flames, she sipped her tea, as if we weren’t even there.
I wanted to reach out and slam that tea cup into the ground. Wanted to grab her by the collar of her dress and press a knife to her throat. “If you hurt her…”
“She’s not here, Chambers.” She waved her hand through the air. “Or whatever your name might be.”
Whitfield shifted, growing restless. “Where is she?”
“Why, I believe Mr. Wrolf took her.”
And icy chill raced down my spine. Mr. Wrolf. The man who wanted Ginny. My stomach clenched. I felt ill.
“Who the hell is Mr. Wrolf,” Whitfield demanded.
“A sad tale, really. Mr. Wrolf is a long-lost relative. You see, he was abducted, placed on a ship and forced into labor in the orient years ago. Fortunately, he escaped and was able to return home only last year. Why, we all thought him quite dead.”
Whitfield’s face went pale.
The dowager quirked a brow. “A familiar tale, my lord?”
Obviously, I’d missed something. “Who is Wrolf?”
“My stepbrother,” Whitfield said.
My blood went cold. “The man who branded Ginny?”
She cut her hand through the air. “Oh, that’s nonsense! Complete rubbish.”
Anger flared through my body, a burning hatred I didn’t want to deny. I was going to find him. I was going to hunt him down and bury him.
“Then why would he want her now!” Whitfield roared. “If not to continue what he started?”
She shrugged. “He only wants to talk. To clear the air, so to speak.”
Done. I was done with games. I started toward the fireplace.
“Where is Ginny!” Whitfield demanded.
I took a book off the mantel, ripped out the pages and crouched down. The flames quickly licked the paper, eager to feed. While Whitfield and the dowager argued, I moved across the room with the burning wad of paper.
“What are you doing?” the woman demanded, surging to her feet. “Where are you going with that?”
I didn’t pause until I reached the curtains. The paper was burning fast, the heat brushing my fingertips. “Where is she?”
“You’re insane!” she hissed.
I moved the burning paper closer to the curtains. Damnation, I didn’t care. I would burn the entire bloody house down. “Where is she?”
She released a manic laugh. “You see…. I knew you’d arrive, and I wanted to make this fun for all of us. Just an hour ago I sent a man to London with the truth about your birthright and Tommy. You don’t have time to stop them both. You can either choose to let the world know the truth about your family line, or you can save Ginny.”
“What the hell is she talking about?” Whitfield demanded.
“Ginny,” I snapped, ignoring him. “Where is she?”
A slow smile spread across her lips. “Why Chambers, you do surprise me. Are you sure you want to do this? Is she truly worth it?”
“Where is Ginny?”
She pulled a piece of paper from her skirt pocket and handed it to James. He opened it. “Let’s go.”
I pressed the flames closer to the curtains. The fire licked its way greedily up the material.
“You bastard!” the dowager screeched. “My house!”
I dropped the burning paper, and headed toward the door as she rang for her servants.
****
Ginny
Hell was not some place in the pits of the earth. Hell was here, now, and the devil crouched before me. Panic flared, tightening in my chest so it was difficult to breathe. I was going to die.
“You’ve always been so lovely,” he said. “So much like your mother. She was beautiful, you know. And always kind to me.”
He drew the flat of the knife down the side of my face. His gaze held a glossy, far-away look. He wasn’t here. Not really. He was lost to his ravaged mind, controlled by evil.
“I didn’t tell on you, Ervin. I never told anyone.”
He smiled sadly. “I understand, dear Evangeline. However, I find now that you’re here, I can’t let you go. Don’t want to let you go.”
I struggled with my ropes.
He stood, pacing the stone room, and took in a deep breath. “I don’t want to rush it; I want to enjoy this moment. Savor it.”
The ropes gave way. A sweet rush of relief swept through me. The urge to pull my arms forward, to roll my shoulders in circles and ease the aching pain, overwhelmed me. I couldn’t react yet. I had to think things through clearly. Wait him out. I had to be patient. Keeping my arms behind my back, I waited…waited.
He swirled around and started toward me. “Perhaps I will keep you with me for some time. What do