A Seven Year Hitch (26 page)

The young men all stood looking at her, each debating what to say and how much to reveal.

“Well one of you had better tell me!” she announced and then her eye caught that of Trevellyn.

“Erica has been kidnapped by an unscrupulous villain who is using her to get to Prentiss whom he believes is her lover. We don’t have time to explain all now but would appreciate your help in keeping the rest of the family calm. You might have a word with Boodle to ensure all the doors are locked and guarded and that windows are secure. We are not expecting any of
Harrison’s men to reach the house but we cannot be too careful.”

“Very well,
” Aunt Clara said. “Be careful all of you and bring Erica back safe.”

Although no longer a full moon, there was still plenty of light to cast eerie shadows and create a ghostly atmosphere. Erica, this time with hands securely tied in front of her, was again being held in
Harrison’s pinching grasp. All was quiet except for the sound of nocturnal creatures going about their business, hunting for food. Harrison was alert; his eyes flitting around the ruins checking the position of his men and for any suspicious movement or signs, but all remained calm.

“I do hope your lover is not going to let us down. He has not tired of your luscious attractions has he?”
Harrison mumbled in her ear, his fleshy fingers digging painfully into her already bruised arm, whilst his other hand clamped itself over her breast and squeezed. Erica gagged, so repulsive did she find his touch. She shook her head, not knowing whether he expected an answer but giving one anyway in the hope he would stop touching her so intimately.

“I shall enjoy your charms myself before long and then I have several clients who like a buxom wrench,” he taunted her.  He continued to squeeze a moment longer and then slid his hand down her front but before it had reached it’s intended destination, a horse being ridden at a trot could be heard.
Harrison took a pistol from his coat pocket.

Erica was dizzy with relief and worry. Very soon, she would be rescued and back safe with her beloved family but also terrified that one of them might receive horrendous or even fatal injuries. She prayed Robert had understood her note and that with Ross and Gerald’s military experience a full-proof plan was in place to beat Harrison and his bullies.

              “Aaarrrgh” came a scream from the shadows beyond the chapel and a man came running out, jabbering like an idiot.

Harrison
swung around and fired before he recognized the man was one of his own. Swearing profusely, he dragged Erica over into the shadow of a wall. All the while his henchman lay moaning, “Help me! Before the ghost gets me. Help me!”

“Shut up, you fool
!” hissed Harrison, callously ignoring the man’s pleas for help, all the while looking around for Prentiss whom he still believed was alone.

“Prentiss!” he shouted. “If you want to see your whore alive you had better show yourself.”

When there were no sounds of anyone approaching he shouted again, “Show your face or I will slit her pretty throat! ”

Again silence followed and
Harrison, his anger growing, called;

“I am going to count to five, Prentiss. Do you hear?”

Erica scanned the darkness and saw a robed figure drifting through the chapel ruins. It was the opportunity she had been awaiting; raising her quivering arms, she pointed at it and in a voice laced with panic and fear she bade him look. Harrison swung around in time to see the figure vanish as if into thin air, a fraction of a second before he fired.

Taking advantage of
Harrison’s momentary distraction, Erica made her escape, vanishing into the darkness and using the crumbling walls for cover. She heard his bellow of rage as he registered her escape and then his stumbling around as he searched the vicinity for her, but she had the advantage of familiarity and managed to evade him. Furtively she made her way to the hidden tunnel entrance in the chapel and upon reaching it was grasped by strong arms and hugged close.

“Thank God you’re safe!” Gerald whispered. “Now stay here until I get back.
Harrison’s henchmen have all been rounded up, so it is only the man himself now but you know what they say about cornered rats. I’ll let the others know you are safe.” He swept out and secured the door, leaving Erica leaning against the cool stone of the tunnel wall, safe but anxious for news.

             
Outside, Gerry had found Trevellyn and the others and informed them of his sister’s whereabouts.

“We’re sure he has no more thugs lurking in the shadows?” Stephen asked.

“We have four trussed up and being guarded by Barney and Trent. The fifth is lying injured and no longer in the equation, which leaves the boss himself. Charlie and Tom Harry are making a sweep of the area just to make sure there are no others and also to cut off his escape route, should he manage to evade us,” Prentiss reassured him.

“Then gentlemen, I believe we should make our move. He is still unaware of our presence and is searching for Robert and Erica in the refectory ruins.”

Harrison felt a presence behind him and swept around but could see nothing in the peculiar light cast by a partially covered moon. A sound to his right had him turning again but still he could discern no movement or humanlike shapes.  Successive noises had him spinning in all directions and an unfamiliar prickle of fear crept up his spine, raising the hairs on the nape of his neck.

“ Dodd? . . . Neilson? . . . Griggs?. . .” his calls were met by silence, and the prickle of fear became a torrent. Sweat beaded on his brow and his stomach clenched and for the first time he experienced what many of his victims must have felt.

Out of the gloom came a disembodied voice.

“You are alone,
Harrison. Your henchmen have been captured and you are alone! Put your weapons down.”

“I know that’s you Prentiss! Come out and face me; damn you!”

A voice, different to the first spoke from behind him.

“It is not I who will be damned,
Harrison!”

“You are surrounded,
Harrison. Throw down your weapons!” came yet a different voice.

Harrison
acknowledged that defeat was imminent but was not prepared to give up quietly.  He took aim and fired in the direction from whence Prentiss’ voice had come and while the report ricocheted around the centuries old walls and mounds, he ran. Another pistol shot rocked the stillness and Harrison went down clutching his leg and yelping in pain, he scrambled a few more yards but as dark figures began to separate from the shadows he sat down, brandishing his knife.

