Forsters 04 - Romancing the Runaway Read online

  “I’m a legal man,” Nesbitt said, reaching inside his coat and waving a sheaf of papers beneath her nose. “Pray don’t insult my intelligence by implying I don’t know how to arrange a wedding. This is a special licence with your name down as the bride.”

  Miranda felt the colour drain from her face. “Even so, you’d need to find a parson.”

  “And, here we are,” William said, twitching the blinds aside.

  Where were they precisely? The journey had been a short one but they’d gone beyond Looe. Obviously, they knew the parson in the church there wouldn’t marry Miranda to someone she clearly didn’t wish to wed. The sight of a fishing harbour and a line of familiar cottages caused her heart to lurch.

  They were in Polperro. They had to be. It was only five miles from Looe and probably the only village on this coast that would support Nesbitt’s scheme. A dispute had raged between Miranda’s father and Polperro’s influential squire for many years. Nesbitt had unsuccessfully arbitrated on her father’s behalf when the squire tried to cheat papa over a horse, so he would know the particulars of the animosity. The matter had never been resolved. Such disputes in small villages tended to divide the populaces’ loyalties and, not surprisingly, Polperro villagers supported their squire. Worse, Miranda knew the parson to be an indolent fellow, given to imbibing and probably not averse to conducting a wedding service under dubious circumstances, given sufficient financial incentive.

  “You’ve miscalculated,” Miranda said with what she considered to be admirable calm, given the circumstances. “You can lead a woman to the altar but you can’t force her to say I will.”

  “Are you absolutely sure about that?”

  Miranda wanted to close her eyes when the three men exchanged another smug glance. There was something they weren’t telling her and her instincts screamed that it had to do with Gabe. Nesbitt delved into his pocket for a second time and held out his palm to her. She wouldn’t look. Whatever it was, she didn’t wish to see it.

  She looked.

  Miranda inhaled sharply when she espied a solid gold ring, the large diamond in its lower quarter glinting mockingly up at her.

  “What have you done to him?” she demanded hotly.

  Chapter Twenty

  Gabe opened his eyes, groaned as an excruciating pain pounded through his head and immediately closed them again. He reached up and felt a lump the size of a duck egg at the base of his skull. Just for a moment he had no idea what had happened. Then he remembered and his eyes flew open again, regardless of the agony it caused him. Damn it all, Miranda was in danger! Someone had obviously taken him so they could get to her.

  He forced down his growing panic and tried to think rationally—not easily achieved when his head hurt like the devil. She was well protected and, unlike him, not arrogant enough to assume she was immune.

  Even so, he needed to get to her. Where was he? It was black as pitch and freezing cold. Water trickled down the uncomfortable rock he was leaning against. A mine shaft? That had to be it. He must be someone below ground on Banks’s property. His hands and feet weren’t bound, and apart from the lump on his head, he didn’t appear to be injured. Presumably whoever put him here thought he couldn’t escape, at least not quickly enough to help Miranda.

  “We’ll see about that,” he said aloud, staggering to his feet and banging his already aching head on the low rock ceiling.

  Ignoring the pain, he waited for the world to stop spinning and for his eyes to become more accustomed to the gloom. He had no idea which way was out. It was too dark to see the hand in front of his face and he didn’t feel cool air hinting at the outside coming from any direction. That wasn’t reassuring. His captors had chosen his prison well, but that wouldn’t stop him from trying to escape this hell hole.

  Gabe gingerly groped around the walls, using his hands, hoping to find a passage. Hoping even more fervently that there wasn’t more than one to choose from, resulting in him wandering even farther into the mine.

  It took far longer than he would have liked but he felt mildly euphoric when he stumbled upon an entrance passage hidden in a smaller part of the cave. He’d found several smaller passages but when he tested the height of this one with his hand he discovered it was the only one large enough for a man, bent-double, to negotiate. He reasoned that even though he’d been unconscious, someone would have had to carry him in here, or pulled him along on a sledge. If he’d been dragged his clothing would be torn and his limbs scraped. Apart from the lump on the back of his head, he was unharmed.

