Bought for Revenge(40)

His urgent tone was not lost on Annabelle. As soon as the gig stopped  she jumped down. A barrel-chested man with iron-grey hair ran out to  grab the horse's head and Captain Duggan picked up a small leather case  from the gig and followed her into the inn. the weather-beaten door led  into a dark low-beamed passage. To the right was what Belle took to be  the taproom. It held a long table and benches and a couple of barrels  stood in one corner with a trestle table before them. It was empty save  for a slatternly woman in a grey gown, who disappeared through a door at  the back of the room even as Belle looked in.

'This way, Miss Havenham.'

Captain Duggan opened a door to the left and ushered her inside. She  found herself in a much smaller chamber with a single table in one  corner. As the door clicked shut a presentiment of danger came over  Belle.

'What is this? Where is Lucas?'

'Ah, well, I may have misled you a little there, Miss Havenham. We will have to wait for him. Won't you sit by the fire?'

She started back towards the door. 'No, I will not. I want to go back to Stanton immediately.'

'I'm afraid that is not possible.' He grabbed her arm and pulled her  towards the hearth, where a sullen fire smoked fitfully. 'Now please sit  down, Miss Havenham.'

He pushed her down into one of the wooden armchairs that flanked the  fireplace. Belle was thoroughly alarmed, but she was determined not to  let it show. She said coldly, 'Please tell me why you have brought me  here.'

'I already have,' he said, placing the leather case upon the table. 'We are waiting for my cousin.'

'I don't understand. Why should he want to come to this inn?'

'Because you are here.' He sat down opposite her, smiling at her  confusion. 'I needed to get my cousin alone, you see, and you are in the  nature of the, er, bait.'                       
       
           



       

She shook her head.

'You are wrong, Captain Duggan. Mr Blackstone has sworn to stay away from me. He will not come.'

'We must hope you are wrong, madam, for I cannot let you go back to Stanton if he does not turn up. You would spoil my plans.'

'Plans?' Through her fear came the thought that she must keep him talking. 'How can I affect your plans?'

The door opened and the grey-haired man looked in. 'I've stabled yer  horse and put the gig out o' sight, Cap'n, like you asked, and sent the  boy off on the pony with yer note-'

Hugh cursed him savagely. 'Damn you, Strutt, don't come in without knocking!'

'Damme, 'tis my ale house and I'll do as I please.'

'Not when I am paying you!'

Scowling, the landlord made to withdraw, but the captain stopped him.  'No, wait. Now you are here, send in some wine and something to eat.'  When the man had gone, Hugh was once more smiling and urbane. He said  apologetically, 'We may have to wait here for some time. You see, I had  the note already written, to summon Lucas, but I could not risk sending  it until I had you safe.'

Belle lifted her head and looked at him steadily. 'Captain Duggan, I  fear you are under a misapprehension. Mr Blackstone is nothing to me.'

'That may be so, ma'am, but he cares for you a great deal. Why else  would he be willing to give up everything? Much can be forgiven a man in  love, Miss Havenham, but I cannot let him do this. I have to stop him.'

'This is surely something you should take up with your cousin, sir-'

'I have tried, but he won't listen to me.'

'Then I cannot help you.' She thought sadly of that last kiss, how he had put her away from him. 'I have no influence with him.'

'No?' Again that cold smile. 'I think you will find he will co-operate, once he knows what I plan to do with you if he refuses.'

The curricle bowled along the road to Stanton at breakneck speed. The  bays were fresh and Lucas was obliged to give all his attention to  keeping them steady. It was growing very dark now with only the last  ragged shreds of daylight on the western horizon. The lamps on the  curricle burned with a dull glow, but Lucas knew that if anyone was in  his way he would be upon them before they could see his lights. He tore  into the little town and brought the team to a plunging halt at Croft  Cottage. Rudd ran to the bays' heads while Lucas jumped down and rapped  urgently upon the door. It was opened immediately by Samuel's man, a  worried look upon his face.

'The master saw you pull up, sir. If you would like to come in.'

Samuel was waiting for him in the sitting room. 'Belle?'

