against Elizabeth's wrists as she rolled to a stop on the ground. "Is everyone unharmed?" she asked, righting herself. She frantically looked over the others, who appeared undamaged.
A terrible scream sounded. The horse shot forward. The terrified animal dodged a tree at the edge of the loch, but the wagon did not. An explosion filled the air. Elizabeth drew a startled breath as wood debris flew back at them. She threw her arms over the girls' heads, trying to protect them.
When silence settled, she shook the debris from her hair and shoulders. "Get up, girls." Elizabeth helped Heather to her feet. Lily's eyes filled with tears as Rose helped her up, but she kept quiet. Camellia and Iris rose.
Elizabeth searched the wreckage only to see the body of the driver hunched over what remained of the seat. The horse had broken free and was nowhere in sight. "Come, we must hurry," she said, turning back to the others.
"You're not going anywhere." Horatio was suddenly before them, his short cape billowing in the breeze. He grasped the rope that bound them together and jerked hard, propelling the six of them forward.
Heather fell to her knees at the unexpected motion. "I want to go home."
"Leave us alone," Lily's tiny voice echoed in the morning air, followed by soft sobs.
Iris, who'd been valiantly silent so far, burst into tears until a cacophony of sobs filled the air.
A thunderous look darkened Horatio's face. "Silence. Keep moving!"
Rose paled and bent down beside Heather. She stroked her sister's back. "Shh," she admonished. "We must do what our uncle says."
"Nay." The word erupted from Elizabeth's throat as a fresh surge of anger tore through her. "We will not keep going. In fact, girls, sit down." She set Lily on the ground, then sat beside her.
Rose, Iris, and Camellia joined Heather, Lily, and herself on the ground. The girls' faces were pale and fear glittered in their eyes, but Elizabeth clung to her decision. He couldn't make them all move without someone to help him.
"Get up!" Horatio lurched toward them, his unarmed hand poised to strike.
Elizabeth shifted forward to take the blow, sparing the other girls their uncle's anger.
At Lily's terrified scream, the man's hand jerked to a stop inches from Elizabeth's face.
She remained still. "Let the girls go. I shall go with you."
He grabbed a fistful of her hair and dragged her to her feet. "All of you will get up and keep moving."
"You are going about this all wrong." Elizabeth met his gaze. "The new earl doesn't care about us. He'll be overjoyed to have the estate all to himself now that we are gone."
Horatio's grin became a dark, evil slash. "Nay, he'll come after you, and I'll force him to renounce the title and lands."
Elizabeth forced a smile, praying the girls would remain silent and let her lies erode the man's confidence. "It won't work. He'll never renounce the title. He'll never go back to the Templars. You're a fool to think he would."
"Then I'll kill you all to get what I want." Horatio's hand connected with Elizabeth's cheek. Gasps and cries of distress erupted from the girls as pain exploded on the side of Elizabeth's head. A wave of darkness hovered.
She drew a sharp breath and forced the darkness away. Fainting would help no one. She straightened. "Beating me will not change the situation. You'll never become the Earl of Carrick."
"We'll see about that." He limped away, heading toward the water's edge.
"Our brother does care about us, right?" Lily asked on a new wave of tears.
"Aye, he loves you," Elizabeth whispered near her ear. "I need to trick your uncle."
Lily's mouth formed a silent expression of surprise.
Suddenly the sound of men shouting filled the air. Lucius!
"Has our brother found us?" Camellia whispered.
The echo of hoofbeats sounded in the distance, mingling with the sound of the men's voices. "Aye," Elizabeth said, with a burst of fresh hope. She brought her hands up to her bodice and withdrew a small dirk from between
A terrible scream sounded. The horse shot forward. The terrified animal dodged a tree at the edge of the loch, but the wagon did not. An explosion filled the air. Elizabeth drew a startled breath as wood debris flew back at them. She threw her arms over the girls' heads, trying to protect them.
When silence settled, she shook the debris from her hair and shoulders. "Get up, girls." Elizabeth helped Heather to her feet. Lily's eyes filled with tears as Rose helped her up, but she kept quiet. Camellia and Iris rose.
Elizabeth searched the wreckage only to see the body of the driver hunched over what remained of the seat. The horse had broken free and was nowhere in sight. "Come, we must hurry," she said, turning back to the others.
"You're not going anywhere." Horatio was suddenly before them, his short cape billowing in the breeze. He grasped the rope that bound them together and jerked hard, propelling the six of them forward.
Heather fell to her knees at the unexpected motion. "I want to go home."
"Leave us alone," Lily's tiny voice echoed in the morning air, followed by soft sobs.
Iris, who'd been valiantly silent so far, burst into tears until a cacophony of sobs filled the air.
A thunderous look darkened Horatio's face. "Silence. Keep moving!"
Rose paled and bent down beside Heather. She stroked her sister's back. "Shh," she admonished. "We must do what our uncle says."
"Nay." The word erupted from Elizabeth's throat as a fresh surge of anger tore through her. "We will not keep going. In fact, girls, sit down." She set Lily on the ground, then sat beside her.
Rose, Iris, and Camellia joined Heather, Lily, and herself on the ground. The girls' faces were pale and fear glittered in their eyes, but Elizabeth clung to her decision. He couldn't make them all move without someone to help him.
"Get up!" Horatio lurched toward them, his unarmed hand poised to strike.
Elizabeth shifted forward to take the blow, sparing the other girls their uncle's anger.
At Lily's terrified scream, the man's hand jerked to a stop inches from Elizabeth's face.
She remained still. "Let the girls go. I shall go with you."
He grabbed a fistful of her hair and dragged her to her feet. "All of you will get up and keep moving."
"You are going about this all wrong." Elizabeth met his gaze. "The new earl doesn't care about us. He'll be overjoyed to have the estate all to himself now that we are gone."
Horatio's grin became a dark, evil slash. "Nay, he'll come after you, and I'll force him to renounce the title and lands."
Elizabeth forced a smile, praying the girls would remain silent and let her lies erode the man's confidence. "It won't work. He'll never renounce the title. He'll never go back to the Templars. You're a fool to think he would."
"Then I'll kill you all to get what I want." Horatio's hand connected with Elizabeth's cheek. Gasps and cries of distress erupted from the girls as pain exploded on the side of Elizabeth's head. A wave of darkness hovered.
She drew a sharp breath and forced the darkness away. Fainting would help no one. She straightened. "Beating me will not change the situation. You'll never become the Earl of Carrick."
"We'll see about that." He limped away, heading toward the water's edge.
"Our brother does care about us, right?" Lily asked on a new wave of tears.
"Aye, he loves you," Elizabeth whispered near her ear. "I need to trick your uncle."
Lily's mouth formed a silent expression of surprise.
Suddenly the sound of men shouting filled the air. Lucius!
"Has our brother found us?" Camellia whispered.
The echo of hoofbeats sounded in the distance, mingling with the sound of the men's voices. "Aye," Elizabeth said, with a burst of fresh hope. She brought her hands up to her bodice and withdrew a small dirk from between
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