Page 5 of The Lady’s Sweet Revenge (Safely in Scotland #3)

T he man, Lord Breckenridge, listened to her horrid story, looking appalled at all the appropriate times, which was to say everything that had happened to her since she’d been riding in the park.

“And you say your Uncle Edgar, a man who has doted on you since you were a lass, is responsible for such a heinous act?” He seemed shocked, but not as if he didn’t believe her.

“Yes. I am to understand he has gotten himself into a mess and owes money to this Captain. For what, I can’t possibly know as my uncle is not much of a gambler. But the men aboard the Zephyr said my uncle had allowed them to… keep me.”

Reese, she remembered he’d told her his name at some point, looked at her with wide eyes.

“Did you say the Zephyr? That was the name of the ship?”

“Yes. Before I jumped overboard, I heard two men talking about the captain’s plans.”

“The captain?” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper.

“Merrick,” she and Reese said at the same time and he near to jumped up from his seat to pace the room with his hands clenched in his thick, blond hair.

“You were aboard Captain Merrick’s ship and escaped.” It was more a statement of astonishment than a question, yet she answered.

“It was not so difficult. They hadn’t even locked me inside the room. They’d only bound my wrists.” She couldn’t help her tone of disgust. While she was truly grateful for their ineptness, she was rather offended they thought her such an easy captive.

“Are you complaining about the poor job they did of securing you?”

She hadn’t meant to make it so obvious. “It was rather insulting to think a woman so incapable of escaping them.”

He smiled and it warmed his brown eyes. She couldn’t help but smile back.

Then she laughed, one chuckle burst free, followed by another until she was caught up in a state of hilarity.

Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes and ran down her cheeks, and she couldn’t be entirely sure if they weren’t from the fear and hurt resurfacing or the laughter that had gripped her.

“I would have loved to have seen the look on Merrick’s face when he learned you were not in that room.” He bowed from his seat. “I’m honored to make the acquaintance of the lady who bested Merrick and his savages from the Zephyr.”

“It sounds as if you know them.”

“No. Though I’ve heard of them.” He frowned and it looked as if he rubbed his thigh. “What else did they say?”

“Once they are safe in the port at Inverness, they plan to send a letter of ransom to my father. I don’t think the ransom was meant to cover my uncle’s debt.”

“Merrick is a smuggler. If your uncle is mixed up with him it would not be a gambling debt. Likely something else.”

Smuggling? What had her uncle gotten caught up in? How desperate was he to have handed her over to such a fate to save himself? What kind of a man did something like that? She thought she might be sick again, but Reese was speaking.

“Who are your brothers?” he asked, in a way she thought he hoped was cunning. She was nearly as offended as she’d been with her meager constraints on the ship. Did he think her so foolish as to accidentally give away her secret?

She still hadn’t told him who she was. What family she was from. It would do little good to escape one kidnapper only to have this man demand his own ransom for her.

Perhaps, though, it was time to tell him all. If she was wrong to trust this man, she would pay dearly for her mistake. But despite having escaped, she would need this man’s help to get back home. For she was in Scotland, with no funds and no proper clothes.

She shook her head and then let out a deep breath.

“My father is the Duke of Ardmere.”

His eyes went wide again and then he dipped his head in a quick bow.

“Lady Harlow,” he addressed her formally.

She waved her hand. There was really no reason to keep with such propriety now. Not when he was currently alone with her while she sat in bed in a voluminous dressing gown.

She didn’t say any of that. She certainly didn’t need to point out to him how improper all of this was. She cleared her throat to get them back to the matter at hand.

“Whatever reason my uncle owes him this money doesn’t matter. This Captain Merrick meant to hold me ransom, but my uncle had no plans to return me home after they received the money from my father.”

“Then we need to write to your father straightaway so he knows you are safe and not to pay it. If they were planning to go to Inverness before sending off their letter, ours will surely get there first.”

She had not thought that far, but she nodded and moved to get up from the bed. She forgot her blasted ankle yet again and winced.

“Please. Stay there. I will take care of it.”

