On a Wicked Dawn c-10

by Stephanie Laurens

  The figure's head jerked up. Helena pushed upright in the bed. The figure uttered a strangled squeak, halfway to a shriek; frozen, she stared at Helena.

  "Come." Helena beckoned. "Do not scream. Come and tell me."

  Heavy footsteps shook the corridor. The figure's head jerked toward the door, then she rushed — first this way, then that — in total panic.

  Helena muttered a French curse and struggled to rise from the bed.

  The figure yelped, rushed to the open window. She learned out — the room was on the first floor.

  "No!" Helena ordered. "Come back!" Centuries of command rang in her voice.

  The figure turned uncertainly.

  Simon burst through the door.

  With a shriek of pure fear, the figure jumped out of the window.

  Simon cursed and rushed to look.

  "Good God!" He stared. "She's landed on the loggia" Leaning out, he waved. "Come back here, you little fool!"

  Helena rolled her eyes. Shrugging on her robe, she hurried to join him. The sight beyond the window made her lay a hand on his arm. "Don't say anything more."

  But Simon had already fallen grimly silent.

  Outside, the cloaked figure, weaving and staggering, was attempting to walk one of the beams of the loggia that extended away from the house over the flagstone terrace. If she overbalanced and fell, broken limbs would be the least of it.

  The figure teetered precariously; time and again, she swayed, arms flailing — every time, she regained her balance. The heavy cloak swung about her legs, a dangerous encumbrance. Under her breath, Helena prayed.

  "My stars," Simon breathed. "I think she's going to make it."

  "Don't speak too soon and tempt fate."

  In the gloom of the gardens, they could just make out Martin hovering by the shrubbery, and Sugden on the path to the kennels. Both remained frozen, silent witnesses to the girl's perilous flight. No one made the slightest sound, the slightest movement, did nothing to distract her.

  After what seemed an eternity, the wildly lurching figure reached the end of the beam where it joined with an upright support. Simon tensed; Helena sank her fingers into his sleeve. "You are not following her."

  Simon didn't even glance at her. "Of course not. No need."

  They waited silently as the figure grappled and grasped, then partly swung, partly fell, partly scrambled to the ground, landing in an ungainly heap.

  Simon immediately leaned out of the window. "She's on the ground by the loggia outside the music room!"

  His ringing call propelled everyone into action. The girl jumped to her feet and tore off toward the shrubbery.

  Then she saw Martin closing from that direction.

  With a shriek, she pivoted and fled in the opposite direction, toward the rose garden and the darkness of the wood beyond.

  She was almost there, almost to the path that led into the shadows, when she ran directly into Lucifer, who'd left the house through the front door and circled around the east wing.

  Luc heard Simon thunder to Helena's room, but no one had passed either him or Simon, so how…? Via the window? But Martin, Sugden, or Phyllida would have seen… how had anyone got past them all?

  Striding into the west corridor, he saw Simon dash into Helena's room. He paused, poised to react, then he heard Simon speak. Confused, Luc waited — there was clearly no drama occurring in the room, no danger to Helena.

  What the devil was going on? He was about to stride to Helena's room and find out when he heard Simon's call.

  "She's on the ground by the loggia…"

  She.

  The word stopped him in his tracks. The possibilities crashed down on him. Could they all have been wrong? Had Anne gone out of her window and around the outside of the house? Or had she not even been in her room but in Helena's?

  Swinging around, he strode for the east wing.

  Amelia was hovering outside Anne's door; she'd heard Simon's call but the house was too massive for her to make out his words. But she saw Luc coming, understood enough. She didn't hesitate.

  She opened Anne's door. "Anne?" No reply. The bed was draped in dense shadows. "Anne!"

  "Huh? What…?" Pushing her thick brown hair from her face, Anne groggily sat up, peering at Amelia. "What's the matter?"

  Amelia beamed at her. Relief and newfound excitement rushed through her. "Nothing, nothing — nothing to worry about."

