She hadn’t figured out who they were. None of them spoke in the buggy. She heard grunts, snores, and even flatulence, but no names. And then, oddly enough she caught the sound of voices raised in greeting.
They’d taken her to Idyll Wood. The familiar noises of the town waking up told her that much. She’d twisted and kicked then, trying to make enough commotion to draw attention. Feet had rudely pushed her face into the floor, grinding her cheek roughly under the sole.
Finally, the buggy stopped. Silently, they’d lifted her. They went down, down. Not being able to see, the movement downward upset her stomach. The dank, musty smell filling her nostrils added to her discomfort. She had to be in a basement.
But, whose? Who in the town would hide a kidnapped woman?
Only one name popped into her head. Mr. James Strong. Both she and Fred had suspected him. They discussed it very briefly on their trip to the farm.
All this ran through her mind while the kidnappers flopped her onto the floor with no consideration. Her head connected with the wall sharply. Then she felt nothing.
When Lilah gained consciousness, she struggled to remember what had happened. Darkness pressed in on her, and she wondered if she’d fallen on the way back from the privy. Quickly, the memory of her kidnapping swamped her.
One thing had changed while she was unconscious. Her captors had removed the blindfold and the gag. Though that made her slightly more comfortable, it meant that they were sure no one would hear her call for help.
Lilah struggled not to feel defeated by that realization. She would find a way out of this or Fred would find her and rescue her again. Her knight in shining armor.
Somehow, the thought didn’t comfort her. She didn’t want him to see her as weak. No, her goal was for him to see her as a capable helpmate, doggone it!
That fired her temper. Why did these men have to go and kidnap her just when she and Fred finally had a chance at making their own happily ever after?
“Are you okay? That was quite a bump you took.”
At the words spoken near her, Lilah screeched in surprise. She felt her jaw drop even as she struggled to sit up while being tightly bound.
Lilah’s eyes darted around and spotted a figure leaning against a wooden crate. Beyond the person, she saw a window, mostly covered. One edge of the covering gaped, allowing a thin stream of early morning light to penetrate the cellar’s gloom. She strained and squinted, using the weak glow to more clearly see her companion.
“Not speaking. Your brain must still be rattled.” The voice belonged to a woman. Lilah could more easily recognize that now. Maybe her brain had been rattled, like her fellow captive said.
And she was a captive. By the shadowy light, Lilah could barely make out the ropes that bound the woman’s arms and legs.
“I’ll be fine.” Lilah whispered the words in the suffocating stillness.
A sweet, clear laugh answered her before the woman spoke, using a wry tone. “No need to whisper. No one can hear us. I spent most of yesterday screaming or calling for help. We’re either in a house isolated from others or are in an extra deep cellar.”
She broke off to let out a long sigh. “I can’t be sure since I was blindfolded as soon as the big man got me into the buggy.”
That bit sounded very familiar to Lilah. She added her own sigh and decided to find out about her fellow prisoner.
Deciding to act like they were meeting in an ordinary place, like church or the mercantile, Lilah greeted her warmly. “I’m sorry you have to be here, but truly I’m glad not to be alone. I’m Lilah Sittig.”
The other woman gave an unladylike snort at Lilah’s admission and grudgingly introduced herself. “My name is Charity Melrose.” Then she grumbled, “There’s no reason for either of us to be in this fix. When I get out of here, a certain detective is going to discover the meaning of pain.”
Lilah gasped and struggled to pull farther away from Charity. With anger radiating from her, the woman scared Lilah. Was Charity crazed?
At her movement, Charity Melrose seemed to come out of some deep thought. Her scowl disappeared. By the weak light, Lilah saw Charity’s lips curve into a friendly grin.
“Don’t worry about that. I’m sorry my partner let us both down. We wouldn’t be in this fix if he’d followed me like we’d planned.”
Lilah wondered if the bump had left her befuddled. Charity’s words made no sense. Partner? Plan?
Stuck with a raving woman in a deep hole. Only rats or snakes could add to Lilah’s dread at that moment. Still, this was pleasant compared with her time at the brothel.
Clearing her throat softly, Lilah carefully chose her words and controlled her tone. She didn’t want to enrage the woman. From what she’d already seen, Charity seemed close to a fit of anger.
“Um,” she paused to be sure she had the other woman’s attention. “What did you mean about a plan?”
Charity nodded. Lilah didn’t know what she was nodding about. It wasn’t a yes or no question. When the other woman stayed silent, Lilah tried again.
“Why did you need a partner?”
This time Charity did answer, using clipped words. “He was supposed to get off the train, too. Then, he would follow me when I met the man, saying I was the one who answered the ad.”
Understanding dawned slowly. Minutes passed as neither woman spoke. Lilah mulled over the similarity to what she’d experienced. Answering an ad. Arriving by train. That had been a part of her experience
