perhaps I am foolish, but I do trust you, George. I trust you—and I am grateful for your help. I hurt my ankle when I fell through the tree and I can hardly walk.’
‘I knew it must be something of the sort when I found you here.’ A smile flickered at the corners of his mouth. ‘You must have jumped from the ledge to the tree. It takes courage to do something like that.’
‘My brother would say it was reckless and foolish—but I thought my life might be in danger.’
‘It might have been, had Blake found you himself. He was furious that we let you escape. For a few minutes I thought he would shoot us all, but it seems he may still have a use for us.’
‘Would you go to the law if you were not in such an awkward position?’
‘I could be hung for my part in the affair,’ George said. ‘Yet if I could be sure … What happened has left a sour taste in my mouth. I wish with all my heart I could go back to the start, but it is too late for regret. I am in this up to my neck. The only thing I can do is to help you get away.’