  Sounds from outside reached them; Amelia rushed to the window, flung back the curtains, threw up the sash. Behind her, she heard Luc reach the room and step inside.

  "What's going on?" Anne asked from the bed.

  After the faintest pause, Luc replied, "I'm not sure."

  Amelia heard the profound relief in his voice, could feel the irrational dread lift from his—their—shoulders. Holding back the curtains, she leaned out as Luc joined her. A second later, Anne, dragging a robe about her, pushed in alongside.

  The sight that met their eyes was at first incomprehensible — a trio of figures wrestling on the lawn, detail obscured by the dense shadows cast by the huge trees of the wood. Then the trio resolved into two larger figures supporting the third toward the house; the smaller figure resisted, but weakly.

  Beneath them, a door opened; Amanda stepped onto the terrace. She waved to the group. "Bring her here."

  They changed direction; a moment later they passed out of the shadows and features became clear. Martin and Lucifer were gently but determinedly escorting a slight female, cloaked, shaking her head, sobbing hysterically. Her hood had fallen back revealing lustrous brown locks.

  Luc frowned. "Who is it?"

  Amelia suddenly realized.

  It was Anne who answered, staring at the figure round-eyed. "My God — that's Fiona! What on earth is going on?"

  It was the third time she'd asked, but the explanation wasn't going to be easy, and they didn't have all the answers.

  "We'll explain tomorrow." Luc swung around and strode out of the room; they heard him running down the corridor toward the stairs.

  Amelia started after him.

  "Amelia!"

  She turned back, met Anne's eyes. "I truly can't stop now, but I promise we'll explain all tomorrow morning. Please — just go back to bed."

  Fervently hoping Anne would do so, Amelia hurried out, closing the bedroom door behind her. She started down the corridor, then remembered Emily. She paused by Emily's door, listening, then eased it open. She tiptoed in, just close enough to be sure Emily was still sound asleep — doubtless dreaming innocent — or possibly not so innocent — dreams.

  Inwardly sighing with relief, she retreated, then hurried on toward the stairs. At their head, she came upon Helena and Minerva being escorted down by Simon.

  Simon looked up. "They've got her."

  "I know. I saw."

  Minerva sighed. "The poor child. We'll have to get to the bottom of this, for I simply will not believe it was all her doing. She was never a bad girl." She paused, one hand gripping the balustrade, a frown forming in her eyes. Then she glanced upward. "Someone should check on Portia and Penelope." Minerva glanced at Amelia.

  She nodded. "I will. Then I'll come down."

  Minerva resumed her descent. "Tell them they must stay in their beds."

  Already headed up the stairs, Amelia doubted any such injunction was likely to stop those two; to her mind, their only hope was that they'd slept soundly and hadn't been disturbed.

  That hope was dashed the instant she cracked open Portia's door — and discovered Luc's younger sisters fully dressed, leaning far out of the window, presumably watching Fiona being led into the house two floors below.

  She stepped inside, shut the door with a click. "What do the pair of you think you're doing?"

  They glanced back at her; not a glimmer of guilt showed in either face.

  "We're observing the culmination of your plan." Penelope turned back to the window.

  "They've got her inside." Portia straightened, then
walked to Amanda.

  Penelope followed. "I really didn't think the plan would work, but it has. I did think it might be Fiona — she was at all the places where things were taken, after all." She fixed her spectacled gaze on Amelia's face. "Do we have any idea why she did it?"

  Amelia had no idea where to start in the task of putting these two in their place. She wasn't even sure it was possible. Nevertheless, she drew a deep breath. "I bear a message from your mama — you're to stay in your beds."

  Both girls looked at her as if she'd run mad.

  "What?" Portia said. "While all this is going on—"

  "You expect us meekly to close our eyes and fall asleep?"

  One breath wasn't going to be enough. "No, but—"

  Amelia broke off, raised her head. Listened.

  Portia and Penelope did, too. An instant later, they all heard it again — a muffled scream. They rushed to the window.

  "Can you see…?" Amelia asked.

