Theyve been taken! Anna cried. You have to save them.
She folded after that pronouncement, and Con grabbed her, easing her down to sit on the stairs. Here, put your head down. Just breathe. Slowly now.
Steps pounded down the long stretch of the gallery, and Reed burst into view, his face almost as drained of color as his wifes. Anna! What happened? Whats the matter?
Reed leaped up the stairs, pulling his wife into his arms and cradling her against his chest. Con stepped back. Reed, she was sayingI think shes having one of her visions.
One of her visions?
Cons words didnt seem to shock Reed, who only cursed and continued to stroke Annas back. Its all right, sweetheart. Everythings fine.
No! Anna pulled back. She had regained some of her color and her eyes were no longer wild, but she was clearly distressed. You have to find them. You have to
Who? Con asked, his voice sharp. Lilah could see that his body was suddenly coiled tight as a spring. Who is in trouble, Anna?
All of them! She looked from her husband to Con and back. The duchess. Kyria. Olivia. All of them. Theyve been kidnapped!
CHAPTER FOUR
CON WHIRLED AND ran from the house. Lilah followed right on his heels. Signaling a hack, he ran out into the street and jumped into it before it completely stopped. Lilah climbed in after him. Con cast a glance at her, and for a moment Lilah thought he was going to protest her presence, but he only turned and called out an address to the driver.
He looked nothing like he usually did, his eyes as fierce as they were normally laughing, his mobile face stern and set, his body taut. He had undergone the same transformation two months ago when he had raced to free his twin.
Lilah wanted to ask him about Annas bizarre pronouncement. Anna seemed the calmest of all the Morelands, but nothing could have been madder than her staring eyes and terrifying words. Yet Con and his brother Reed, while alarmed, had not appeared surprised. Moreover, it was clear that Con believed what she said, dashing off immediately to his mother and sisters.
But that was absurd. Wasnt it? Anna couldnt have actually seen something happening in another place. No doubt Lilah and Con would arrive at their destination to find the women unharmed and exactly where they were supposed to be. They would all laugh over it. Anna must have had a nightmare. It was her headache. One often has strange dreams when one is ill.
Con shook his head. She saw it.
That was nonsense of course, but she didnt want to argue when he was so worried. Why would anyone want to harm the duchess?
He cast her an eloquent glance.
Well, yes, the duchess could have antagonized a number of people over the years, but surely not enough to harm her. Lilah frowned. Do you think the police arrested the suffragists? For simply standing in front of someones house? She realized that now she was talking as if it had really happened.
Lord only knows what they were doing. But no, I doubt it was the police, he replied grimly.
The carriage had been traveling at a fast clip but now, after careening around a corner, came to an abrupt stop. Lilah looked out the window and saw a number of women milling about in the street in front of a stately residence. Signs were tossed here and there, and everyone was talking excitedly. A policeman was arguing with one of the women, and several other women were clustered around something on the sidewalk. Was that a body?
Con let out an oath and threw open the carriage door, running to the constable. Lilah cast another quick glance around as she stepped down from the vehicle. She could see none of the Moreland women.
Here, now! The cabdriver protested at Cons abrupt departure without paying him.
Stay here, Lilah ordered crisply. They would need transportation home as soon as Con found his family.
She caught up to Con at the side of the policeman. He was barking questions at the man. What the devil happened here? Where is the duchess?
Wh-who? I dont know, sir! I just arrived.
The woman who had been talking to the constable, a solid woman dressed in the style of the rational dress movement, let out a snort. Youd do better if you tried listening, young man.
Mrs. Ellerby. Con moved to the womans side.
Lord Moreland! Thank heavens youre here. They attacked us!
Who?
The police, most likely. She turned to glare at the unfortunate policeman, who began to splutter.
No, there werent any uniforms! another woman put in.
It was a gang of ruffians! I saw them. All in black, with masks on.
Oh, Ernestine, what rubbish, Mrs. Ellerby declared. There werent any masks, just caps pulled down so you could barely see their faces.
They might as well have been masks.
Mrs. Ellerby, Con said through clenched teeth. Where is my mother?
Shes gone! They drove up and jumped out and grabbed them. The duchess and her girls, all of themexcept for Lady Raine. She gestured toward the women hovering over the thing on the sidewalk.
Megan! Con went pale and whipped around.
It was a body. Lilahs breath caught, and she ran after Con. The women stepped aside at Cons approach, revealing the woman on the ground. It was indeed Megan, but she was now sitting up.
Thank God. Megan. Con scooped Megan up and set her on the low stone wall that edged the property. He squatted down to look her in the eye. Are you all right?
Of course shes not all right. Lilah sat down beside Megan. Why do people always say that?
Dirt and grit decorated Megans dress. There was a large red spot on her cheekbone, and the skin around it had started to swell. The other side of her face was scraped and dirty. Her hat hung down, barely anchored by the long hatpin, along with strands of reddish-brown hair. Her eyes had a glassy look that worried Lilah. Lilah pulled out her handkerchief and began to gently brush the grime from Megans face.
Megan. Con took one of her hands. Say something. Anything. Tell me to hush, even.
That brought a faint smile to Megans lips. Im fine. She cleared her throat and straightened. Really. IIm just a little woozy. I think I hit my head. She gestured toward the back of her head.
Lilah twisted around to look and let out a gasp. Con! Her hair is bloody.
Con was instantly up and bending over Megan. He pulled out a pristine white handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it gently against Megans wound. His voice was as gentle as his hand as he went on, What happened, Megan?
I heard someone scream, and I turned around. And I saw these mentheyd grabbed Kyria, so all the others were trying to stop them. I ran to help, but I was too far away. So I picked up some rocks and started throwing them at the man Thisbe was fighting. Olivia was trying to free Kyria. Then he came after me and punched me.
Lilah saw fury light up in Cons eyes, but he kept his voice even. He knocked you down?
Megan nodded, then winced at the movement. Yes. I hit the ground. I remember that but nothing afterward. I must have hit my head when I fell. Next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground and Miss Withers here was trying to awaken me.