  This was the passageway he would negotiate.

  He had to work along it on his hands and knees in places, so low was the rocky surface of the mine’s ceiling. It was damp, cold and claustrophobic. Several times he almost turned back, disorientated, unsure now that he’d taken the right route. It felt as though he’d been crawling along for ages and yet there was no sign of daylight or the feel of fresh air to encourage him. He could be hopelessly lost down here forever. Perhaps he should have stayed where he was. Someone would have come for him eventually. After all, if they’d wanted him dead, why go to so much trouble to hide him underground? Only the thought of Miranda’s probable plight gave him the impetus to keep going.

  “Courage of your convictions, Gabe,” he said aloud.

  Voices? Gabe cocked his head to one side. Was it his imagination, or could he hear voices? No, definitely, someone was talking up ahead. Were they coming for him? Unlikely, since the voices weren’t getting closer. Presumably they were there to prevent him from escaping. Gabe crawled forward, encouraged to see lantern light. He stopped just short of it and peered around a large rock. There was a cave of full head height beyond it, and two men slumped on the ground, obviously talking about him.

  “He was out for a long time. Do you think we hit ’im too hard, Bill? Perhaps we should go and check on him.”

  “I’m thinking we should, Luke. This ain’t right.”

  Gabe wasn’t sure he’d heard right. Were these people his captors, or his saviours? Whichever, he couldn’t afford the luxury of trying to decide. The smaller man appeared to have recently broken his nose. Wright mentioned breaking the nose of one of the devils who’d been staking out the Boar. These must be Peacock’s men.

  Rage caused Gabe to forget his injuries. He dashed into the cave, taking both men unawares, and swung a fist with considerable force at the man with the broken nose. This was no time to fight fair. The man collapsed on the floor with an astonished cry. The lantern fell with him, the flame was extinguished and the mine was left in darkness again. Before the other, much larger man could do anything, Gabe swung at him as well. His fist connected with his chin, but with insufficient force to knock him from his feet. Gabe’s strength was depleted and all he could do was hold his hands in front of his face to deflect the man’s blows.

  Except no blows came.

  “Calm down, m’lord,” the man said. “We ain’t here to hurt you.”

  “Then why the devil are you here? I just heard you say it was you that attacked me.”

  The man Gabe had knocked down groaned and staggered to his feet again.

  “You all right, Luke?” the big man asked.

  “Dunno, Bill. For a gent he don’t half pack a punch. Broke my damned nose again, so he did.”

  “You hit me and put me down here,” Gabe repeated, playing for time as he waited for his head to stop spinning.

  “Sorry about that,” the man called Bill replied. “Nesbitt’s orders.”

  Anger bubbled through Gabe, even though he’d known Nesbitt must be behind his kidnapping. “You work for him?”

  “Me and Luke here work for Peacock.” Bill spat. “Precious thanks we get for it, an’ all. But we didn’t sign up for kidnapping, and worse.”

  “But you kidnapped me anyway.”

  “Yeah, but we’ve thought about it since and figured it weren’t right.”

  Gabe suspected that even these two would think twice before killing a marques
s’s brother. And that was what it would come down to, they must realise that, and had decided to change sides.

  “Are you telling me I can trust you?”

  “Yep.” Bill nodded emphatically. “He’s out of his head, that Peacock, and he’s gone too far this time.”

  Gabe quickly assessed his situation and made a snap decision. Every second counted if he was to rescue Miranda. “Then prove yourselves by helping me out of here.”

  The two men took his arms, pulled him to his feet and guided him towards a tunnel. Mercifully this one didn’t require him to crouch down. There was a tall ladder to climb when the tunnel opened out and daylight was dimly visible high above. Gabe had no idea how Bill and Luke had got him down here. Presumably there was a pulley for extracting the copper. He was grateful they hadn’t chosen to simply throw him bodily down the shaft.

