Eloping with the Princess (Brotherhood of the Sword #3)(8)
“Now, miss, settle down. My boss’ll be here soon, and I know he wants you unharmed,” the man said, his voice thick with a cockney edge.
Jason searched the area around him to see how best to make his approach. He picked up a jagged piece of a board that had been tossed out of whatever establishment held this address, then skirted around the alley to come upon them from behind.
The man who held her was easily a head taller than Jason, and perhaps twice as broad, but size generally made men slow and clumsy, whereas Jason was swift and strategic. He moved in and hit the man hard at the back of his knees so his legs buckled. Then, when Jason could easily reach the man’s head, he whacked him with the board. The man toppled forward.
Isabel shrieked, then stiffened as if readying herself to attack whomever had come from the darkness. Her green eyes were wide with fear, but it was an active sort of fright, one that would allow her to fight back. He could appreciate such an instinct.
Jason snaked an arm around her. “Isabel, it is I, Jason. Calm yourself. I assume you would appreciate rescuing. Unless you intended to run away with that man. Am I intruding upon a romantic rendezvous?”
She frowned. “What? No, don’t be ridiculous.” She shook her head, then promptly wrapped her arm around him. “Can you please get me out of here?”
In that moment with her clinging to him, he had the sudden and ridiculous urge to kiss her. He shoved the thought aside, climbed up onto his steed, and pulled her up in front of him. She could sit across and he could keep an eye on her this way. Once they were safely heading away from the docks and back into Mayfair, she shivered against him.
“I am very pleased that you are not dead,” she said.
“As am I.” He paused. “Why did you think I was dead?”
“Before he took me from your house, I found you in the corridor.” Her hand went to his forehead, and her fingers lightly brushed above the injury. “How is your head?”
“I’ve had worse. And at least the blood has stopped dripping into my eye.”
She shuddered. “I am sorry to have involved you in this. Whatever it is.”
“Is that the same man who tried to grab you outside of your school?” he asked.
She nodded against his chest. “I got away from him once, but this time I thought he had me for good. Thank you for rescuing me.”
Jason smiled. “You were trying to get away.”
“Yes, but my efforts were futile. That man is enormous.”
She might be a slip of a woman, but she had the heart of a fighter, which he supposed was good, considering Lynford had been right and she was, in fact, in danger.
“Did you know that man? Or why he is so interested in kidnapping you?” he asked.
“No. That night outside of St. Bart’s was the first time I ever saw him. As to the other…” Again, she shook her head. “I have no notion as to why. It doesn’t make any sense. I’ve lived nearly my entire life at St. Bart’s. The only people I know in the world live there, too, save for Lilith and now you.”
Perhaps not now, but Jason knew that with Lynford investigating the situation the puzzle would be solved, no matter how long it took.
…
Jason had told her that they would not be returning to his townhome. Instead, they’d go elsewhere for the night until he could be certain it was safe to return. They’d ridden through London, and, had she not been snatched by a strange man and carted off to a wretchedly smelling part of the city, she would have enjoyed this ride immensely. She’d never seen much of London outside the area of St. Bart’s, which was far away from the heart of the city. They cantered through the streets in the black of night, with only the gaslights illuminating their way and only the sound of the horse’s hooves clip-clopping along the road. The city was quiet, peaceful, and beautiful, but also dangerous. At least for her.
And, unfortunately, the peace allowed her too much time with her own thoughts. What precisely was going on? Who was after her and why? She was the most ordinary of girls, so why was someone going to so much trouble to kidnap her? Certainly, if it had something to do with Thornton, it would be Lilith who was in danger instead.
Jason reined his horse in and they stopped in front of a three-story red brick townhome with large white columns. He assisted her down and led her not to the front door, but instead to the alley that brought them to the back of the house. The servants’ entry, if she wasn’t mistaken.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“In good time.”
It occurred to her as he opened the door that she didn’t precisely know this man any more than she knew the one who’d taken her. Although, he was infinitely more attractive and cleaner. All she knew was that the man who had come with her aunt to get her from St. Bartholomew’s had brought them to Lord Ellis’s house with the promise of protection. And then she’d been kidnapped.
Nerves clawed at her, and she fought the urge to turn heel and run, primarily because she had nowhere to go. And this man had come to rescue her. So she supposed for the time being she would do her very best to trust him. She swallowed hard against her hesitation as she accepted his hand and let him lead her into the house.
He spoke briefly to a wizened old butler who nodded sharply and led them upstairs to a room. Judging from the appearance of the room, with its heavy wood paneling and imposing desk, this was the gentleman of the house’s study. She had the question on her tongue again, to ask where they were, when a man entered the room. A bleary-eyed lady followed behind him.