Ada & The Earl (The Woodhouse Series #1)

Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

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*Edinburgh, Scotland*

As Ada left abruptly, Louis found himself on his own, thinking and wondering what he had done or said to cause her to leave.

He couldn't lie that he was smitten by her. She was unlike any other woman in his life. She was...different in a good way, of course.

She was ladylike, in her way and remarkable in every way. She never seemed to stop surprising him and he was enthralled by her - the way she spoke, the way she was fearless and the way she didn't care over what people thought of her.

He had never met anyone like her.

But he had upset her and he didn't know how because no one left so quickly during a heartfelt conversation unless they had been hurt.

Louis leaned back on the chaise longue, his legs up on the seat as his arm draped over his forehead. What had happened?

Sleep befell him and he jumped awake suddenly - he had no idea how long he had shut his eyes but Ada was still not back.

Pulling on his jacket, he ventured outside. It was still on the docks as he walked around, his hands in his pockets as he kept a low profile, looking everywhere he possibly could for Ada. He called for her at times but heard no response, his voice low as he asked the dockmaster if he had seen someone matching her description.

"She was over by the railings. I saw a man with a scar on his face there too..." He pointed down the docks and Louis nodded, thanking him as he quickly ran over.

A scar-faced man?

Had the bowler-hat man found them?

As Louis turned a corner towards where Ada had last been seen, he banged into someone and all the tension and stress he had been feeling disappeared in an instant.

***

A splash of cold water on my face and I awoke.

Coughing repeatedly, I let my vision clear as I became aware of the fact that I was in a warehouse with crates labelled 'McDougall's Whiskey'.

I had no idea if I was still on the Newhaven docks or in some other part of Edinburgh.

I tried to lift my hands and move my legs but I looked down to see I had been strapped down with ropes to a wooden chair, the knots so tight that pain surged through my limbs.

A man emerged from the shadows and my eyes went wide.

The bowler-hat man - he had found us.

How?

"Rise and shine..." His sly accent was hard to pinpoint.

"Great, you found me. What's the prize?"

"Your head embalmed on my mantle?" He threatened and my mouth fell open in shock.

"Not what I was thinking of..." I muttered as he came to me.

He held up his cane, putting it against my neck as he leaned down towards me. "Where is he?"

"Who?" I played dumb but he didn't want to play.

He leaned back and slapped me across the face with the back of his hand but I did not cry out, despite the rushing of pain in my cheek. "Where is he?" He asked again and again, I said nothing.