“They may not believe you if it is not in my own hand. Even then I must write something personal so they will know it’s only me that could be writing.” She bit her lip as she thought on which of her brothers’ many secrets to reveal to prove her authenticity.

“Stay where you are. I will bring the writing implements so you can write a missive while staying abed.”

“I’m well enough to get up.” She hated being treated like a dainty ninny. And it was true she could get up. Walking, however, seemed beyond her at the moment.

“I trust you to know your own reserves, but I would ask you to give it the night, in case you are mistaken. I’d rather not have to carry you about again.”

His cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink and she didn’t wish to think on what he might be remembering. She’d jumped in the ocean in only her shift. Wet as she was, she imagined the garment was not fit for providing much in the way of protection from his gaze.

Her own cheeks heated and she pushed the thought away. Whatever he may have seen is far better than what future she was sure to have faced by staying on that ship. The time for coyness was past. She needed to focus on survival and justice.

Justice, she found, ran close to the border of revenge. For the more she thought of her uncle’s betrayal, the angrier she became.

He must pay for what he’d done. All these years her brothers had told her how unacceptable all the men of the ton were for marriage. But they had not realized the most dangerous viper lived under their very roof.

She’d trusted her brothers to steer her away from rogues and scoundrels, but she’d fallen victim to Uncle Edgar’s duplicity. How na?ve she’d been. But no more.

She wouldn’t trust anyone. She let out a sigh as Reese turned to leave. It seemed she was willing enough to trust the earl.

He had moved for the door and even in the dim light of the room she noted what a striking figure he made.

He was taller than even the tallest of her brothers and wider across the shoulders than them as well.

His hair was golden as if he was better suited walking about in white robes carrying a harp like so many angels she’d seen painted in a gallery.

But his eyes were not blue, they were dark as night. Nearly the same color as the pupils. And while his lips were full and presented a perfect bow, there was nothing cherubic about them at all. Instead they looked like they were made for sin.

She cleared her throat though no one was in the room any longer but her and the dog.

Belle. She rubbed the beast behind the ears and Belle nuzzled closer to Harlow’s leg.

It seemed she had made a friend in the animal.

And perhaps with the earl as well. He certainly seemed set on helping her with this mess.

She would trust him so far as to get off a letter to her father. She didn’t have much of a choice.

This was all her uncle’s fault. Her heart turned cold as she realized it would not be enough to just keep him from getting his hands on the ransom. No. The man needed to pay dearly for such a hideous betrayal.

*

When Reese returned to the room he found the woman glaring at him as if she might be able to strike him dead with just her gaze.

“I hurried as fast as I was able,” he said in his defense.

She shook her head, not as if to tell him no, but as if she were shaking herself from some horrible memory.

“No. I’m sorry. I was thinking of Uncle Edgar.

How does a man lure his own flesh and blood into such a trap and then not have even the slightest intention to have me returned safely to my family?

He’d just given me to them so they might do whatever they wished with me.

I may not be worldly in that way, but even a maiden such as I could tell what kinds of things they intended had I not escaped. ”

Her lip quivered and she bit it, likely to keep from showing any weakness. He’d never met a more formidable woman than Harlow Haverston.

She’d said she was the Duke of Ardmere’s daughter.

Reese recalled the man being a stern, older gentleman, but reasonable, as he’d voted with a level head in the House of Lords.

He had five sons. The oldest, the Earl of Fletcher, had married and had a few young sons of his own.

With plenty of spares, her other brothers were raucous, but not without honor as far as Reese remembered. Much like himself.

He’d not realized the duke had a daughter, but then why would he have since his goal in recent seasons was to avoid anyone’s daughter.

As he looked at her he was certain this wasn’t her first Season. Or even her second. She was no blushing debutante, but a strong woman.

“I’m surprised I’ve not met ye in a ballroom,” he said curiously.

She cast her glance away. “I’ve not been in a ballroom in the last two years. My come out… Well, it was certainly active.”

“I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

“I garnered a reputation for refusing a few offers of marriage.”

“I wouldn’t say that is uncommon. Many women pass over the early offers if they are waiting for one in particular, do they not?” It was not surprising Harlow would be discerning. She seemed to have a steady head on her shoulders.