“Give up,
Harrison, the odds are totally stacked against you. We have men everywhere and following a Government investigation, Bow Street and the Foreign Office have you in their sights,” Prentiss told him.

With a warlike cry,
Harrison threw the knife at him but Robert swiftly dodged to the side and it fell harmlessly on the grass. Bending to retrieve it, Gerry slipped it into his pocket before assisting the others with the felon.

“Gentlemen, allow me to help him to his feet
, Ross said succinctly, grabbing Harrison by the scruff of his neck and yanking him up. He then drew back his arm and punched him squarely on the nose, from which blood came pouring.

“That
Harrison was for kidnapping my wife and causing her untold stress and anxiety. If I find you have harmed her in any way, I will save the country the expense of your hanging!”

“Wife!!” exclaimed Stephen and Charlie clearly, while a more muffled, incoherent version was said by Harrison who held a handkerchief to his face whilst trying to stem the flow of blood from the wound in his leg with his neck cloth.

Gerald and Robert each took an arm and hauled him to his feet. With a nod at the others they dragged him off towards his horse that had been tethered, out of sight, beyond the Abbey walls.

“Erica and I are married but I ask that you keep the information to yourselves for the present. We still have one or two issues to resolve before hopefully making an announcement to the family before the end of the house party. I promise all will be revealed
and any questions answered then,” Ross informed the still gaping Stephen and Charlie.

“Congratulations then
,” said Stephen offering his hand and shaking it vigorously when Ross took it. “I thought there was something between you but never imagined you were married!”

“Yes, congratulations. I thought you and Erica were well matched but feel it is incumbent upon me to warn you that many stormy years lay ahead of you.”

“I would not want it any other way,” laughed Ross. “Can I leave you to get the wounded henchman and assist the others while I go to Erica?”

“Of-course. If you’re returning via the tunnel can you have Boodle send a cart to pick up this lot and to arrange a secure cellar to lock them up in until the morning?”

Ross hurried to the tunnel entrance and found his wife inside, sitting by the entrance whilst waiting for news. The tunnel was relatively soundproof but she had made out the two shots and was beside herself with worry. On several occasions she had contemplated leaving the safety of her hiding place to go and see if she could help, but commonsense intervened making her see how foolish it would be and how it would likely hinder the operation rather than help. When the door slid quietly open to faint moonlight, she looked up to see Ross standing there and with a sob she leapt up and flung herself into his outstretched arms.

“Is everyone safe? Have you caught him? Have you caught all his men?” she fired at him, frantic to know the details.

“Yes. Yes and Yes. Only Harrison and the man he shot himself are injured, everyone else is fine. They are seeing to the villains. But what about you, my darling, Gerry said you were unharmed?”

“Yes, I am. I was so scared but tried to keep calm and sen
sible,” she told him and then promptly burst into tears.

“Oh darling, you’re safe now,” Ross said hugging her tightly to his chest while the tears poured and sobs racked her body. “You’re safe now.”

              When the initial burst of tears had subsided Ross lit a lamp, and taking her trembling hand, led Erica back along the dusty passage to the house where Boodle and Aunt Clara were anxiously waiting to greet them. Although her sobs had ceased, Erica found she could not stop the tears from falling or prevent the violent tremors that shook her body as though it was suffering from extreme cold although in truth it was the opposite she felt.

             
“Oh you poor dear!” Aunt Clara swept her into a tight embrace and led her to a sofa where she continued to hold and gently rock her distraught niece.

“She is in
shock but otherwise unharmed?” she looked to Ross for confirmation who nodded, not trusting himself to speak, his own emotions rubbed raw at his wife’s distress.

“Don’t worry. A little tender loving care and she will be
back to her old feisty self,” she told him.

“Erica, I need to go and help the
others but I’ll be back soon,” and to reassure him as much as her he repeated, “You’re safe now!”

“There’s no villain brave enough who
could get past me, my dear girl,” Aunt Clara informed her.

Ross gave a perfunctory smile at Aunt Clara’s attempt to lighten the atmosphere before dropping onto his haunches in front of them and taking Erica’s hands in his, dropped a kiss on each of them before stretching up and lightly brushing his lips against her bruised cheek. Then exchanging a look with the older woman, he left with Boodle close on his heels.

It was over an hour later when the men entered the drawing room and were immediately besieged with questions from all, for no-one had been prepared to go to bed until they had discovered what had been happening. It was Robert who raised his arm for silence and related the events leading up to and including that night although he omitted to mention Erica’s role in it as ‘Eric Hurst’.

“The Doctor has patched up Harrison who will be fit enough to stand trial for his many crimes, but he was unable to save the other man who was shot. He died shortly after he was brought here.”

“So those nasty men are in the house as we speak? How on earth do you expect us to get a wink of sleep?” Great Aunt Celia wrung her hands nervously.

It was Gerald who reassured her. “Don’t worry Aunt, Harrison and his gang have been locked in a cellar. We have arranged for there to be two guards on duty and will be taking turns throughout the night along with the most trusted men servants. Trevellyn is taking first watch. We are still unsure how
Harrison managed to obtain such a detailed knowledge of the layout of the house to the extent that he knew exactly where to find Erica’s room. I am very much afraid it was one of the staff and I plan to launch and investigation in the morning.”

              The door opened and Aunt Clara wearily entered but upon seeing Gerald perked up saying, “Ah there you are, my dearest boy. Now would be a good time to give me an account of what has happened here tonight!”

“We have just finished telling everyone, Aunt. You missed it all!” he laughed but seeing the storm clouds gathering in the look she cast him, he hastily added, “Prentiss here will be more than happy, however, to relate everything. But first, how is my sister?”