No one had said how long ago it was that Lisa had come to lie down. It hadn’t even occurred to him that she might already be sleeping, but the silence that met his knock made him frown and consider that she was. Robert hesitated, shifting his feet briefly, and then turned reluctantly away. If she was sleeping, he supposed he’d have to wait until tomorrow. He’d rather not, but she would hardly be receptive to anything he had to say if she was grumpy from being woken up, he supposed. However, he’d only taken one step away from the door when a crash sounded in the room behind him.

Whirling, Robert didn’t even hesitate, but opened the door and rushed in, then paused and stared in amazement at Bet, who lay on her side on the floor, apparently tied to a chair. That had been the crash, he realized as he rushed to help her. She’d toppled her chair with herself in it, probably to get whoever had knocked to come in.

“Findlay,” Bet gasped the moment Robert knelt and removed the gag from her mouth. She jerked her head toward the window, gasping, “He took her.”

Robert glanced to the window as he straightened, but didn’t even run to it to check and see how far Findlay had got with Lisa. He’d made that mistake the night she was attacked in here, trying to climb quickly down after her attacker, who’d had a head start. This time he would be smarter.

Turning on his heel, he charged out of the room, nearly knocking down Daniel who had stepped into the hall with Suzette.

“Help Bet,” Robert shouted as he charged up the hall to the landing. He didn’t wait to see if Daniel listened, but hurried downstairs and yanked open the front door. It had been the right choice. He hurried out the front door and rushed to the corner in time to see Findlay come around the back of the house with Lisa over his shoulder, her head hanging down his back and his arm across the backs of her thighs, just below her bottom. Both men froze at once, eyeing each other warily.

“Let her go, Findlay,” Robert said grimly.

“Robert?” Lisa rose up on Findlay’s shoulder, trying to peer behind her to where he stood, and Robert saw that a dislodged gag hung around her neck and her hands were bound behind her back. She was using only her stomach muscles to raise herself and twist but it wasn’t enough and she sagged back down his back. Her voice was strong and nattering though when she said, “You shouldn’t be out of bed. Go get Richard or Daniel and let them handle this.”