Lisa opened her mouth to scream for help, but Findlay was fast. Before a sound could slip from her lips, he was on her, covering her mouth with one hand, and pulling her tight up against his chest with the other at the back of her neck. Lisa grabbed at his arms to keep her balance in the awkward position and had to hold on to stay on her feet.

“I spotted the Radnor carriage sitting on my street as I headed out for the ball. It seemed obvious to me that I hadn’t been as clever as I’d thought and help was on the way,” he whispered, urging her backward. “I debated what to do. Return to the house and warn the servants to prepare for all-out battle? Or flee for the Continent?”

“However, then it occurred to me that there was no real need to flee for the Continent. They weren’t likely to call in the authorities. After all, that would damage your reputation. It made me realize I had another option. I could come here. They would rescue you, bring you back here and relax a bit thinking you were safe in the bosom of your family, and then I could take you away right from under their noses. It would mean at least one whole night’s head start to drag you to Gretna Green and force you into marriage before they even knew you were missing.”

Lisa glared at him over the hand he had over her mouth.

“I know, I know,” he said with a shake of the head. “It means having to bypass all those lovely little pleasures I’d thought we might enjoy tonight. But we can still enjoy them after the wedding.”

Lisa felt the window ledge press against the backs of her legs and tried to glance around, but he was holding her head still with the hand over her mouth. Pinning her against the window ledge with his hips, he removed the arm from around her and dragged something out of his pocket. In the next moment he’d shoved a balled-up cloth of some sort into her mouth. Lisa instinctively lifted her hands to remove it, but found her wrists immediately clasped in his hands and dragged behind her back. Holding them there with one hand, he then retrieved another strip of cloth from his pocket and quickly bound her wrists.