no. They’d found the secret chamber. Her heart shot into her throat. Oh, no. No. They were all going to die. She looked around. But where was Gideon? Throck had put him in that room. What had her uncle’s men done with him?
Her uncle looked inside the secret room. “Well, what about it?” he asked the man. “It’s empty.”
The man scratched his head. “But it’s a place to hide a man, if yer niece were of a mind to interfere with ye.”
“Are you jesting?” Genalynn laughed out loud. “First of all, thank you for finding this secret room for me. I can assure you, no man will ever get in there while I’m living here. I’m going to have Throck block it up. What other secret places have you found that I ought to be aware of?”
Her uncle called his men into the hallway. “Anyone else found something of consequence?” He paused a moment, waiting for a response. “Anyone else found traces of the man we’re hunting?”
His question was met with continued silence. “Bah! Let’s go.” He stormed downstairs, his men following at his heels. But he whirled to face Genalynn when she followed him to the door. “If I find he’s been here, I’ll burn this place to the ground.”
“I’m sure he’s long gone. But if he comes to me, I can assure you, I will now help him. Get your vermin off my property and don’t bother me again.”
He raised a hand as though to strike her.
Throck stepped up behind her, sword still in hand. “Don’t touch her.”
Her uncle cursed under his breath and stormed out.
Genalynn collapsed against Throck as soon as her uncle and his men had ridden out of the courtyard. “Oh, thank goodness. I was sure he was going to kill us all. Where did you put Mr. Croft? I thought you’d hidden him in that secret chamber.”
“I did.”
Genalynn stiffened and turned to face him. “You did?”
He nodded.
“But how is it possible? He wasn’t there when Uncle Randall’s man found the hidden room.”
“I don’t know.” Throck was always stoic, but she found his attitude irritating just now.
“We have to find him. Do you have any idea where he may be?”
“Can’t be far. He has no clothes on.”
Genalynn inhaled sharply. “Did you give him a blanket?”
“No.”
“Blessed saints! He’ll scare the cows if he’s somehow found his way out of here and into the pasture. At least it’s July. He’d already be dead if this were winter.”
“No. That Mr. Croft is resourceful.”
Genalynn ran upstairs to peer out of her bedchamber window. She counted the distant riders heading toward town. She counted seven. That was her uncle and the six wharf rats who’d come with him. “They’ve gone now. I think it’s safe to call his name. I’ll look up here. You search downstairs.”
Throck nodded and headed back downstairs.
She started with her bedchamber since she was standing in it already. “Mr. Croft! Mr. Croft!” She looked under her bed and behind her door. She looked in her wardrobe. She went to the secret room and pounded on its back wall on the chance there was another room behind it that no one knew about. “Is anyone back there?”
“That was a close call,” someone said from her doorway.
“Gideon!” She turned and ran to him, practically upon him when she realized he hadn’t a stitch of clothing on. She put her hands over her eyes to cover them.
“Now you’re turning prudish? You’re the one who wouldn’t allow Throck to give me a blanket to cover myself.”
“I told him to get you out of there fast. He took it to mean only you and nothing else. I’m sorry.” She felt him coming closer. “Where did you hide? My heart shot into my throat, I was so afraid they’d found you and killed you. Wrap my blanket around you so I can open my eyes.”
“Go ahead and open them.”
She did and quickly shut them again. “You’re still naked.”
“I know. Help me into bed, Genalynn. I’m about to pass out. Seriously. I’m at the end of my endurance.” As though to prove his point, she heard a thud as he fell to his knees and a moment later fell to the ground. Fortunately, he’d landed atop her feet or else she’d now have to worry about him developing a concussion in addition to ripping open his wound.
“Mr. Croft? Gideon! Please, speak to me.” She tried to shake him gently. The man was built of granite, muscular and hard, but his skin felt damp