Nell fought valiantly but she was no match for Raoul and Mrs. Weston. She was determined not to make it easy it for them, and her teeth, fingernails and feet had left both Westons bloodied by the time Raoul managed to wrestle her from the cell and throw her across the room into the main part of the dungeon. She landed heavily on the floor, groaning in pain as her body met the unyielding stone, but she could take satisfaction from the damage she'd inflicted. Among other sundry wounds, Raoul's handsome face was now marred by a long, bloody gash where she'd clawed his cheek; his right ear bled freely courtesy of her teeth and his lower lip was split where she'd butted him with her head. Mrs. Weston had added a cut eyebrow and a blackening eye to the ever-widening bruise on her jaw. They will have trouble explaining those marks away, Nell thought grimly, attempting to get to her feet.

"Infernal bitch!" Raoul shouted, his fingers feeling along the gash. "You'll pay for that, and pay dearly before I am through with you."

He glanced at his mother. "Mother. Are you hurt?"

Mrs. Weston staggered out of the cell, gasping for breath. "She kicked me. Knocked the air out of me."

Having struggled upright, Nell kept a wary eye on the pair of them. She had not escaped unscathed; her wrists were bloody and bruised from the ropes, her ribs hurt, her gown was ripped from one shoulder and her damn bad leg was aching. A scrape across her chin stung and she knew that eventually her right eye would be as black as Mrs. Weston's-if I live that long, she thought.

Her back against the stone wall she faced the pair of them, considering her next move. Her gaze fell to the floor, resting for a second on the sluice hole off to one side, that same sluice hole where she'd seen Raoul toss so many bodies. From there her eyes traveled to the bloodstained stone slab in the middle of the room and she swallowed painfully. Her nightmares had been accurate, too accurate, she admitted almost hysterically. Images of other women flashed through her mind and she swore that she'd die before she'd allow Raoul to fasten her down on that slab as he had all the others.

Frantically she looked around for a weapon, for anything that could be used as a weapon, but there was nothing. Except...Her gaze stopped at the lantern hanging on the wall only a few feet from her hand and at the old debris and rushes upon the floor. Her eyes flickered across the room to the doorway that she knew must lead up the stairs to freedom. If I could...

Raoul noticed the direction of her gaze and laughed. "You'll never make it." An ugly smile crossed his face. "But go ahead-the chase will add a certain piquancy to the outcome."

"Just kill her and be done with it," said Mrs. Weston. "You cannot be gone long or you will be missed and your absence commented on."

Raoul touched his face. "This will have to be explained. I cannot return looking like this."

"This is all your fault," Mrs. Weston hissed, glaring at Nell. "If you'd never married my nephew none of this would have happened. You've nearly ruined everything. Everything."

Nell stared. This was her fault?

"I fail to see how this can be my fault-after all, you brought me here," she pointed out.

"You're in our way," Mrs. Weston said flatly. "It was going to be so simple before you appeared. I had always hoped that fate would allow Raoul to obtain Wyndham's title one day, but in the beginning there were too many people ahead of him for it to become reality. But Julian's wife died leaving him no heir, then John...and my husband and Julian's father died. Daniel's death was providential, a stroke of luck, and made us realize that the dream was within our grasp-with Daniel dead, and Julian without an heir, only Charles was between Raoul and the title."

"And no one," added Raoul, "would have been surprised if Charles had died when his yacht sank or if he'd broken his neck in a hunting accident-or even if a jealous husband had killed him. We'd planned for Julian to die a year or two later-when we felt it was safe to kill him without arousing suspicion."

"An accident, of course, and then my son would have been the earl," said Mrs. Weston, the complacent note in her voice making Nell wish she could get her hands around the other woman's neck. "Wyndham would have been his." She shot Nell a vicious look. "But then you came along. You and that brat you carry, and nearly ruined everything."

"I'm surprised," Nell muttered, "that you didn't kill me before this."

"Well, I would have," admitted Raoul carelessly, "but it had to look like an accident and you were never alone. You were always safely within Wyndham Manor or with one of my cousins or Lady Diana and Miss Forest. There was never a good opportunity to arrange things to my satisfaction." He shrugged and added, "If it weren't for that...that thing that happened the other night-your ability to watch me-if not for that I would have waited for a better time, but my hand has been forced." A dreamy expression entered his eyes. "But it makes little difference-I did not intend for you to live to give birth, so your time was already short."

