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B rawley was a small village near to the coast that took them three hours to reach. Three of the longest hours of his life.

They’d ridden hard, and conversed rarely, and the entire time thoughts of Evie had plagued Anthony. Was she all right? Had someone hurt her?

He’d spent his last moments with Evangeline Spencer inflicting pain on her, and he would never forgive himself for that.

She was right; he’d been a coward. For many years, Anthony had kept himself distant from anyone but his family and two friends because he’d never allow anyone to hurt him again.

But she’d been different from the start. Evie had infiltrated his soul, and this deep aching pain inside told Anthony it was love he felt for the woman he’d pushed away. Where he’d endured hell before and survived, to lose her now, he knew he wouldn’t.

It was terrifying to think she was suffering because of him. That she was going through pain like he and his friends had as boys. Was Cavendish responsible? They were staking everything on that being the case, and Anthony prayed they were right.

The Fox and Crown tavern was in the middle of the village. After stabling their horses, they headed there.

“Do not go in there lording about the place. We need to find out what these people know, and to do that, we have to be civil,” Toby said.

“I’ll be civil,” Anthony said, his tone dark.

“And that’s you being civil, is it?” Jamie said.

He grunted something unintelligible.

“Do you love her?” Toby asked.

“What?”

“Do you love Evangeline, Anthony?” Jamie demanded. “Don’t be a coward and answer the question.”

“Yes.” He stopped fighting what he knew. “It has to be that, because it hurts, in here.” He rubbed above his heart.

“Well then, let’s find her,” Jamie said after clearing his throat.

The interior was like most he’d entered. Dark, with the tang of alcohol and body odor in the air, and a steady hum of voices.

They approached the man behind the bar.

“Good day,” he said with a pleasant smile.

“Good day to you. We are after some information if you could help us,” Jamie said.

“Of course.”

“A woman has gone missing, and we are trying to locate her,” Toby said.

The man’s smile fell.

“She is my fiancée,” Anthony added.

The man studied him for several seconds, and Anthony withstood it, instead of grabbing him and shaking the answers he needed from him.

“We’ve had two girls go missing from Brawley, and a further one from the next village.”

“Yes, we heard that. One of those girls, Molly Allsopp, is my housekeeper’s niece,” Jamie said.

“We believe there could be a connection with the boy wandering nearby that a farmer found with markings on his chest. If it’s possible, we’d like to speak with him,” Toby said.

“My nephew, Frank, was found with the markings on him. Not sure what he can tell you, but I’ll get him.”

“We’d be grateful,” Toby added.

“If you’ll sit in that booth, I’ll find him for you.” The man waved them to the right.

Toby put a hand on Anthony’s shoulder and maneuvered him toward the booth.

A young man approached with his uncle just when Anthony was about to storm into the kitchens and find him. He looked nervous, which was understandable, considering three gentlemen wanted to speak to him.

“My name is Frank, and my uncle said you wish to speak with me.”

“Sit,” Toby said waving him to the empty seat beside Jamie. His uncle stood, watching in case he was needed at the bar.

“Can you tell us what happened the night leading up to you being found with the mark on your chest, Frank?” Anthony asked.

Frank shot his uncle a look, and Anthony had a feeling he didn’t want to speak about the matter with him there.

“We’ve had a long journey, sir. Could we prevail upon you to get us three ales?” Toby said, clearly seeing what Anthony had.

The man nodded, shot his nephew a look, and then walked away.

“Perhaps if you have no wish for your uncle to hear what it is you want to say, tell us everything you know quickly,” Jamie said.

“What I did was wrong, and I can’t tell my uncle,” Frank said. “It would kill him and my aunt. They took me in, you see, when no one else would.”

“Your secret will be safe with us, Frank,” Anthony said.

“I took the cart with some supplies out for delivery, and on the return journey, I stopped up a track in the forest to eat what my aunt had packed for me. Three men approached me on horseback. They said they needed something picked up and delivered, and I’d be paid handsomely for it.

They handed me more money than I could earn in a year, so I said yes. ”

The boy looked for his uncle, but he was still behind the bar as another customer had arrived.

