The Heiress - Lynsay Sands [117]
Daniel didn’t look reassured, but asked, “Danvers did this?”
She grimaced. “Yes.”
“Where is he?” He glanced around.
“Father said he headed to the next inn to rent a hack,” she answered.
Daniel relaxed a little, then met her gaze and said firmly, “I didn’t write that letter.”
Before Suzette could respond, a woman’s voice drew her attention to the fact that Daniel hadn’t come alone.
“For heaven’s sake, Daniel,” she admonished, as she dismounted. “Untie them. The poor girl is standing there in practically nothing. She must be freezing, and no doubt they are both hungry and exhausted. Explanations can wait until we get them safely to the inn and warm.”
“Oh, yes,” he muttered and quickly moved around to the side to examine how they were tied together. Suzette hadn’t a clue how Danvers had done it, other than that he’d used her dress for rope, which left her nearly naked and cold, as the woman now approaching them had suggested. Suzette stared at her, noting that even tromping through the dark woods at night the lady had the air and grace of . . . well a true lady. Suzette knew she would have been tripping over unseen obstacles and twisting her ankle on uneven ground. Not this woman. She was steady and graceful and elegant even as she slipped a small knife from her sleeve and handed it to Daniel.
“Here, this will help,” she said.
“Where the devil did you get that?” Daniel asked with surprise.
“I brought it with me from home. I brought a small pistol along on the journey as well,” she informed him calmly, and then raised an eyebrow. “Did you not think I would pack weapons as well as clothes for this trip, what with everything that has happened?”
Daniel just shook his head and turned back to begin slicing through the makeshift rope. The moment he did, the woman turned her attention to Suzette and moved around in front of her.
“You must be Suzette. It’s lovely to meet you, dear, I’m Daniel’s mother, Catherine Woodrow,” she said in greeting, sounding for all the world as if they were meeting over tea.
“Er . . . it’s lovely to meet you too,” she said uncertainly, feeling a little befuddled by the situation and what she should do. Normally she would have taken the lady’s hand or . . . well, something, but she was standing there trussed up to her father, her hands bound behind her back, unable to do anything but smile crookedly.
“Daniel has told me a great deal about you,” Lady Woodrow informed her with a smile as she undid and removed the cape she was wearing. “And I can’t tell you how pleased I am that he has finally found a girl he is willing to marry. I was beginning to despair of that ever happening.”
“Oh . . . er . . . I—” Suzette’s vain attempt to respond sensibly died as the cloth binding her to her father suddenly went slack, taking all of its support with it. She hadn’t realized how much she’d been leaning into her father’s strength until those ties were gone, and she started to crumple toward the ground as her knees gave out.
“Here we are,” Lady Woodrow said brightly, wrapping the cape around Suzette’s back and catching her all at the same time. She kept one hand on her arm, but her other dropped to her waist, taking some of Suzette’s weight for her as Daniel saw to her father, cutting his bound hands now so that he was completely free.
“Are you all right to walk to the horses, my lord?” Daniel asked, keeping a steadying hand on her father’s arm for a moment.
“Fine, fine,” Lord Madison said on a little sigh and then turned to Suzette and Lady Woodrow. He offered a small smile and nod to the Dowager Countess, and then glanced to Suzette with worry. “Suzie hit her head quite hard. She was unconscious for a long time and needs looking after.”
“We will get you back to the inn and see to you both,” Lady Woodrow said solemnly, shifting her hand from Suzette’s waist to her shoulder so that Daniel could move the cape aside and slice through the rope binding her hands.
The moment he was done, Daniel handed his mother back her knife and then scooped Suzette up into his arms with a pained grin that made her