Behind The Horseman (The Underwood Mysteries Book 3) Read Free

year?  He has no shortage of lady admirers, does he?”
    Of course she could not answer. But fury surged within her.  She had suffered months of desolation and doubt regarding her husband’s true feelings for her, and had only recently known for sure how much he cared for her.  To have all those horrible, negative emotions dragged back to the surface by the careless words of a man who was obviously insane made her livid.  All fear forgotten, she began to struggle frantically.
    Suddenly she felt herself being rolled impatiently off him, the fallen twigs and rocky soil pressing uncomfortably into her stomach.  The peril she was in brought her quickly back to sense and tensely she lay still, despite the pain of half-lying on her unborn child.
    “Stay there, madam, for five minutes, or I swear to God, I’ll slit your throat!  When I am gone, you may go home and take this message to your husband.  Tell him I will be back – and he will suffer as I have!”
    For the first time Verity found her voice, “Who are you?  Why are you doing this?”
    He laughed harshly, “Mr. Underwood is such a clever man, I’m sure he can work that out for himself!”  She heard him crashing away through the trees, the pounding of his footsteps growing fainter.  With an effort she dragged herself to her feet, brambles tearing at her, dusty leaf-mould dropping to the floor as she pulled her skirts free.
    She began to quake, sobs shaking her whole frame, and unable to stop herself, she leant weakly against the rough bark of an ancient oak and vomited into the undergrowth.
     
                                                                                  
    *

CHAPTER TWO
     
     
    (“Tu Ne Cede Malis Sed Contra Audentior Ito” – Yield not to misfortunes, but advance all the more boldly against them)
     
     
    As Underwood quietly closed the bedroom door, he was met by a concerned Gilbert, “Is everything well with her?” the vicar whispered, his face still pallid with the shock of Verity’s disclosures.  He was exceptionally fond of his brother’s wife – almost too fond, Underwood sometimes felt.  He knew Gil was asking, in his delicate way, if Verity had miscarried, and it was with undisguised relief he was able to reassure him, “There has been no lasting damage.  She will sleep now.  The doctor has given her a little laudanum.”  He gestured that his brother should precede him down the stairs, for he had no intention of allowing him to disturb the hard-won rest his wife now enjoyed.
    In his study, their voices raised to a normal level, Gil felt freer to question Underwood about Verity’s unpleasant experience, “Was she able to furnish you with a description, Chuffy?  Toby is preparing to go out and scour the town just as soon as we know who attacked her …”
    “I fear Toby will have to delay his departure indefinitely,” interjected Underwood impatiently, “Verity knows nothing.  She was seized from behind and never saw the man’s face.  All she could tell me was that he was as tall or slightly taller than myself, and she thought he sounded young, but of course she could not be sure.  He spoke in what was evidently a disguised whisper.  He was immensely strong, throwing her about as though she were a manikin, and try as she might, she could not resist.”
    Gil closed his eyes in distress, bringing his hand up to his forehead and shuddering at the images this comment conjured, “Don’t, for pity’s sake!  I can’t bear to think of what might have happened to her.  This madman must be caught quickly.”
    “No one is more aware of that than myself, Gil.  But with so little information to act upon, I can do nothing.”  Underwood’s tone was harsh, but his words were reasonable enough, considering the emotions under which he laboured.  He was not a violent man, on the contrary, he abhorred violence in all its forms, be it