  His limbs felt like lead as he attacked the ladder, forcing himself to climb one rung at a time. The surface seemed an impossible distance away but he finally reached it and fell onto the scrappy grass, gasping for breath as he gratefully filled his lungs with fresh, clean sea air.

  Revived, Gabe turned towards his two rescuers, hand outstretched.

  “Thank you,” he said, shaking with each of them in turn. “I’ll not forget this.”

  The two men seemed taken aback that he’d actually offered them his hand, but took it nonetheless. Gabe was still unsure about them, but couldn’t do without their help so he had to take a chance. He felt clearer-headed now he was out in the open, ready for answers.

  “Where have they taken Miss Cantrell?” he asked.

  “Polperro village, five miles along the coast, m’lord,” Bill replied.

  “Come on, we need to get back to the Wildes.” Gabe strode in that direction and the two men kept pace with him. “Why have they taken her there?”

  “Nesbitt has a special licence. He wants to see her and Peacock married this day and has bribed the parson there to do the necessary. Seems there’s bad feeling between that village and Looe. Something to do with their squire and Miss Cantrell’s father.”

  “She’ll never do it.”

  “They think she will.”

  Gabe slowed his pace and blinked at them, a feeling of cold dread trickling through him at the certainty in Bill’s tone. “Why the devil would she do that?”

  “Because of you.” Bill fixed him with an apologetic stare. “They have your ring.”

  Gabe’s denial died on his lips when he went to twist his ring.

  It wasn’t there.

  *

  The carriage stopped in front of the church but Miranda remained where she was, her mind working frantically. They’d captured Gabe. Please God they hadn’t hurt him. Surely even they wouldn’t be that foolish.

  “You’ve gone too far,” she said, hoping she sounded more self-assured than she felt. “You can’t kidnap a marquess’s brother and expect the world to look the other way.”

  “We didn’t kidnap your admirer, my dear,” Nesbitt said, looking disgustingly pleased with himself. “We have witnesses who saw us in the village inn at the time he disappeared.”

  “Well, I’m sure his lordship will be able to identify whoever captured him and the link will be made to you.”

  “He didn’t see anyone,” William said.

  William was seldom trusted by his father to do anything important and clearly relished the fact that an exception had been made in this case. What was more, he seemed anxious to boast about his role in the kidnapping. It would make sense for him to be involved while Nesbitt and Peacock made sure they were seen elsewhere. William was so insignificant that no one would think to question his absence. No doubt Nesbitt didn’t feel entirely comfortable relying on the people who took Gabe, hence the need for William.

  “No harm will come to him if you do as we ask,” Peacock said.

  “But he’ll raise the alarm as soon as he’s released and put the authorities on to you.”

  “He can prove nothing,” Nesbitt replied with a negligent flip of his wrist.

  “But I can, and I most assuredly will.”

  “You’ll be married to William by then and a wife can’t testify against her husband.”

  Perdition, that was true. “Even you wouldn’t resort to harming a gentleman of Lord Gabriel’s status,” Miranda said boldly.

  “My dear, I think you underestimate my desperation,” Nesbitt drawled. “I have absolutely nothing to lose by forcing your hand. The bailiffs are already knocking at my door and my reputation in legal circles hangs by the merest thread.”

  “Which is hardly my fault.”

  “Oh, but it is. Everything was planned. If you’d done as you were supposed to when Peacock first suggested it, none of this would have been necessary.”

  “Even if nothing can be proven in a court of law about Lord Gabriel’s abduction or, at worse,” Miranda said, gulping back her fear, “his disappearance, do you suppose that will prevent his brother from pursuing you to the ends of the earth? I shall certainly tell him everything I know.”

  “Which would be exceedingly foolish of you,” Nesbitt replied. “I know you admire his lordship—”

  “Not in the least.” They couldn’t possibly know the reverse was true. “I’m merely grateful for his…er protection.”

  “Your eyes give you away, Miranda. Besides, your face quite drained of colour when I showed you this little bauble.” Nesbitt tossed Gabe’s ring in the air and caught it one-handed. “This coastline is treacherous. Accidents happen all the time. If Lord Gabriel, or you for that matter, were to take a tumble over the cliffs, no one would be able to prove foul play. Are you really prepared to live the rest of your life looking over your shoulder, never able to relax for a moment? Never sure whom to trust?”