The old man spoke the single word almost as soon as Lucas entered, his  face so white and creased with worry that Lucas's worst fears were  realised. He shook his head.

'Tell me when you saw her last, Mr Havenham.'

'At noon. We had a little soup together.'

'And you have heard nothing since?'

'No. She told me she was going for a walk, but she would never be gone  so long without letting me know. I was about to send a note to Rishworth  Lodge, to see … '

'I pray you will not do that yet.'

The old man fixed his anxious eyes upon him. 'Do you know where she is?'

'I think so. I am on my way there now.'

'Bring her back safely, my boy.'

The old man put out his hand and Lucas gripped it. 'I will, sir, if it is humanly possible.'

Samuel kept hold of his fingers. 'If only I could come with you,' he  said. 'If only I were not so weak!' He looked up at Lucas. 'She needs  someone younger and stronger than I to look after her. My boy, if you  bring her back-'

'When I bring her back we will discuss it.' Lucas put his hand on the old man's shoulder. 'Do not give up hope, sir!'





Chapter Seventeen


Darkness closed in and still Belle was a prisoner in the parlour of the  Boar's Head. Hugh Duggan had taken her cloak from her and roped her to a  chair. She wasted no time on tears. All her pleading and protestations  had not moved her captor who, to every fresh argument she put forwards,  merely said, 'We will wait for Blackstone to arrive.'

Hugh bade her eat a little of the food brought into them by a shambling  hulk of a youth that he introduced to her as Zac, one of the landlord's  sons. It was poor fare and she had no appetite, but she forced herself  to swallow a few mouthfuls. Whatever was going to happen to her, she did  not want to be distracted by hunger. She refused the wine, but took a  cup of small beer, which she sipped cautiously. As the evening wore on  Captain Duggan became increasingly agitated. Candles were brought in and  the shutters closed, but they were not barred and the captain peeped  out through them every time his perambulations around the room brought  him to the window.                       
       
           



       

'What if he does not come?' she asked at last. There was no clock in the  room and Belle had no idea how long she had been confined. Hugh was  biting his thumb as he turned to look at her. 'Well?' she persisted, her  nerves so stretched she no longer cared if she angered him. 'Do you  propose to kill me?'

She was steeling herself for his answer, determined not to show any  fear, when there was the unmistakable sound of an arrival. He moved the  shutter an inch to peer out.

'He's here.' He closed the shutter and turned to Belle, a triumphant  smile on his face. 'Now, let us see how much he values you!'

There was a rumble of voices, then the door burst open and Lucas  appeared, the shoulders of his caped driving coat almost filling the  opening. Belle was torn between relief at his being there and sheer  terror that he had walked into a trap. His hard eyes swept the room,  resting only briefly on her before he fixed them upon Captain Duggan. It  was impossible to read his expression, his countenance as hard and  impassive as stone. He strolled into the room, stripping off his gloves.  The landlord followed him and Belle went cold when she saw the heavy  shotgun in his hands.

'What the deuce is this about, Cousin?' Lucas demanded.

'You've come alone?'

Lucas spread his hands. 'What does it look like?'

Duggan looked past him to the landlord, who nodded.

'Aye, Cap'n. My lads is outside, watching. There was no one with him.'

'Very well. Let us get down to business.'

'Will you let me untie Miss Havenham first?'

'No. When we have finished and you have done as I order you, I will  release her. Until then she remains a prisoner. And Strutt will remain,  too, with the shotgun, in case you try anything clever. First of all I  would like you to empty your pockets, I have no doubt that you have at  least one pistol hidden away.' When Lucas did not move, he continued in a  silky voice that sent shivers running through Belle, 'Make no mistake,  Cos, it is Miss Havenham who will suffer if you do not comply. Strutt  has no qualms about harming a woman.'

'I can believe it.' Lucas flicked a cold glance at the landlord, who waved the shotgun at him.

'Nay, sirs, I'm a respectable innkeeper these days, but that don't mean I  won't use this if I have to, if I needs to protect my property.'

Lucas ignored his interjection and addressed his cousin. 'How did you light upon this place?'