The woman stared at him as if he were mad.
Jacko looked to Raul. “Tell her to pass them over or this place will soon have no need for keys.”
Raul reached into the woman’s apron and retrieved the bundle of metal. He threw them at Jacko, hitting him on the chest. “There! You have them.”
Jacko left the room, but listened by the door. He could hear Raul quite easily.
“Either tell me what you have done with the woman, or I will strangle your daughter with my bare hands. Do you understand me?”
“You are as much a mad man as he! I do not know where the girl has gone. Why do you not believe me?”
“Because you and your daughter are liars.”
“We did not lie. Señor Bienora used my daughter and tossed her aside. That is the God’s truth.”
Jacko left before he strangled the woman himself. At least now he was confident that Raul was not his problem.
When he entered his room, he locked the door and lay on the bed, considering his options. He could try torturing the truth out of the woman, but he had never before harmed a female, not even in his pirate days. He did not wish to add a new crime to his long list.
His thoughts turned to Maria. Her culpability grew stronger with each hour. Yet she could not have done this alone. He could not imagine Alice being forced to go anywhere with a girl half her size. Yet Maria was beautiful enough to convince a strong male to assist her.
He recalled the guilty look of the stable boy yesterday when he asked for Alice’s horse. The boy had ignored him and selected another.
Later, the paleontologists had spotted Alice’s horse running the fields without a rider.
Damn it all! Her horse had been sent off as a distraction. Alice and her luggage did not leave by horseback. He should have been looking for wagon or carriage tracks. Only it was too late now. The rain last night would have washed away any tracks remaining.
A frantic knock on his door broke his thoughts. He climbed from bed. “Who is it?”
The person only pounded harder.
Jacko unlocked the door with caution. Maria pushed her way in.
“Señor Bienora, you must help us. Raul has gone mad. He has told my mother we must leave the house. Now. In the middle of the night. We will die before we reach the town.”
“Then advise your mother to tell Raul the whereabouts of Miss Collin.”
Maria frowned. “Why do care about the woman? I understand why Raul wants her back. They were lovers. I saw them in the barn.” She walked to the bed and sat down. “But why do you care when you have me?”
Closing the door, he leaned against it. “I love Alice and if you actually do care a wit for me, you will tell me where she is.”
Maria tilted her head. “And what do I get?”
His heart quickened. He knew an introduction to bartering better than anyone. He stepped closer and smiled. “What do you want?”
She sighed. “Something you will not wish to give. Which is a shame, because you will not find her without my help.”
Pressing his hands to his thighs so he would not strangle the girl, Jacko hissed, “Tell me what you want.”
Her smile was pure innocence as she replied, “I want you to marry me.”
Jacko’s first response was ‘when hell freezes over,’ but he forced out a less dramatic reply. “But I love Alice.”
She shrugged. “You will forget about her in time.”
He shook his head and a dark fury grew in the girl’s eyes.
“That is too bad. Because if you don’t marry me, she will probably die. She has a wound on her head, and without a doctor I don’t imagine she will live through the week.”
Having lost all restraint, he wrapped his hands around the girl’s neck. “Tell me where she is, damn you.”
Even when her face turned red, Maria held a smile to her lips. She had no fear of dying. She knew she held the power in this negotiation. Jacko released her. “And if I marry you?”
“Then I will tell you where she is.”
He had no problem lying to this bitch. “All right, I will marry you. Now where is she?”
Maria laughed. “You must think me a silly fool indeed. I will tell you after the priest proclaims us man and wife.”
Jacko froze at her words. He wanted no woman but Alice as his wife, especially not this one, but to save his beloved he would do this. Surely, whatever priest bound them, would annul the marriage just as quickly when he learned the reason Jacko had agreed to the liaison.
“Then let us be married as soon as possible.”
Maria jumped up and threw her arms around his neck. “You really wish to marry me?”
He wished to kill her, but he remained silent and nodded.
She pressed her head against his chest. “We will be happy. You will see. I will make you the best wife a man could want.”
Was the girl insane? How could she seriously think he would ever love her? Of course, she was insane. No one with sense would do what she has done. And he was certain she knew where Alice was. He led the vile creature to his door, needing time to consider his next moves.
She pulled away from his grip and then pressed herself against his chest, smiling lovingly into his eyes. “No, I will spend the night with you.”
If she did, he’d probably kill her in his sleep. He gently set her back. “I have too much respect for you. We will remain apart until the wedding day.” Going on a hunch, he added. “It is very important to me that my wife comes to our wedding night untouched and innocent.”
