But he hadn't searched her. And he hadn't found the two small pistols she had strapped to her thighs.

She groaned as she bounced along, trying really hard not to empty the contents of her stomach. After about thirty seconds, she was dumped onto something hard, and it soon became apparent that she was in the back of a wagon or cart of some sort.

It was also apparent that her captor was aiming for every bump in the road. If she got out of this alive, she was going to have bruises on every inch of her body.

They traveled for about twenty minutes. Ellie knew that Leavey and Helen were on horseback, so they ought to be able to follow her with ease. She only prayed that they were able to do so without being seen.

Finally the wagon rolled to a halt, and Ellie felt herself being lifted roughly in the air. She was carried for a moment, then she heard a door swing open.

“I got 'er!” her captor yelled.

“Excellent.” This new voice was well-bred, very well-bred. “Bring her in.”

Ellie heard another door swing open and then the bag was being untied. Someone picked up the bottom of the sack and dumped her out, rolling her onto the floor in a tangle of arms and legs.

She blinked, her eyes needing time to adjust to the light.

“Ellie?” Charles's voice.

“Charles?” She scrambled to her feet, then stopped short at what she saw. “Are you playing cards?” If he didn't have a good explanation for this, she was going to kill him herself.

“It's actually quite complicated,” he replied, holding up his hands, which were bound together.

“I don't understand,” Ellie said. The scene was positively surreal. “What are you doing?”

“I've been flipping his cards for him,” the other man said. “We're playing vingt-et-un.”

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Cecil Wycombe.”

Ellie turned to Charles. “Your cousin?”

“The very one,” he answered. “Isn't he simply the picture of filial devotion? He cheats at cards, too.”

“What can you possibly hope to gain from this?” Ellie demanded of Cecil. She planted her hands on her hips, hoping that he hadn't noticed that he'd forgotten to tie her up. “You're not even next in line to inherit.”

“He killed Phillip,” Charles replied in a flat voice.

“You. Countess,” Cecil barked. “Sit on the bed until we finish our hand.”

Ellie's mouth dropped open. He wanted to continue playing cards? More out of surprise than anything else, she moved docilely to the bed and sat down. Cecil dealt out a card to Charles and then flipped one end up so that Charles could see what it was.

“Do you want another?” Cecil asked.

Charles nodded.

Ellie used the time to assess her situation. Cecil obviously didn't see her as much of a threat, because he hadn't bothered to tie her up before ordering her to sit on the bed. Of course, he had a pistol in one of his hands, and she had a feeling he wouldn't hesitate to use it on her if she made a false move. Not to mention the two burly men who were standing in the doorway, their arms crossed as they watched the card game with irritated expressions.