Lord Phillip's Folly Page 12

  Phillip

  Tears ran unchecked down Beth’s cheeks and she dabbed at them with her handkerchief. Actually, it was one of Phillip’s. Her fingers traced the fancy embroidered P and W on one corner. Deep joy filled her. Phillip was safe and had also come to know Christ. She’d not been in the new house more than once so the loss there was not difficult to bear. But if they had been there? A chill ran down her spine.

  Someone was still after both of them.

  She ran up to her suite, pulled out some paper, dipped the nib of the pen in ink and wrote her own letter to her husband. She sanded and sealed it and left it on her Bible to post later. She rang for her maid, Elsa.

  Enough sitting around. She would go for a ride. She’d only been out a few times since her marriage. She needed to be free of the walls that seemed to close in on her. She shivered. Forget the past.

  He’d called her ‘my love.’ She hugged those words close to her heart as she donned her green riding habit Phillip had insisted she purchase saying it brought out the color of her eyes. She topped it with a jaunty little hat containing a feather dyed a pale gold. She glanced in the mirror. Look how far you’ve come. Her hand smoothed down the fabric of the skirt along her hips and came to settle over her stomach.

  In the short span of their marriage, she was recently aware they had conceived a new life. Arising out of duty and desperation, this child would be raised with love. So much more than she’d ever experienced.

  She’d shared the news in her letter to Phillip, longing to tell him in person. Phillip should be the first to know.

  Soon Elsa and Josie would discover her secret.

  Lightheaded and queasy in the morning and a fortnight past her monthly courses, she knew enough to diagnose herself. God, please protect this little one and Phillip. You’ve made us a family neither of us ever dreamed of.

  She frowned as images of Lord Wolton and her father intruded. She would not let them ruin her happiness and peace. She took deep breaths, sipped her tea, and grabbed her riding crop before heading out to the stables to arrange for her favorite mare. Although she was an indifferent rider, she’d been trying to improve her skill to please Phillip.

  “James, could you saddle up Sunshine for me today?” she asked the head groom.

  “Ye be wanting a groom to ride with you? Lord Westcombe insisted,” the young groom asked.

  “Don’t worry. I know the basic riding paths and don’t intend to go far. I just need to be alone.”

  The young man sighed and shook his head. “Yes, Mrs. Westcombe, but I be warning ye. Be careful.”

  She pointed to the railing where Duke sat. “I’ll have Duke with me. He’s a fierce protector.”

  James led the mare to her and gave her a leg up to the sidesaddle. “She’s a bit frisky this morning. Ye sure you don’t want Jem or Pete to come with you?”

  “Thank you for the offer. I shan’t be gone long.” She nudged the horse and soon they were in the sunshine of a beautiful morning. Duke flew ahead and would perch in branches waiting for her before flying off again. The horse turned down a path Beth didn’t remember, but as long as they were on Rose Hill property she should be safe enough. Marcus and Josie certainly owned a beautiful slice of England. She didn’t worry about getting lost. Duke would help lead her home and Sunshine was always ready to return to the stable for food.

  The pathway opened to a meadow where she urged the mare to a gallop. Such freedom! She laughed with pure joy. The powerful horse beneath her, the beauty around her, the wind in her face, unfettered by society’s strictures. She pulled up before entering the woods they had reached. The heat of the sun on her habit caused sweat to run down her back and trickle from her hair. She let out a breath of contentment as she stroked the neck of her horse. Thank you, God.

  She shivered. Was the air growing cooler? Clouds were moving in and the sky grew darker. She turned Sunshine around to head back to the path they’d previously taken. As she spurred the horse to a gallop again she came to the trees only to find the trail not as easy to find.

  “Duke? Can you show me how to get home?”

  The crow flew up high above the trees and disappeared before returning to her again. He landed on a branch on the edge and called to her. “Here! Here!”

