The Captain's Forbidden Miss. Margaret McPhee

He bent to catch his breath, tilting his head up to look at Dammartin. ‘Do you want us to organise a search party?’

      ‘No search party,’ replied Dammartin, swinging himself up on to Dante’s back. ‘I go alone.’

      ‘She cannot have got far in such little time. She is on foot and the harshness of this countryside…’ Molyneux let the words trail off before dropping his voice. ‘Forgive me, but I did not think for a minute that she would escape.’

      Dammartin gave a single small nod of his head, acknowledging his lieutenant’s apology. ‘Mademoiselle Mallington is more resourceful than we have given her credit for.’

      ‘What will happen if you do not find her? Major La Roque did not—’

      ‘If I do not find her,’ Dammartin interrupted, ‘she will die.’ And with a soft dig of his heels against Dante’s flank he was gone.