Page 73 of The Untamed Heart

There was a sigh and a thud and Keller cursed violently.

“Damn the stupid bitch! She’s fainted.”

Looking around, Keller considered his options, but kept the pistol trained on the reverend.

“You,” he said, gesturing to Alex as he reached inside his coat and pulled out a length of rope. Pushing Honeywell so violently that he fell to his knees, he stepped back and gestured with the gun. “Tie him up.”

Reluctantly, Alex reached for the rope and moved to help the reverend to his feet. As he did so, their eyes met, and Honeywell’s widened with astonishment. Being the wise man that he was, he said nothing but addressed Keller calmly.

“My son, I do not believe this course of action will bring you any good. It is not too late to turn back,” he said, his tone almost gentle.

“I don’t need spiritual guidance, Reverend, so shut your mouth before I shut it for you,” Keller replied savagely. “Take him back to the lychgate and tie him to it,” he ordered Alex.

Alex hesitated, the bloody gate seemed miles away, and that would leave Lucius alone and exposed until Sheringham and Marcus caught up with them.

But Keller levelled the pistol at Honeywell, leaving Alex no choice.

He hurried away, taking the reverend with him.

“What on earth is going on, your grace?” Honeywell whispered as they moved swiftly to the lychgate. Alex looked over his shoulder, keeping an eye on Keller as he moved towards the carriage. The fellow was about to get the shock of his life.

“No time to explain,” Alex muttered, waiting for the moment Keller reached into the carriage. “Run,” he told the reverend, and then did so himself, back towards the carriage. Keller exploded backward out of it, arms flailing, like he’d been shot from a cannon. He hit the ground hard, startled and winded.

Lucius followed a second later and threw himself on top of the startled Keller, who yelped as Lucius hit him square in the face.

“Bloody reckless fool,” Alex cursed as he saw Keller raise the gun again.

Lucius grabbed his wrist and the two men wrestled with it until there was an explosion. Lucius cursed and fell back, clutching his shoulder. Keller scrambled to his feet and ran.

“Lucius!” Alex exclaimed, rushing to his side to see blood seeping from a wound in his shoulder.

“I’m fine. Go after him. He’ll go back to the house. Hurry,” Lucius said through gritted teeth.

“What the bloody hell happened?”

Alex turned as Marcus’s voice pierced through the buzzing in his ears. He looked up and shouted, pointing as he saw Keller on horseback, riding hell for leather back up the hill. “He’s getting away!”

“No, he bloody isn’t,” Marcus snarled, rushing to the carriage horses. He seized the offside trace and ripped it free of the buckle before reaching for his knife and making short work of the rest of the tack. Within moments he was mounted and tearing off in pursuit.

“Lucius! My god!” Sherry’s face was white with shock as he took in the sight of his friend sprawled on the floor.

Lucius had wadded the veil up and pressed it against his shoulder, but the blood was seeping between his fingers. “Never mind me, get after him!”

“I’ll go,” Alex said urgently, releasing the remaining horse and throwing himself over its back. “You take care of Lucius.”

“Alex?”

Alex leapt in alarm, turning the horse in a circle to see Clara standing in the road, gazing at him, wide-eyed with shock.

“Clara! Go home. This instant!” he commanded, and then took off after Marcus, praying Reverend Honeywell would take charge and make sure everyone did something sensible.

Chapter 20

The Enemy Within

Seagull Heights, Little Valentine, East Sussex,1st October 1816

Eustacia gazed down into the tea Mrs Wainwright had insisted on making, though no one felt able to drink it. She could not just sit here, going quietly out of her mind.