  They all scanned the gardens, even darker now; the moon was rapidly waning.

  "There!" Penelope pointed across the lawn to where two struggling figures were just discernible on the path beside the rose garden.

  "Who…?" Amelia asked, but the clenching of her heart told her.

  "Well, if Fiona's downstairs," Portia said, "then that must be Anne."

  "The fool!" Penelope said. "How senseless."

  Amelia didn't stop to argue; she was already out of the door.

  "No — just think," Portia said. "That man must be part of the syndicate—

  Amelia left them to their deductions — they were better at it than her — and with luck it would keep them where they were, arguing, well out of harm's way. She plunged down the main stairs, screaming for Luc, knowing she dared not stop to explain.

  As far as she'd been able to see, the man — whoever he was — had his hands around Anne's throat.

  "Luc!" She hit the front hall at a run, skidded on the tiles as she turned and flung herself down the east corridor. Via the garden hall was the fastest route to Anne — she took it without thinking.

  She burst onto the lawn, much closer to the struggling pair — still struggling, thank God! As she pounded on, she realized, and called, "Anne! Anne!"

  The larger figure stilled, then the configuration rearranged itself — then with a curse she heard, the man flung Anne aside and raced for the wood.

  She was gasping when she reached Anne; at least the blackguard had flung her onto the lawn, not into the stone wall. Anne was coughing, gasping, struggling to sit up. Amelia helped her to sit. "Who was it? Do you know?"

  Anne shook her head. "But—" She wheezed, then tried gamely again, "I think he was among the guests last night." She hauled in another breath. "He thought I was Fiona." Her fingers clutched Amelia's. "If you hadn't called… he was trying to kill me — her. As soon as he looked and realized I wasn't her…"

  Amelia patted her shoulder. "Stay here." She looked at the darkness, of the wood. She had to make an immediate decision. Had Fiona taken the necklace and passed it on before being caught? She didn't know. Nor did Anne. "When Luc comes, tell him I've followed the man — I'm not going to tackle him, just keep him in sight until Luc and the others reach us."

  Freeing her fingers from Anne's, Amelia rose and ran on. The path led straight into the wood; the trees closed around her, enclosing her in gloom. She hurried on, no longer running but moving fast, her slipper-shod feet padding all but silently on the leaf-strewn paths. She knew these woods, not as well as Luc did, but better than anyone who'd only recently come to the area possibly could.

  There were only so many ways the man could go; it was easy to guess he'd veer to the east, putting as much distance between himself and the Chase as he could. She doubted he'd keep running — crashing along the narrow tracks would invite pursuit — so with luck…

  Ten minutes into the wood, her decision bore fruit. She caught a glimpse of a large shadowy figure through the trees ahead. A minute later, she saw him clearly.

  He was walking, striding along, quickly but without panic.

  Silent and determined, she settled to track him.

  Astonished, Anne watched Amelia disappear into the wood, her throat too raw to voice any protest. As soon as she'd caught her breath, she struggled to her feet and limped back to the house.

  She didn't have to go far to find Luc. He was standing on the path outside the east wing, looking up at the window high above from which Portia and Penelope hung, yelling and gesticulating toward the rose garden and the wood.

  They saw Anne, and shrieked, "There she is!"

  Luc swung around, then he was beside her, hugging her, holding her. "Are you all right?"

  Anne nodded. "Amelia…"

  Luc felt his heart plummet. "Where is she?"

  He held Anne away from him and looked into her face.

  She coughed, then hoarsely enunciated, "In the woods — she said to tell you she wasn't going to try and catch him, just keep him in sight until you came…"

  He smothered a curse — an expression of sheer horror Anne didn't need to hear. Amelia might not intend to catch the man, but he might catch her. He pushed Anne toward the house. "Go inside — tell the others."

  His mind was already with Amelia. Turning, he raced for the wood.

