Sweet Surrender

~Stay with me~ Part 2

A grim face filled with anger stared back at them as the three sat facing eachother at a small table in a nearby bistro.

He had arrived piqued with interest on what these individuals had to speak to him about and the story they told him was too far fetched. He could not understand.

"Is this some sort of sick joke. To come here and play upon a mans grief or try to get him for his money?" he spoke dangerously low.

Confused glares went all around as Caroline immediately spoke.

"No... No it is nothing like that. What grief do you speak of?" she frowned.

Von Beuran sat rigidly straight and leaned forward with a heated glare.
"Do not play games with me Madam. Do you know the whereabout of my daughter or don't you. Or why else have you asked to meet here."

Confused, Caroline shook her head.
"Daughter!"

Before she could continue Arlington spoke up.
" Sir, we are here to speak of your neice, Evangeline. We were not aware that you had a daughter," he said.

"Evangeline! What about Evangeline?" he frowned with concern.

Exchanging worried gazes Arlington began.
"Well you see, we suspect she is in danger. Reynaud brought her here against her will and we do not know how but she would not have come willingly with Locksley,"

"What do you mean?" he looked at them both.

"Sir, he is not a good man," Caroline began.

"But he is her husband," Von Beuran began.

"No... he is not," Arlington shook his head.

Silence followed. The strickened look on Von Beuran's face pushed Caroline to continue speaking.

Nothing was left untold. They spoke of everything from the moment Evangeline was left penniless, to ending up in Adrian's care then becoming his wife and now ending up here.

He sat back dumbfounded, taking in all that was said. He was at a loss for words.

"I always knew that bastard Chenoweth was no good for Hillary. He left them penniless? Christ who knows what they endured." He shook his head willing away the tears that were burning in his eyes.

"You say she is married to this Adrian St.James fellow an Earl? and not Reynaud?" he shook his head in disbelief as they nodded.

"What happened? How did he end up bringing her here?" Von Beuran asked.

"That is what we do not understand. We do not know under what pretext he has threatened her with. Because of her own will she would not have come," Caroline gave saddened gaze.

"Unless he threatened her with her unborn child," They pondered.

"It can not be, because he knew nothing of her pregnancy until she arrived here. We found out the day they both came." Von Beuran explained.

"Unless...," Caroline immediately looked up to Von Beuran then looked at the puzzling gaze of Arlington.

"Unless what?" he asked.

She looked at Von Beuran with a terrified look. "When did you say your daughter was lost?"

They watched as he sat up with a concerned gaze and told them.

Now worried Caroline looked at Von Beuran.
"I do not think your daughter is lost."

A dead pan silence followed.

" I think.....Locksley has her."

*******

The dawn light slowly illuminated the room.