A Dangerous Pursuit (Regency Spies & Secrets Book 1) - Laura Beers (macos ebook reader .TXT) 📗

Hawthorne grew solemn. “But if she isn’t, I promise you that I will keep looking for her.”

“You would do that for me?”

His face softened. “I would,” he replied, “especially since you have done me a great favor by allowing me to abduct you.”

She attempted to muster up a smile but failed miserably. “It will be an adventure.”

“You will be safe; I assure you of that.”

She nodded. “I believe you.”

“Why is that?” he asked, his eyes searching hers.

“I don’t rightly know,” she replied.

The coach came to a creaking stop. “Get into the sack,” Lord Hawthorne ordered.

He placed the gunnysack on the floor and Madalene stepped into it. As she crouched down, he pulled the bag over her head and she could feel him securing the top with the rope.

The door opened and she felt the coach dip as Lord Hawthorne exited first. He reached back in and grabbed her. She stifled a gasp as he flung her over his shoulder, which he did as if she weighed no more than a bag of feathers.

The inside of the gunnysack became stifling hot, and Madalene sought out one of the many holes to feel the cool air on her skin. She could hear men’s muffled voices as they passed them on the street, appearing to be unaware, or unconcerned, that she was being abducted.

“We are almost there,” Lord Hawthorne whispered.

A few moments later, she heard him pound on a door, then say, “Where should I put the girl?”

She didn’t hear a response, but Lord Hawthorne started walking again. He carried her up a flight of stairs and down what she imagined was a hall.

He pounded on another door, and she heard it creak open. “I have the girl.”

“Bring her in,” came the reply.

Lord Hawthorne took another five steps before he lifted her off his shoulder and lowered her to the ground.

“Want to look at her?” Lord Hawthorne asked.

“Why not?”

Madalene could feel Lord Hawthorne untying the rope and then the gunnysack fell to the ground around her. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, and she was vaguely aware of other women somewhere behind her. Being carried with her head downward had made her dizzy, though she supposed her dazed appearance was helpful in this circumstance.

A brawny man crouched down in front of her and grabbed her chin. “She will do quite nicely,” he declared, his eyes lewdly roaming her face. “She’s a pretty little thing.”

Lord Hawthorne’s face was expressionless as he replied, “That she is.”

“Where did you find her?”

“She must’ve lost her chaperone, because she was walking alone on the street. I grabbed her when no one was looking,” Lord Hawthorne said.

The man tugged down on her jaw, causing her mouth to open. “She has some nice teeth. She will be a fine prize for any man.”

Madalene jerked her head back and the man’s hand dropped. “I will belong to no man,” she declared forcefully.

The brawny man chuckled. “This one is feisty.”

“Did I earn my five pounds?” Lord Hawthorne asked.

“That you did,” the man replied as he rose. “You did good, Baldwin.”

Madalene turned her head, and her eyes sought out the five other young women sitting on the floor near the wall. They had their hands bound in front of them, and all stared back at her with fearful eyes. Her heart dropped when she realized that Edith was not among them.

The brawny man reached behind him for some rope and brought it in front of him. “We should celebrate over a drink.”

“That would be nice,” Lord Hawthorne replied as he turned his gaze towards her, and a shiver of fear ran down her spine. His eyes had turned cold, dark. Any trace of the man she thought she knew was gone.

Roughly, the brawny man grabbed her hands and tied them securely with the rope. “This will do nicely until it is time for them to depart,” he stated as he stepped back.

“When is that?” Lord Hawthorne asked.

“In a few hours.”

“This was the easiest money I ever made,” he said.

“That is the point, and you have helped advanced the revolution, as well,” the man replied, clapping his hand on Lord Hawthorne’s shoulder.

Together, they walked over to the door and departed from the room without even sparing the women a glance. The sound of a key locking them in could be heard.

Without waiting another moment, Madalene rose and walked swiftly over to the girls. “You need not fear. The Bow Street Runners will be rescuing us shortly.”

She could see the disbelief in the young women’s eyes. Their hair was matted to their heads, tear lines could be seen running down their dirtied faces, and their dresses were terribly wrinkled.

“It is true,” she asserted.

A brunette girl spoke up in a timid voice. “How do you know for certain?”

“The man that brought me here has planned the whole thing,” she explained. “He said he tipped off the Bow Street Runners.”

The girl shook her head. “You have been tricked. I was lured here, as well.”

“I haven’t been.” Madalene tried to loosen her bands, but to no avail. “I assure you that it is all true.”

“Then we shall wait and see, won’t we?” the girl replied as she rested the back of her head against the wall. “But I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”

Madalene turned towards the door and declared, “The Bow Street Runners will be here any moment, I am sure of it.”

She began searching the room, looking for anything sharp that might help in removing her bonds. But there was nothing that could help her. She walked towards the window and opened the dusty drapes. The sunlight poured into the room, and the other young women seemed to shrink back from it.

Madalene attempted to open the window but discovered that it was nailed shut. Drat! She realized there was no way for her to aid in her own rescue.

After some time, Madalene found her legs growing weak and she sat down. Why is it taking so long for the