The Earl's Young Bride and Their Siblings (completed)

Chapter Forty-Six: Recovering What was Stolen

Reginald, Radley, and Bogsley arrived at Lord Milton's estate in less than an hour. To keep as quiet as possible, they tied their horses a good distance from the stables and did their best to keep low as they hurried toward the building.

Because of Bogsley background as a spy, they agreed when he insisted he would check for anyone inside. They also knew he didn't trust them to be quiet enough to not get them all caught before they found the horses.

They each came prepared with pistols and swords. Radley and Reginald kept watch while Bogsley snuck inside. At any sign of trouble, they were ready to rescue him. The man was not that large, but he was powerful. His dark clothing kept him invisible while his stealth kept him silent. In this situation, he was good because he knew how to keep a horse from making a sound.

Bogsley slipped back outside and told them there had only been one stableman on duty. Then, with a wicked grin, he said he was now sleeping more soundly. Radley thought he may have hit the man over the head, but Bogsley held up a bottle of ether before slipping it back inside a pouch hung on his belt.

With a grin, they followed him inside the dark building but once again, Bogsley stopped them.

"The stableman had one lamp lit, but the moon helps to see. Point out your horses, and I will bring them out. When I do, you take them to where we left our horses and wait." Bogsley didn't wait for a discussion; he expected them to follow his orders.

Radley stepped inside and watched Bogsley keep to one side of the aisle. It was so dark, he would have had a hard time knowing where he was going. When he came to the horse stalls, the small windows gave them enough light from the moon to see the horses. He quickly came across those belonging to him and quietly pointed them out to Bogsley. It was a relief to see they hadn't been sold.

Lead ropes were clipped onto four of his horses and led out one at a time. Two were handed off to Reginald. Together, he and Radley quietly moved to where their saddled horses waited, while Bogsley prepared four others. While Reginald stayed with the horses, Radley rushed back for two more.

Though, instead of waiting, he saw Bogsley running with the four horses towards him. "Is there trouble?" Radley asked as he took two of the leads.

As Bogsley continued to run with the horses, he explained, "I believe I heard someone coming as I led these to the door. So, I had no choice but to bring all four. That means I had no choice but to leave the stable door open. It won't take them long to discover what's happened."

The men mounted their horses and began riding towards Radley's estate while leading the horses behind them. It hadn't taken long before they heard shouting. With a kick of their heels, the men raced across the fields until they reached the road. Bogsley didn't see the road as safe, so he once again led them through fields. When they came upon freshly plowed ground, Radley knew they were close to home.

Once they arrived, they found Lewis sitting on a bench inside the stables waiting for them. He stood and hurried to help.

"What brought you here?" Radley asked him as he dismounted.

"I came to make sure you returned. If not, I planned to gather the other men." He untied a lead rope from the saddle and guided a horse into one of the empty stalls.

Radley did the same following with another horse. His father and Bogsley did the same. Radley's driver and footman entered and began helping by wiping the horses down. The hour-long race to return had their coats wet.

The ones chasing them never came to inquire or accuse. That spoke of their knowledge concerning ownership. Happy with his success, Radley and his father bedded down the horses and then headed to the house to retire.