The English Proposal: Christian Victorian Era Historical (Window to the Heart Saga Trilogy Book 1)

by Jenna Brandt

  Henry shook his head. “I do not think so. I plan to make sure he never tries anything like this again.”

  Going over to his bar, he poured himself a glass of scotch and a brandy for Margaret. He walked back over to her and handed her the drink. She smiled in appreciation as she took it.

  “No one knows this, but I have been financially supporting my godparents for the last year. He gambled everything away and had nothing left. Needless to say, Lady Helen has expensive taste and he needed money fast. I loaned it to him and he lost it as well.”

  He turned around and went back over to his desk. Opening one of the drawers, he pulled out several pieces of legal paperwork. He then handed it to her and continued, “Those papers are the deed to their home and everything else they own. He signed it all over to me as collateral for his last loan, which he also lost gambling again. Now I own all of it. My uncle will do what I say or I will send them packing.”

  Margaret sat dumbfounded. She had no idea he had such arrangements with anyone. She wanted to ask him if he “owned” anyone else’s life the way he did his aunt and uncle’s, but she was afraid of what the answer might be.

  “Thank you for taking care of this. I will be on my way.” Disheartened by the new information, Margaret abruptly swung around to leave the room.

  But before she could get away, Henry asked, “I can tell I said something to upset you. What was it?”

  She stopped where she was with her hand on the doorknob. She stood there a moment and then turned back around.

  “It is only that you seem to have all these secrets that I know nothing about. First, there was Catherine. Now there is this, and I wonder, how many other things are you keeping from me?”

  He went up to her and put his hands on her upper arms. “I am not purposely keeping anything from you. I just did not realize that is how it appears. I promise that I do not mean to do it.”

  “I believe you, but that does not ease my mind.”

  Looking her in the eyes, he asked, “What would?”

  “If you would answer a question for me.”

  She felt him relax a bit. “What is it?”

  “How many other people do you own like that?”

  He thought about it for a few moments and then replied matter-of-factly, “Eight.”

  Her eyes rounded in surprise. “Truly? And are they all titled?”

  “Yes, they are all titled. Does that satisfy your curiosity?”

  She nodded.

  “Good, because I have never told anyone as much as I have told you.”

  She smiled. “Thank you for trusting me.”

  Chapter 20

  Margaret was in the stables helping groom Charlie. She could have asked one of the stable hands to do it, but she found it relaxing to take care of the horses.

  “You are such a good girl, Charlie. You make me so happy. When I am done brushing your mane, I will take you out for a run. Does that sound good, girl?”

  Charlie neighed in response and leaned into Margaret’s hand as she brushed the horse.

  “You are a formidable woman, Lady Margaret. I have come to make my apologies to you and Lady Catherine.”

  When she turned around, she found the Baron Wollingleer standing behind her. He was uncomfortably close, and she could tell he was angry underneath his fake friendly exterior.

  “There is no need for apologies to me. Just make sure you keep from doing anything like it again in the future and everything will be forgotten.”

  “I wish it were that easy. It seems that my nephew is quite upset with the misunderstandings between all of us.”

  Margaret glared at him. “There was no ‘misunderstanding.’ Your intentions were quite clear and atrocious.”

  “I am sorry you feel that way, Lady Margaret. I was merely paying compliments to a beautiful young woman. I did not see any harm in that.”

  “Say what you will, but I will not be swayed in what I know you to be about when it comes to young ladies.”

  Her comment must have struck a nerve because the baron sneered at her and said, “Women should know their places and keep their mouths shut. Their job is to look pretty, bear us children, and run our homes, and in that order. I am not happy that you have jeopardized my family’s status with the lies you have been putting in Henry’s ears.”

  “I have not been spreading any lies, Lord Marcus, and I do not appreciate the way you are talking to me right now. Do I need to tell my husband about this conversation as well?”

  “It seems all you know how to do is hide behind your husband. Henry may think he can control everyone with his money, but money cannot keep his loved ones as safe as he thinks. There are bandits in the woods you ride in, are there not, Lady Margaret? What is to keep one of them from attacking you?”

  Margaret sucked in a deep breath and held it. Was Baron Wollingleer threatening her? If he was, he was doing a good job of veiling the warning, making it difficult for her to confront him on it.

  “You are truculent by nature, Lord Marcus, and I do not wish to engage with you. I think it is best if you leave at once. If you go now, I will do you the favor of not telling my husband what you have said here today.”

  With that, the baron reluctantly turned around and started to leave the stables, but not before uttering one more ominous threat. “I would be careful if I were you, Lady Margaret. You have no idea how many enemies you have been making.”

  Margaret watched the baron’s retreating figure and only let her guard down once he was out of sight.

  He had implied that she had more enemies than just him. What did he mean by that? Who else had a reason to be her adversary? She racked her memories but could not fathom to whom he was referring.

  As Margaret was having Charlie saddled up for her ride, Sarah approached her, saying, “Catherine sent me to ride with you as she has been detained with other matters. She sends her regrets that she cannot go riding with you today.”

