Lord Ruthven's Bride Read Online Free PDF Page B

gardens. Annabelle shifted her gaze to the left. She started at sight of Lord Harley standing ten feet away, pointing a pistol at them. She started to push to her feet.
    “Don’t move,” he snarled.
    She couldn’t fathom what he was doing. “Lord Harley, what is the meaning of this?”
    “Who else did you tell about the box?” he demanded. “Ruthven? I knew you didn’t meet him last night for a liaison. You two shouldn’t have conspired against me.”
    “Conspired against you? My lord, I met him only last night.”
    Lord Harley closed half the distance between them and leveled his pistol on Lena. “Tell me what he knows or I will kill your cousin.”
    Annabelle started to say that no one knew, then snapped from her confusion with the realization that the truth would give him every reason to feel that he could kill them  without fear of discovery.
    Heart racing, she slowly rose, blocking his aim at Lena, and said, “I told Lord Ruthven I saw you bury this box two days ago.”
    Indecision flickered in his gaze, then his eyes narrowed. “If Ruthven knew, he would have come himself. Who did you really tell?”
    Annabelle shook her head. “He can’t very well barge into Mrs. Morgan’s home and start digging. Not to mention, he feared he wouldn’t find the right tree. So I agreed to investigate. I did tell Lady Diana and Beth Rose. Lena, of course and, oh yes, my mother—and, of course, my fiancé, Lord Northington.”
    “Northington?” he repeated. “Your mother, Lady Montagu?” He swiped at his forehead with the back of his shirt sleeve. “You stupid girl, why would you do that? Because that’s what stupid girls do,” he said before she could think of a reply. “Stupid, stupid girls,” he repeated in a mutter, and again wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve. His gaze fell on the hole, then his face snapped up to her face, eyes accusing, “You are not taking the box. You are burying it again. You’re lying, you didn’t tell Ruthven.”
    “Lord Ruthven only wanted to know what is inside the box.”
    Lord Harley’s face contorted in rage. “He’ll never know now, will he?”
    He extended the pistol and Annabelle quickly said, “Why would you kill us for finding this box, Lord Harley? There are only trinkets inside.” They weren’t trinkets. In fact, the jewelry was expensive.
    His brow furrowed. “Ruthven told you nothing of his investigation?”
    Investigation? Understanding struck. Lord Ruthven being in the earl’s study had something to do with this box. But what?
    She frowned as if in confusion. “What investigation? I only told him of the box after you discovered us in your study.”
    “So he is no closer to knowing the truth than he was before,” Lord Harley said as if speaking to himself.
    “You need not worry,” Annabelle said. “Nothing in this box could possibly cause you harm. If you prefer, I can tell Lord Ruthven that we found nothing.”
    “You think I am stupid,” he said. “You would not lie to him.”
    He took a step forward and Annabelle tensed in readiness for the blast of the weapon and the searing pain of a bullet.
    “Surely, they didn’t go into the arboretum,” a female voice drifted toward them.
    Lord Harley whirled in the direction of Lady Denton’s voice. Annabelle scooped up the branch she’d dropped earlier, but Lord Harley spun back toward her before she straightened. He lunged, knocking the branch from her grasp with a bone-jarring blow to her arm and shoving her to the ground. Lena took a step toward him, but he pointed the pistol at her.
    “Not another step,” he growled. 
    “Gunfire will bring Lady Denton racing here—along with the men in the house,” Annabelle said. “You cannot escape.”
    “Get up.” He seized her arm and yanked her to her feet. He shoved her toward Lena, then scooped up the box and stuffed it into a jacket pocket. “Walk.” He motioned with the gun deeper into the trees.
    Annabelle looked at Lena.
    Lord