  “Thank you.” She urged the horse toward that path and entered the woods. A chill crept up her spine as the sun no longer radiated through the leaves in droplets of light. She kept the horse at a slower pace. She didn’t want Sunshine tripping over roots or being spooked by a rabbit. The path meandered. Time slowed. Nothing looked familiar.

  Where was Duke?

  Fear stalked her behind every tree. Don’t be silly. I’m safe on Lord Remington’s land. God is watching over me and Duke is close. There is nothing to fear.

  Something struck her shoulders knocking her hat askew over her eyes and causing her to topple from her lofty perch. She crumpled to the ground gasping for breath as the air abandoned her. She tugged the hat off her head.

  Strange burly men appeared as shadows. One slapped her horse on the rump and the mare bolted down the path.

  It seemed forever before her lungs remembered to work. She struggled to rise but a boot placed against her chest forced her back. Faces wreathed in shadow, all she could tell was these men were large. Lord, help me!

  “This is the little princess causing the master trouble?” one man asked.

  “Red hair. It’s her.” Removing his foot, he reached out his hand to grab hers and jerk her to her feet. “Ah, Mrs. Westcombe. At last, we have the pleasure.” His breath reeked of stale ale and garlic. He leered at her. “I sez we all have a turn at her before we administer her punishment.”

  “We’ve no time for pleasure, my lad. Why did you send the horse off like that? They’ll come looking for her the minute that beast shows up at the stables.” The third man growled and swatted Beth’s hand free from the man holding it. He grabbed her chin forcing her to look up at him. “Too bad. You are a delectable morsel to be sure.” He turned back to his cohort. “You are an idiot.”

  He punched the other man in the arm and soon they were rolling on the ground pummeling each other.

  Beth winced in pain as the third man gripped her upper arm tight. She refused to show them her fear. The man stooped down, grabbed a rock, and threw it at the two tussling on the path.

  They halted, groaning. Rising to their feet they faced her.

  Beth shivered and shook herself free. Three men. Thunder cracked through the silent woods. No birds chirped. No squirrels scampered. It grew deathly quiet as lightning danced across the sky, followed by another ominous boom.

  “We’ve got time to do whatever we want. We can haul her off the path and truss her up. No one will discover her for some time,” Stinky stated.

  A shiver of fear rippled through her.

  “Diamond doesn’t want her dead.”

  “He’s playing a deep game,” said the tallest man she now dubbed Giant. “Still, if something were to happen because she didn’t…obey, he can’t get angry about that, can he?”

  “We do the job first.” This man was not as tall but had a large face. He looked like a gnome.

  Stinky nodded. “The storm is moving in and I want to be a long way from here before they find her. Let’s do the job we’re to be paid for. We’ll have money enough to get our pleasures elsewhere with plenty of comfort.”

  The other men grumbled and Gnome nodded. “I don’t fancy hanging from a tree. Help me with the missus here.” He pulled a long cloth from his back pocket and stepped toward her, raising it to her face.

  Terror gripped Beth and she shook all over. She’d felt powerless long ago when she’d been bound and gagged. “I’ll cooperate. Don’t hurt me. Please don’t tie me up.”

  “Cooperate, huh? Come on men, let’s have some fun.” Gnome grabbed her and dragged her into the woods, far from the path. The other two men followed. They stopped at a small clearing and she was tossed to the ground.

&nbs
p; Knives appeared in the hands of all three men. Stinky pulled her to her knees. “No screamin’, ya hear?”

  She whimpered and nodded her head. Her arms were held tightly behind her back by Gnome as Giant stood over her with a rock, ready to knock her senseless if she screamed or struggled. Stinky took his knife and carved a swath of fabric away from the upper right corner of her back, exposing almost a fourth of her skin to the cooling air. Pushing her hair out of the way, the knife met her skin and pierced it. She jerked and Giant slapped her.

  “Stay still or else.”

  She closed her eyes tight. All her muscles clenched tightly in response to the carving taking place. She was being marked. The outline of a shape ached but then the man worked to peel off the skin within the lines. She managed to disappear inside herself as trickles of blood flowed from the wound. Finished with their task, she was shoved face forward to the ground. They bound her hands behind her.

