Then her captor swung her writhing into his arms, and strode away through the wood without a word.
Diana was passive now, reserving her strength for when it might avail her something, but above the gag her eyes blazed with mingled fright and fury. She noticed that she was being carried not into the wood, but along it, and was not surprised when they emerged on to the road where it had rounded the bend.
With a sick feeling of terror, she saw a coach standing in the road, and guessed, even before she knew, what was her fate. Through a haze she saw a man standing at the door, and then she was thrust into the coach and made to sit down on the softly-cushioned seat. All her energies were concentrated in fighting against the faintness that threatened to overcome her. She won gradually, and strained her ears to catch what was being said outside.
She caught one sentence in a familiar, purring voice:
"Set them loose and tie this to the pummel." Then there was silence.
Presently she heard footsteps returning. An indistinguishable murmur from Harper, and the door opened to allow his Grace of Andover to enter the coach. It gave a lurch and rumbled on.
Tracy looked down with a slight smile into the gold-flecked eyes that blazed so indignantly into his.
"A thousand apologies, Miss Beauleigh! Allow me to remove this scarf."
As he spoke he untied the knot, and the silk fell away from her face.
For a moment she was silent, struggling for words wherewith to give vent to her fury; then the red lips parted and the small, white teeth showed, clenched tightly together.