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He stood waiting as she went inside and climbed the stairs to the widow’s apartment. As usual, she received a chaotic welcome from the excited trio of children. She got Emily to help with bringing in the water enough to fill the small tub, and she set it on the small stove to heat.

Susan seemed in good spirits, her soft eyes tracking the children as she told Siobhan about the past days. “The doctor you sent came by and prescribed medication. I am feeling better. I do believe I am regaining my strength.” She waved to a neatly folded pile of clothing. “I was able to mend some clothes. It has been a long time since I was able to do so.”

“That is wonderful to hear!” Siobhan felt encouraged that their efforts were showing positive results. Perhaps Susan would recover, and the little family would be saved. She continued to chat with the widow while completing as much of the cleaning and cooking as she could. After helping them to bathe and emptying the tub, Siobhan bid the family farewell and headed down the stairs.

“Miss?” A husky voice called from a dark corner of the stairwell. “A pence?”

Siobhan ignored him, hurrying to go the last few steps faster. An unusual sense of panic engulfed her. It was not typical for anyone to beg inside the building.

“Miss.” The man moved closer, raising her already high sense of panic.

Sure he would continue to follow her, she prayed Ian was at the carriage. She pushed past the front door and out into the street, blind with fear. It was then that she realized she’d turned the wrong way and had gone to the back of the building, not the front.

A different man stood outside, seeming to fix the bridle on a large horse. He turned his head as she stumbled into the alleyway, his eyes narrowing.

Siobhan turned to the right, intent on rounding the building only to realize the pathway was blocked by a wall of refuse and barrels. She gasped, her throat seeming to close from the pounding of her heart, and she gulped for air. She turned again, and this time she saw the man had left his horse and was moving toward her, reaching for her. Suddenly, she found she was able to inhale a deep breath that escaped on a scream.

“No one is chasing you, Miss,” said the man blocking her path. “Do not worry. I can escort you to wherever you wish.”

She sidestepped away from his reaching hands. This could not be happening! “There is no need, my driver awaits.”

The man nodded but continued moving toward her. “The best way to get to the front is to go through the building,” he said motioning to the door.

Unfortunately what he said was true. Despite the fact the other man was still inside, she had little choice but to walk through the building. “Can you walk with me to my driver?” she asked, hoping to have chosen the lesser evil of the two.

The man nodded, giving her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. She still felt unsure, but what choice did she have? He was so much bigger than she and maybe she was just being fearful. Maybe he was willing to help her. “I’ll be happy to walk you to your driver, Miss.”

She turned. But then, she felt a tremendous shove, and she lost her footing. With a solid thump, her knees caught the brunt of the fall, the pain of their contact with the hard ground jolting through her in a blinding flash.

Just as she went to get up, she saw the other man leave the building and the two men pressed her to the ground, bound her hands behind her back and shoved a foul gag into her mouth. A meaty hand held it firmly in place.

When they pulled her to her feet, Siobhan fought like a wild beast, fear fueling her with strength. She managed to land a swift kick to one of the men’s shins, and wrested free to run a short distance before she was grabbed and yanked back by her hair. Stars burst in her vision and her eyes watered from the pain. Quickly, one of the men tied her legs together at the ankles so she could not kick and the other lifted her like a sack of coal over his shoulder. She tried to struggle but it was of no use. She was helpless.

It was only when hauled, stomach down and hanging over the back of the horse the man had been standing beside that she realized in just how much trouble she was. Not only had she been attacked, but no one had witnessed it. No one knew who’d taken her, and in fact, no one knew she’d been taken. And then the situation grew worse, as a blanket was draped around her. It covered her head and face, and quite disguised her. She might as well have been a sack of coal for all anyone knew. There in the darkness and unable to move or cry out, Siobhan knew nothing but despair.

Chapter Six

Miles hoped to find Siobhan and her French friend in the market. He had to talk to her and find out exactly what her mother and sister were up to. If the two had a plan to trap him, then it was best to know the particulars.

It didn’t take long for him to realize she was not in the market as her almost-black, glossy hair was hard to miss. Besides, with their clear, clean skin and soft, white hands, the two women stood out as genteel, despite their “disguise” of older, serviceable clothing.

Perhaps he’d missed them, and they were now at the other building. He urged his horse forward, stopping when he spotted her family’s carriage. Neither the driver nor Siobhan were anywhere in sight.

Curious, he neared the carriage and peered inside. It was empty. He would have to wait for her to emerge. Perhaps the driver had gone to find something to eat; surely the man would not be long in returning.

Just then a small boy burst from the building and raced to the carriage. Eyes wide, he looked up to the driver’s seat and then circled the horses and peered from one side of the street to the other. It was clear from his tear-streaked face and frantic demeanor that he was searching for someone or something, and especially, that something was wrong.

Miles dismounted. “Are you looking for someone? Can I help you?”

“Where is the driver?” the boy asked.

“He is gone.” Siobhan would need to know that her driver was gone; she shouldn’t be leaving the tenement and emerging into the street alone and without a man’s protection. But something in the boy’s face—fear, maybe, or perhaps something frantic in his eyes—gave him an idea that she wasn’t inside. “Do you know Miss Blair?”

The boy frowned. “Who?”

“Siobhan.”

He started. “That’s why I’m looking for her driver. He needs to know. The man took her.” He pointed a small finger to the building. “A man stole Miss Siobhan.” His bottom lip quivered. “We saw it from the window.”