Free Lady Sophia's Rescue (Traditional Regency Romance) by Cheryl Bolen

captors set about roping his and Thompson's hands. A sense of hopelessness engulfed him. He could not bear to think of Finkel laying a finger on the beautiful Isadore, could not bear to think he might never see her again.
    Damn but it was hard to believe he'd only known her two days. He could not deny that she had gripped his heart so thoroughly he did not care if she was wed to another, he did not care if she smuggled gold bullion. All he cared about was making her his own.
    And making an honest woman of her.
    "What are your plans for us?" he asked Rotten Teeth.
    "We've merely been instructed to keep ye out of his lordship's way until he can get out of Lunnon."
    William felt a rush of relief. "Well, then," he said, plopping down on a mat of fresh hay, "I believe my man and I will relax and wait."
    Thompson knew what to do. They had been together so long they could almost read each other's thoughts. Thompson dropped into the hay beside him.
    His idea must have sounded good to his captors because the three sat right down on the dirt floor just where the sunlight's line of demarcation fronted the stable.
    The darkness of the stable was in William's favor. He waited a moment, waited for the men at the front to get caught up in a conversation, then he reached into the top of his left boot. Given that his hands were tied at the wrists, it was a very tight squeeze, but his patience paid off a moment later when he unfastened his sheath and pulled out his knife. He cut Thompson's ropes, and Thompson cut his.
    Halfway between him and the captors, his sword gleamed on the stable floor. He knew if he dove for it, they'd hear him and possibly kill him, but it was risk he had to take.
    For Isadore.
    He whispered instructions to Thompson, who kept the knife.
    Then he dove for the sword.
    All three men leapt up at the sound, knives drawn.
    But as they watched William, Thompson disabled the man closest to him, which caused the others to flinch, giving William the split second he needed to lunge into Rotten Teeth – just as the man's knife came sailing toward William's chest. William dove for the man's feet, his own body slamming into the dirt floor with bruising force – and Rotten Teeth's knife grazing his back.
    That his sword had embedded into the other man's side rendered the man powerless to stop William from pummeling the last man until he begged him to stop.
    With the three men writhing in the dirt, William instructed Thompson to tie them up, untie the groom, then head to Nick's.
    * * *
    The Finkel carriage was being packed for a journey. It was good that William had not been detained a minute longer.
    When the well-built butler answered the door, William forced his way in. "Lady Finkel's lover, to see his lordship."
    The man's eyes rounded.
    Standing in Finkel's entry hall, William quickly saw Finkel looking down at him from the third floor landing.
    "I believe I have in my possession something you want, Finkel." William held up the battered gray valise. He began to mount the stairs.
    "And you are?" Finkel asked.
    "William Birmingham."
    "You are related to Nicholas Birmingham?"
    William had covered a dozen steps. "He is my brother."
    When he reached the first landing, he lost view of Finkel, who was directly above him. "If you wish the return of this valise, you must release her ladyship."
    "I believe I'd be within my rights killing a man who tried to abduct my wife from her own house," Finkel shouted, much too gleefully for William's comfort.
    "There's a very big problem for you if something happens to me."
    "And what might that be?"
    "My brother knows I was coming here." He started up to the next floor. "And he has in his possession something which - - -"
    Now he could peer into Finkel's eyes, "will prove by what illegal methods you've been restoring the Finkel fortunes."
    Finkel's gaze darted to the valise. "You found it. Wakefield's letter."
    William nodded gravely. "I know everything, including by which means you trapped your.