taken charge of the entire situation without really consulting me, yet, I can understand where you’re coming from. I’m a mother and my duty is protecting Susan.”
“Good. At least we both know what our duties are.” She stopped at the sound of rustling in the bushes. Holding her hand up, she heard Elizabeth skid to a halt behind them. They were so close to the front entrance of the hall. She looked behind them.
Somehow, Mallory and Hart had managed to drive Herrer’s men farther away from the house, giving Elizabeth and her lots of room to breathe. She scanned the area for Herrer.
She couldn’t see the bugger. Why did she get the feeling that she was walking into a booby trap? She knew she couldn’t go back … and she couldn’t go forward … but they had to go forward. Susan had to get out of the night air.
“I have a bad feeling about this, Elizabeth.”
“You too?”
Gemma stared at the rustling bushes, and breathed a sigh of relief when a rabbit popped its head out of the bushes.
“Thank God for small blessings,” Elizabeth murmured.
“Indeed.” They walked up the steps leading to the entrance to Mallory Hall. “If the door doesn’t immediately open … then we know Herrer has somehow gotten into the HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 49
Hall. The servants will no doubt be otherwise indisposed.”
“Agreed,” Elizabeth said.
Just as she stepped up onto the threshold, the grand door swung open. Her heart skipped in her chest, the family butler had unmistakable fear glimmering in his eyes.
She was about to speak, when she heard something that topped her night right off.
“So, we meet again, Lady Gemma. I’m afraid, I’ll have to pay you back in kind for this!” She looked to where Herrer stood behind her butler. He lifted his pistol, aiming it directly at her. She could hear Elizabeth moving to the side. She was doing just as Gemma had instructed. While Herrer’s attention was completely focused on her, Elizabeth was making a fast getaway, getting her and Susan out of the line of fire.
She was glad. She didn’t fear death—Andrew and her father would be waiting for her. At least now, she didn’t have to marry Hart. She smiled.
Herrer smiled back at her, and discharged his pistol.
HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 50
Chapter Ten
Gemma should have felt pain. She should be dead. She’d closed her eyes when he’d shot, but unless you could die without feeling anything, she was still alive.
Impossible.
She looked to the side. He’d hit her butler instead.
“No!” Tears welled in her eyes.
Stewart’s eyes were cloudy with pain. She breathed a sigh of relief realizing he was still alive.
Without thinking, she moved to his side, and supported him, leading him over to the wall. He was bleeding quite heavily and his blood splattered her dress.
“You’re going to be alright,” she whispered. She helped him to slip out of his jacket so that he only wore a shirt. She bunched up the jacket and put it against his wound, hoping the pressure would slow the bleeding. By what she could see, the shot had gone straight through.
“Not if I put another bullet hole in him—I might decide to do that if you don’t cooperate with me. Do you think I missed the duchess slipping away? How did she disappear like that? You will tell me, or I will kill him!”
“No,” Stewart rasped, clutching her hand. Stewart was old enough to be her father, and he’d served their family faithfully through thick and thin—to think he could die, was sucking the strength out of her.
“I don’t know where she went. Do you honestly think that I would be privy to everything my brother, The Duke, would want to share with his wife about this estate’s many secrets? I am merely a woman. I am just as you said before, the daughter of a dead duke. I have no real power or authority when it comes to the running of my brother’s properties. And if you truly knew how my brother treats me, you’d know that
“Good. At least we both know what our duties are.” She stopped at the sound of rustling in the bushes. Holding her hand up, she heard Elizabeth skid to a halt behind them. They were so close to the front entrance of the hall. She looked behind them.
Somehow, Mallory and Hart had managed to drive Herrer’s men farther away from the house, giving Elizabeth and her lots of room to breathe. She scanned the area for Herrer.
She couldn’t see the bugger. Why did she get the feeling that she was walking into a booby trap? She knew she couldn’t go back … and she couldn’t go forward … but they had to go forward. Susan had to get out of the night air.
“I have a bad feeling about this, Elizabeth.”
“You too?”
Gemma stared at the rustling bushes, and breathed a sigh of relief when a rabbit popped its head out of the bushes.
“Thank God for small blessings,” Elizabeth murmured.
“Indeed.” They walked up the steps leading to the entrance to Mallory Hall. “If the door doesn’t immediately open … then we know Herrer has somehow gotten into the HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 49
Hall. The servants will no doubt be otherwise indisposed.”
“Agreed,” Elizabeth said.
Just as she stepped up onto the threshold, the grand door swung open. Her heart skipped in her chest, the family butler had unmistakable fear glimmering in his eyes.
She was about to speak, when she heard something that topped her night right off.
“So, we meet again, Lady Gemma. I’m afraid, I’ll have to pay you back in kind for this!” She looked to where Herrer stood behind her butler. He lifted his pistol, aiming it directly at her. She could hear Elizabeth moving to the side. She was doing just as Gemma had instructed. While Herrer’s attention was completely focused on her, Elizabeth was making a fast getaway, getting her and Susan out of the line of fire.
She was glad. She didn’t fear death—Andrew and her father would be waiting for her. At least now, she didn’t have to marry Hart. She smiled.
Herrer smiled back at her, and discharged his pistol.
HIS LADY’S KEEPER Marly Mathews 50
Chapter Ten
Gemma should have felt pain. She should be dead. She’d closed her eyes when he’d shot, but unless you could die without feeling anything, she was still alive.
Impossible.
She looked to the side. He’d hit her butler instead.
“No!” Tears welled in her eyes.
Stewart’s eyes were cloudy with pain. She breathed a sigh of relief realizing he was still alive.
Without thinking, she moved to his side, and supported him, leading him over to the wall. He was bleeding quite heavily and his blood splattered her dress.
“You’re going to be alright,” she whispered. She helped him to slip out of his jacket so that he only wore a shirt. She bunched up the jacket and put it against his wound, hoping the pressure would slow the bleeding. By what she could see, the shot had gone straight through.
“Not if I put another bullet hole in him—I might decide to do that if you don’t cooperate with me. Do you think I missed the duchess slipping away? How did she disappear like that? You will tell me, or I will kill him!”
“No,” Stewart rasped, clutching her hand. Stewart was old enough to be her father, and he’d served their family faithfully through thick and thin—to think he could die, was sucking the strength out of her.
“I don’t know where she went. Do you honestly think that I would be privy to everything my brother, The Duke, would want to share with his wife about this estate’s many secrets? I am merely a woman. I am just as you said before, the daughter of a dead duke. I have no real power or authority when it comes to the running of my brother’s properties. And if you truly knew how my brother treats me, you’d know that
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