“One man, he handed me a flask, and I didn’t want to insult him, so I took a drink.

They then told me they needed supplies collected from the next town over.

I tried to say it was too far, and my uncle needed me back, but the words seemed stuck in my throat.

After that, I don’t remember much. I thought I heard a woman’s scream, but I couldn’t open my eyes, and my limbs felt heavy. ”

“Can you take us to where you last remember being?” Anthony asked.

The boy nodded. “When I woke up from whatever they’d put in my drink, I was still in the forest with my horse and cart. But a full day and night had passed.

“Were you hurt, Frank?”

He shook his head. “Just the red symbol on my chest.”

Anthony, with a flicker of an eyelash, acknowledged that the boy’s words had shaken him. He remembered the feeling of waking with no memory and finding that symbol on his chest.

They drank the ale and left with Frank and a warning from his uncle to look out for him, which they assured him they would.

“Our horses are fast, and if you’re happy with it, Frank, I’d like you to climb up behind me,” Anthony said when they reached the stables. Wide-eyed, the boy nodded.

They rode back out of town until Frank stopped them. “There.” He pointed to a narrow track between the trees.

Anthony turned and soon they were riding deeper into the forest. They stopped when the track opened to a clearing surrounded by trees.

“This is where I was.”

Dismounting, Anthony looked around him. There appeared to be no tracks leading anywhere.

“Frank, I need you to stay here and watch our horses. Can you do that?” Jamie asked.

“Aye.”

They each took a direction and searched for any clue that suggested someone had been this way.

What if this was not where Evie was? What if someone else took her and is even now—

“Here,” Toby said suddenly. “Someone has been this way and covered their tracks. I’m sure of it.”

Toby disappeared into the trees. Anthony and Jamie followed at a run. Beyond the tree line, there was a well-worn path.

“Why would someone go to the trouble of disguising this?” Jamie asked.

“It’s close to the sea. You can smell it in the air. Perhaps they’re smuggling goods in here?” Toby said.

“Or perhaps someone is hiding it for more nefarious purposes,” Jamie added.

“This is the right place,” Anthony said, suddenly sure of it.

“How do you know that?” Toby asked.

“I just do.”

“Because you love her,” Jamie added.

He said nothing more, just ran along the narrow track. They checked everywhere. Each time there appeared a gap in the trees, they investigated. So far, they’d found nothing. But they would. Anthony felt Evie was close.

“The sea is closer now,” Jamie said.

“Wait!” Toby held up a hand, and they stopped. “What’s that noise?”

“Someone is coming,” Anthony whispered.

They moved into the trees and hid, waiting. The woman that appeared was not Evie, but scared and running from something, if his guess was correct. He stepped out from his hiding place and in front of her.

“No!”

“I mean you no harm,” he said as she backed away from him. “Please, I am trying to find someone. A woman.”

“Pl-please don’t take me back there,” she begged.

“What is your name?” Jamie asked, reaching them.

“M-Molly Allsopp.”

“Molly, your aunt is my housekeeper. She sent me to find you. I am Lord Stafford.”

The girl stopped moving and pressed a hand to her mouth.

“You are safe now, Molly,” Toby said. “But you must tell us all you know at once, as we are very worried for our friend, Miss Evangeline Spencer.”

“Sh-she was the one who saved us!” Molly gasped. “She unlocked the doors and let us out. Then someone heard us, and she told us to run.”

“Where is she?” Anthony demanded.

“We were all separated—”

“All?” Toby asked.

“There were th-three of us in that room when Miss Spencer saved us,” Molly said.

Of course, she would not have just sat there and waited for him to find her. His Evie would have taken charge of her destiny.

“We need to find the others now, Molly,” Jamie said. “You must listen to me carefully.”

The girl nodded.

“If you keep following this track, it will take you a while, but you will come to Frank from the Fox and Crown. He is holding our horses. He will look after you until we return,” Jamie said.

She nodded. “Please help the others.”

“We will,” Toby said. “Now go.”

She did and had soon disappeared.

“Let’s go,” Anthony said.

They had not run far before they heard more sounds. Once again, they moved deeper into the trees and waited. Heart pounding, Anthony kept his eyes on the trail. Please let it be Evie.

