“Tell him what you told me,” Harry barked, giving him a shake, and then before he could speak, turned to Robert. “He let Miss Lisa out in the worst part of the city and then scarpered off, leaving her without protection or nothing,” Harry announced with disgust. “Tried to tell me that she insisted he go and leave her, but Miss Lisa wouldn’t do that, so I got a little persuasive-like with my crop. He finally admitted that just before Miss Lisa came out of the house, a feller what looked like a lord approached him, offering him a bag of coins if he left her wherever she was having him take her.” Harry scowled at the wincing driver and growled, “And he took it, he did. Abandoned her there like some poor, homeless waif.”

“Where?” Robert growled, crossing the room to glare down at the man. It was all he had to do, the driver babbled the address at once and Robert’s head snapped back with shock. It was possibly the worst part of the city. No woman would be safe there, let alone a beautiful, unprotected woman like Lisa.

He started for the door without even thinking about it, but stopped abruptly when Richard caught his arm. “She won’t be there anymore, Robert. He left her there more than two hours ago.”

Robert stopped abruptly at those words and turned back with a frown.

“If Findlay had him leave her there, it was for a reason,” Richard pointed out quietly. “No doubt he showed up to save the day when she was stranded.”

“Yes,” Daniel said dryly. “And she would have been so relieved to see a friendly face in that neighborhood that she would have climbed right into his carriage like a lamb to the slaughter.”

Robert winced at the description, and said, “Then I shall go to Findlay’s.”

“He could already be dragging her off to Gretna Green,” Daniel pointed out. “Mrs. Morgan said he planned to marry her.”

“After he ravished her,” Richard reminded him quietly.

Robert whirled toward the door again, but Richard caught him back once more. “Think, man. You can’t just go rushing off to Findlay’s place. He could be taking her away right now. Plans change.”

“You’re right,” Robert said with a frown, recognizing the wisdom in his words. “We need to plan and cover all possibilities. And we could use some help. Smithe and his men would be useful.”

“Now you’re thinking,” Richard said, sounding relieved. He then suggested, “Send a message to Smithe to come here. We will sort out the various possibilities and decide who should check what. With enough men we can cover all of them and hopefully rescue Lisa before he has a chance to harm her or force her to marry him.”

“If he forces her to marry him, she will be a widow by nightfall,” Robert promised grimly.

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen