stretched his stiff muscles, glad to move about now that he was up. A brief smile crossed his lips. He would fetch Ebony and head to the market. He was sure to meet up with them. Maude could return here for it would take time to prepare their meal. He could wander about London a bit with Madeleine nestled in his arms.
He grinned again. The thought of her pressed against him as Ebony slowly moved through the streets warmed his blood. Garrett was grateful now that she had sold the horse she’d taken when she’d reached London. It would allow her to ride with him on the return trip to Stanbury. He could almost feel her soft curves, smell her sweet scent.
He donned his cloak and hurried outside, barely favoring his leg now as he called for John to saddle Ebony.
As Garrett started toward town, he decided that he would kiss Madeleine soundly the moment he found her because he would ache until he did so. He wanted her now more than he ever had. He didn’t think he could ever get enough of her.
The streets near midday teemed with people. He glanced back and forth as he approached the market, disappointed not to spot Madeleine on her return trip.
Suddenly, he heard Maude’s cry. Panic rose in him instantly when he spied his servant rushing toward him, Madeleine nowhere in sight. He leaped off Ebony as she approached.
Hair askew, Maude’s alarm was written across her face. “Oh, my lord, my lord. You must do something.” She clutched Garrett’s arm. “She’s gone!”
His heart sank. She’d left him again. This time, it was for good. He would never know happiness. Never be whole.
Then Maude burst into tears. “I didn’t see it. I couldn’t stop it! Oh, my lord, forgive me. She’s all sweetness and sunshine and I know how she loves you so. You must get her back. You must!”
“What do you mean?”
His servant angrily wiped her tears away. “The man, my lord. The man who took her. You must find her. He will kill her.”
Fear rippled through him. “Who? What happened?”
Maude shook her head. “Come with me, Lord Montayne. They can tell you better than I. Old James saw some of it.”
She turned and ran through the crowd, tiny as a child, darting in and out. Garrett followed quickly, urging Ebony along, his eyes on Maude the entire way.
The strong stench of fish permeated the air as Maude stopped in front of a stall and motioned him over.
“This is Old James, my lord. He saw it.”
Garrett faced a man with a ruddy complexion. “What did you see? Where is Madeleine?”
“Everyone’s talking about him!” James exclaimed. “The way he grabbed her. ’Twas the most excitement I’ve seen in a good number of years.” He paused, a crowd gathering around his stall. “I was doing my business with Maude here. From the corners of my eyes, I saw that man. Dressed as a gentleman, he was.” James frowned. “Something not quite right about him, though.”
A woman with straggly, mud-colored hair pushed her way to the front. “I saw, too, my lord. I saw it all.” Her eyes gleamed expectantly. “For a coin or two, I could tell you more.” She held out her hand to Garrett, confident he would pay.
He reached into his purse with an unsteady hand. He should never have let Madeleine out of his sight. Handing over the coin, he prodded the stranger. “Go on.”
She shrank back a moment as she caught the look he gave her. She swallowed once before she began. “He was tall, my lord, and as skinny around as my finger here.” She stuck it up to show Garrett for good measure. “He had a bulging stomach, though, like he was carrying a babe. Gray hair, too, and a terrible, evil grin.”
A raw chill ran through him. A perfect description of Henri de Picassaret.
The woman warmed to her story now. The crowd pressed closer. “Fair rattled her teeth, he did. Slapped her so hard I thought her head would snap off.”
“And hit her again!” cried another voice. “She went down fast after that.”
Garrett fumed. “None of you came to her aid?”
The group froze at his tone. The woman who’d stepped forward said, “He was gentry. The likes of us know better than to interfere.”
His gaze swept over the shabbily dressed crowd and they quickly melted away.
Only Maude and James remained, and James spoke softly. “It happened so fast, my lord. One minute they’re here and the