  Miranda shuddered. He actually believed he was invincible. Worse, he was vindictive enough to harm Gabe if he didn’t get his way.

  “You really have no choice.”

  “How did you sneak onto my land and kidnap me without anyone seeing you?” she asked.

  “Oh, that was easy. Froome knows where all the mine shafts come out.”

  “Mr. Froome?” Miranda blinked. “Surely he’s not involved in this?” But the former manager of her neighbour’s mine would certainly know his way around the shafts.

  “Froome has a family to feed.”

  “You must be very proud,” she said sarcastically.

  “We have our moments,” Peacock agreed.

  “What made you think about arsenic?” she asked, playing for time. Surely someone would have missed her by now and sounded the alarm. More important, they would have missed Gabe, too, and commenced searching for him. “You might as well tell me if I’m to be a part of it.”

  Either because they thought she was capitulating, or because they couldn’t resist boasting, it was Peacock who enlightened her.

  “That was a bit of luck. We were down here together about a year ago—”

  “To rob the Wildes of all valuables?”

  Peacock merely shrugged. “We were here on business and some cove overheard us talking in the inn. Turns out he was Banks’s mine manager, and a fine education the man had received too.”

  “He understood how to extract arsenic from the filings?”

  “Right, he saw an opportunity but needed uninterrupted access to your land to see it through.”

  “Why would he turn on Mr. Banks that way?”

  “He thought the mine could still be profitable. Banks disagreed and Froome found himself going from head of a large operation to caretaker of Banks’s property, while Banks swanned off abroad without a care.”

  “Ah, I see. Froome’s pride is hurt.”

  “And his talents are going to waste,” Nesbitt added.

  “He recognised greedy individuals in the pair of you and this unholy alliance was born.”

  “Talking of holy alliances,” Nesbitt said, “it’s time to make up your mind.”

  She really didn’t have
a choice, they were right about that. Gabe’s health and reputation meant more to her than anything, even the Wildes. It was a situation that would have been unimaginable even a few short weeks ago, but there it was. She was deeply and passionately in love with Gabe. It would have to remain a one-sided love because if Gabe knew the true nature of her feelings he’d think it laughable.

  Even so, he’d done so much for her and now she really could return the favour. She would marry the odious poppycock seated beside her, but the union would never be consummated, on that score she was fiercely determined. Nor was she serious about actually killing herself rather than allowing it to happen. That would only gift these ruthless bullies her land by default.

  No, she could outwit the three of them because they underestimated the fierce determination of a woman in love to keep her man safe. Once Gabe was released, she would seek an annulment on the grounds of non-consummation. Quite how she planned to fight William off when the time came she hadn’t yet decided, but she would find a way. She knew the Wildes far better than he did. Perhaps she could have Mrs. Dalton put something in his food to render him senseless. Failing that, Jessie was bound to have ideas.

  Cheered by the thought that she wasn’t alone in this, she allowed her shoulders to sag and pretended to be defeated.

  “You’re right,” she said, treating them to a disdainful glare. “I really don’t have a choice, so let’s get this miserable farce over with.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Gabe strode into the stable yard at the Wildes to find the place in uproar. Any fleeting hope of discovering Miranda going about her daily business as usual evaporated at that point.

  “Lord Gabriel, thank God!” Jessie ran up to him, wringing her hands. “Miss Miranda, she’s missing. We thought she might be with you, but it’s obvious now that—”

  “What happen to you, m’lord?” Munford asked, taking in his dirty clothing. Presumably his face was equally filthy.

  Tobias ran up to him, tail between his legs, more subdued that Gabe had ever known him to be.

  “No time to explain.” Gabe remembered the sad selection of horses available to him and swore beneath his breath. “They’ve taken her to Polperro village to try and force her into matrimony.” He indicated Bill and Luke with a wave. “These two told me as much.”