Three women appeared, and then he heard her voice.

“Do not look back. Run!”

“Molly—”

“Will be safe, but we are not!”

“Evie!” he roared.

“Anthony!” She spun to search for him.

He reached her in seconds, catching her as she hurled herself into his arms.

“Christ, Evie, I’ve been so scared,” he whispered into her hair.

She was shaking, her entire body shuddering as her hands clung to his neck.

“I have you.” He crushed her to him. “You are safe now. No one will hurt you again,” he vowed.

“They’re coming!” one of the women cried.

He tugged Evie’s hands from his neck and pushed her toward the other two.

“Hide now, Evie.”

“Anthony—”

“Keep them safe,” he said, knowing that would be the only thing that would make her do as he wanted.

She took both girls’ hands and tugged them into the trees. He, Jamie, and Toby followed.

They heard the thud of booted feet and watched four men wearing masks appear running.

Pistols raised, he, Toby and Jamie were soon in pursuit.

“I heard voices. They’re here somewhere!” one man roared. It’s only two nights till Black Mass. We need them.”

Anthony knew that voice. He cocked his pistol and yelled, “Halt!”

The men spun and found Anthony, Jamie, and Toby.

“Take the mask off, Cavendish. Now, or I’ll shoot you where you stand.”

He reluctantly did as Anthony asked, and he got a good look at the man who he was going to kill.

“No shooting, Anthony. We will make him suffer in other ways,” Toby said.

“I want him dead.”

“But you are better than he.”

“That nose looks sore,” Jamie said. Cavendish’s nose was swollen, and his eyes were black and bruised. “Miss Spencer did an excellent job.”

“Get on your knees,” Toby ordered.

“What’s the meaning of this, Hamilton? Can’t we walk about wearing masks in private?” Cavendish said, but Anthony saw the fear.

“Knees, now!” Toby said.

The men did as he asked.

“Hands on your head,” Jamie added.

They moved closer, checking the men for weapons.

“Explain yourself,” Cavendish said, still thinking he could talk his way out of this.

“You abducted three women, and then Miss Spencer from the Hampton house party, Cavendish. That’s what this is about,” Anthony said.

“What women?” he scoffed. “I see no women anywhere.”

“How about now?”

“Evie, go back,” Anthony growled. She, of course, ignored him and moved to stand at his side.

“Miss Spencer? What are you doing here?” Cavendish said.

Before he could stop her, she’d stepped closer to the man and punched him hard in the face yet again. Cavendish howled with pain and fell sideways clutching his already throbbing nose.

Unmasking the other men revealed themselves to be Calthorpe, Greville, and another.

“Well now, imagine our surprise at seeing all three of you low-life scum together again,” Toby said. “Considering what you were capable of at Blackwood Hall, my guess is that has merely increased.”

“Move back now, Evie,” Anthony said grabbing her around the waist. “Let us deal with them.”

“You’ll not stop us,” Greville hissed. “There will always be more.”

Pulling out his handkerchief, Jamie forced it into the man’s mouth. “Does anyone else have anything to say?” No one spoke again.

They used their cravats to bind the men’s hands and then pulled them back to their feet.

“Now walk.” He prodded Cavendish with his pistol.

*

The magistrate was summoned when they were back in Brawley. Greville, Calthorpe, the other man, and Cavendish were taken away. Anthony and his friends were also assured the forest would be searched to find the location where the women had been held.

Anthony had left Evie to clean and bind her cuts along with the women she’d saved at the Fox and Crown while he dealt with everything alongside Jamie and Toby.

After her initial pleasure at seeing him, she’d barely spoken a word to Anthony.

He’d wrapped her in his coat and held her rigid body before him on his horse.

He’d not tried to talk to her, as people surrounded them, but he would soon.

The journey back to the Hampton house party was the perfect opportunity.

“Where is Miss Spencer?” he said, entering the Fox and Crown. Looking around, he saw no sign of her or the other women.

“She was worried for her family, so Mr. Greggor said he’d take her to them, seeing as she’d brought his daughter back,” Frank said.

“Well,” Toby said. “At least we can be sure you’ll not have everything your own way.”