The Captain Read Online Free

insisted he must take his daughter home for it was well past her bedtime.
    Lord Rowland grinned, his red-shot gaze settling on the girl. “Ah, yes, we wouldn’t want anything to happen to our future baroness, now would we?”
    A chill raced down Jacinda’s spine. She understood that was exactly what he and his son did hope. She pulled her shawl tighter round her shoulders and looked to her father, but he seemed to see nothing wrong in the baron’s words.
    Trudy was summoned along with the carriage, and they set out for home. Mr. Blanchett settled back into the squabs, greatly satisfied with the night’s work. They rode in silence for much of the way before her father spoke. “You are destined to be Baroness Rowland one day, my dear. Never forget that. The baron might think he can wiggle out of our agreement, but the paperwork he signed tonight will go to my solicitor in the morning post, just in case.”
    There was something in her father’s voice that frightened Jacinda. “In case of what, Papa?”
    He stared at her in the dim light of the carriage. Jacinda had always sensed his disappointment that she was not as pretty as her mother. Her father liked pretty women and she was not.
    â€œPerhaps it’s nothing, but even though I chose to allow my brother to run the Foundry and retired to a gentleman’s life in the country, I’m not an utter fool. Everyone thinks I—”
    A pistol discharged in the nearby darkness. A shouted “Stand and deliver” penetrated the closed carriage. Mr. Blanchett moved to lower the window and look out. To Jacinda’s surprise, the coachman disobeyed the barked demand. The crack of a whip sounded and the carriage began to sway back and forth as the horses thundered forward.
    â€œPapa, what is happening?” Jacinda grabbed at her father’s hand.
    He didn’t answer her. Instead, he spoke to Nurse. “Trudeau, if they get the carriage stopped, protect the child with your life.”
    â€œYes, sir.” Nurse’s tone was surprisingly brave to Jacinda’s ears.
    The dark shadows of the countryside flashed by the windows as they fled from the highwaymen. Jacinda had never ridden so fast and the sharp sway of the carriage made her feel queasy. Another shot rang out and a strange thud sounded above them.
    â€œThey’ve shot the coachman.”
    Jacinda recognized the concern in her father’s voice. The carriage began to sway from one side of the road to the other as the horses sensed the loss of control. Mr. Blanchett swore under his breath as they were thrown about inside the small space. The swaying grew more pronounced and her father shouted, “Brace yourself, I think we’re going to crash.”
    Jacinda flew forward as the sound of cracking wood and breaking glass filled the air. The air was knocked from her and for a moment she couldn’t breathe.
    A strange stillness filled the carriage. Stunned, it took several minutes before Jacinda’s senses registered that the vehicle was no longer moving. The carriage lay at an angle against a boulder. In the darkness she could hear the groans of her father and Trudy as well as the distant sound of their team hurling away, still harnessed to the broken shaft.
    â€œPapa?” Jacinda reached out for her father but he was already climbing out the door, now positioned over their heads.
    â€œHurry!” he called as he jumped to the ground and grabbed her hand. Roughly, he pulled her from the wreckage. Minutes later Trudy stood beside her. The sound of riders approaching made her father cry, “Take my daughter up into those rocks.”
    â€œAye, sir.” Trudy clamped a hand over Jacinda’s arm and dragged her across the road. Jacinda looked back to see the dark shape of her father standing in the moonlight, leaning heavily on the cane he’d salvaged from the wreck as he stared in the direction of the highwaymen.
    â€œPapa?