Chapter Seven

His plan to kidnap his bride had gone well until that moment. Eric settled heavily on his knees, struggling not to fall face forward as he battled a surge of nausea creeping up his throat. He blinked a moment later when the hood that he’d covered his face with was pulled away, and fresh air touched his skin for the first time in hours. His vision was blurred, but he was able to make out the anger in Sarah’s expression. He braced himself for her to hit him with the rock again, half-convinced she would, even knowing his identity—or perhaps because she knew it.

Instead, the rock fell to the ground, but she was still clearly angry with him. “What in the world are you doing?”

“I am hoping to persuade you to run away with me to Gretna Green.”

Her mouth fell open. “By kidnapping me? Have you lost your senses? They shall come looking for us. It will be the end of your plans to marry me.”

He started to shake his head, but then put a hand to it instead as a sloshy feeling swept over him. “No, it shan’t, because we shall already be married. We have to reach Gretna Green tomorrow morning, but it’s getting too dark to travel. We’re on one of the Collingsford estates, and we are safe here.”

She let out a harrumphing sound. “In that wreck of a shack? Why don’t we go to the manor house?”

“You are looking at what is left of it,” he said as he groaned. The pain flared in his head every time he spoke. “This is an old holding, absorbed by one of my ancestors after he defeated a Scottish Laird. We are near the border of Scotland, and Gretna Green is within our grasp, if you will just agree.”

She let out a loud sigh before bending down to take his arm. He was surprised when she had the strength to help him to his feet. “I do not like being manipulated this way. You have put us in a position where eloping is the only way we shall be able to be together.”

“Yes,” he said as he walked beside her to the building. He grunted when she pushed him down against the side of it, clearly not willing to enter. All was right in his world a moment later when she sat down beside him, cuddling closer so that they could share his cloak. “I should apologize for forcing your hand, but I was desperate to make you my wife. I was unwilling to take the chance that your father might say no or agree to honor Andrew’s claim.”

She sighed again. “I do understand that, but be aware I shan’t put up with this sort of manipulation all the time. I am my own person, and I had reasons for saying no.”

He nodded, and then groaned at the sharp reminder of why he shouldn’t when his temple throbbed. “I agree you had good reasons, but my desperation blinded me to them. We are on a course that’s set now, but I swear to you that we shall make future choices together.”

That seemed to satisfy her, and her body relaxed completely against him. “I apologize for striking you. I thought you were a vicious robber.” Her body stiffened. “What of the other robbers? Where did you find them?”

“They were some of my former regiment. We are good friends, and they agreed to help when I explained the situation. All of your guests and your mother are perfectly safe, and they will be back in London by now.”

“Where they have raised the alarm that I’ve been kidnapped. They shall be expecting a ransom demand but will still come looking for me.”

“I am sure they will. That’s why we need to leave for Gretna Green at first light and preempt any attempt to stop our elopement.”

“I do hope you know what you are doing, Lord Collingsford.”

“So do I…Lady Collingsford.”

She had no response to that, and he leaned against her. His head was throbbing, and it was far too easy to let his eyes close and surrender to the need to sleep, though he was valiantly staving off the effort. At least until she started stroking his hand and making a soothing sound. “You shall still be here when I wake?” He asked the words in something barely above a whisper.

“I shall. And by the way, your Cockney accent is horrible.”

He drifted off to sleep with a small chuckle trapped in his throat.

***

He woke to the sight of torchlight and the sound of a horse. A clomping sound of hooves approaching pounded through his skull, magnifying the pain that still remained. At least when he opened his eyes and could focus, thanks to the approaching torchlight, his vision was no longer blurred.

He nudged Sarah gently. “Wake, my love. We have company.”

She roused immediately, scrambling to her feet. Eric was a step behind her, though moving a little more sluggishly than usual due to his head injury. He stood in front of her, covering her body with his, as he waited to see who was riding near them. He hoped the person might not even see them and continue onward, but his hopes were dashed when Hercules let out a sharp neighing reply to the unseen horse that did the same.

The torchlight grew brighter, and he braced himself to face an angry mob. It was a relief to see just one rider coming into view, though he wasn’t in top physical form. Even one might be enough to defeat him at the moment, though he refused to yield easily.

It was a shock when the rider stopped and slid off the horse, coming to face him. The rider’s cloak had fallen back, revealing Andrew’s angry features. “My own brother.” He glared. “How could you behave so dishonorably?”

“I have no defense except I was desperate to marry Sarah.”

Andrew faltered as Sarah managed to slip out behind him, surprising Eric by slipping an arm around his waist instead of moving away from him. He shouldn’t have been surprised by the show of support though.

“You did this to marry Miss Sarah, even knowing my intentions?”

“I did. Only love could make be betray you and tarnish my honor.”

Sarah stepped in front of him, reaching out a hand in Andrew’s direction that Eric intercepted before she could move closer. He didn’t want to risk his brother snatching her and trying to run away.

“I hope you weren’t hurt in this, Andrew. I know we planned to have a union, but there is no great love or passion between us. I never thought to have the opportunity to marry for love, though it’s become fashionable among the Ton. I was happy to find someone who was decent and of good character and provided pleasant companionship.”

Andrew nodded, looking more puzzled than angry now. “As was I, Miss Sarah. I fail to see why you have changed your mind.”

Sarah let out a small sigh, but there was a smile in her voice. “We were fools, Andrew. I have no doubt we could have had an amicable union, and likely far more peaceful than many among the Ton, but we would have been cheating ourselves as well. After finding that spark of passion and love with your brother, I cannot in good conscience marry you. I urge you not to settle for the kind of union we had planned either. Wait for true love.”

Andrew scoffed. “The kind that makes you behave in such a dishonorable fashion. Why would I want to be enslaved to such desperate desires?”

“Because I have never been more alive.” Eric brought his arm around Sarah, pulling her back against him more firmly. He tucked his chin against the top of her head. “I would do anything for Sarah. I have done things that do not sit right was my honor, yet I have no regrets. I would do them all again one hundred times over to have her as my bride. We were on our way to Gretna Green.”

Andrew sighed. “I had assumed it was something like that. I wasn’t completely certain you were the kidnapper, but you had never returned home from the house party, and you weren’t exactly subtle about the way your eyes followed Miss Sarah whenever you were in the same room.” There was a hint of amusement in his tone when he spoke again. “She was not exactly subtle either.”

“It was not our intention to hurt you at all, Andrew.”

He nodded at Sarah’s words. “I understand that. At first light, I suggest you continue on to Gretna Green, and I’ll return to find your father and forestall the search party. Eric, I shall tell them you and I have rescued Miss Sarah to avoid implicating you as a highwayman. When he asks why you are not with me, I will tell him I rode ahead to share the news, since Sarah is too delicate to maintain such a hard pace.”

Sarah stiffened, making Eric laugh softly.

Andrew was still frowning at him when he added, “You shall both have his wrath to face when you return, but he is not too likely to be dead set against the match once I throw my support behind it.”

Sarah let out a sharp breath as Eric inhaled deeply at the shock. “You plan to give your blessing?” he asked.

Andrew nodded. “How could I not when you have gone to such lengths to steal my bride?” The words were uttered with a twinkle in his eyes illuminated by the torch he held. “All I want is for you to be happy, brother.

“I have no doubt I shall be.” As he spoke, he pulled Sarah even closer, until they were practically one being. By tomorrow morning, they would be joined, and though Crenshaw might object, he wouldn’t be able to set aside the union. Eric wouldn’t completely relax until they were wed and back in London, having weathered the confrontation with her father, but he was optimistic that the future was bright.