[Previously: The Squire's "citizen army" has captured their first bad guy, Cedric continues to heal well, and Mrs. C has noticed the love that Cedric and Lavinia share. Something's wrong though. Cedric just heard Lavinia scream!]
He decided to take the secret passage to the Morning Room, choosing that as the one furthest from the voices he'd heard near the stairs. He was hoping to come up behind, and render unconscious, as many of the housebreakers as possible, deeming that a full frontal assault of one man against such unknown forces would be a forlorn hope. He had to avoid anything that would make it impossible for him to help the woman he loved.
Making no sound in his stocking feet, it didn't take him long to locate one of the thieves, and only another moment or two to sneak up on him and knock him unconscious with the poker. Cedric spent a few precious minutes binding him with a drapery pull and gagging him with his own none too clean kerchief. Afterward, Cedric hid the body behind a decorative screen, just in case the others would come looking for their companion. Panting slightly and holding a hand to his sore side, for the robber had been a large man, Cedric returned to the hallway door to listen for sounds of other activity. He didn't have to wait more than a minute or two.
Footsteps sounded along the stones of the hall, and another robber appeared, carrying a bulging sack and bullying Peter, pushing him and threatening him with a pistol. When he spoke, Cedric recognised him as the man who'd been stealing a pair of Kentham's candlesticks earlier and a grimly anticipatory smile altered Cedric's face as he slipped further into cover and gripped the poker more tightly.
The robber never knew what hit him, and then Cedric was looking up from the floor at the astonished footman, a warning finger over his lips, and the thief's bag of booty safely clutched against his chest. He'd caught it when his victim had fallen because he hadn't wanted any unusual noise to alert the others to his presence. After a few quick instructions to bind and gag the unconscious thief, Cedric was on his way again, pausing only long enough to be sure that the servant had succeeded in locking the door behind him.
The big grandfather clock in the Hall chimed the half hour, and Cedric was relieved to note that he'd been at this for only a few minutes. With continued luck maybe his Lavinia would soon be safe. Unconsciously rubbing his side again, he listened to the various sounds of altercations and tried to decide where he should go next.
A sudden shout of alarm from the Library made up his mind for him, for he had no trouble recognising the voice of Professor Le Mersurer. That these louts were menacing women and old men was no surprise to Cedric, since he knew all too well what cowards they were. The way to the Library from his present position would leave him too exposed, however, so he decided to use the secret passages once more. The few tense moments it took to return to the Morning Room, reclaim his lantern and then travel through the passages once more gave him more time than he liked to think about all the ways that these villains could menace women.
The Library's access to the secret passages was a particularly good one since it opened under a table which was situated in a small reading alcove. Cedric had to smile as he slipped up through it, despite his current worries, for he remembered Jacques' irreverent observation that a well-fed priest or rebel could never have escaped that way.
After setting the lantern on the table, Cedric crept forward cautiously, using the bookcases, tables and chairs as cover. At the far end of the room, Monsieur Le Mersurer was being tied to a chair by one of the robbers. His hair and clothes were dishevelled, as if he'd put up quite a struggle, and there was a growing bruise in his left cheek, the sight of which made Cedric furious.
Deciding to take advantage of the robber's preoccupation, Cedric came out of hiding and rushed forward, silent on his stocking feet. Unfortunately, Monsieur Le Mersurer, though a worthy man in many respects, had no talent for dissembling, and the surprised look on his face alerted the robber to Cedric's presence. The blow aimed at the robber's head went awry, grazing him just above the ear, and then thudding onto his shoulder. It stunned him, but only momentarily, and then he was reaching into his pocket for his pistol.
He also had time to shout for help.
Cursing silently, Cedric was able to knock the gun from his opponent's hand with the extra reach the poker gave him, and then he kicked the man's feet out from under him, sending him crashing to the floor, dazed, but not unconscious. Before Cedric could remedy that situation, reinforcements had arrived in the person of another and bigger ruffian and Cedric had to turn his attention to fighting someone two stones heavier and half a head taller, when he himself was already feeling winded.
Ordinarily he would have welcomed such a challenge, delighted in it even, but now his side was aching constantly and he was nearly beside himself with worry over Lavinia. Even with all that, however, the months of masquerading as the Avenger and the numerous tricks he'd learned now came to his aid and he managed to outwit and outmanoeuvre his opponent, bringing him to his knees, nursing sore ribs and a throbbing head. Cedric had no time to enjoy his victory, though, because the first robber was once again on his feet, a bit dizzy still from their earlier encounter but much more angry, and now he rushed at Cedric, arms wide, determined to bring down this interloper.
Cedric had sensed his approach, even before he could glimpse him with the corner of his eye, but the morning's exertions were catching up to him, and his body now refused to respond as quickly as needed. One big, beefy hand caught at his clothing as he whirled to get out of reach, and then he was trapped in a vice-like grip and knocked to the floor. The impact sent knife-sharp waves of pain through his injured side and, for just long enough, he couldn't defend himself.
They had him now.
