Conquering a Viscount (2 page)

             
He was about to walk over to
Clinton
when he caught sight of a piece of paper on Olivia’s bed sitting next to her favorite doll that never left her side.  He snatched it up and read it.  “What does it say?”
Clinton
demanded.

He looked at
Clinton
with his eyes filled with dread. “We have the girl.  Do nothing until you receive further instructions or she dies.”

Chapter 2

The house was silent and filled with despair by nightfall. 
Clinton
’s mother swooned when told that her youngest daughter was kidnapped, and the nursemaid had been beaten half to death.  She was in bed, doted upon by a concerned Emily; all the while she was crying and wishing her husband was alive because she was sure he would know what to do.

             
Juliet cried herself to sleep on the chaise in the front parlor. Their family friend Elisabeth Ellenburg had come at once when
Clinton
had sent her a note alerting her of the kidnapping.  She left shortly after Juliet went to sleep with a promise of returning in the morning. 

             
Jonathan
stood out in front of the townhouse watching everyone passing by. He could see Juliet from where he stood and was reluctant to take his eyes off her until they knew what this was about and why. 

             
The
y were ordered
to wait on further instructions.
Clinton
and
Jonathan
, along with their friend Thomas Faircloth, the Marquis of Ridgewood, and several servants were posted at different locations of the house waiting for the message.  He looked down at his timepiece and saw it was well after the hour of eleven. 

             
He caught the attention of the footman and motioned for him to come up to the house from his post.  He asked the man to stand in his place as he made his way into the parlor to Juliet.  He reached down and lifted her into his arms.  She sniffled in her sleep and wrapped her arms around his neck.  He looked at her beautiful face, swollen and red from crying and knew he would do anything to take away the pain that she felt.

             
   He carried her into a bedroom and laid her upon the bed.  He covered her and kissed her softly on the forehead.  She smelled of roses.  He checked the windows of her room twice before he felt confident no one could enter and locked her door as he exited the room.  He went back outside and sent the footman back to his post.  He sat down and tried to make himself as comfortable as possible. It was going to be a long night.

             
  An hour had passed when he heard the sound of footsteps running from the corner of the house.  It was
Thomas
.  “They found one of the coachmen with a gash in his head on the back lawn.  There was a letter stuffed in his belt.” 
Jonathan
rose and followed
Thomas
down the side of the house where they found one of the maids cleaning the wound on the coachman’s head and
Clinton
clutching a letter in his fist.

“Spill it man, what does it say?”
Jonathan
asked him.
Clinton
handed him the letter.  He opened it, read the words, and felt his face go hot with fury. 
Thomas
snatched the letter from him and read it.

“No, it will not happen.”
Jonathan
said through clenched teeth.

“What else are we supposed to do
Jonathan
?”
Clinton
asked him exasperated.  His friend looked like he had aged ten years since this morning. 

             
“I suggest that we go inside and try to get some rest until
tom
orrow.”
Thomas
said quietly.  “We can’t do anything else until then anyway.  And you both read the letter, we are being watched.” 
Jonathan
glared out into the darkness.  He would relish the moment he got his hands around the bustard’s neck behind this travesty.

             
He tried to calm his anger as he thought of the demands in the letter. The letter stated five thousand pounds
must be delivered by tom
orrow night at eight.   They were to leave town and go back to the Norchess Estates as soon as the sun had risen.  Crude directions were left leading to a vacant rundown house in the woods.  The last sentence made
Jonathan
see red.  The kidnapper had written that it was to be delivered by the luscious older dark headed sister, who he had been watching undress and bathe for a week, and she was to come alone. 

             
Shortly before dawn,
Clinton
sent a maid to Juliet’s room.  He sent the message for her to meet him in the study in twenty minutes. 
Jonathan
was pacing the floor in the study when Juliet arrived.  She sat down and waited for her brother or
Jonathan
to inform her of their plans. 
Clinton
handed her the letter and her face went from pale to ashen as she read its contents.

             
“I don’t want you doing this Button.”
Jonathan
said.  She raised her eyes from the letter and looked at him as if he were mad.

“It’s Olivia,
Jonathan
. She is but a child. I have to do it.” She was firm in her decision. 
Jonathan
looked at
Clinton
and found no help in his expression. 

“We could be sending her to a certain death!”
Jonathan
felt fear clutching his chest.  He loved Olivia; she was a sweet tenderhearted child.  He did not want to inform her siblings of what could already be possible, but he felt he had no choice or they would be sending Juliet to meet the same fate.

             
  “
Clinton
, you know she could already be dead.  Do you wish the same for Juliet?” 

A tortured sob escaped Juliet as she jumped to her feet. “Don’t you say that
Jonathan Edward Radcliffe!
” She poked a finger in his chest for good measure.  Olivia could not be dead.  She would not accept it.  She would go and get her sister tonight and nothing
Jonathan
could say would change her mind. 

