Page 78 of Cloaked in Beauty

He groaned and rolled away from the wolfish kiss, lifting his newly freed arm to scrub his sleeve over his face. “I’m up,” he grunted, finally prying his lashes apart to identify his rescuer. “Carter? How did you find me?”

The stable master finished slicing through the ropes at Philip’s ankles, then gave him a hand up. The world spun, and Philip staggered back a step, nearly tripping over the prone guard sprawled on the shed floor, an overturned shovel discarded beside him.

“Easy there.” Carter grabbed his elbow and steadied him. “Take a minute to find your bearings. You’ve got a pretty big goose egg on the back of your skull.”

Philip’s stomach churned, but he fought down the nausea as Carter’s earlier words solidified through the haze slowly clearing from his mind. “Letty. Where is she?”

“Radcliffe’s got her. Her mother, too. Sent his henchman and a pair of muscled thugs to collect them. Took out Harper and forced their way inside.” Carter spat his disgust onto the floor. “According to Fellows, the cretin in charge produced something that belonged to Mrs. Anderson, proving they held her captive. Basically threatened to kill her if Miss Scarlett didn’t go with him. And of course, the missus wasn’t about to let her daughter go alone. They threatened to kill both ladies if anyone interfered, but we figured Radcliffe would likely kill them anyway to keep them from testifying against him, so I set out with the wolf while Fellows went to inform Stefan and the law.” He patted Rusty’s side. “I didn’t want to alert anyone up at the house, so we approached from the rear. This fella picked up your scent right away and led me right to the garden shed. Guess they planned to dispose of you later.”

A cheerful thought. But he’d rather be alive with a throbbing lump on his head than dead and unable to help Letty.

Philip thought back to his visit that morning. “He’s got half a dozen men standing guard at the front of the house, four at ground level, and at least two roaming the balconies on the upper floors.”

“I spied a couple roaming the rear grounds as well. The carriage house and garden shed will keep us hidden initially, but if we try to approach the house, chances are good that we’ll be spotted.”

Philip frowned. “Any ideas?”

Carter scratched at his beard. “When Lowell Radcliffe first hired me, he had me drive him and the missus out here a couple of times before he cut ties with his brother. There’s a tower of sorts on the west side of the house. No doors or balconies. Briars left to grow wild around it. No way to patrol that side. And no need, really. The lair is impenetrable.”

“The lair?”

Carter nodded. “That’s what he calls it. On account of his dragon nickname. From what I hear, the tower has become legendary among the elite. If rumor is to be believed, the room is filled with all sorts of antique weaponry. A suit of armor, swords, even a working guillotine. I’ve heard he chops watermelons in half with it at parties.”

Philip’s jaw tightened. “Sounds like the perfect place to try to intimidate a pair of women.”

Tamping down his anger, he scanned the small shed looking for anything he could use as a weapon. His gun had been confiscated at some point. Not surprising. What was surprising was his guard’s lack of weapon. The fellow looked more like a household servant than a hired gun. Which made sense, he supposed. Why waste a mercenary on babysitting duty when the captive had been incapacitated? A gardener or groom would suffice. With Philip trussed up, they probably hadn’t expected a weapon to be necessary. And if Carter and Rusty hadn’t come along, they would have been right.

A selection of garden implements hung on the back wall. Philip grabbed a hatchet and a wicked-looking billhook used for trimming hedges. Ought to work on thornbushes, too.

“Grab that ladder.” Philip tipped his head in the direction of the item in question. “If the best way in is through the thorns, then let’s get chopping.”

Carter lifted the ladder down and angled it so it would fit through the doorway. “I spotted a footpath leading around to the back of the house. Probably one the gardener uses. If we’re lucky, it might get us to that tower unseen.”

“It’s as good a plan as any,” Philip said. “Lead the way.”

****

Letty and her mother climbed the narrow staircase to a room the man in black had called the lair. He followed behind them, his gun finally stowed. Apparently, he didn’t consider women much of a threat. The heaviness of the blade in her pocket tempted her to prove him wrong, but now was not the time to make a move. She had to ensure Grandmother’s safety first.

A door stood open at the top of the stairs. Mama swept inside as if she knew exactly where she was going. Letty did her best to imitate her mother’s confident stride as she crossed the threshold, but the strangeness of the large chamber caused her to stumble slightly.

What kind of place was this? Heavy iron sconces sported open flames that cast eerie shadows upon the stone walls. A suit of armor stood sentry in one corner, a set of stocks on display in another. Good heavens! Was that a guillotine? A shiver coursed down her spine. Swords, shields, and a pair of battle-axes decorated the wall across from the entrance. A large tapestry depicting a fire-breathing dragon hung above the hearth. Next to the hearth sat an ornately carved wooden chair set high on a dais. And in that chair sat a man with features that reminded her of her father, yet the maleficence radiating from him made it clear that his soul was as dark as her father’s had been light.

Drake Radcliffe rose from his throne like some kind of self-declared king and descended the dais steps to greet them.

“Scarlett. At last. How lovely to have you returned to us.” His smile faded as he regarded her mother. “Leah.”

“Drake.” Mama stared at him, her gaze penetrating and unwavering.

Apparently unable to withstand the righteousness of the accusation in her eyes for more than a moment, he turned his attention to his hired man. “Excellent work, Davis. I see your powers of persuasion are as strong as ever.”

Davis closed the door behind him and slid the bolt closed. “The ladies were quite cooperative once I explained the situation to them.”

Enough of this farce. She might be the mouse in this scenario, but that didn’t mean she had to sit back and let the cat toy with her until he grew bored. There were more important matters to attend to.

Letty stepped forward, fists clenched at her sides. “Where’s my grandmother?”

Uncle Drake lifted a brow. “Impatient little baggage, aren’t you?”