Until he’d fallen in love. “You two had no business walking here alone.”
“Everyone walks here alone.” The sweep of her arm encompassed plenty of unescorted females.
“Not everyone has a deviant after them.” When her pale green eyes filled, he drew a deep breath. Patience. “Show me the path you were on when she left you.”
Once again he followed her, scanning the square while he tried to reassure himself it wasn’t possible Gothard had Cait. Or could he have his timing skewed? How long had he wandered the streets of London, berating himself for wickedly, selfishly lying to Caithren? He pulled out his pocket watch again and flipped it open, but for the life of him he couldn’t remember what time it had been when he last caught a glimpse of Geoffrey Gothard.
“Wait.” When Kendra stopped, he snapped the watch closed and whirled to face her. Her brow knitted, she motioned off the path. “Is that Cait’s?”
A white feather fluttered near the ground. He ran closer and saw it was attached to the hat he’d bought in Wansford. “Egad. Yes.” He plucked it up and clutched it to his chest.
“Look, there was a horse here.” Hampered by her high heels, Kendra came along more slowly. “The grass is torn up. By hooves, I think.” She bent down and scooped up a glint of gold. “And what is this?” She handed it to him. “It’s Cait’s as well, isn’t it?”
As his fist closed around the emerald pendant, his heart plunged to somewhere in the vicinity of his knees. “I’ve lost her,” he whispered, staring at the dull green stone.
“She’s lost, yes. But that doesn’t mean you’ve lost her.”
“You don’t understand. This amulet is ancient—it’s been in her family for centuries. She believed something bad would befall her if ever she was without it.”
A sudden wind whipped Kendra’s skirts. “Don’t tell me you believe that nonsense.”
He clenched his hand, feeling the amulet dig into his palm. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
SIXTY-SIX
“I’LL EXPLAIN this one more time, numbskull. Now, pay attention.”
Listening to the Gothard brothers argue, Caithren nervously wandered the small chamber they’d brought her to, the back half of a two-room suite at an inn that had seen better days. Besides the sagging bed, a table and two plain chairs were the only furniture. Evidently Jason had been right to think them short of funds.
“Thanks to Cainewood doing just as I expected of him, things are right on schedule.”
“What things, Geoffrey?”
Geoffrey’s gaze flickered to Cait. She moved around to the other side of the table and feigned unconcern, running a finger across the bare wood. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him scribble something on a sheet of paper, neatly fold it into a square, and tuck it into his pocket.
“Things.” Geoffrey blew out a perturbed puff of air. “I’ll be going to the wedding alone.”
As he talked, he donned padding to bulk up his body. He’d also worn it to inquire at Scarborough’s house, Cait realized. Jason had been right about that, too.
Still speaking to Wat, he jerked his squarish head in her direction. “You will wait here and guard the chit.”
In reflex she backed up and sat on the bed. The ropes creaked, and a musty smell wafted from the mattress.
Geoffrey glared at his brother. “Think you can handle that?”
Wat shrugged.
A heavy sigh escaped Geoffrey’s whitish lips. “I’ll lock the two of you in, then. She won’t be going anywhere unless Cainewood breaks down the door. If that should happen, you know what to do?”
Wat just looked at him questioningly.
With a huff, Geoffrey marched over to Cait and pulled her off the bed.
“Ouch!” She yanked free. “I will thank you to keep your hands off my arm. It hurts where your brother cut me.”
Without answering her, he jabbed her in the middle of the back and sent her sailing into the small anteroom, shutting the door behind her.
She stumbled over to sit on an unpadded wooden settle. This room was even more austere than the first. Fuming, she got back up and pressed her ear to the door, but try as she might, all she heard was unintelligible murmurs.
What was he saying? What was he planning? Her mind raced with possibilities. Was he telling Wat to detain Jason? Kill him? Kill them both?
She gulped.
At the sound of footsteps approaching, she raced back to the settle. Geoffrey opened the door between the rooms, and she watched through the frame. He returned to the table and pulled a cracked mirror from a bag, along with a fake beard and some adhesive. Then he set to work, turning himself into the man she’d seen yesterday morn.
Rising again, she positioned herself on the threshold. “Why would Cainewood be breaking down the door?”
Her words came out a challenge, maybe not the smartest thing to do. But she’d never been good at controlling her emotions.
A nasty grin appeared in the bushy brown beard. “Why, to rescue his fair damsel, of course. Conveniently keeping him from the wedding.”
“What makes you think he cares what happens to me?” she asked, almost hoping he didn’t care so he wouldn’t play into the Gothard’s scheme.
“Cainewood hasn’t let you out of his sight.” He settled the wig on his head. “Nor far from his lips, I might add.”
Had he seen them, then, those times they’d kissed to hide their faces?
As though reading her mind, Geoffrey let loose a sinister chuckle. “He’ll be coming after you, all right. Don’t you worry your pretty little head.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Aside from the question of how he would even begin to search for her in this enormous city, what if he thought she didn’t want to be found? She very much doubted Kendra had seen the abduction take place. What if the Chases simply assumed Caithren had run off—had escaped, as Jason had termed it last night—when he’d finally entrusted
