groaned. “Oh, Tabitha, what have you done? You can go to prison for kidnapping a lord. We both can go to prison for this.” She covered her hands over her face as her fingers rubbed circles on her temple.
“No, my lady.” Tabitha rushed to Diana’s side and placed her palm on Diana’s shoulder. “It will be his word against ours. Nobody saw, I assure you.”
“Lady Hollingsworth,” Tristan greeted once he found his voice. “What a surprise it is to see you—and in your night clothes, no less.”
Her hands dropped to her side as her perplexed eyes locked to his. “I’m quite certain it is a surprise, my lord, considering you probably never expected to see me again.”
“I must admit, I hadn’t.” He flicked his gaze to the length of her. “Especially under such circumstances. Tell me, Lady Hollingsworth, why did you instruct your maid to kidnap me?”
“I didn’t know of her plans,” she said coolly.
He moved his focus back to the servant, his mind scrambling for anything that might entice her to release him. “Do you plan to hold me for ransom? I can tell you that my mother has a bad heart. If I am not at the church to wed Lady Fairbourne tomorrow, my mother’s heart will fail. If she dies as a result of this wicked deed, you won’t see a dime of my money. I beg you, for my mother’s sake, please return me to the church posthaste. If you release me now, I promise not to tell the magistrate of the kidnapping.”
“Ridiculous,” Tabitha shouted. “The storm has grown worse since our arrival, and even if we left at first light, it would be impossible to return you in time. By then your loving fiancée’s heart will be shattered.” Anger sparked in the maid’s eyes.
He seethed, finally hearing the rain pelt against the roof. No matter how bad the storm, he needed to leave tonight. “How much do you want?”
“My lord?” Tabitha asked with an arched eyebrow.
“Name your price. How much do I need to pay you to let me go?”
“I don’t care about your money, my lord. If you must know, I don’t plan on returning you at all.” She moved in front of him and stopped. “Lady Hollingsworth and I don’t want one shilling from you. We want revenge! I want to hurt you in the same manner you have hurt my mistress.”
Tristan’s attention jumped back to Diana, but she didn’t make a move to stop her maid. He looked back to Tabitha. “You really want revenge? Are you planning to push Lady Fairbourne over the cliff, then? Pray, my dear, take me to the cliffs and shove me over instead. Perhaps you’ll succeed where Lord Hollingsworth failed.”
* * * *
Anger, hurt, betrayal, and confusion blended together to squeeze Diana’s heart. What was he talking about? Shoved over the cliffs? Diana should do something, and scolding Tabitha for what she’d done was high on Diana’s list. But all she could do was stare in near horror as Tristan and the maid verbally sparred.
What was Diana to do? Indeed, if Tristan said anything to the magistrate, both she and Tabitha would be taken to Newgate and locked away for kidnapping a duke’s brother. She needed to think of a way out… any way out. But seeing him this close—and helpless—was her undoing. Her mind refused to work properly.
“My lord,” Tabitha continued, “you are making no sense at all. This is about revenge, but we will see it done our way.”
“You cannot be serious,” Tristan grumbled.
Tabitha laughed bitterly. “I am very serious, my lord. Men like you don’t deserve happiness when you take it from others.”
“Pray, what do you think to accomplish by kidnapping me?”
A grin stole across the maid’s mouth. “I plan to ruin you just as you have ruined Lady Hollingsworth.”
“Kidnapping me is going to ruin my reputation?” He barked out a laugh. “I think you have figured this all wrong.”
“Actually, I have planned this out perfectly. You see, your servants know you were hesitant about the upcoming marriage
“No, my lady.” Tabitha rushed to Diana’s side and placed her palm on Diana’s shoulder. “It will be his word against ours. Nobody saw, I assure you.”
“Lady Hollingsworth,” Tristan greeted once he found his voice. “What a surprise it is to see you—and in your night clothes, no less.”
Her hands dropped to her side as her perplexed eyes locked to his. “I’m quite certain it is a surprise, my lord, considering you probably never expected to see me again.”
“I must admit, I hadn’t.” He flicked his gaze to the length of her. “Especially under such circumstances. Tell me, Lady Hollingsworth, why did you instruct your maid to kidnap me?”
“I didn’t know of her plans,” she said coolly.
He moved his focus back to the servant, his mind scrambling for anything that might entice her to release him. “Do you plan to hold me for ransom? I can tell you that my mother has a bad heart. If I am not at the church to wed Lady Fairbourne tomorrow, my mother’s heart will fail. If she dies as a result of this wicked deed, you won’t see a dime of my money. I beg you, for my mother’s sake, please return me to the church posthaste. If you release me now, I promise not to tell the magistrate of the kidnapping.”
“Ridiculous,” Tabitha shouted. “The storm has grown worse since our arrival, and even if we left at first light, it would be impossible to return you in time. By then your loving fiancée’s heart will be shattered.” Anger sparked in the maid’s eyes.
He seethed, finally hearing the rain pelt against the roof. No matter how bad the storm, he needed to leave tonight. “How much do you want?”
“My lord?” Tabitha asked with an arched eyebrow.
“Name your price. How much do I need to pay you to let me go?”
“I don’t care about your money, my lord. If you must know, I don’t plan on returning you at all.” She moved in front of him and stopped. “Lady Hollingsworth and I don’t want one shilling from you. We want revenge! I want to hurt you in the same manner you have hurt my mistress.”
Tristan’s attention jumped back to Diana, but she didn’t make a move to stop her maid. He looked back to Tabitha. “You really want revenge? Are you planning to push Lady Fairbourne over the cliff, then? Pray, my dear, take me to the cliffs and shove me over instead. Perhaps you’ll succeed where Lord Hollingsworth failed.”
* * * *
Anger, hurt, betrayal, and confusion blended together to squeeze Diana’s heart. What was he talking about? Shoved over the cliffs? Diana should do something, and scolding Tabitha for what she’d done was high on Diana’s list. But all she could do was stare in near horror as Tristan and the maid verbally sparred.
What was Diana to do? Indeed, if Tristan said anything to the magistrate, both she and Tabitha would be taken to Newgate and locked away for kidnapping a duke’s brother. She needed to think of a way out… any way out. But seeing him this close—and helpless—was her undoing. Her mind refused to work properly.
“My lord,” Tabitha continued, “you are making no sense at all. This is about revenge, but we will see it done our way.”
“You cannot be serious,” Tristan grumbled.
Tabitha laughed bitterly. “I am very serious, my lord. Men like you don’t deserve happiness when you take it from others.”
“Pray, what do you think to accomplish by kidnapping me?”
A grin stole across the maid’s mouth. “I plan to ruin you just as you have ruined Lady Hollingsworth.”
“Kidnapping me is going to ruin my reputation?” He barked out a laugh. “I think you have figured this all wrong.”
“Actually, I have planned this out perfectly. You see, your servants know you were hesitant about the upcoming marriage
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