She bit her lip to keep from expressing her true feelings. Her fear and helpless rage. "It's my mother, Quince. I have to go."

He looked down at her and nodded, rubbing her arms. "All right, then."

She was reminded of one of the first reasons she had fallen in love with him. His capacity to give others their freedom. No strings, no promises extracted. He offered an intoxicating blend of freedom and security. She had something she had to tell him, just in case.

"Quince?"

"Yes, love?"

She looked up into his spring green eyes, shadowed with worry for her. His blonde hair was tousled from sleep, his jaw rough with stubble. She cupped his face in her hands, careful to avoid the healing gash she had yet to learn more about. "I love you," she whispered.

He smiled and leaned his forehead on hers. "I know."

She laughed. "Rude!"

He caught her against himself and kissed her. Kissed her as though this could be their last kiss. Then he broke away, breathing hard. "You need to get dressed."

She nodded and ran to the pile of clothing that Robert had left. "So what will you do to be productive while I'm gone?"

He helped her on with her riding habit. "I have some things that I need to do at Belle Fleur." The answer was evasive, but she didn't have time to question him further.

"Perfect! Then I will meet you there after I have mother settled."

"You sound very confident."

"Of course. I always get what I want, remember?"

He chuckled. "How could I forget?"

She was ready and he had pulled on his breeches and shirt from the night before. Honestly, if everyone looked as good in dishabille as the duke it would set a fashion. He held out his elbow to her. "Let's get you downstairs before Robert wears a hole pacing on my carpets."

By the time she came downstairs Charlie had arrived with his best horses and there was a sweep of activity that had her mounted and riding out much faster than she would have wanted. She looked back over her shoulder to see Quince standing on the steps, arms crossed and lips drawn in a worried line. Not wanting to see him so grim she smiled and blew him a kiss. He gave her a half-smile in return, pretending to catch the kiss and hold it against his heart. The scene made her own heart trip and she faced forward again before she turned into a complete ninny and started crying. At least he would be safe from this confrontation.

"How did you convince his grace not to come with us?" Robert asked over the sound of trotting hooves.

"He trusts me."

"Well. I guess he'll learn better than that."

She glowered at her brother. "No, he won't."

Robert laughed. "At least you sound more like yourself again."

Quince wasn't able to settle himself for worry about Sabre after she left. Rather than continue to pace and climb the walls in London he called for his horse to be readied for a trip to Belle Fleur. He didn't fancy a carriage ride just now. It might be some time until he could enjoy travel by carriage again. Before he left town, however, he realized he should call on the Harringtons. They were as involved in all this mess as anyone now, and would appreciate an update. He dressed to be at least respectable enough to call on an earl and countess.

Dibbs took him in at once, of course, then intoned that he would see if his lord and lady were in for receiving. Quince waited in the front parlor. There were three paintings here that Gideon had purchased on his recommendation, so he did his best to focus on them despite his unsettled stomach. As well as being lovely to behold they would hopefully prove to be a worthwhile investment.

"Hullo, Quince. My apologies you had to wait." Gideon entered the room and slapped the duke on the shoulder, turning to look at the same painting Quince had just been studying. "I will never entirely understand the appeal art has for you."

"Undoubtedly."

Jack entered the room and held out her hands to him. "Quince!"

"How is Miss Frederick?"

"She's fine, would you like to see her?"

The duke shook his head. "I only wanted to give you both an update before I ride on to Belle Fleur."

"Has something happened?" Jack asked, betraying some tension.

"The Bittlesworth siblings have ridden out this morning in pursuit of the viscount. He has decided to flee and is taking the viscountess with him under duress."

Jack covered her mouth in shock. "Oh no!"

Quince gave voice to what was bothering him. "Of course, I didn't want Sabrina to go, but Robert insisted she was needed."

Gideon frowned. "Why?"

The duke frowned. "He said she was the best shot and further, the viscount is least likely to turn his anger against her."

Gideon raised a brow at his wife, "Oh?"

Jack caught her breath but said, "Yes, I can understand that."

There was something in the countess's reaction that made Quince worry but the earl distracted his attention before he could focus on it.

"Why didn't you go with them?" Gideon demanded.

Quince felt himself withdraw into a cool hauteur. "I have things to attend to at Belle Fleur."

The earl looked offended. "Things more important than keeping your wife safe?"

"They aren't married," Jack pointed out.

"They will be," Gideon insisted.

"As charming as this visit has turned out to be," the duke drawled, "I find I must be going."

"The hell you are. Explain to me how you'll live with yourself if something happens to her while you're spending your leisure at Belle Fleur?"

"Is that what you think I'll be doing?" Quince felt all the tension and worry bleed into fury instead. "Wiling away my time? Regardless of what you may think, Giddy, it was no easier for me to let her go this morning than it would be for you. The only difference is that I respect her enough for her to make her own decisions. And I am trying to keep her safe. Draco is more of a threat than Cygnus. I must find a way to neutralize the dragon and I think the key is at Belle Fleur."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because it has to be. If it isn't The other alternative is less pleasant."

