"A long stroll," Augusta said, remembering the cottage where she had taken shelter during a storm. Graystone had been annoyed at having to come after her that day. She remembered that very well. She also recalled that he had told her the place was the only vacant cottage on the estate.
"Too long. That's what I told him. We walked for nearly two hours to get to the place. Then all he did was have a look around. Said he'd seen enough and that we should start back. My feet was hurtin' somethin' terrible by the time we returned."
"Is this cottage isolated?" Claudia asked. "Would it make a likely hiding place?"
"Yes, it would, for a short time. It is definitely worth checking." Augusta came to a decision. "Everyone else has already left to begin the search, including those two armed men Graystone sent down here to Dorset with us. I shall get dressed and ride over to the Dodwell cottage myself."
Claudia started for the door. "I shall come with you. It will not take me long to dress."
"I had best see if Steeples can secure us a pistol," Augusta said.
"Will you know how to use it if it becomes necessary?" Claudia asked in surprise.
"Of course. Richard taught me."
Half an hour later, with dawn just breaking, Augusta and Claudia brought their horses to a halt in the woods behind the Dodwell cottage. They saw a horse tethered in the old shed.
"Dear God," Claudia said softly. "I believe he really is here with Meredith. We must go back and get help."
"We may not have time to return for assistance." Augusta dismounted and handed the reins to her cousin. "And we do not know for certain that Robbie brought Meredith here. It could be a vagrant or some traveler who got caught by nightfall and found this cottage. I am going to see if I can get a look at who is inside."
"Augusta, I am not at all certain we should attempt this on our own."
"Do not fret. I have the pistol. Wait here. If something goes wrong, make for the nearest cottage. Anyone in the district will come to the aid of Graystone's family."
Augusta removed the pistol from the pocket of her riding habit and held it tightly as she went forward through the trees.
It was easy enough to make her way to the back of the cottage without calling attention to herself. There were no windows in the back wall of the crumbling structure and the old shed provided additional cover.
The horse tethered in the shed looked at Augusta without much interest as she started to slip past. Augusta eyed the animal thoughtfully and then went into the shed and untied the old mare.
The swaybacked old horse clomped obediently along when Augusta took hold of the halter and started around the side of the cottage. Near the front of the cottage Augusta paused and smacked the mare soundly on the rump.
Startled, the horse moved into a brisk trot that took it straight past the front door and down the lane.
A bellow of alarm sounded from inside the cottage. Augusta heard the door slam open and a young man still wearing Graystone's livery charged out.
"What in bloody hell? Come back here, you damned nag." Robbie whistled frantically at the disappearing horse.
Augusta raised the pistol and hugged the shelter of the side wall.
"Damn and blast. Goddamned nag. Damn it to bloody hell." Robbie was clearly torn about what to do next. He evidently decided he could not afford to lose the horse.
Augusta heard the front door being closed and then came the sound of Robbie's footsteps as he ran, cursing mightily, after the old mare.
Augusta waited until Robbie was out of sight and then she rushed to the front door of the cottage and pushed it open. Holding the pistol firmly in front of her, she stepped into the small room.
Meredith, gagged, bound, and lying helpless on the floor, stared toward the door with frightened eyes. And then she recognized Augusta. There was a muffled exclamation from behind the gag.
" 'Tis all right, Meredith. I am here, darling. You are safe now." Augusta ran across the room and yanked off the gag. Then she set to work on the ropes that bound the girl's wrists.
Meredith threw her arms tightly around Augusta's neck as soon as she was free. "Mama. I knew you would come, Mama. I knew it. I was so scared of him."
"I know, darling. But now we must hurry."
Augusta took her hand and hauled her out of the cottage and around the corner of the house.
Claudia saw what was happening at once and started forward, leading Augusta's horse. "Hurry," she called. "We must get out of here at once. I hear a horse coming toward us in the lane. Robbie must have caught the mare."
Augusta listened to the strong, rhythmic hoofbeats of a swiftly cantering horse and knew it was not the old farm horse she had just set free. This was blooded stock, the kind of animal only a gentleman would ride. There was no way to know if whoever was on his way toward them would be friend or foe.
Augusta was filled with a desperate need to get Meredith out of the way.
"Here, darling. Get up in front of Miss Ballinger. Hurry." She pushed Meredith up into the saddle and Claudia caught hold of her. Augusta stepped back quickly. "Be off, Claudia. Now."
"Augusta, what are you doing?"
"You must see to Meredith. I must be free to use the pistol if it becomes necessary. We have no way of knowing who is coming up the lane. Go, Claudia. I shall be right behind you."
Claudia wheeled her horse about, her eyes filled with worry. "Very well, but do not delay." She sent her horse flying off through the trees.
"Be careful, Mama," Meredith called softly.
Augusta mounted her own mare and prepared to follow. She could still not see whoever was approaching. He was hidden by the bulk of the cottage.
Augusta leaned forward, pistol still firmly clutched in one hand, and urged her mare into a gallop.
At that instant a shot crashed through the woods, sending up a cloud of leaves and dirt beneath the mare's hooves.
The animal reared in panic, thrashing wildly at the air with its hooves. Augusta dropped the pistol in a desperate effort to steady the creature. But one rear hoof skidded on dead leaves and the beast started to twist to one side.
Augusta leaped off the sidesaddle just as the horse stumbled and fell. She landed in a heap on the ground, winded, unarmed, and trapped by the skirts of her habit. The mare scrambled to her feet and fled through the trees, heading for home.
By the time she had caught her breath a man with heavy whiskers and hair that had been powdered to the color of steel was standing over her. He had a pistol pointed straight at her heart.
Augusta knew at once that the whiskers and gray hair were a disguise. She would have recognized Lovejoy's fox-green eyes anywhere.
"You got here a bit early, my dear," Lovejoy grunted. He motioned her to her feet. "I did not think you would miss Graystone's offspring so quickly, nor rouse your staff and start the search so soon. But I see the stupid little maid said exactly what she was supposed to say. That dolt Robbie was sure she would. And I was certain you would make the obvious assumptions."
"You wanted me, Lovejoy? Not Meredith?"
"I wanted both of you," Lovejoy snapped. "But you have deprived me of Meredith, so I shall just have to make do with you. Let us hope Graystone is as fond of his new wife as he should be; otherwise you will be quite useless to me. And I don't have any patience with things that are useless to me. Your brother learned that soon enough."
"Richard. You killed him. Just like you killed Sally." Augusta leaped at him, her hands bunched into small fists.
Lovejoy slammed her aside with a powerful backhanded slap that sent Augusta sprawling once more in the dirt. "Get up, you little bitch. We must move quickly now. I do not know how long Graystone will bumble around London before he realizes who I am and that I have left the city."