It appeared that conversation was at an end and warily Nell tracked Raoul's movements and that of his mother. They were splitting up, coming at her from two different directions. She risked a glance at the lantern hanging so tantalizingly near. Time had run out and Nell knew that if they got their hands on her again, then it was over-she'd die.

Her pregnancy and her bad leg made her clumsy, but with surprising speed and agility she lunged for the lantern, the opposite direction they thought she'd take. Her move caught them off guard and they froze for a split second but it was all the time that Nell needed.

Wrenching the lantern from the wall, Nell pitched it with all the strength she possessed at Mrs. Weston, who was closest to her. It hit Raoul's mother full in the chest, knocking her backward. Fire erupted across the front of Mrs. Weston's dress and shrieking and beating wildly at the flames she tripped and fell to the floor.

Nell forgotten, Raoul cried out and rushed to his mother's side as she rolled on the floor, spreading the fire along the dry rushes and debris. Smoke drifted upward from a dozen smoldering pieces of debris, and taking advantage of the distraction Nell flung herself forward, stumbling and running toward the unprotected doorway.

Seeing what she was about, Raoul leaped for her, catching her hair in one hand. "No!" he screamed. "You'll not escape."

Nell twisted and fought his grasp, heedless of the pain. "Let me go! Let me go!" she shouted, aiming a solid kick at his leg.

Coming down the stairs, Julian heard Nell's voice and with a roar, Charles at his heels, he plunged down the few remaining steps and charged into the room.

Pistols ready, Julian and Charles stopped just inside the dungeon, staring stunned at Raoul holding Nell prisoner by her hair.

Pushing aside his shock and horror at the identity of the Shadow Man, Julian focussed on the only thing that mattered: Nell. "Let her go," he said in a deadly voice. "Let her go now."

His face white, a muscle clenched in his jaw, Charles exclaimed in horror and disbelief, "Raoul? You killed John?"

"I had to," said Raoul. "He was going to force me to marry some bloody farmer's daughter and would not listen to reason. He left me no choice."

"Let her go," Julian repeated, his gaze fixed on Raoul.

Raoul smiled and dragged Nell's head back. "Or what? You'll shoot me? I don't think you dare-what if your bullet misses? Are you willing to risk her life?"

Nell winced as he pulled her hair tighter. As long as Raoul had her, they were at a stalemate. Julian or Charles could not risk a shot. She had to do something to tip the balance. Locking her hands together Nell drove her elbow as hard as possible into Raoul's abdomen. The move caught him off guard and he gasped as the breath left his body. His hold on her hair slackened ever so slightly, but it was enough, Nell shot free, running to her husband.

Julian's pistol never wavered as he clamped Nell to his side with his other arm. A dangerous smile on his face, Julian drawled, "I think the situation has changed, don't you?"

"You won't shoot me," Raoul said with a sneer, his hand edging inside his jacket. "I'm your cousin. The great Earl of Wyndham wouldn't want a scandal, now would he?"

Near the stone slab, Mrs. Weston staggered to her feet. She had beaten out the flames and though she had some painful burns, they were not severe-her clothing had protected her from the worst. At her feet a few of the rushes still smoldered, sending wisps of smoke into the air.

"He's right," Mrs. Weston gasped. "How will you explain shooting him? Will you want everyone to know what he does here?"

"And what," asked Charles in a quiet tone, "does my brother do here?"

"Ask her," retorted Raoul, pointing at Nell. "She seems to know everything."

"I have nightmares," said Nell, "and in them I have seen Raoul, although I did not know it was him, murder your brother John near my home and later, kill and torture young women here...on that slab."

"Prove it!" taunted Raoul. "I am sure that the earl will enjoy having it known that his wife has dreams, visions like some witch of old. Won't that be wonderful fodder for all your fine friends."

A muscle twitched in Julian's cheek. "You think that I will allow you to escape to protect my name and reputation?" he asked, his pistol never wavering from its target.

"Not your name-but to protect her you would."

