The Pirate's Lady (Spies of London #1)

Chapter 14

Time for the exciting part!!! Well atleast I think it is exciting.... :[

Temme if you do too! :)

Oh yeah u gotta read it first! :P

So go ahead!

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Olivia had been dreading meeting Davy since he had left her house the day before.

His words to her before he had left had made her even more apprehensive of riding with him in his carriage, chaperone or not. What did he mean, 'We are made for each other'? It was preposterous that he had come to that conclusion when she had never indicated as such!

Having spent the entire morning trying to prepare what she was going to say to him on the ride, as she had decided not to prolong his misunderstanding by waiting till the end of the luncheon, she dressed hastily but severely, trying to convey her message through mannerisms as well as speech.

Her gown was demure with a high neck and coloured a pastel yellow, and her hair had been tied in a tight chignon by Mary, with nary a loose strand in sight.

The luncheon had been scheduled at two o'clock, and Davy had mentioned in a note that he would arrive to collect her at a quarter to the hour. Olivia waited for his arrival impatiently, hoping to go through with her plan quickly.

How she hated to cause anyone pain! But she knew that Davy would make some young maiden a good husband, just not her. She was a wasted cause as far as other gentlemen were considered. She had already set her sights on someone....

Though she did not start with surprise when Briarly entered the parlor suddenly, she stood up when she saw the discomfort on his face.

"What is it Briarly?", she asked, alarmed.

"The gentleman in the carriage at our doorstep insists that you climb in it. Claims that he has to escort you to a luncheon! The footman is at the door. Should I tell him to leave, then ?", Briarly rushed on visibly incensed at the impropriety of the gentleman not coming upto the house to escort her himself.

Olivia however, rushed to windows and peering at the carriage, recognized the crest on the door. Davy was here.

Turning to the weary butler, she smiled and reassured him,"Briarly, it is perfectly fine. Viscount Townsend has arrived to escort me to the Literary club luncheon."

Picking up her cloak, she draped it on herself at the door which Briarly had left open in his haste to reach her, and preceeding the footman sent to help her into the carriage, which she saw uncomfortably, was a closed one.

Steeling herself she accepted the footman's proffered hand and climbed into the vehicle.

But before her eyes could adjust to the dim interior, her nose and mouth were covered with a foul smelling cloth. As the strong fumes rapidly made her lose consciousness, her last thought was that she would kill Davy for this.

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Davy stared at the sleeping form of Olivia, as she rested on the seat opposite him. How beautiful she looked even while sleeping, he thought. And now she would become his.

Davy remembered the first time he had seen her, two years ago. Like countless other men he had fallen prey to her charm and beauty. The only difference was that she fell for him too.

The way she gave him attention every time he spoke to her, the way she looked at him when they danced together, it shone in her eyes, her love for him.

But he had known that Winchester would be a problem. The way he had looked at Olivia when he had caught her on the stairs and when they had waltzed...... his desire showed in his eyes.

Davy wouldn't ever think such adulterated thoughts about Olivia. His intentions were far too pure. He loved her, after all.

But Davy had not panicked. He knew that Olivia would never dream of marrying anyone but him.

That was until she had spoken of fancying someone else yesterday. Davy knew he had to work fast if he wanted to make Olivia his bride. So he had hatched the plan for kidnapping her.

He knew she would come to her senses when he spoke to her.

Just then the carriage came to a halt and the footman informed him that they had reached the inn where Davy had decided to tell Olivia the good news.

She had yet to awaken, of course. The dose of chloroform he had given her would last for atleast half an hour more. He hadn't wanted to take the risk of her awakening and raising a cry before he could speak to her properly.

As the door opened, Davy called to the footman to come and lift Olivia to carry her into the room he had booked the night before. Rest assured, the innkeeper would not question him bringing a unconscious lady into the inn.

Davy posted the footman outside the door of the room where Olivia had been laid down, giving him express instructions to send for him as soon as she awakened. His whereabouts would be with the innkeeper.

One hour had passed since he had drugged her and she had not awakened, so it seemed safe to assume that she would be out like a light for sometime longer. He had left a maid to take care of his treasure. She had to be treated like the princess that she was, he believed.

Davy smiled. He could scarcely wait till they were married......

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James was frustrated. Almost all of the names in the list of suspects had been worthless. After spending the previous night and the morning poring over notes that hadn't given him a better view of the situation, even the lunch that was being served to him didn't seem appetizing.

Drat Olivia for keeping that one file from him! Why she would want information on Radnor, he couldn't fathom.

It wasn't usual for him to lunch as late as two in the afternoon. But it was also not like him to have a fitful sleep worrying about a woman's well being. But he had slept poorly, worried whether Olivia was meddling in some dangerous activity that she should have left alone.

Thinking about that made him panic. He should go to her right now and demand her to tell him why she had the file in her possession.

Firming his resolve, James got up from the dining table, grabbing his greatcoat from his study before striding towards the stables to saddle Sultan.

Within minutes he was off.

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"She left the house a quarter of an hour back, my Lord. Viscount Townsend's carriage had come to escort her to the Literary club luncheon.", Olivia's butler, Briarly was telling James, whose mind had formed a cold shield to protect itself from the anxiety that threatened to consume him. But something about the man's sentence seemed wrong to James.

"You said that the viscount's carriage had come for Olivia. Didn't the Viscount himself escort her?", he said.

"No, my Lord. The Viscount didn't deign fit to come into the house personally to take Miss Olivia out. But when she saw the carriage, Miss Olivia had gone with the footman that had come to the door."Briarly said, continuing thoughtfully, "Though now that your lordship mentions it, My Lady had been a trifle disconcerted when she had seen the carriage, and she had been mumbling to herself, which she only does when she is apprehensive about something."

No sooner had Briarly finished his sentence James had turned on his heel and marched down the steps of Olivia's house to Sultan, and taking the reigns from the boy holding them, mounted the saddle and headed to Lady Wiltshire's home. If only he could see his Siren, this feeling in the pit of his stomach would go away.

When he arrived at Lady Wiltshire's, the butler had informed him that Olivia had not arrived for the luncheon. And neither had the Viscount.

James had wasted no time in going to Olivia's house again, this time to speak to her father.

"What seems to be the problem Winchester ?", said the Duke of Ashforth, unsmiling, as he took in the look on James face.

As quickly as possible, James summarized the story as he knew it, leaving out the part about Radnor's file. Better not to get more people involved, he thought.

"Townsend! But Olivia would never go willingly with that sod!", thundered Oliver, who had also been in his father's study when James had arrived.

"Then it must be without her consent."The Duke was the calmest of the three, but inside the rage boiled . "I cannot let him marry her. We must be quick to locate her. There are about three ways that Townsend would think to take her, which would lead to his country home. Will you help us Winchester?", he said, knowing that the answer was crucial.

"Yes."The reply was curt. "But I would have your blessing to marry your daughter by special license, if I am to find her. If either of you finds her, I shall marry her in a weeks time.",James words stunned the Duke for all of two seconds, before he made up his mind.

"You have it. Now lets go hunt that addle-brained hare." He concluded, and all three males set off in separate carriages, James having sent a footman for his carriage and to return Sultan home.

As he sat in the confines of the carriage which was going at a fast pace, James hoped he wasn't too late.

Because he couldn't live with the thought of his Siren in another man's arms.

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I just love this chapter! <3

Surprised you dint I? :D

Vote if I did! ;)

Cya later! :)

~shreya07