"What other alternative?"

"I will remove the threat in whatever way necessary."

Gideon paused. "Do you need help at Belle Fleur?"

"No, I need you to protect my sister."

The earl nodded in understanding.

"And if you could" Quince swallowed and set his jaw. "If you could send word when the Bittlesworths return. Whether whether Sabrina is all right."

"Of course."

After the duke left, Jack sat down heavily in one of the plush side chairs along the parlor wall. Gideon immediately came to kneel before her. "What's wrong? Are you feeling ill?"

She shook her head. "They lied to him. I don't know why they lied to him."

"What do you mean?"

"Sabre is a crack shot, but she's rarely bested Robert. She and I are about even with pistols."

"Why didn't you tell Quince that?"

"Because I'm sure Robert said it for a reason, I just don't know what that reason might be. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

She worried her fingernail for a moment. "One of the games we played as children was 'Rob the Coach'. It's possible Robert is thinking to use those tactics here. Since Quince didn't play he wouldn't know what to do, so they would discourage him from going with them."

"So you're telling me that the Bittlesworth siblings are considering using a children's game to save their mother?"

"Sabre's mother. Robert and Charlie's mother was the first viscountess. And we were all fairly serious about our games, thank you very much. Unfortunately for them, I was always in charge of 'Rob the Coach' because I wanted to be Robin Hood."

Gideon gave a wry laugh and took her hands, resting his forehead against them. "Of course you did. And you are not going after them to reprise the role."

"No. I wouldn't even know where to start looking for them."

He looked up at her, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Promise me you're not going after them."

"Of course not. Why would I?"

He continued to stare at her until she fidgeted.

"All right, I promise."

He kissed her hand. "Thank you. One daring rescue is all that the future earl should engage in before his actual birth."

"It could be a girl, you know." She patted her stomach.

He stood and offered to help her up. "I shudder to think."

Chapter Thirty-Eight.

"Well?" Sabre demanded as soon as Charlie was in earshot. A drizzle had been falling since they left London and she didn't want to simply stand around in it any longer than she had to. Her brother shifted his gaze around the stable yard of the inn before responding.

"It sounds like they came through here less than an hour ago."

Robert kept his head down as he adjusted the saddle on his horse. "They are headed for King's Lynn, then."

Sabre nodded. "Most likely. Do you think your men will be in place in time?"

Robert squinted up at the sky. "It doesn't really matter, does it? We're going to try anyway."

The siblings were solemn as they mounted their horses and rode out in pursuit of the viscount.

Quince allowed Havers to take his dripping greatcoat. The butler murmured, "We're happy to have you returned to us, your grace."

"Thank you. Please ensure that my riders have a hot meal, it's been miserable outside. How does my coachman fare?"

Havers paused for moment. "Not well, your grace," he finally said gravely. "The doctor has made him as comfortable as possible."

"Is he... Will he live?"

Havers' normally pleasant expression was etched into a deep frown. "That is not certain, your grace. The doctor believes his leg may need to be amputated and, well..."

The duke nodded. "I would like to see him now, please. And afterwards I will need to talk to you."

"Yes, your grace."

As Quince followed Havers to the servant's quarters he thought it was only by the narrowest chance of timing that it wasn't him lying in bed, broken and dying. How many people were going to suffer for this vendetta? The dragon needed to be stopped. And Robert had much answer for.

Sabre recognized the carriage immediately, even through the rain. Father had ten outriders, large brutes of men, which meant he had been expecting trouble. The bridge where Robert's men waited in ambush could be no more than a mile away. She looked over at Robert and he nodded at her. She spurred her horse ahead as her brothers pulled to the sides of the road. Once she had drawn close enough that she could be heard, she started shouting.

"Mama! Mama!" She tried to infuse her voice with the proper amount of feminine distress. As she truly was terrified both for herself and her mother, it didn't require much acting.

The outriders reacted as they had expected, with a few drawing together to face her as the others stayed with the carriage. The carriage itself sped up as she drew near. The first of her tasks done, alerting her mother to their presence, Sabre didn't try too hard to get around the outriders. The last thing she needed was for one of them to grab her reins or start a true confrontation at this point. Now she would move on to her second task and try to keep these four riders occupied as the carriage rolled ever closer to their trap.

She recognized one of the riders and addressed herself to him. "Gavin, you can't keep me from my mother!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Bittlesworth, but your father's orders were clear. Nothing is to stop them."

She swiped at her cheek as though wiping away tears, although the rain made it unnecessary to shed any. "How can he do this to me?" She gave a choking sob. "They say he is planning to stay on the continent. I don't know if I will ever see her again!"