Page 73 of The Secret Love of a Gentleman (The Marlow Family Secrets #3)

Caro took the toy soldier Drew held out and passed it to George.

‘There, see, we have it, there was no need for so many tears.’ She had taken George down to the library, where John, Drew and Edward had gathered, to retrieve George’s favourite soldier from Drew’s coat pocket.

‘Papa only put it in his pocket to keep it safe.’

George nodded against her shoulder, with the rescued soldier clutched in his fist as she walked from the library.

‘I want to speak to Robert Marlow.’ A familiar man’s voice broke into the peace of the house.

Caro’s blood ran cold, and not because the open door caused a cold draught. Albert stood on the other side of the threshold.

‘He is not here, my lord. Please leave.’ Finch said bluntly, signalling something to a footman.

Rob was finalising some aspects for their journey as they planned to leave tomorrow, after the wedding.

‘I do not believe you. That cowardly boy would hide!’ Albert shouted, pushing Finch aside and entering the hall. ‘Caro!’

She had nowhere to hide.

Suddenly three footmen were in the hall .

Caro held George tight in her arms, frozen in fear.

‘Come here!’ Albert barked at her, as if she were a dog to be commanded.

Finch moved in front of him, as the footmen surrounded him on all sides.

She stepped back, while George looked over his shoulder at the red-faced stranger.

‘I asked you to leave,’ Finch said calmly.

Caro took another couple of steps back.

Two of the footmen moved closer, as though they planned to push Albert out. Albert would not endure that. He shoved Finch aside and strode towards Caro.

She wrapped her arm about George, covering his head, trying to protect and not scare him as she turned, ducking to avoid Albert’s raised hand, but she stumbled and fell on to the first stone step, screaming out with pain as her hip and elbow struck the stair.

The three men came out of the library with a surge of aggression.

‘Caroline…?’

‘Kilbride! What the hell are you doing?!’

‘Get out!’

‘Ah, ah!’ George cried; she had bumped the side of his face.

Caro lay still, nausea twisting through her stomach as George howled in her arms.

‘Caro! Are you hurt?’ Drew knelt and took George from her.

‘Bruised, that is all.’

‘Get out!’ John growled again, as his footmen formed a wall in front of Albert.

‘I bumped my head,’ George said as tears spilled down his cheeks .

‘Can you stand?’ Drew asked Caro, as Albert was forced out the door.

‘Yes. Look after George. I am just shaken.’

When she got up, her legs felt as though they belonged to someone else as she held the end curl of the banister.

‘How did he get in?’ John shouted at Finch. ‘You should not have even opened the door to him!’

‘Come upstairs.’ Edward held Caro’s arm to help her.

Mortification swept over her. They had seen how violently she had been treated and how frightened she had been.

‘He was a nasty man,’ George said to Drew as they climbed the stairs.

When they reached the landing, Caro felt too ashamed to go to the drawing room. She needed time to gather herself again, to rally and find her courage.

‘I will go to my room,’ she told the men. ‘I am sorry I hurt you, George.’

He sniffed. ‘It was the nasty man.’

‘Ask your papa to send for chocolate, that will cheer you up.’ She smiled towards him. Then looked at Drew and Edward. ‘Please excuse me.’

In her mind she ran, though in reality she walked slowly, her hip hurting where she had fallen. She felt tired now the fear had passed, but still nauseous.

In her bedchamber, she kicked off her shoes and lay down on the bed, hoping she would feel herself again after a sleep.