She took a deep breath and did as he instructed. Dougal followed directly behind her. Her initial instinct was to run, run anywhere, to try and get away from him. But she knew that she couldn’t leave Dougal to fend for himself. The Raven would kill him, and then Graeme would never forgive her. In addition, she had no idea where she was, and running aimlessly in the dark would not save anyone. She needed to be smart, bide her time, and select the precise moment to escape.
At first, Vanessa expected the tunnel to be part of an abandoned or unfinished section of the underground railway. But she saw no tracks. Once The Raven descended the stairs, he pulled the stone above them back into place, shrouding them in darkness. A match was struck, the flame flickering to life, and The Raven lit a candle.
He retrieved two lanterns from behind the stairs and lit those as well, handing one to each of them. Now, with light, Vanessa could see this was nothing like the underground, where the tunnels were nicely sculpted. This area was crude, carved out probably hundreds of years ago.
Cold and damp, the tunnel immediately reminded her of the caves where she and Graeme had spent so much time in Loch Ness. She hoped that she hadn’t seen him for the last time. The thought of never again seeing her husband, never feeling his lips brush hers or his hand stroke her hair, nearly stole her breath. It was as if someone had reached in and squeezed her heart. No, she steeled herself against such thoughts. She would get out of this alive, and she’d save Dougal while she was at it.
She knew in that moment she’d trade everything to be back in Graeme’s arms. Yes, she enjoyed her research, but if given the choice, she’d choose him. Because damn it all if she hadn’t fallen in love with her husband. Tears pricked her eyes as the realization flooded her. She had to escape because she had to tell him.
“This leads to Westminster?” she asked. When The Raven didn’t answer, she went on. “And this is how you got in and stole the counterfeit Stone of Destiny.”
“Precisely. You are a clever girl, aren’t you?” he said drolly.
Water from the rains yesterday must have leaked below and created a tiny stream flowing inside the tunnel. Her slippers were soaked before they’d walked through the second carved archway.
The three of them walked in silence for several moments, turning twice. Vanessa tried to memorize the route, but the tunnel had several turnoffs, and she wasn’t certain whether she’d be able to remember the proper directions. She doubted if she and Dougal could escape, run back the way they’d come, and get to the street before The Raven could reach them. They’d have to disable him in some capacity.
As they walked, Vanessa searched for some sort of weapon—a large rock to hit him on the head or a sharp stick to jab him with. Anything that could be of use. Only rats and the small trail of water occupied the space with them. The foul smell of human waste assaulted her senses, and she winced. The sooner they were out of this damned tunnel, the better. Once they were in Westminster, they could escape or signal for help.
Finally, they came to another staircase, and again The Raven sent Dougal first. “Shift that statue of the angel, and it will open the secret chamber,” The Raven said. “Make any foolish moves and I’ll kill her. I suspect you’re like your brother and share his ridiculous propensity for rescuing hapless females, which means you won’t raise a hand against me as long as she’s here. But in case that isn’t enough motivation, remember that if you try any foolish heroics, not only will you and the girl die, but when I find your brother, I’ll kill him too.”
Dougal nodded, then did as instructed. Once he’d shoved the stone out of the way, he climbed up the staircase and disappeared above them.
Vanessa followed Dougal up, and The Raven followed close behind. Once they were all in the small chamber, he shifted the statue back into place.
“We’re inside Westminster,” Vanessa said, looking up. She knew the stonework of the abbey, having been here on many occasions, although she’d never seen this particular room. It looked to be a room where the choir might gather.
He led them through several other rooms until at last, they stopped in one. He closed the door behind them. Vanessa watched The Raven move and stand near a door on the opposite wall. He leaned close to listen.
“Her Majesty will be right on the other side of this door,” he said, “once the service concludes. Set the jewels over there.” He motioned to a table.
Vanessa did as instructed and placed the gems down next to the Stone of Destiny. Dougal huddled close behind Vanessa, right on her heels like a beaten puppy seeking comfort. He looked dazed, his gaze unfocused. His hands had started to tremble. He had never seemed more like a child. Clearly, he was very afraid, and if he didn’t get his fear under control, it just might get them both killed.
Vanessa turned to him and grasped both of his hands in her own, giving him something solid to focus on. “Dougal, it’ll be all right. I promise.”
Finally, his gaze met hers for an instant before darting to The Raven, who’d extracted a fiendish-looking knife and was scraping the pad of his thumb against it as if testing the blade.
Dougal shook his head. “No. It won’t be fine. He’s going to murder the queen, and I’ve helped him do it. I’ve helped kill the queen. And I shot you. I can’t believe I shot you.”
“Nonsense, you have not helped kill the queen,” she said sternly, keeping her eyes on Dougal, willing her strength to him. “You are just a boy. You are not responsible for any of this. Besides, he is merely one man and not all powerful. He cannot possibly know where the queen is at any given moment. He may know that she’s in Westminster Abbey today for the funeral. He may hope that her guards lead her in this direction. But he has no way of knowing where she is. She’s just as likely to be on the other side of the building smelling roses in the garden. And as for me, I’m healthier than ever, and I know you didn’t mean it.”
Finally, Dougal nodded his understanding. But hers was a brief victory. She’d been so focused on calming down Dougal, she’d forgotten that The Raven could hear every word she said.
Nearly forgotten, that is, until he threw back his head and laughed. Vanessa glared at him, her anger overcoming her fear momentarily.
The Raven’s chest shook with his mirth until slowly his laughter died down. “Oh, what kind of foolish amateur do you take me for?” He paced toward her, stopping mere feet away. “Do you really think I would go to all this trouble without first doing my research? Do you really think I would plot and connive for months, that I would kidnap an innocent family, that I would steal from a fellow adventurer, that I would bother to manipulate this mindless dolt”—he gestured toward Dougal—“that I would murder, and then I would waste all of my efforts on an attempt to assassinate the queen if I wasn’t absolutely positive I was going to succeed?”
His eyes were lit with a fanatical gleam, his mouth foaming with spittle as he spoke. In that instant, she knew the truth. He was mad, and he would do anything in his power to carry out his plan.
Still Vanessa shook her head. “No. You can’t possibly know where—”
“Of course I can,” he interrupted her. “Everyone has his price. Dougal here could be had for a few pandering compliments and a sympathetic ear. Niall could be had for the infinitesimal hope that his family might one day be safely returned.” The Raven swung toward the door and gestured broadly. “And one of Her Majesty’s most loyal guards had a price as well.”
He shrugged as if beset by modesty. “Of course it took time to find the right guard to blackmail. Many train trips back and forth between London and Scotland so I could keep an eye on Niall, visit with young Dougal, and ferret out the information I needed. But in the end, I discovered that one Samuel Bennet has a very embarrassing predilection.”
Again, The Raven laughed. “Imagine. Being willing to betray the queen merely because you’re too embarrassed to admit you’re overly fond of young boys. Of course, Dougal, you were willing to betray your queen and your family out of sheer spite. I suppose that is worse.”
Dougal lunged at him, indignation radiating from his straining muscles. If she hadn’t already held his hands, she never would have stopped him.