  Amelia slipped along beneath the trees, increasingly cautious. While the wood at first had felt, if not comfortable, then at least familiar, the trees had grown progressively denser, older, the paths beneath their gnarled branches more dark, the air more weighted with age. Ahead, she could hear the regular thud of the man's boots; he wasn't trying to skulk but was steadily tramping on. A quick mental survey had suggested he intended keeping to the wood to where it ended on the rise above Lyddington.

  He was clever enough to recognize the unwisdom of rushing — one trip over a tree root could incapacitate him and leave him waiting for his pursuers to rescue him. Also clever enough to take the least exposed route to see him safe home, assuming he was staying somewhere about Lyddington.

  The more she thought of how clever he was proving, the more uneasy, the more wary she became. But the thought of the Cynster necklace, the notion of following him to his lair, and then waiting to point the way to Luc and the others who she was sure must be close on her heels kept her putting one foot in front of the other.

  Then the ground started to rise. She glimpsed the man ahead and above; she craned her head, trying to fix his direction — her foot hit an exposed root. She stumbled. Swallowing a curse, she fetched up against a nearby bole — and snapped off a dry twig.

  The sound cut through the heavy air like a pistol shot.

  She froze.

  About her, the forest seemed to stir, menacingly breathe. She waited — only then remembered that her gown, the walking gown she'd changed into, was primrose yellow. If she was visible from where he was…

  Then his footfalls started again. The same steady rhythm, in the same direction.

  She drew breath, waited for her pulse to slow, then went on, even more cautiously than before.

  He was following a rough track that led up a short rise, then dipped into a heavily wooded dell. She was deep in the trees before she realized she'd lost the repetitive tramp of his footsteps. She stopped. Strained her ears, but heard nothing beyond the usual woodland night sounds. A distant hoot here, a furtive rustling there, the creak of branches rubbing high above. Nothing that signified man.

  Yet… she couldn't see how she'd lost him.

  Ahead, the track widened; stepping even more warily, she went on. The track opened into a small natural clearing closely ringed by trees.

  Again she paused and listened; hearing nothing, she walked forward, her slippers whispering on the soft leaves.

  She was almost across the clearing when sensation swept her spine.

  She glanced back.

  Gasped.

  Whirled to face the man she'd been following.

  His bulk blocked the path between her
and the Chase. He was tall and wide, with close-cropped dark hair… her mouth dropped open as she recognized the man she and Portia had met near the kennels.

  He smiled — evilly. "Well, well — how helpful."

  Her heart thumped, but she snapped her lips shut and lifted her chin. "Don't be daft! I have no intention whatever of helping you in any way."

  Her only hope was to keep him talking — here and as loudly as possible — for as long as she could.

  He took a swaggering step forward, eyes narrowing when she only tilted her chin higher; she'd had years of dealing with men who sought to intimidate with sheer size. Apparently accepting she was not about to make a bolt for it — into the dense woods — she knew how far she would get — he halted and looked down at her, lip curling with contempt.

  "Ah, but you will help me, you see — to a nice slice of your husband's wealth. I don't know what happened back there" — with his head, he indicated the Chase—"but I'm experienced enough to know when to cut my losses." His chilling smile returned. "And when to seize an opportunity fate throws my way."

  He tensed to step forward and grasp her arm; she stopped him with an utterly patronizing look. "If you really are clever enough to know when to cut and run, then you'd better start running. There's absolutely no possibility my husband will pay very much for my safe return, if that's the direction your mind is taking."

  His smile didn't waver; he nodded. "That's my tack, right enough, but you can save your breath — I've seen the way he looks at you."

  She blinked. "You have? How?"

  The look he gave her suggested he wasn't sure what her tack was. "Like he'd cut off his right arm before he'd let you go."

  She fought not to grin delightedly. "No." Lips pinched, she stuck her nose in the air. "You're quite wrong you know — he never did love me. Our marriage was arranged."

  He gave a disgusted snort. "You can stow the guff. If it'd been Edward, I might have believed you, but that brother of his always was a painfully straight dealer. Arranged or not, he'll pay, and pay well, to have you back unharmed — without any public fuss."