Cinders and Ashes (29 page)

“
How in the hell should I know?” Sebastian snapped, rising to
get another goblet. “I’m not her keeper.”

“
You are usually near her, or know exactly where she is.”
Edward argued as he shared a knowing glance with
Dominic.

“
Not any more. She is leaving in the next few days to go home
to Eastleigh.” Sebastian rested a hand on the mantle and watched
the flames burning fiercely in the grate. It resembled his
aspirations for future happiness. Going up in smoke.

“
She refused to marry you?” Dominic queried with a frown. “But
she loves you, any fool can see that.”

Sebastian raised his head to look sadly at his brother. “Does
she? I have asked her to marry me. She doesn’t seem to be really
all that bothered about becoming my wife. She’ll sleep with me. Run
the risk of carrying my child. But wear my name, and commit her
life to me?” Sebastian shook his head once for emphasis. “Not a
chance.”

“
Where was she the last time you saw her?” Dominic queried
sympathetically, wondering if Amelia was still sitting in the
pavilion.

Hodgkiss
returned moments later. “We have searched everywhere, sir. She
isn’t in the house.”

Dominic
looked at the darkening skies outside. The winds had begun to pick
up and despite the darkness, storm clouds were clearly
gathering.

“
Get the grounds staff to search everywhere outside. Now.
Amelia is out there somewhere. Find her.”

Sebastian picked up on the urgency in his brother’s voice,
and glanced at him with growing alarm.

“
What?”

“
Something isn’t right. This isn’t like Amelia, is it?” His
worried gaze locked with Sebastian’s.

“
Get yourself sobered up,” Dominic spat, motioning to Peter
and Edward to follow him.

Half an
hour later, they all met in the hallway. Sebastian ran down the
stairs two at a time to find his head gardener standing, cap in
hand, at the bottom of the stairs.

“
We’ve checked everywhere, sir, nobody has seen
her.”

“
You’ve checked the outbuildings and pavilion?” Sebastian
sheathed his sword and scabbard, unsurprised when his head gardener
nodded his head.

“
Everywhere, my lord. Nobody has seen any ladies
outside.”

Sebastian’s heart hammered. “Do we know if Ballantyne was
actually arrested today?”

“
We know Montague was sending men out, but we don’t know if
they found him.”

Sebastian swore roundly. “Does he have anywhere to stay
around here?”

“
He isn’t at the inn in the village. As far as I know, he
doesn’t have any acquaintances in the area,” Peter replied. “I
don’t think he has any decent acquaintances anywhere. Certainly
nobody who would put him up while he arranged someone’s
kidnap.”

“
Where do you think he has taken her? It’s too far back to his
house.” Edward sheathed his own scabbard beneath his cloak with a
sigh. The scent of battle hovered in the air between them. Unlike
Isobel’s skirmish though, he knew instinctively that this one could
prove deadly.

“
The horses are ready, sir,” Hodgkiss reported from beside the
front door.

“
Edenvale Manor.” Sebastian’s voice was deadly. “I am fairly
certain he took me there when I was kidnapped. Ballantyne seems to
have a liking for the house, and clearly has no compunction against
helping himself. It would appeal to his warped mentality to take
her there.”

“
It is nearly a two hour ride away. A carriage will take even
longer than that,” Peter argued with a scowl.

“
Yes, but she went sometime this afternoon. They could already
be at Edenvale.” Dominic tugged his cloak on and followed his
brothers out of the front door.

“
It is me he wants to draw out. Whatever he wants, this is my
battle.” Sebastian glared at each man in turn. With the afternoon
he had just had, a fight was just the thing he needed. He wanted to
pound something, or someone, relentlessly.

“
It’s
our
battle,” Dominic replied, with a glare at his younger
brother. “We have all been involved in this from the start, and we
are all going to finish it.”

“
You need to stay here to look after your wife.” Sebastian
stalked towards his horse.

“
I’ll look after her,” Eastleigh replied, moving to stand
beside the door. “I could come with you, but it has been years
since I used my sword and would be more of a hindrance than a help.
Please, Sebastian? Please find my daughter and bring her
home.”

Sebastian nodded briskly. “Believe me, we will get her back,”
he promised coldly, wheeling his horse around with a firm kick
before disappearing into the night.

Amelia
slowly became aware of voices through the thick fog of
consciousness. She could distinctly make out two different men who
were close. Without opening her eyes, she knew neithr of them was
Sebastian.

It took
several moments before she could recall the events of the
afternoon, and the horrible realisation of her fate dawned on
her.

She had
been kidnapped.

Unless
she was much mistaken, she had been kidnapped by
Ballantyne.

It took
every ounce of her fortitude she possessed to remain still, and
calm while she thought. She was so very cold. She wanted to shiver
but daren’t move.

“
You had better open your eyes, my dear. I know you are
awake.” A rough masculine voice sing-songed so close to her ear
that she instinctively cringed in fear.

Immediately her eyes snapped open, and she looked into the
iciest blue eyes she had ever seen in her life. So pale, they were
almost white.

She
swallowed the scream that rose in her throat and stared back
blankly.

“
Well hello there. Amelia, isn’t it? I don’t believe we have
met,” Ballantyne whispered, running his eyes down her
lasciviously.

Amelia
knew without looking that they had removed her clothing, leaving
her in nothing but a whisper-thin shift. A slow blush stole through
her cheeks at the masculine interest in his gaze as he eyed the
dark circles of her breasts for several moments before moving down
the rest of her slowly.

“
We will have fun with this one.” He glanced slyly at his
companion standing on the opposite side of the bed.

Amelia
looked at the tall, gaunt man standing beside the bed, and knew
instinctively this was the man Sebastian had called Rat.

