Page 87 of His Stolen Duchess

Lysander was after him in a heartbeat. The man reached the back door, but as he grabbed the handle, Lysander yanked him back by the collar. The masked man spun around, throwing the back of his fist at Lysander’s head.

The Duke ducked under the swing, coming back up with fists flying, slamming his left fist into the man’s torso, just below his shoulder, and his right into the ribcage on the opposite side, knocking the wind from him. The man didn’t go down, but he had the fight taken out of him.

Lysander held him by the back of his collar, reached over to grab the first bandit, and dragged them both toward the lake.

“Are you all right?” he shouted to Georgina.

“I’m—I’m fine,” she called back.

“Get out of the water.” Lysander pointed to the side of the lake, instructing her to exit the water away from where the three men now were.

Georgina began swimming to the far bank.

Lysander tore off the mask from the man he still held. “What are you doing here?”

The man snorted, coughing and grabbing his chest in pain.

Lysander didn’t waste any time on him. He half ran with the man, tossing him headfirst into the lake. The man screamed out before he hit the water.

Lysander turned his attention to the two remaining men who were still trying to get to their feet and strode over to them.

“Which of you wants to tell me what I need to know?” he commanded.

“Bugger off!” one shouted.

“I thought as much.” Lysander grabbed the man by the shirt. “You can help your friend.” Then he tossed him into the lake.

Lysander grabbed the third man, lifted him to his feet, and slammed his right fist into the man’s chin, knocking him back down. Then, he lifted him to his feet again and ripped off the mask. The man had blood on his lower lip.

“I won’t ask you a second time,” Lysander warned. “What are you doing here?”

The man faltered, not speaking immediately, and Lysander clenched and lifted his fist.

“No, no, no,” the man begged, lifting his hands before his face. “I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

“Then speak,” Lysander demanded. “What are you doing here?”

“Lady Eastbeck sent us,” the man stuttered. “We were to take Her Grace to Lady Eastbeck. I don’t fully know why. She said something about keeping the two of you apart like her and her lover.”

Lord Abbington.

“Then what?” Lysander asked. “What were you to do with her after delivering her to Lady Eastbeck?”

“I don’t know. That’s the truth. That’s all we’d been hired to do. She said to come here and take her; that it would be the easiest job we could do. It was the money, Your Grace. We didn’t want to do it, not really, but she offered us so much money to retrieve her.”

My coach? Did she orchestrate that to delay me so they could enter the home? If she did, then she meant the repair to take far longer.

“On the grass!” Lysander ordered the two men stumbling from the water. “One move and I’ll make sure you don’t get up next time. Do you understand me?”

The two sopping wet men slumped to the ground and remained still, while the remaining masked bandit removed his soggy disguise without being asked. They both glared at the Duke, but quickly averted their eyes when he stared back at them.

“Georgina, go to the driver at the front of the house and summon the Bow Street Runners. Have them come here as quickly as possible.”

Georgina nodded, but glanced worriedly at the three men.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” he assured her. “Go now.”

Georgina did as he’d instructed and ran to the house. As soon as the Bow Street Runners arrived, he would have the three menarrested, but he wouldn’t mention Lady Eastbeck’s name for now.