‘Lord Cairnross!’ she called out, though he was already inside. ‘Help me!’
Strong arms seized her waist, and she fought with all her strength, elbowing the man as she twisted and turned. It was like her nightmare all over again. Regina screamed, but the two men subdued her, shoving a handkerchief in her mouth and throwing her into the coach. The other man got inside with her and closed the door. Within moments, she felt the horses start trotting, and she fell forward, barely catching her balance. She reached for the door handle, but her assailant grabbed her wrist and twisted it until she cried out in pain.
No one could hear from the gag in her mouth. God help her, not again. Not this.
As the coach pulled away, Elliott MacLachor, Earl of Cairnross, held out his spyglass and stared at it. ‘Bloody pirates. They’ve stolen the princess.’ He strode inside the house and said to his housekeeper, ‘Mrs Howard. A coach came and took Lady Camford away. Will you help me rescue her?’
Mrs Howard gripped her broomstick, her mouth open. ‘My lord, is this one of your imaginings?’
Elliott opened the door and pointed outside. ‘See for yourself. I willna be letting savages take our princess. Fetch my pistols.’
She hurried outside and saw the puppy barking, its leather lead trailing behind as he raced to follow the coach. ‘Oh, dear God. What’s happened?’
‘They took her,’ Elliott repeated. ‘We have to stop them.’
A dawning realisation broke over the woman, and she shouted for one of the younger lads. ‘Hamish! Quickly, tell MacLachor that Her Ladyship has been taken.’ She wrung her hands in panic. ‘What can we do? His Lordship is gone and so is her father. There’s no one left.’
‘No one but us,’ Elliott said. ‘We will have to help her.’
The housekeeper stared at him, shock in her eyes. ‘I canna go with you, my lord. I’m too old.’
Elliott took her hands. ‘So am I. But she needs us, Mrs Howard.’
Her frail palms were trembling, but she gave a nod. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. ‘I’ll get the pistols. You get a coach and horses.’
Before he knew what to make of that, she added, ‘Don’t be letting them out of your sight, my lord. We’ll follow them and bring her home. I can promise you that.’
Over the past few days, despite Dalton’s attempts to intercept the coach with Mr Sidney and Lord Havershire, he had been unable to catch up to them. It seemed that the men had not taken the main roads, and by the time he’d realised this, it was too late.
But he knew where they were going. And so, he’d decided to travel as fast as he could, switching horses often, in order to reach London first. He needed to understand what had happened and how severe the threat was against Regina’s family.
If there was little danger, he would do what he could to help. But he worried that he might have no legal rights. Since she had refused to call him her husband, he was bound by her father’s wishes. It infuriated him, being so helpless. But he had sworn to himself that he would do everything in his power to save her from harm. Even if that meant lowering his pride.
He ordered his coachman to drive him to his father’s house. Though he doubted if the earl would help him, he had to try. Lord Brevershire had connections in Parliament, and he hoped the earl could use his influence to help him.
Dalton walked inside the house and gave his coat and hat to the footman. ‘Where is my father?’ he asked.
‘His Lordship is in his study,’ the footman answered.
Dalton thanked him and strode through the hallway. He walked inside and saw his father bent over a ledger, writing calmly.
‘Father,’ he greeted the man solemnly.
The earl did not look up from his papers, but merely answered, ‘Dalton.’
He waited to see if his father would say anything further, but there was nothing.
Careful, he warned himself. You need his help.
‘Do you have time to talk?’ he asked, still waiting in the doorway.
‘Not now,’ Brevershire answered, still recording columns of numbers. ‘Perhaps later this evening.’
‘It’s important,’ Dalton continued. ‘I am in need of your guidance.’
His father paused to set down his pen. He removed his spectacles and sighed. ‘I heard about your impulsive wedding. You must be aware of how the scandal impacted our family name. I could not go anywhere without someone speaking of it.’
‘I didn’t want Regina to be humiliated and abandoned on her wedding day,’ Dalton said. ‘I have no regrets.’
‘All of London was talking of it,’ the earl said. ‘I could go nowhere without someone laughing at our family. Do you understand the embarrassment you brought upon us? Did you even think of the consequences?’
‘I thought of her,’ he admitted. ‘And I suspect that if Mother had been in a similar situation, you’d have done the same.’
‘Did you ever wed her legally?’ his father prompted.
He didn’t answer his father’s question. If he replied no, his father would do nothing to help him. Then again, he wasn’t certain his father would help him now. ‘Regina is my responsibility. She is in some...trouble at the moment, and I came to beg for your help.’
‘Beg?’ His father’s face turned incredulous. ‘When have you ever begged for anything? Making rash decisions has always been your way, Dalton. Like that wedding.’
‘I know I’ve made mistakes in the past. But I want to believe that you and I can work together.’
The earl appeared doubtful, but Dalton refused to back down. He took a deep breath and steeled himself. ‘Regina was attacked several years ago, and the man who hurt her is now dead. Her father was receiving blackmail demands.’
Brevershire stood from his desk, his expression grim. ‘One scandal after another.’
‘She is an innocent,’ Dalton argued. ‘I am asking for her sake. You know a great deal of people in London. With your influence, I might be