He was
almost as gaunt as Ballantyne. Tallish but thin, his face was
heavily pockmarked from lack of washing and a lifetime of
dissolution. Amelia felt bile rise in her throat as the thought of
Martha’s fate rose in her mind.

“
We will see if your lord wants you when you have serviced
us.” Ballantyne drew a long knife from the bedside table, and ran
it slowly down the middle of her chest between the soft mounds of
her breasts.

“
You can do what you want to me, but you will never get away
with it,” Amelia snapped, refusing to allow either man to see how
terrified she was. “Sebastian will hunt you down and make you die
slowly.”

Ballantyne spat an epithet. “Cavendish isn’t going to bother
with the likes of you.” He flicked a finger across her nipple,
watching her closely for her reaction. She did nothing but
blink.

“
My father will hunt you down if you harm so much as a hair on
my head,” she whispered, hatred filling her eyes.

“
Your father? Do you even know who he is?” Ballantyne scoffed,
sliding a hand down across her belly. He laughed when she squirmed
against the bonds tying her hands to the bed head.

“
Yes, I do know who my father is. He is the Earl of Eastleigh,
and has some acquaintances in very high places.” Amelia’s voice was
cold contempt. “He will use every one at his disposal to ensure you
die painfully.”

Ballantyne paused and stared suspiciously at her.
“Eastleigh?”

“
Yes, why do you think he is at Tingdale?” Amelia glared at
both men in disgust. She knew Ballantyne was thrown when he glanced
at Rat.

“
Do you know of this?” he spat, glaring at the older man
spitefully.

“
Nothing, sir,” Rat replied hesitantly, suddenly not so
emboldened now he was facing his master’s wrath.

Shaking
his head absently, Ballantyne turned back towards her.

“
It doesn’t matter who sired you, my dear. Even if they do
find you, when we have finished, no man will want you.

Amelia
screamed as Rat grabbed hold of one knee, yanking it high and wide,
while Ballantyne used his body to force open her other leg. Her
stomach heaved as she realised what they intended to do to her, and
she knew what Martha must have felt in the hours before
death.

Her
thoughts immediately turned towards Sebastian, and she mentally
pleaded with him to find her.

“
Boss!”

Ballantyne paused, opening the placket of his breeches at the
sudden shout.

“
Go and see what they want,” he snarled, watching as Rat
disappeared through the door. It was enough of a distraction for
Amelia to lift her leg, and kick Ballantyne hard on the side of his
head.

He flew
off the end of the bed, and landed on the floor with a
thump.

Amelia
was still squirming against the bonds, trying to loosen them enough
to slip her arm free, when her head was suddenly yanked back as
Ballantyne grabbed a fistful of hair, and shoved his face close to
hers.

“
You’ll pay for that, bitch,” he snarled, a small trickle of
saliva dripping from the side of his mouth.

“
Boss!” Rat’s voice came from somewhere downstairs.

“
What?” Ballantyne snapped, shoving away from Amelia and
moving towards the door.

“
Company.” Although Rat’s voice was significantly quieter, his
words were enough to make Amelia’s heart thump crazily in her
chest.

Sebastian.

It was
all she needed to look at the bonds. As Ballantyne disappeared
downstairs, she bent her fingers down enough to loosen the thick
rope and within seconds had one hand free.

Seconds
later she jumped from the bed, quickly glancing around the room for
her clothes, but couldn’t see them.

Downstairs, raised voices became louder as Ballantyne shouted
his orders. Amelia knew he would be back at any moment, and felt
her stomach heave at the thought of what they would do to her if
they came back. The possibilities gave her the courage to do what
she needed to.

Ignoring
her unclothed state, she quickly slid the window upwards. She
didn’t stop to look down, and jumped across the short distance to
the thick branch of the large oak outside of the window. It was
very high, but she had little choice. With a silent prayer
heavenwards, she clambered down the branches she could reach,
before she had to let go and fall to the ground with a
thud.

Winded
for a few moments, she heard voices outside and felt a wave of
panic sweep through her. It wasn’t Sebastian. She took a fortifying
breath and looked around frantically, not knowing what to
do.

She was
dressed in a white shift, and would stand out like a beacon if she
ran down the drive. Where else could she go? Easing around the edge
of the house she looked across to the tree line. In the far
distance to the right, she spied the tip of a church spire. She
could remember passing it as she rode through the village with
Isobel only a few weeks ago.

Without
hesitation, she left the sheltered protection of the stone wall and
took off across the grass. Despite the increasing winds tearing at
her ears, and the pain in her feet from the running across the
ground without shoes on, Amelia ran as though the hounds of hell
were nipping at her heels. She was vaguely aware of the surprised
shouts from men behind her but didn’t stop to look backwards, and
instead lengthened her stride as much as she could.

If she
could get to the church, or the village, she could find somewhere
to hide until morning. Then she could seek help. With her eyes
firmly locked on the ground before her, she headed straight for the
tree line and the church beyond.

As she
reached the protection of the trees, Amelia felt panic sweep
through her. The men were closer than she thought. She could
distinctly hear Ballantyne’s voice issuing threats as he gave
chase.

Crashing
through the harsh branches, her feet were cut to ribbons and
littered with thorns, but fear drove her onwards without mercy.
Branches tore at her thin shift, scraping her arms and chest as she
pushed through them. A sob lodged in her throat as she tripped over
an unforgiving branch, and landed on the floor with a
thud.

She lay
panting in the undergrowth for several moments, certain that at any
moment she would feel Ballantyne’s hands on her shoulders, dragging
her to her feet.

When
nothing happened, she glanced backwards. She could hear branches
snapping and leaves rustling, but couldn’t see anyone. Lurching to
her feet again, she ran for her life.