  Nodding in acknowledgment, she said to one of the stable hands, “Please make ready another horse for Sarah.”

  “I passed Lord Marcus, who seemed to be in a sour mood. Is everything all right, my lady?”

  Margaret appreciated Sarah’s concern but did not want to talk about her conflict with the baron. “Nothing to worry about, Sarah. He is a toothless lion. Are you ready to go riding with me?”

  “Of course, my lady.”

  Both the women mounted their horses and galloped off towards the lake. She could tell Charlie was happy to be running free, and as always, she also enjoyed the liberty of being out in the open.

  As they approached the woods, Margaret became nervous, remembering the baron’s earlier threats towards her regarding bandits. But she knew she was being silly. She had grown up riding in these woods, and she had never encountered any problems from strangers. Still, she pulled up on Charlie’s reins and lingered on the edge of forest, not sure if she felt like proceeding on the paths going into them.

  “What is wrong, my lady? Your favorite part of riding is going into the woods.”

  Margaret shrugged off her reservations and said, “You are absolutely right, Sarah. You take the lead. I will follow behind.”

  The forest was full of commotion and Margaret enjoyed hearing the birds chirping, watching the little rabbits and squirrels scurrying through the underbrush, and she even had the pleasure of seeing a deer dash across the path and then jump over a nearby log. She loved living in the country and being so close to nature.

  “I think, up at the next watering hole, we should rest the horses before we head back.”

  “As you wish, my lady.”

  As they continued to trot along the path, Margaret looked around at the forest and amused herself with the animals’ activities. But without warning the woods became eerily quiet, and she noticed that the animals had disappeared. What was going on?

  Her instincts told her something unsettling was about to happen. “Sarah, I think we need to turn around right now and get out of h
ere as quickly as possible.”

  “What is the matter? You seem frightened.”

  “Something is not right, and we need to leave now!”

  But before they could make their escape, Margaret and Sarah saw several men in hooded cloaks emerge from farther back in the forest and surround them.

  Margaret and Sarah were frozen with fear. Moments ticked by without anyone saying a word.

  Finally, one of the men broke the silence, saying, “It seems you’ve wandered into our part of the forest, ma’am. I think you need to pay a toll.”

  “If it is money you are after, I regret to inform you that I never carry any on me when I am riding, nor do I wear any jewels. I have nothing to offer you, and I think it best if you let us leave the way we came. After all, these woods belong to my family and you are trespassing.”

  “The woods belong to everyone, and you’d be wise to remember that. No one has the right to say they own them, least of all your family. And if you can’t pay my toll with worldly goods, I may be forced to take my payment in… other ways.”

  Margaret squirmed in her saddle, very much aware of the way the men were unsuitably ogling Sarah and her.

  “Do you know who my husband is? I am married to the Viscount Rolantry, and he will not tolerate bandits accosting his wife and servant.”

  “We’re very aware of who you are. It’s why we stopped you in the first place.”

  Margaret’s eyes grew wide with disbelief. How did they know who she was, and why did that make her their target? Had Baron Wollingleer planned this and confronted her in the stables already knowing she would be riding as usual that afternoon?

  “Tie up the blonde one against a tree but grab the dark-haired one. She’s the one we were told to take.”

  She began to kick and scream as two men grabbed her and yanked her off her horse. She could hear Sarah screaming as well and heard one of them slap her, saying, “We were told we had to handle your missus with care, but no one said nothing about how we needed to treat you. You best calm down or I’m going to make you wish you had done what I said.”

  Sarah went quiet in the bandit’s arms. But before Margaret could figure out what else they were doing to Sarah, her attention was drawn to her own arms that were being tied in front of her. Just as she was about to object to the rough handling, she was being tossed onto one of the men’s shoulders.

  Just as quickly as they materialized from the forest, they faded back into its dark covering. The group of men was running through the forest, causing Margaret to be harshly tussled on the man’s shoulder, and she was unable to catch her breath from all the bouncing. She felt as if she were going to be ill from the constant swirling sensations that she was getting from being upside down and moving at the same time.

  After some time of the men pushing deeper and deeper into the thickest part of the forest, Margaret struggled to say through her jagged breathing, “We… need to… stop. I think… I am going to be… sick.”

  “If you’re going to be sick, go ahead and vomit. We’re not stopping.”

  Margaret wanted to concentrate on what was going on and why these men had taken her, but a massive headache was forming, and she knew that the only thing she could do was focus on blocking out the pain and not giving them the satisfaction of vomiting.

  At some point, Margaret fainted from the throbbing in her head. When she regained consciousness, she was unsure of how long she had been carried on the man’s shoulders, as none of her surroundings were familiar. Where were they taking her?

  After several more moments, Margaret was crudely dumped on the ground by a small fire in a dirt pit.

