Jasper pushed forward. “Guard duty?”

“He was at the outbuildings, my lord. Though he must have been imbibing to behave thus. I only hope Lady Harcourt wasn’t bothered by him on her walk.”

His world screeched to a halt at those words. “Get out. Everyone but Parks, get out.”

The rest of them looked at him in confusion, but Reynolds directed them out. He shot Jasper a meaningful look and shut the door.

“What is going on?” Jasper said. “And I swear if Willard is right—”

“He’s not. I was sent on guard duty to that old outbuilding last night. It was uneventful until someone grabbed me from behind and nearly choked the life out of me,” Parks said. “I woke up and he had Lady Harcourt.”

Jasper’s knees nearly went out from beneath him at that sentence. He’d intended to put a guard on Thomasina whenever she was alone, but he hadn’t planned for this contingency, that she’d go to the storage building alone before he woke. And now she was held captive and it could only be one villain who would be so bold.

Parks touched his head and flinched. “I don’t know who the bastard is that done it, but he’s going on about treasure. He said you had fifteen minutes to get down. I ran fast as I could being so dizzy.”

Jasper was already stripping out of his robe and tugging on a pair of trousers and boots. “How long ago did you leave them?”

“Eight minutes, maybe ten? I lost track when everyone tried to stop me.”

“Is it just Maitland?” Jasper asked, trying to focus on the matter at hand, not desperate images of Thomasina in danger. Thomasina alone with a man who would hurt her to get what he wanted. “Just the one man?”

Parks nodded with another wince of pain. “That’s all I saw was just the one man. He said you should bring the treasure.”

Jasper froze. He had meant to bring the statue down the night before, but when he and Thomasina had argued, he’d all but forgotten it in the attic.

“Go upstairs, to the attic. There is an open chamber. Bring me the statue there in the middle of the floor. Then get yourself looked at, with my thanks. Hurry now.”

Parks bolted from the room, and Jasper shouted after him, “No one stop that man or you will deal with me. Reynolds, get in here.”

His man of affairs rushed inside, looking rather road-worn himself. “What is going on?”

Jasper shook his head as he pulled a pistol from the bottom drawer of his wardrobe and loaded it with shaking hands. “I called you back to find Maitland, but he found us. He has Thomasina and he wants his treasure.”

“Do you have it?” Reynolds asked.

Before Jasper could answer, Parks reappeared, the marble-based statue in his hand. “This?” he asked.

“Yes, good man.” He grabbed it and motioned to Reynolds to follow. “This is it, we think. He wants me alone. You’ll need to conceal yourself. If I give the word, come running.”