Page 75 of The Untamed Heart

“Don’t listen to him, Stacy!” Seb shouted furiously. “He’s full of shit. A damned liar as well as a coward. Where are Hawkney and Sheringham and Darenth? Do you think they’re all dead too? That’s a double-barrelled pistol with two shots, one of which he’s used, but—”

Keller silenced her brother, dealing him a savage blow to the head with the butt of the pistol that made both women scream. Sebastian’s head lolled forward, secured as he was to the chair, but his chest still rose and fell. Not dead, she told herself. Not dead. Not Seb, and not Marcus either. Which was why Keller had silenced him. This man was trying to frighten them, and doing a fine job of it, but she’d not fail Marcus by giving into hysterics. He wasn’t dead. She would not believe it.

“Now then, Stacy,” Keller said, looking her over in a way that made her skin crawl. “If you don’t want the old fussock here to come to harm, you’d best tie her up beside your brother. Quick smart now.”

“What with?” Eustacia demanded, her voice dripping contempt. “Have you not another handy piece of rope tucked somewhere for the purpose of restraining helpless females?”

Keller’s eyes flashed, and she knew she was playing with fire. He was only too ready to hurt her. She suspected he was looking forward to it, and she must keep her wits about her.

“Sadly, I gave it away to tie up an interfering clergyman,” he said with a nasty smile.

Eustacia and Mrs Wainwright glanced at each other in horror, and Eustacia sent a silent prayer for Reverend Honeywell, and hoped he too was unhurt.

Keller stepped forward and tugged hard at Seb’s cravat. Thankfully, he’d tied it loosely in his usual careless manner, and it came free easily enough. Seb groaned, which was reassuring, though her heart went out to him.

Keller tossed the cravat to her and Eustacia guided Mrs Wainwright to a chair. The poor woman was sobbing in earnest now and Eustacia wished she had a knife so she might plunge it into the black-hearted devil. She had never wanted to hurt anyone before, and the violence of the desire shocked her. What dreadful things might a person do if someone they loved was in danger?

It wasn’t easy to use the cravat to tie her securely as the material was good quality, thick and stiff with starch, but she did not dare make a poor job of it with Keller watching her every move.

Finally, it was done. Eustacia stood and faced Keller, who smiled in a way that made her sick to her stomach.

“Now then, my pet. We have some business to attend to before your friends arrive.”

“You’ll hang for this,” she said, wishing her voice were steady, but she could hear the terror behind the words.

“Do you think so?” he said with a laugh. “I don’t. Though I think it more likely I shall be murdered by a jealous rival. That portrait won’t ever see the light of day, I’m afraid, for there will be the most dreadful scandal. I believe your heroic colonel will have his character blackened for all time.”

“I thought he was already dead,” Eustacia reminded him, her heart leaping with hope.

Keller shrugged. “Ah, yes. I had forgotten. Come, my dear. Destiny awaits.”

The Heights, Little Valentine, East Sussex, 1st October 1816

Marcus crouched in the undergrowth, watching the house. Keller’s horse was here. The desire to rush in was hard to resist, but he could not give in to temptation. He must be certain of the situation if he did not want anyone hurt.

His heart seemed to beat in his ears, his chest tight with terror, but he could not allow it. Eustacia was in danger and he had no time to give into panic.

Movement around the side of the house had every muscle locking down and he let out a harsh breath as he saw Neil running flat out through the stables. Keeping out of sight, Marcus ran through the undergrowth and called to the lad.

Skidding to a halt, Neil stared wildly around.

“Here, Neil!”

The boy’s eyes widened with relief as he saw Marcus and ran into his arms, clutching at him and sobbing.

“It’s all right. Calm yourself now. That’s it. There’s a brave fellow. Now, tell me what happened.”

Haltingly at first, Neil explained about the gunshot, about how they’d run to the kitchen, but he’d hung back when he’d heard Keller’s voice.

“I was scared, but it weren’t for that I stayed out of sight, Colonel, I swear it. I thought I might be able to fetch help.”

“You did just as you ought, Neil. Well done. Now I know Seb is out of action, and your mother is likewise restrained.”

Which meant Eustacia was alone with Keller and at his mercy.

Rage of the kind Marcus had never known before swept through his veins, burning away everything save the need to find Eustacia and kill Keller. He had killed many times before, but that had been war, it had been necessary. He had always hated it, always wished there had been another way.

Now, and for the first time in his life, he wanted blood.