  The men argued over who would get her first. She shivered as the temperature dropped further and sprinkles of rain made their way through the canopy of trees overhead. Soon the dirt beneath her was damp. From her tears or the rain, she couldn’t be sure. A loud sound rent the darkness and the men cursed as they fought someone or something. She couldn’t hold on anymore and slipped into the comfort of darkness.

  ~*~

  Phillip grew uneasy. He paced the study while Marcus visited White’s to pick up on any helpful news. By mid-morning, a note was delivered to the house by a street urchin. Phillip turned it over several times before ripping the seal open.

  Lord Westcombe,

  This is a warning. We found her and before you can reach her we will have dealt with her. The next time we touch your wife, she will certainly die. Cease the investigation.

  There was no signature. Deep inside Phillip was certain something bad had happened. Beth was in danger. Right this minute. He called for the butler. “Dispatch someone to fetch your lord immediately. Tell him it’s an emergency and to make haste.”

  Phillip took the stairs two at a time. He threw clothes in a bag and instructed Fenway to pack to return to Rose Hill by carriage on the morrow. Lord, watch over Beth. Please keep her safe. He ordered up two horses that stood outside by the time Marcus arrived.

  “What’s amiss, Phillip?”

  Phillip dragged Marcus to the study and shut the door. “This was delivered less than an hour ago. We need to depart for Rose Hill immediately.”

  Marcus scanned the brief message. “Could this be a trap?”

  “I don’t care if it is. I must see Beth. If something happened to her because I failed to go… I need to make sure she’s not been harmed by those...” He punched the air instead of filling in the profanity on the tip of his tongue.

  Marcus smiled. “I applaud your restraint. God is at work in you. I will change and be with you in less than ten minutes. Make sure you grab your great coat. As warm as it is the scent of rain is in the air. It might be a wet journey.”

  Phillip paced as he waited for Marcus.

  They were soon racing their horses out of town on the road to Rose Hill. Often Marcus would take Phillip on some cross-country paths he was aware of to cut the journey and also possibly avoid traps. The going was slower on those routes which chafed at Phillip’s urge to hurry. He would not sacrifice his horse. Having the beast come up lame would not help either.

  It was dark and the rain was coming down hard as they galloped up the drive to Rose Hill. Thunder rolled in the distance.

  Phillip swore he’d be tearing someone’s head off if he didn’t see his wife soon. He was beyond worried over her safety.

  Phillip was off his horse and tossing the reins to the stable boy before Marcus was able to dismount. Dashing up the steps to the house he threw open the door, not even waiting for the butler. “Beth! Beth!” he bellowed. He shook off his great coat and left it where it fell, casting his hat to the floor as well before rushing into the drawing room.

  Josie was rising to her feet.

  Marcus was behind him. “Josie. Where is Beth?”

  “Phillip. Marcus. What a surprise. What’s amiss?”

  “Where is Beth?” Phillip asked again through gritted teeth.

  “I’ve not encountered her today. She missed tea. She took a ride earlier on Sunshine but that was the last I’ve heard. She was despondent and missing you, Phillip so I figured she’d gone to rest after her ride. I was napping when she would have returned. I wouldn’t worry.”

  Phillip’s breathing was ragged.

  Marcus strode to his wife and put an arm around her, kissing the top of her head. He glared at Phillip as if to warn him. Phillip caught the message. “Phillip received a letter this morning indicating Beth’s life might be in danger.”

  Josie’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, no. Talk with Stickney in the stables and see what he knows.”

  Phillip ran out the door, Marcus on his heels.

  Entering the stables, they found Stickney rubbing down his horse, ridden to a lather getting them here. “Where is my wife?”

  “Your wife?” the groom asked.

  “Mrs. Westcombe. Where is she?”

  Stickney called to one of the stable boys. “Have you seen Mrs. Westcombe?”

