Free Captive Surrender by Rebecca King

not to be thwarted by their malevolent
neighbour.
    Rufus watched a flash of
temper chase away the fear in her eyes and mentally applauded. “I
think that you need to stick to your guns. Levant is a mealy
mouthed bully and, if he is harassing you, then I think that I
should pay the man a visit. He has recently purchased an alarming
amount of land in the area, very quickly, and not altogether at a
fair price. Whatever the man is up to, I can only conceive that it
is illegal, and that makes him dangerous.” Rufus sighed and stared
down at the floor for several moments. He didn’t want to frighten
the ladies, but he needed them to be extra vigilant. “I am trying
to uncover a bit more about Levant’s activities. All I can say at
the moment is that they look to be illegal. I am still trying to
get hold of some of the villagers who have sold out to him, but it
takes time. However, although my investigations are ongoing, I am
more than happy to pay the man a visit and warn him to leave you
alone. I would strongly recommend that if you have a solicitor, you
instruct him to issue Levant with a formal letter refusing to sell
any part of the land to him at any point.”
    Rufus knew from the
gossips in the village that their father had died and wondered
where their mother was. Did Levant know that they had no father to
guide and protect them? Is that why he was targeting the family;
because as females they were easy prey?”
    Prudence’s heart sank to
her toes and she shared a woeful look with Eloisa, who looked as
though she was about to burst into tears.
    “ What?” Rufus
frowned at the heavy silence and watched the looks that passed
between the ladies.
    “ We cannot
afford a solicitor,” Eloisa replied softly. “Our father died
several years ago and we are left with a small stipend that makes
life difficult.” For the first time, her eyes met and held his. She
could read the calm reassurance there and wasn’t sure whether to
believe his readiness to help. Nobody had ever helped the family
before. Eloisa and her sisters had always been left to sort out
their own problems. It felt strange to confide in this veritable
stranger and have him so willing to help out. “With no father, and
a mother who is ill, I think that Levant might see us as a weak
link he can pressurise into selling, but Cragdale is our home. It
is ours and has been in our family for generations. We can’t leave
it.”
    The calm, matter-of-fact
assurance in Eloisa’s gaze made him nod warily. He wasn’t sure
whether he would have preferred her to cry so he could pat her on
the head and usher her home with reassurances that he would take
over. The determination in her tone warned him that he could have
trouble on his hands if he didn’t set out some boundaries; and
quickly.
    “ I am the
magistrate here and, although you ladies don’t come into Marchwell
much, your home is still in my jurisdiction. It is my duty to
ensure that nobody is hassled into anything they don’t want. I am
investigating this man and he is showing signs of being engaged in
criminal activity. Until I can gather enough evidence to put him
behind bars, I can only request that you stay away from him, and
continue to refuse any offer he puts forward.” His eyes met and
held Prudence’s. “Whatever he offers for, reject it. He cannot
force you into anything if you don’t sign anything. I will pay the
man a visit, if only to let him know that I am around.”
    It irked Rufus that the
man expected to operate so deviously right under his nose with the
misapprehension that he would get away with it. Rufus was made of
sterner stuff than that, and had the benefit of the weight of the
law behind him to ensure that his job was carried out to the
fullest, and Levant was brought to justice if found to be breaking
the law.
    A surge of protectiveness
swept through him as he studied the bedraggled state of his
visitors while they drank their tea and tried not to shiver. He
contemplated offering