A Most Mysterious Gentleman (#1 Sweet Nineteenth Series) VERY SLOW UPDATES

AMMG ~22~

"She's an invalid! How hard is it to lose a one legged girl?" She heard the Marquess roar and quivered in fear for what the men might do to her. The sounds of footsteps slowing down next to her caused her to hold her breath in hope that they might continue on their search. 

The movement of her breathing in caused a rustle through the brush and moved some of the branches slightly to leave a small hole. She was trying to ignore the pain of the prickles sticking into every available inch of flesh, made easy by the overbearing pain of what was left of her left leg.

The small gap in the hedge made it easy to see the men poking around nearby. Jabbing sticks into bushes, closer and closer to where she was hiding. 

Anger, furious in its wake, left her seething at her situation. She, a recently injured girl, was due to married to an insufferable man who in which she didn't know, had been kidnapped by a lecherous snake who only wanted her dowry. She frowned. She supposed she better modify part of her previous statement. Married to an insufferably handsome man. Who, apart from having a secret temper, and prideful mannerisms, was kind and thoughtful. 

Leaving the thoughts to dwell on at a more opportune time she thought back to a new plan. A rustle to the left of her face made her startle as a small squirrel peered at her in shock. She squealed, not because she didn't like squirrels, but because it chose to nip her hand. The said hand flew to her mouth when she saw the men come closer again, alerted by the noises.

Closer and closer, she wasn't afraid to admit she was terrified of the consequences of the mess she'd made.

The taller brute peered through and was about to jab his stick into the bush when a small phaeton came up the small country road and stopped, the man and woman engaging in a kiss. 

Having clearly not recognized that others had been around, they peered around in shock. The men attempted to pretend like they were just walking down the road minding their own business. Upon seeing the Marquess, the occupants started talking to him in obvious attempt to silence what he had seen, no doubt for a price.

Lady Delilah?

She shifted to see the scene in front of her.

One of the ton's most famous spinsters and bluestockings, seated beside a man! Rosalie saw her opportunity and screamed as loudly as she could. The brutes started, a guilty expression that mixed with panic. The Marquess looked murderous.

She screamed again. 

"Help me! It is Lady Rosalie, the Duke of Trent's daughter!" She hoped the words would encourage movement from either.

The man gestured to smaller brute to hold the reins and ran towards her bush. She could see it was the Viscount Roderick, a slimy man known for having no honour and even less morality. 

He reached her and stopped in shock at her leg as he preened back the bushes. 

Rosalie fumed, "My Lord if you could help me I would be grateful-"

He grabbed her and lifted her out and turned to face the Marquess.

And dropped her.

The Marquess pointed a gun at the man, with the other surrounding him.

"If you leave here, we will not kill you. If you mention anything to anyone, we will first circulate what we have seen here," he gestured to the Lady Delilah, "and then find you, and kill you when you least expect it. You will live in fear and in shame. A fitting way to die perhaps?"

Rosalie looked pleadingly at the Viscount. "Please my Lord, don't leave me he with him!" She begged.

He shrugged. "I don't want to die.!

She screeched at him hatefully and turned to face the Lady. To her horror, the Lady looked indifferent to the entire situation.

"We will meet your terms Marquess. Now we will carry on with our little excursion." 

Rosalie screeched at them again, waving small fists in their direction. Lady Delilah's greatly feathered hat came off though due to the speed they left the group.

Rosalie attempted to get up, and failing, attempted to batter the hands reaching to lift her up.

A slap to her face caused tears, as the Marquess stuck his foul smelling person in her face. 

"Don't ever try anything like that again, or you will forget the pain that, that caused, how extreme this will be."

Angry, tired, hurt and humiliated, Rosalie's tears flew freely as they took her, none too gently back to the carriage and tied her harder to the carriage mainframe.