Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (182 page)

246

Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady

Oswalt
wanted
Paine to find her. That meant Paine knew where she'd be even though he'd been unconscious and unable to follow them. She wondered if they'd gone to Richmond. Paine had mentioned Richmond as the site of his

encounter with Oswalt.

Paine would come. Oswalt would use her to trap him. How convenient it must be for Oswalt to play two games at once-the game with the Lockharts and whatever lingering end play he thought he had with Paine over the old quarrel.

Maybe he wouldn't come, her devil-side argued. Why would he? Perhaps right now, he was cursing her for bringing him into such a mess. Sex was one thing. Dying for it was quite another. He'd promised her pleasure.

He'd promised nothing else. He might decide he'd done enough for her. And he'd be right in that conclusion. He'd rescued her from Oswalt once already. He knew how Oswalt thought. He would know this was a trap simply because Oswalt had left him alive. He would know Oswalt wanted him to come. Paine was a stubborn man.

He wouldn't come just because someone wanted him to.

Julia stood up and resumed pacing. There it was-for all his manipulations, Paine was the one person Oswalt couldn't manipulate. He could not ensure Paine would come, only that he had all the

to come if he

chose to. She smiled at that. It would gall Oswalt no end if Paine didn't come. She would remember to take comfort in that little prod when the time came.

At least that was settled. He wouldn't come. Paine was too smart. She'd better stop counting on him to

Scott

join in her rescue and start thinking of how best to rescue herself.

Unfortunately, she had none of the traditional escape routes at her disposal. All the captured heroines in the Minerva Press novels had secret passageways hidden in their fireplaces or bedsheets for ropes.

That made

her snort. Bedsheets were the least of her worries, not that she had any on the bare cot. She needed a window to start with.

For good measure, Julia went to the wood door and tried the handle. It was locked and a guard shouted back at her. Well, that was to be expected. Oswalt knew she wouldn't sit by passively and let her fate play out on its own.

The handle turned and Julia retreated to the cot. She should have spent her time

for something to

craft into a weapon. She recognised the guard as one of the men from her uncle's house.

'Good, you're up and around. The boss will be glad to know it.' He held out the long box he carried. 'The boss says for you to put this on.'

Julia didn't move to take the box. 'What is it?'

The man sneered. 'It's a wedding gown. You have a half-hour to dress. Boss wants the ceremony to take place at sunset.'

'And if I don't?' She gave a haughty toss of her head.

This man would

that she was not cowed by his

bulk or brashness.

'Then you can attend your wedding naked.' He threw the box on the cot next to her.

248

Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady

'Get out. The clock is running,' Julia ordered in a last attempt at bravado.

He snorted. 'You can be high and mighty now-it won't last much longer.'

The door shut and Julia sighed. She might have done better to probe for more information instead of nising the guard. Why sunset? At least she had confirmation of what was going to happen to her. She was going to be moved to another place. Sunset wouldn't matter in this windowless room.

Compliance was her best option at present. She'd learned through unfortunate consequences the foolishness of her resistance at the house. If she'd gone willingly, she would have kept her consciousness. Perhaps she could even have attracted attention or called out for help. Unconscious, she made things easy for Oswalt.

Anxiously, she lifted the box lid. The gown was more of a robe than it was a dress: a sleeveless, shapeless robe of white

In the bottom of the box was a girdle of twisted gold set with gems every few links and two large gold arm bracelets set with turquoise. The ensemble looked

something a Druid priestess might

wear, like something she'd seen a history book before regarding early Britons.

The no

sparked something. Druids. Midsummer.

The solstice. She frantically tried to recall the date.

Oswalt's idea of a wedding was becoming clear. She was certain today was June 2 1. It explained the odd gown and the desire to perform the wedding at sunset.

'Fifteen minutes ! ' the guard shouted through the door.

Scott

She needed to hurry. She didn't doubt the guard would make good on his threat to haul her downstairs naked or that anyone would mind terribly much.

Julia dressed swiftly, trying to push her thoughts away from the impending events and what they meant.

The horror was too overwhelming. If she dwelled on them, she'd be paralysed with fear. She needed to stay alert, she needed to look for any opportunity to run or to defend herself. She bit her lip. She hoped she had the courage to do whatever needed to be done and, if there was a chance to kill Oswalt and free herself, she hoped she had the courage to take it.

The guard came for her as she was fastening on the last of the bracelets. He brought friends. Two of them.