Mystic Mountains

The good lady will not turn away another female in need, I'm sure."
    Jenkins grinned and nodded. "Perfect sir," he agreed.

 
     
     
    Chapter Seventeen
     
    "Gareth, darling; what on earth are you doing back here?" Selena gasped her surprise when Jenkins pushed past him with the limp girl in his arms.
    "Selena, I didn 't know where else to take the unfortunate soul." Gareth raised his eyes and gave his mistress a grin he hoped would placate her. He felt sheepish now, but still could think of no better place to take the wench.
    "Unfortunate soul? What the hell do you mean?" There was a touch of hysteria in the question.
    "This woman ran in front of the carriage," he explained. "She 's unconscious, my dear. I had no idea what to do with her. You know what a scandal it would cause if I reported it to the authorities."
    "What do you take me for? Why have you brought a dead body to my house?" There was definitely hysteria threading her voice now. "Take her away. I dema nd you remove her from my house." Selena pointed one of her white fingers at the door.
    But Jenkins had already put the woman down on the chaise and she moaned as she regained consciousness.
    "Where am I?" she mumbled.
    "Well, I'll be damned." Selena sauntered over and stood staring down at the woman, her lips curled in a sneer. She put a finger to her chin and tapped it thoughtfully. "How strange fate is, Gareth darling." This was the convict woman she'd seen with the others of Tiger's household outside the church one Sunday. Numerous people told her with spiteful relish how she had accompanied him to the ball. "If it isn't Tiger Carstairs' whore."
    Gareth went to join her. "It 's the woman who attended the Governor's Christmas shindig, all right. But steady on, Selena darling. There's no proof that she's his harlot."
    Selena smirked. "Gareth darling, sometimes you 're so gullible. Tiger isn't the sort of man to live without a woman in his bed for long. What other reason would he have for taking such a plain little thing to the ball? No, he's grown mean as well as arrogant, too stingy to pay for what he can get free." Her emerald eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "You say she ran into your horse, eh?"
    Gareth disagreed about the wench 's looks. He found her pleasing to the eye. But then women saw things differently. He nodded, and Selena's laugh was a merry tinkle. He frowned, seeing nothing amusing in this at all.
    "So she was running away from the high and mighty Tiger, was she? That 's the only explanation for her being out alone this far from his property. What a splendid joke. Did she say where she was heading, darling?"
    "No, she swooned before I got any sense out of her. Can she stay, Selena?" 
    Selena patted him on the hand and gave him a serene smile. Gareth was a dear, but he would never take the place of Tiger. God, how she hated that golden giant. And how she missed his passion, his fire. Probably there was no man alive who would ever match up to him. This doxie had played right into her hands.
    "Of course she can stay." She ran a finger up his arm and gave him one of her most provocative smiles. "How could I turn another woman away? She's obviously in need of a place to stay, or why else would she be wandering the streets at night."
    "Thank you, Selena." Gareth breathed a sigh of relief. "I 'll be by tomorrow. Is that all right?" He gave her a diffident smile.
    Selena returned his smile, her eyes narrowing. Poor Gareth, he was still unsure where he stood with her. "Yes, darling, that will be fine." As he made for the door, after placing a swift kiss on her cheek, she called after him, halting him with his fingers on the latch. "And Gareth, don't say a word about her to anyone. The poor girl obviously doesn't want her whereabouts known, so it would be best if Tiger doesn't know she's here, don't you think?"
    "Excellent idea," he agreed, smiling gratefully.
    "Oh, and make sure the driver keeps his mouth shut too."
    "I will. Goodnight." He gave her another thankful look as he waved before climbing into the carriage.
    "Goodnight, Gareth darling." Selena watched until the vehicle rumbled off into the night, then went back to stand over her rival. Smug satisfaction made her want to jig like a girl, something she hadn't done in an age.
     
    * * *
     
    "Wh . . . Where am I?" Isabella licked her dry lips and pushed herself onto her elbows. Shaking her head slightly she tried to focus on something. Then she remembered. The ruffian had grabbed her. Then