‘Who would want to do such a thing to me?’ she asked herself. ‘There is only one person I can think of who would dream up such a scheme. But who has she engaged to do her dirty work for her?’
After what seemed like ages, Robina saw that they had come to a halt outside a deserted-looking farm that lay at the end of a long track.
It was so isolated, that in all the years she had lived in the County, she had never come across it.
There was a small yard to one side and the remains of a vegetable patch on the other. There was a barn that was large enough to hold the carriage and a stable for the horses.
Presently the carriage door was wrenched open and a figure lunged inside and pulled her out.
His strong arms grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her down to the ground.
“Put me down, whoever you are!” she cried angrily.
The hollow laughter that answered her told her that it was not Morton who held her fast – no – it was someone altogether more familiar.
It was Ellis.
“What do you want of me and where is Morton?” she howled.
Ellis did not answer, he simply dragged her towards the house.
Bolting the door behind him with his left hand, he threw Robina across the room with the other.
Pulling off the heavy coachman’s coat, Ellis revealed himself for the first time.
“Morton should just about be waking up now. It’s a pity he had to suffer – I have no quarrel with him.”
“And you have one with me?” screamed Robina.
Ellis laughed again – a cruel sneer playing around his features.
“Not really, but you are the means to an end. If my brother sees fit to throw me out and abandon me, then what am I to do for money?”
“So you have kidnapped me in the hope of gaining a ransom? You are very mistaken. My Papa is in London on business and he is not a man who is easily duped into parting with money.”
“You silly girl!” snarled Ellis. “You flatter yourself to think that you are worth that much to me!”
“The Earl will miss me and will send a search party for me – you will be discovered and then you will be in dreadful trouble,” Robina shouted at him, starting to cry.
“You should save the tears for someone who gives a tinker’s cuss,” said Ellis coldly, “and as for my brother – what makes you think that he will know where to find you? This house may be on his land, but it could be on another planet for all he knows.”
“But Morton – ”
“If the silly old fool is awake by now, what will he have to tell? That someone hit him over the head and stole the carriage? He will not have seen me make off with you as I made certain he was out cold before you even left the carpenter’s workshop.”
Robina lay on the floor, her dress had been torn in the struggle and where Ellis had gripped her so hard, she had bruises in the shape of finger marks.
“In any case if my brother is too mean to give me money, then there are several others who will for services rendered, so to speak. Your dear stepmother for instance!”
Robina looked up at him in horror.
“You – you know my stepmother?”
Ellis laughed out loudly and regarded her as if she was a small child.
“Of course I do. You could readily say that Laura and I are on very good terms. She is a most fascinating woman. Although my tastes usually run to much younger types, there is something about her cruelty and ambition that I can understand.”
“But you said she paid you money? Why would she do that?”
“To kidnap you, dear simple little Robina! Lord Drury is a very old friend of hers and she wishes to oblige him. I have to say, he must want you very much as the money I was given to abduct you was considerable. Had I known you would command such a very high price, then I would have cut out the middle man and done it myself.”
“You mean, I am being bought and sold like a prize heifer?”
“Oh, don’t be so harsh on yourself. I like to think of you as being more of a very rare and beautiful fawn!”
The full awful truth was dawning upon her.
So her very real suspicions that her stepmother was not quite what she seemed were proving correct!
‘Poor Papa! He is heading for more heartbreak!’ she thought, as Ellis moved round the room, testing that all the locks on the doors and windows were fast.
“So, will you send my Papa a ransom note – is that your plan?” she enquired, rubbing her bruises which were beginning to throb.
“Nothing of the sort. Although I must say you have given me an idea.”
He paused as if in deep thought and reconsidered,
“But no, I will stick to the original plan as it will have a far greater effect than me holding out for more.”
“What do you intend – to do with me – Ellis?”
Robina’s voice was quivering as she had seen only too clearly in the past how cruel Ellis could be.
“Oh, I don’t intend to do anything other than keep you here until morning. And then an amenable Vicar will arrive, along with Lord Drury and Laura and you will have no choice in the matter of your marriage – as the Vicar will make certain that you and Lord Drury are joined together right here!
“I had planned to snatch you on your way back to Trentham House, but your outing in my brother’s carriage provided the perfect opportunity. It also saved me having to steal the buggy that the estate workers use and provided me with the perfect disguise.”
“You cannot do this! You cannot!” cried Robina, as the full horror of what was about to happen to her sank in.
“And, of course, the most delicious bonus to all this is the ridiculous infatuation that my brother seems to have conceived for you. Not only will I be earning for myself a substantial sum of money, but I will be able to pay back that stupid brother of mine in a manner that I could not have dreamed of! I hear the fool has proposed to you – ”
‘How could he know all about it?’ thought Robina, ‘Stepmama must have said something to him. And I did not think that she believed me when I told her!’
He stared at her, his black eyes full of contempt.
Robina doubted that Ellis could ever love anyone as much as he loved himself. She hung her head in misery – unable to meet his gaze.
“So, it’s true? Hahahaha!”
He threw his head back and laughed loudly.
It was a horrible cold sound that chilled Robina to the core. She wondered what could have happened to him to make him so bitter and twisted.
‘Could two brothers ever be so unalike?’
Ellis left her for a moment and Robina could hear him rummaging around next door.
He reappeared shortly holding a length of cord in his hand.
“No! Not that, please,” pleaded Robina, who feared that in spite of what he had just told her, perhaps he was about to strangle her.
“Don’t make a fuss, Robina, my dear,” he snarled, coming close to her.
He pulled her to her feet and then threw her into a wooden chair near the fireplace.
Deftly he bound her hands behind her and looped the cord around the back of the chair so that she could not move.
He then took another length of cord from his pocket and wound it round both her ankles several times, before winding it tightly in between so that she could not move her feet.
“There!” he announced triumphantly. “That should prevent you from running away in the middle of the night like you did the last time.
“Oh, yes – your stepmother has told me everything! I must say, you are far braver than I would have believed – slipping out when everyone was fast asleep and then taking sanctuary at the Castle. My word, my brother is a weakling when it comes to a pretty face. He cannot call himself a man!”
Robina was shaking with fear, but it did not prevent her from shouting at Ellis,
“Your brother is a true gentleman. He would never dream of hurting a woman in the way you enjoy �
�� and for money too. Ellis, are you not concerned at the shame your actions will bring upon your good family name?”
“What has my family ever done for me?” he sneered. “I am to be ostracised and made to pay for one or two little indiscretions. I am certain that my darling brother did not think twice when he raised his sword in India.”
By this time Robina was silently crying. She could not bear to hear the Earl spoken of in this manner.
“Your brother is a kind, decent and brave man,” she cried from deep in her heart. “He is noble and upstanding and would die rather than see his family name besmirched by scandal!”
Ellis looked at her and narrowed his eyes.
“It sounds to me as if he is not the only one who is in love!”
Robina was taken aback – could what Ellis had just said be true?
Was she in love with the Earl and had not realised it?
“No matter, it is of no consequence to me if you are. I am only concerned with receiving the balance of my payment and hurting Robert. I do hope you are going to be very happy with Lord Drury – I hear he is a lusty man for his age – ”
Ellis laughed again and got up to leave.
“Now I am feeling hungry and I am meeting Laura at The Three Oaks Inn. She is taking full advantage of her husband’s absence – believe me!”
Robina watched him pull on his cloak and undo the bolts on the cottage door.
“I would say not to wander far, but seeing you tied up so tightly, I don’t think you will be going anywhere!” said Ellis with an ugly smirk on his face.
He quickly left and Robina heard a key turning in the lock.
Miserably she stared into empty space and wept.
‘So I am to be married to Lord Drury by force,’ she sobbed, ‘and Stepmama was in league with not only him, but Ellis Hampton as well. Truly, I have been but a pawn in this whole sorry affair!’
*
Meanwhile back at Hampton Castle, the Earl was becoming increasingly concerned.
It was now past three o’clock and there was still no sign of Robina.
‘Surely she cannot have been detained for so long with the carpenter?’ he pondered, as he sent away his food untouched. ‘She said she may be some time and not wait for luncheon, but this is ridiculous.’
He rose from his desk and paced the room.
‘Perhaps she has gone to visit a friend?’ he said to himself, ‘or she has met with some trouble along the way?’
He rang for Marriott who appeared in a flash.
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Marriott, the carriage Miss Melville took out this morning, do you know if it had been checked before they left?”
“I would assume so, my Lord.”
“Did the stables ensure that it was in full working order?”
“Of course, my Lord. It has only just been returned from the carriage-works in town. If you recall, there was a loose spoke on one of the wheels which had been causing concern.”
The Earl remained silent as he thought.
Finally he explained.
“It is Miss Melville – she has not returned from the carpenter’s workshop. I am worried that she may have met with an unfortunate accident. I think it would be wise to send someone to the village to make enquiries.”
“Very good, my Lord. I will see to it at once.”
Marriott disappeared and the Earl began to pace up and down the floor of the study again.
“If anything has happened to her, I will hold myself responsible,” he said out loud. “I love her! I love her and I will die if she has come to any harm!”
He contemplated saddling up his horse and racing off to find her, but he realised that she might well be found and return to the Castle whilst he was out.
‘I will stay here at least until the boy we have sent returns,’ he resolved.
*
Robina was getting increasingly hungry and thirsty as the hours went by.
There was no sign of Ellis and she felt frightened and alone.
Everything he had told her was going around and around in her head.
Could her stepmother really have taken Ellis as her lover?
And what was it that she stood to gain by forcing her into marriage? If she was left alone with her father, she would be unable to continue her illicit trysts with Ellis.