  “Aye, sir. She rode out later this morning on Sunshine. I was coming to tell you that the horse was found in the western meadow with a strained fetlock. We thought you might want to come and check her out. It’s raining and Jemmy is slowly leading her back.”

  “And Mrs. Westcombe?”

  “No sign of her, sir.”

  Phillip was beside himself.

  Marcus stepped in. “Who accompanied Mrs. Westcombe on her ride?”

  James swallowed hard. “No one, m’lord. She insisted on being alone.”

  Phillip turned on the head groom. “And you allowed this?”

  Marcus placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Intimidating my servants will not get you the result you want.” He turned to the young boy. “What direction did she take?”

  “She went north but the horse was west…so I’m not sure what path she took. Would you like me to saddle up some horses so we can search for her?”

  “That’d be great.” Marcus turned to Stickney and put an arm on the groom’s shoulder. “You are not to blame.”

  The older man shook his head. “I was up all night helping Midnight give birth to her foal. I slept most of the morning. I’m sorry, m’lord. I didn’t know. I’ll round up all our hands to help in the search.”

  Phillip swung up into the saddle of the fresh mount to find it skittish beneath him.

  “You’re making the horse nervous, Phillip,” Marcus cautioned as his horse came up alongside him. “Stop a moment. Pray.”

  Phillip swallowed hard. “You’re right. I’ve been running on my own power and haven’t sought God with this. He loves her more than I do, right?”

  Marcus grinned. “He does. It makes me happy to hear that you love her too.”

  Phillip took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Lord, you know where Beth is. Please lead us to her. I love her and it would devastate me if something happened to her. Help me to entrust her to you until you bring her back to me. Flickering his eyes open he urged his mount forward.

  Soon Marcus was following as they headed into the trail Beth had first taken.

  A black crow flew past Phillip and came to land on a tree branch, squawking. Caw! Caw! “Leezzeee! Help Leezzeee!” Caw! Caw!

  Phillip pulled up close to the bird. “Duke. Where is Beth? Lead us to her.”

  Caw! Caw!

  “You really think a crow can take you to your wife?” Marcus asked.

  “That bird has saved my life before. He adores Beth and would never be away from her if she didn’t need help. He knows where she is.” Phillip addressed the crow. “Go. Find Beth.”

  The bird took off flying down the path turning off through rougher terrain.

  “She must be off the path,” Marcus stated.

  “She�
�d never leave the path willingly,” Phillip asserted as he skillfully maneuvered the horse around the underbrush. “At least it’s drier under the covering of the trees.”

  They rode on in silence and time stretched thin.

  Phillip continued to pray he’d find his wife alive and unharmed.

  “Could this be a trap?” Marcus asked.

  “Possibly. I don’t care.” Phillip knew he’d do anything to protect her. He took his marriage vows seriously. Even though he was a reluctant groom, God had done something wonderful when He’d given Beth to him as a wife. The wife he never knew he needed. The woman he didn’t think he could live without.

  Duke stopped on a branch and waited until they came alongside. He squawked and hopped to another branch further into the woods. Broken branches indicated others had been here before them.

  “I think we need to walk. Why don’t you wait here, Marcus. She must be close.” Phillip dismounted and followed the crow into the underbrush, snagging his pants and coat. He almost tripped over her in the dim light as the sun was beginning to set.

  “Leezzeeee! Help Leezzeee!” Duke squawked.

  “I found her!” He knelt down in the mud. “Good job, Duke.” She was on her side, her right shoulder skyward. The bare skin and the bloodied wound in the shape of a rhombus sickened him. His finger touched her cold neck. She still had a steady pulse. “Beth? Sweetheart? It’s Phillip.”

  She didn’t respond. He touched her scalp and discovered a large bump there.

  Marcus came up behind him. “Is she…?”

  “She’s alive, but not awake. The monsters tortured her. I can’t take her back on the horse. Can you go get a cart and send for the doctor?”

  “Sure. Here’s my greatcoat, use this to help warm her up.” Marcus took off his.

  “I should be giving her mine.”