He has me there, Julian conceded bitterly. Without revealing Nell's nightmares, there is no proof of what he does-and I cannot shoot the bastard down in cold blood. To protect Nell, I would do anything, even let a vile creature like Raoul live. But not free, he thought, not free to kill at will. Never that. The solution escaped him at the moment and unbearably aware of Nell's trembling body next to his, all he wanted was to get her from this foul place and away from Raoul's poisonous presence...and that of his dear Aunt Sofia. What part she played had yet to be revealed, but it was clear that she was as guilty as her son-at least as far as the abduction of Nell was concerned. As for the other...Bile rose in his throat at the knowledge that Mrs. Weston had known and condoned Raoul's actions.

"So what is it to be?" demanded Raoul. "Either kill me or let me go."

"Let us go," urged Mrs. Weston. "We will go away-far away. You will never hear from us again."

The hand Raoul had slipped inside his jacket suddenly came free. Julian glimpsed the pistol in his hand and pushed Nell behind him and fired. The sounds of three shots rang out in the small room, Julian and Charles firing simultaneously.

Raoul's shot went wild, smashing into the wall behind Julian's head, but both Julian and Charles's found their mark. Shot twice in the upper body, Raoul flew backward, falling to the floor near the sluice hole. His expression incredulous he looked at the blood flooding across his waistcoat and then at Charles.

Staring at Charles he muttered, "You've killed me! Me! Your own brother."

His face grim, Charles said levelly, "Yes...as you killed our brother."

With a feral shriek Mrs. Weston launched herself at Charles. "My son! My son! You've hurt him! I will kill you!"

Her hands closed around Charles's double-barreled pistol and she sought to turn it against him. She was a strong woman and fury gave her enormous strength as they fought for control of the weapon. Locked in mortal battle they swayed together, their bodies as close as lovers embracing.

Julian shoved Nell aside and leaped to join the fray, but it was over in a second. Between the intertwined bodies of Charles and Mrs. Weston, the pistol exploded. For an agonizing moment they clung together and then, her skirts billowing out around her Mrs. Weston sank to the floor. Her eyelids fluttered once and a moment later she was dead.

Transfixed by horror Charles stared down at the body of his stepmother. "I didn't..." he began, took a breath and tried again, "I didn't mean...It was an accident."

"No one will think anything different," Julian said, looking down at Mrs. Weston's still form. "Nell and I will testify to what happened." He clasped Charles's shoulder. "I am sorry this had to happen. All of it."

"Julian!" Nell cried. "Look! He's gone."

Julian spun around and looked to where Nell pointed. Taking advantage of their distraction by his mother's attack on Charles, Raoul had disappeared.

Julian cursed and ran to the spot where Raoul had fallen. Shot twice, badly wounded, if not fatally, Julian had thought him disabled, but Raoul had proved him wrong. He followed the widening trail of blood to the sluice hole. The rim was stained with fresh blood, telling its own tale. Rather than face justice, Raoul had thrown himself down the sluice hole...the same hole that he had so carelessly thrown the bodies of so many young women. They'd find his body down there, he knew, lying amongst the scattered remains of his victims. It was, Julian thought bleakly, a fitting end to a monster. He glanced back to where Mrs. Weston's body lay. Two monsters, he decided.

Walking back to Nell, he embraced her and then, his wife beside him and followed by Charles, they left the blood and death behind them and climbed up the stairs.

Standing outside the Dower House and staring up at the glittering stars in the sky, Nell took a deep breath of fresh night air. She ached in every bone in her body, but she was safe. Her hand went to her belly. Feeling a strong kick, she smiled. Dr. Coleman would only confirm what she knew to be true, that her baby was safe. Resting her head against Julian's shoulder, feeling his arm tighten around her, she sighed with contentment. They had won. The monsters had been beaten. Never again would she have to endure another of those horrifying nightmares. The future, bright and shiny, stretched out endlessly before her.

She looked up at Julian, love filling her heart and mind. He glanced down and she saw the same expression on his face that she knew was on her own. He pulled her even closer to him, his eyes warm and tender on hers.

"I failed you, my love," he said. "I promised you that I would keep you safe and I did not."

She smiled mistily at him. "You didn't fail...You were only a trifle late-and you came in the end. All that matters now is that we are together and we have our baby and a whole future to look forward to."

"I love you, Nell," he said quietly. "You are my world, my moon, my stars, my everything. I will love you until the day I die-and beyond."

"And I you, my lord," she returned with softly glowing eyes.

"That's all well and good," retorted Charles irascibly, "but could we please get back to your house? There's going to be bloody hell to pay and I'd as lief get it over with."

ISBN: 1-4201-0309-1.

end.