Jonathan
grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.  He held her tight and
whispered in her
ear. “I am so sorry Button; I could not bear it if anything happened to you.  Do you not understand? You and Olivia are like my own family?”

 
             
She jerked back from him and he winced at the look upon her face.    She looked crushed and she snatched away from him. “You are not part of this family, and your opinion does not count.”  She turned to her brother.  “I will see everyone is prepared to go home within the hour.” She spun on her heel and left the room.

 
             
“I am sorry for her harsh words
Jonathan
.”
Clinton
started to apologize but
Jonathan
held his hand up to silence him.

“I can only imagine how she is feeling right now
Clinton
; if she needs to take her anger out on me, she may do so.”

             
Within the hour, the family was loaded and ready to head out for the journey back to their vast estates.  Elisabeth had arrived and insisted they allow her to fetch her belongings and accompany them home. Much to
Thomas
’s dismay,
Clinton
felt his wife needed Elisabeth and allowed her to come.

             
 
Jonathan
reached out his hand to help Juliet into the carriage and she ignored his help refusing to look at him. Elisabeth gave him a small smile as she took his hand and whispered “Forgive her, she is not herself.” Once the ladies were loaded and comfortable, the men mounted their horses and rode alongside the carriage.

             
When he knew the women could not hear him, he told
Clinton
of his plans to follow Juliet into the woods.  He assured
Clinton
and
Thomas
both that he would go unseen, but he would not let her go out there alone. He was the logical choice since
Clinton
and
Thomas
were to protect the other women at home.  They worked out the details as they rode and came up with a good plan.
Jonathan
hoped tonight would have a positive outcome. 

             
The journey home was exhausting.  The stress and tension each of them felt was more than anyone should have to feel in a lifetime.  Juliet looked out the carriage window as tears silently fell down her face.  What if Olivia had been harmed?  She was a child of ten, but some men did not care how old their victims of rape were.  She knew that way of thinking was why her mother was inconsolable. 

             
She pictured Olivia’s pretty little freckled nose and sea green eyes and prayed no one had stolen her innocence.    She looked up and saw Elisabeth looking at her with concern.  She shook her head to indicate she could not talk about it.  She would do whatever necessary to ensure she rescued her sister.  She felt a chill run down her spine as she recalled what the kidnapper had written about observing her in the nude.  There was no doubt that Olivia’s assailant was vile. 

             
She cast a glance at her sister in law and immediately was concerned.  Juliet was one of the few who knew that Emily was with child.  She did not look well at all.  She would tell
Clinton
to see that she stayed in bed; this was surely not good for the baby.

             
She heard thunder roll in the distance and glanced up to see the sky was darkening to black.  Just as the heavens opened up all its fury and the wind was beating upon the carriage, they rolled into the front drive of their home.  Juliet took a deep breath and schooled herself with reserve.  In three hours, she would go get Olivia.

Chapter 3

             
The storm raged on through the afternoon and the manor was as quiet as death.  Upon arriving, Emily had gone immediately to bed along with her mother. Juliet sat with Elisabeth in the parlor listening to the rain pound upon the windows.

             
“I don’t like it Jules.” Elisabeth said and startled Juliet out of her deep thoughts. 

“Neither do I Lis, but what choice do I have?” Juliet tried to give her friend a reassuring smile that came out much too strained.

“I still think someone should go with you,
Clinton
must be mad to send you out there alone!”

             
Elisabeth rose up from her chair, walked over to the windows and stared out into the storm.  “The weather alone is bad enough, but to think of what could be waiting for you and what could happen is too horrifying for words.”

Juliet walked over and stood next to Elisabeth. She placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

             
“I know things could turn out badly, but right now more than anything I need your support and your promise. Promise me you will look after my mother and Emily?”  Once she was certain she had reassured Elisabeth, Juliet made her way upstairs to her room. 

             
She wasted no time in digging through her closet locating her pants and button down shirt she wore when riding at leisure across the estates.  Tonight was no night to be in a silly dress.  She would be soaked through to the bone in a matter of minutes. Besides, she did not need the added burden of riding sidesaddle or fooling with extra clothing.

             
Once she was dressed in her breeches and shirt, she stuffed her hair up into a hat and pulled it down low over her eyes.  That bastard may have been watching her for a while, but tonight he would see as little as possible.  She felt a small trickle of fear shiver down her spine and she shook it off.  Olivia needed her; this was no time for fear.

             
She made her way downstairs to the library where
Clinton
,
Thomas
, and
Jonathan
were already waiting for her.  She knew instantly not all three men approved of her choice of clothing.  She glared back at their sour faces and finally asked them “What are you looking at?”

             
Thomas
choked on his drink that he was taking a sip from and turned his back to her. 
Clinton
stepped forward. “What you have on will only tempt the man you are meeting into taking liberties from you Juliet! Do you not own a mirror?”  She looked down at her body.  What was he talking about?  She needed to be comfortable for this journey.  How were wearing men’s clothes any different from wearing a dress?