towards the gondola that was to take them back to the Santorini Palace. ‘When our stores are delivered to Charles’s ship we shall be ready to leave. I do not think we shall go short of anything we require for the next six months, and before then we may order what we need.’
‘I am glad to have so many beautiful embroidery silks and such fine cloth—I dare say we shall find the life a little quiet after our time in Venice, Aunt Mary. At home I had my father’s library whenever I needed something to fill my time, but Uncle Charles was unable to bring everything he might have wished for and I believe many of his books were left behind.’
‘I shall mention it to him this evening at supper,’ Lady Mary promised. ‘It may well be that he has already thought to order books for himself and might do the same for us.’
They had reached the steps leading down to the lagoon where their gondola was waiting. Kathryn was a little ahead of Lady Mary and the two servants who had accompanied them. She ran down the steps, accepting the hand of a man who came forward to help her. As she stepped on board, she glanced back at the steps, expecting to see Lady Mary follow, but to her surprise she saw that she was being restrained by one man, while the servants were engaged in a battle with several burly rogues armed with cudgels.
‘It is a trap, Kathryn,’ Lady Mary cried. ‘Come back!’
Kathryn gave a cry of alarm, trying to jump back to the steps, but it was too late. Already the gondolier was pushing off from the steps and someone grabbed her from behind, clasping her in a strong hold as she struggled to get free. She watched as the shore receded, seeing that her aunt seemed to have been released and was standing on the steps staring after her. She sensed Lady Mary’s distress, realising too late that it was not her friend who had been in danger, but herself. Lady Mary and the servants, who had now joined her on the steps, had been diverted for long enough for the abduction to be carried out.
‘Stop struggling, girl, and you will not be harmed,’ a voice said and all at once she felt herself released. Turning, she saw a man of middle years. Heavily built, he had a small pointed beard in the Spanish fashion, his hair cut short and thinning at the temples.
‘I beg your pardon for this inconvenience,’ he said, speaking in English, but in an odd accent that told her he was unused to the language. ‘Please believe me when I say that I mean you no harm. You are simply the means to an end, Mistress Rowlands.’
‘Who are you?’ Kathryn demanded. Her heart was racing, for she could not help but be afraid despite the words that were meant to calm her. ‘And why have you abducted me?’
‘My name is Don Pablo Dominicus,’ he said. ‘And you are my guest. I mean you no harm, mistress. Providing you are sensible and do not try anything foolish, you will be made comfortable aboard my ship.’
‘Your ship?’ Kathryn stared at him in horror. ‘Where are you taking me?’ It was like something out of one of her nightmares! She was being taken from her friends, just as in her dream.
‘To my home in the hills of Granada,’ he replied. ‘It is a temporary arrangement, Mistress Rowlands. You are to be held until you can restore my younger daughter Maria to me.’
‘But I do not understand,’ Kathryn said. ‘How can I help your daughter? I do not know her.’
‘Maria is being held by a man called Rachid,’ Don Pablo said, a look of anger in his eyes. ‘His price for her release was that I should deliver his enemy to him—dead or alive. He would prefer to have him alive, for I believe he has a score to settle with Lorenzo Santorini.’ He smiled cruelly as Kathryn gave a little gasp. ‘Yes, I see that you begin to understand. I asked Signor Santorini for his help, but he would not give it, therefore I have taken you. We shall see what he is prepared to offer in exchange for you.’
Kathryn’s head went up proudly. ‘Why should he offer anything? Signor Santorini is merely a business acquaintance of my uncle. My father might be prepared to ransom me, but Signor Santorini will not be interested in your proposition. You have made a mistake if you believe that he will give into your blackmail on my behalf.’
‘Then I shall offer you to Rachid in exchange for my daughter,’ Don Pablo said. ‘If Santorini will not come for you himself, you may be my only chance of regaining my daughter.’
A thrill of horror went through her. He could not mean it!
‘Surely you would not…that man is a pirate of the worst kind…’
‘I see that you have heard of him, from Santorini, I dare say.’ An unpleasant smile curved Don Pablo’s mouth. ‘No, Mistress Rowlands, I do not believe that I have made a mistake. I think that Santorini will come for you and when he does…’
‘You mean to trap him! It is his life for mine, is that not what you are saying?’ Kathryn felt icy shivers all over her body. It was worse than any of her nightmares. This man was desperate for the return of his daughter. He would stop at nothing to get her back—and that meant he would kill Lorenzo if he could. No, she could not bear it if he were to sacrifice his life for hers. Lifting her head, her eyes glittering with angry pride, she said, ‘You are a fool if you think he will come. I mean nothing to Lorenzo—nothing at all.’ Yet, she was beginning to realise, it seemed that he meant something to her.
‘How could she have been so foolish as to go without the proper escort?’ Lorenzo’s anger was fearful to see and Lady Mary felt quite faint. ‘God only knows where she is now or who has taken her!’
‘But we had our servants to protect us…’
‘Little good they did you,’ Lorenzo growled. ‘Surely the attack on me in St Mark’s Square was enough to warn you that it was dangerous for ladies to go out without sufficient protection?’
‘I thought the attack was against you personally…’ Lady Mary swallowed hard as she saw the flash of fire in his eyes. ‘Forgive me. My brother believed that two servants should be enough.’
‘No,’ Lorenzo said, ‘do not apologise, ma’am. This is my fault, as you so rightly say. I acknowledge it freely. Kathryn has been taken because my enemy believes she is important to me—this was done against me.’
‘Against you?’ Lady Mary fanned herself, for the heat and the shock of what had happened that day had overset her and she was feeling quite unwell. ‘Then…what will they do with her?’
‘I am not sure,’ Lorenzo said. ‘It depends who has taken her. She might be used as a hostage—in that case we shall receive a ransom demand for her, but…’ If she had been abducted by his enemy she might pay with her life.
Lady Mary gave a cry of distress as she saw the look in his eyes. ‘Mercy on us! You do not think that they will kill her?’
‘If she should fall into the hands of Rachid, he would do so without a flicker of remorse,’ Lorenzo said. ‘However, I believe there may be more to this than meets the eye.’ He frowned, taking a turn about the salon. ‘For the moment there is little I can do but make some inquiries. I beg you to be patient, Lady Mary. Be assured that I shall do all I can to return Kathryn to you safely.’
‘I can do no other than trust you,’ Lady Mary replied. ‘She is very dear to us, sir. It would break her father’s heart if she were lost—and I believe my brother would be deeply distressed. It almost killed him to lose Richard. I do not think he could bear the responsibility of losing Kathryn too. And her father would be devastated.’ She gave a little sob. ‘This is terrible—terrible…’
‘The responsibility for this is mine and mine alone,’ Lorenzo said and something in his eyes shocked Lady Mary, for she suddenly understood something that she had not guessed before. ‘I promise you that I shall do all in my power to find her. If she lives, she shall be restored to you, no matter what it costs.’
Lorenzo left her, for he had much to do. He was not a man to wait for news. He would make searches, discover what he could before his enemy could demand whatever it was he intended.
His