“We are coming now, Mr. Smithe,” Richard assured him quietly and then caught Christiana and Suzette’s arms and urged them toward the stairs, before turning to Lisa. “Why do you not let Daniel and I help Robert up the stairs? It will go faster.”

She hesitated, but then gave up her position under Robert’s arm and stepped away to allow the two men to take up position on either side of the injured man. Once assured they had him, she turned to follow Christiana and Suzette past the unconscious men on the floor. Lisa managed to keep walking and refrain from stopping to kick the big beefy one she recognized as the fellow who had dragged her out of the carriage and nearly smothered her to death before dumping her in the cell. If looks could kill, however, she doubted he’d be waking up from his enforced sleep.

Lisa hurried quickly and quietly up the stairs behind her sisters, with the men bringing up the rear. At the top, they stepped into the kitchens she’d been dragged through on arriving.

An aproned woman sat at the table, apparently asleep. Or perhaps unconscious. The tall thin man who had urged them to hurry was there as well, and stood by a door leading to the rest of the house. He glanced around at their arrival and waved them on toward the outer door, then continued his vigil in presumably watching for approaching servants. Now that they were off the narrow stairs, Christiana and Suzette each grabbed one of Lisa’s arms and scampered out of the house, pulling her with them as if afraid she might dally.

Not bloody likely, Lisa thought grimly. She couldn’t get out of there quickly enough for her liking.

A hired hack sat waiting in the courtyard behind the house when they hurried outside and her sisters led her to it, urging her in first before following. Lisa settled on one of the narrow benches, but sat forward anxiously to watch for Robert as her sisters climbed in. Suzette and Christiana both claimed the opposite bench seat, leaving just enough room beside Lisa for Robert to be set beside her once the men reached it.

“What about you men?” Lisa heard Christiana ask with concern as she leaned forward to peer into Robert’s dazed face. Apparently, she had really nailed him with the bed leg. It was a darned good thing that she’d recognized him and offset her blow or he might be dead. A shame it hadn’t been Findlay though, she thought, as Richard assured her sister that they would follow in the Radnor carriage.

He then slammed the carriage door. Both Suzette and Christiana peered anxiously out the window at their husbands as the vehicle began to move. A moment later, Suzette sagged back against the squabs with a sigh and announced, “They got to the carriage without anyone stopping them. So did Mr. Smithe.”