‘I just don’t understand what is going on,’ sobbed Robina. ‘Oh, Mama, if you can see me and hear me, find a way to bring the Earl to me. I cannot remain here and be married off to Lord Drury tomorrow – I simply cannot!”
The only one who could save her now was the Earl.
‘Oh, Robert,’ she whispered, ‘I think I have been a fool as far as you are concerned. Please send out a search party for me. I am in very grave peril!’
She prayed and prayed as hard as she could with tears running down her face.
“Do not hesitate – come and rescue me,” she cried, hoping against hope that her prayers would be answered before it was too late.
“Robert, oh, Robert – ”
CHAPTER TEN
Whilst Robina was trying to prevent her limbs from going to sleep, tightly tied to the chair at the farm, the Earl was beside himself with anxiety at the Castle.
He continued to pace up and down the study until the stable boy returned a few hours later.
“Where is Miss Melville?” he called, as he ran out to the drive to meet him.
“Couldn’t find ’er, my Lord,” panted the stable boy. “I went to Mr. Armstrong’s workshop and ’e told me that she ’ad been there earlier for a time and ’ad got back into ’er carriage and left just before lunch.”
“But that was hours ago! Has there been no sign of the carriage?”
“No, my Lord.”
The Earl dismissed the boy and walked slowly back towards the house. If Robina was not in the village, then, where on earth was she?
‘I don’t care what has happened to my carriage, my only concern is for her,’ he muttered to himself, as he went into the drawing room.
The windows overlooked the drive and gave him a good vantage point should the carriage return.
The drawing room was one of the rooms Robina was helping him to renovate. Although there was nothing structural to change, the Earl had decided that he wanted a different colour scheme and new furnishings.
He picked up a book intending to read it, but found he could not concentrate.
All he could see was Robina’s lovely face and the ugly thought that she might be lying somewhere, injured or worse, tore him in two.
He could not rest – he put the book down and went to look out of the windows for a second time.
Straining his eyes he could make out in the distance what appeared to be a cart ambling down the drive.
A shout out in the hall prompted him to leave the window and run outside.
“My Lord!”
The Earl hurried towards the cart, not caring if he appeared undignified in doing so.
As he approached he could see that two of the villagers were driving it and there was a slumped figure in the back.
‘Robina!’ he breathed, straining to make out who it was.
But as he drew nearer, he could see that the person in the back of the cart was a man and not Robina.
The cart pulled up to a halt and one of the villagers doffed his cap at the Earl.
“Beggin’ your pardon, my Lord, but we found this poor man crawling down the High Street in a daze. He’s been hit over the head, so he has.”
The Earl leaned over the side of the cart and saw that it was Morton, his coachman, who lay there.
He was semi-conscious and was holding his head and groaning. Congealed blood was caked upon his temple and his hair was matted with the stuff.
“Morton, what has happened to Miss Melville? You must tell me how you came to be in this terrible state.”
“I am so sorry, my Lord, but someone came at me from behind. I was mindin’ my own business at the back of the c
arpenter’s shop waitin’ for Miss Melville to come out, when someone hit me over the head.”
“I repeat, where is Miss Melville?” he cried again, becoming quite agitated.
“I don’t know, my Lord. Whoever knocked me out stole the coach and I suppose Miss Melville with it.”
“Abducted! But why? Why? Who on earth could have done this to her?”
“I don’t know, my Lord. Tis all very curious.”
“Take Morton in and see to him at once,” ordered the Earl. “He has been a very brave man.”
He indicated to the men to take their cart round to the stables and swiftly ran back inside the Castle.
“Marriott, I am going out to look for Miss Melville. I would like you to assemble as many of the male servants as you can spare. Tell them to meet me at the stables.”
Marriott nodded and hurried away.
The Earl picked up his riding whip and gloves and headed off towards the stables.
The Castle became alive with the sound of shouting and people running hither and thither as he strode across the courtyard to where Saladin, his new Arab stallion, was waiting for him.
A small collection of stable boys and grooms were already mounted and ready to obey his commands.
“Come, my fine beast, we shall see if you are as swift as I have been led to believe,” whispered the Earl, as he leapt onto Saladin.
As he led the throng down the drive, he murmured under his breath,
‘Hold on, Robina, my darling – wherever you are! I am coming for you! Oh, God, I do hope I am in time to rescue you from whatever peril you face.’
*
The afternoon was wearing on into the evening and Robina was becoming more and more distressed.
She had cried and cried until she had no more tears left and now she was utterly exhausted.
Every sound she heard outside made her jump and at any moment she expected a drunken Ellis to come crashing in through the door.
‘If his idea of a game is to attempt to kiss me in order to frighten me, I cannot bear to think what he might do if he has been drinking at the inn,’ worried Robina, as she steeled herself.
‘Oh, Mama,’ she implored, looking up to Heaven, ‘Ask the Earl to make haste to save me! Should Ellis tire of Stepmama’s company, he may come back here seeking mischief!’
Love at the Tower Page 12