  Looking around, she noticed that some of the men were missing. But that still left the one she assumed was the bandit leader and another man guarding her, and she knew full well that even if she managed to get to her feet and take off, she would not get far before they caught up with her, especially with her arms tied. And if she ran, once they had her again, they would be angry for her defiance, which would make their treatment of her even worse. Her only choice was to sit and wait for an opportunity to escape without being noticed.

  She knew she was most likely safe since she heard them say that someone had sent them to do this and they wanted her unharmed. Quietly she sat with her eyes closed and prayed to God. Please keep Sarah safe and help me right now. I know you are always with me, and I ask that you help me get out of this situation. I am so scared, so please give me peace and deliver me from this!

  Margaret opened her eyes and asked, “Is my servant all right?”

  The still-hooded bandit leader looked at her and said coldly, “She should be as long as someone finds her before the animals do.”

  Margaret flinched at the thought of such a thing occurring. Sarah had been with her since she could remember, and since her father’s death, she had become the only person, besides Albert, who had known Margaret through her entire life. She did not know what she would do if something should happen to Sarah.

  “You had better hope nothing happens to her, or I will have your head.”

  “You’re in no position to be making threats, girl. You would be smart to remember that you’re our prisoner and under my protection here in this part of the forest. You wouldn’t want to know what would happen to you if I decided you weren’t worth protecting any longer.”

  Margaret swallowed several times, trying to force down the lump in the back of her throat, but to no avail.

  “May I please have a drink? I am exceedingly parched and still feel faint.”

  The leader came over to her and rudely shoved a metal mug of water at her.

  She tried to take the mug but was unable to with her hands tied. “Might you untie my hands so I am able to hold the cup?”

  “No, I’m not going to do that.” Instead, he bent down to her level and put the mug to her lips. “Here, I’ll hold it for you while you drink.”

  Ravenously, she drank from the mug until she was sated. With a bit of curiosity, Margaret timidly looked at the leader, trying to determine if she recognized anything about him. Their eyes met for a brief moment before he stood up, walked to the other side of the fire, and sat down on the ground.

  “Not a good idea to get too close to me, girl.”

  “Why have you taken me?”

  “Because someone paid us very well to do so.”

  “It does not bother you to abduct someone without knowing why?”

  “Money’s the only reason I need. Your kind has ridden on the back of my kind for far too long, and it’s about time one of you was knocked off your almighty pedestal. My only regret is that I don’t get to do this to more of you.”

  “What are you talking about, ‘my kind’?”

  “I mean the nobility. You have everything and give nothing to the common people. You think we’re here for your every whim and matter as nothing more than that.”

  “You know nothing about me. I care very deeply for my servants and have always treated them as family.”

  The bandit leader snorted and said, “You mean you give them your scraps and expect them to be happy for it. Don’t try to convince me of how gracious you are to my kind. I worked for people like you, and I was starved and beaten half to death for something I didn’t even do. That’s why I left and took to the woods. I know what you and your kind are.”

  “Then why are you working for someone like me?”

  “And how would you know that?”

  “You said you were getting paid handsomely, and only someone who is titled would be able to have access to that kind of money.”

  “You’re a smart one, you are, but being smart isn’t going to get you out of this.”

  The other bandit that had been sitting and listening stood up, went over to the leader and asked, “How long are we staying here?”

  “Until he arrives to pay us and collect her.”

  “What does he want with her, anyway?”

  “Who cares? Their kind never makes sense.�
�

  “Did he give you a time?”

  “Does it matter? Like you have somewhere to be. I want you to go out and keep watch with the others. There’s a chance they’ve found her servant by now and are looking for her.”

  Margaret began to feel a bit of hope. What if someone had found Sarah or she had gotten free and ran for help? There was a possibility there was a search party out looking for her right now, and she knew Henry would not stop until he got her back safe and sound.

  “If you are only doing this for money, I can pay you double whatever the person who hired you to do this is paying. I am the Countess of Renwick and my husband will give you whatever you want for my safe return.”

  “Do you think that just because I’m poor you can buy me off? Unlike your kind, I’m a person of my word. I made a deal and I won’t go back on it, no matter what you offer me.”

  “I did not mean it like that.”

  He jumped up off the ground and came at her. “I don’t care what you meant, and I suggest you quit talking right now. He said you were to be unharmed, but I’m starting to not care about the dock in pay if you have a few bumps and bruises by way of my knuckles.”

  He raised his fist to her. Margaret cringed in anticipation of what was coming and inhaled sharply, waiting for the blow to land.

  “I would not hit her if I were you.”

  Margaret let out a huge sigh of relief at the sound of her husband’s voice.

  Startled, the bandit leader spun around to look at Henry and sputtered out, “Who’re you and how’d you get past my men?”

  “I am the Viscount Rolantry, and that woman over there that you were about to hit is my wife. As for your men, my men have secured them and they will be handed over to the authorities for due process. If you are wise, you will surrender yourself as well.”

  The bandit leader sneered at Henry and spat on the ground between them. “I’d rather die first.” He pulled a sword free from his belt.