He smiled as he noticed the flicker of worry cross her face. She was far from untouched and now must concede to his wishes or admit her ruined state.
“Very well, we will wait until we are married. But you must tell Raul he cannot send us from here.” She laughed. “And tell him I will soon be mistress of the house.”
Jacko sent her from his room, then located Raul in the library, enjoying his best brandy. His farm manager offered to pour him a glass, but Jacko shook his head. “I have something to tell you and I need you to think about why I might do this before responding.”
Raul frowned but nodded.
“I have agreed to marry Maria.”
His eyes rounded in surprise and then narrowed.
“We are to be married as soon as possible.”
Raul’s frown deepened.
“Once Maria is my wife, she has promised to give me a present…information.”
“And you agreed to this?”
“Alice may be hurt. I would agree to anything to save her life.”
Raul nodded and sighed. “Then allow me to be the first to congratulate you, Señor Bienora. The town of San Fernando will be very happy with this news. I will leave in the morning to let them know.”
“How soon can this marriage take place?”
“I believe Father Spadoni will see it done within two days. He is Maria’s confessor and may understand the need to rush.”
Jacko’s stomach roiled. The bitch was pregnant. That removed any possibility of her accidently dying during their honeymoon if the priest refused to annul the wedding. He could never harm or bring about harm to an innocent child.
He would not be able to rectify the situation before he discovered Alice nor afterwards. Without doubt when Alice discovered him with a pregnant wife, she would do the honorable thing and leave him. Yet, if he didn’t marry Maria so she reveals Alice’s location, his beloved could die.
As the realization that all hope for a life with Alice had ended, pain worse than he’d ever known seized his heart and soul.
Raul’s hand rested on his shoulder. “Much can happen in two days.”
Chapter 27
Alice woke again to her unsettling darkness and throbbing head. The scent of putrid rot filled her nostrils. She hoped the odor was from a dead rat lying nearby, but she feared it was the aching wound on her head.
Angry voices yelled from a nearby room and distracted her from her new trepidation. She r
ecognized the voices as her gentle keeper and Maria.
Soon after the arguing stopped, the door to her room opened and closed. She heard the creaking of the chair and then the quiet gasps of air. Her keeper was crying. Hopefully, his tears meant he hated his part in her capture and she could persuade him to help. Otherwise, she would likely die before Jacko could find her.
Following the sound of his quiet sobs, she reached through the darkness and touched what felt to be his knee. His calloused hand covered her hand. “I do not know what to do.”
She was about to tell him to trust his heart, but if his heart belonged to Maria, that was the last thing she would want. “Trust in God.”
“Yes.” He sounded as if a great revelation had come to him. “Yes, thank you.” He dropped her hand, feet thundered across the room and the door opened and closed.
“Wait!” Alice she sat up and stretched out her hands into the darkness.
The only response was a doubling of the pounding in her head.
She had planned to convince her keeper to find Jacko and let him know of her location and in exchange, she would ensure no one held her keeper responsible for his part in her abduction and enough money to make him a rich man. But she was too slow to act.
Weakened by her pain, she gently eased her head onto the pillow. The smell of rot seemed stronger than ever. She gingerly touched the wound on her head and then brought her fingers to her nose.
Her stomach roiled at the vile odor. Tears flowed down her cheeks. It wasn’t fair. After all she’s been through, to lose her life just when she had found the man of her dreams.
Fatigue overcame her and mercifully her world turned black.
***
An intense burning on her scalp and the smell of alcohol returned her to consciousness.
“Good, you are awake,” an unfamiliar, heavily accented, male voice spoke. Then a hand gripped her chin. “Can you tell me how many fingers I hold?”
“I cannot see your fingers. All is black.”
A heavy sigh followed and then the pain on her head intensified again as he tugged on the hair around her wound.
When her keeper spoke from across the room, the man she assumed was a doctor, scolded him with great severity in Spanish. Moments later, heavy footprints crossed the room and the door opened and closed.
She felt sorry for the man who took care of her. He was not a bad fellow. She was certain, despite all their arguing, the man loved Maria with all his heart. No doubt the she-cat would react badly to the doctor’s visit.
“Sir, are you a doctor?”
“I am.”
“Could you let my friends know where I am? Señor Bienora, or Mr. and Mrs. Hathoway.”
“Señor Bienora is getting married today, but I have heard of the Hathoways. They are staying at the inn. Shall I give them a message?”
Her head reeled from the first part of his statement. “Who is he to marry?”
“A local girl, Maria Marconi.”
Never!
The doctor gripped her hand. “There is no more I can do for you. I will go now and alert your friends of your situation.”
She nodded, barely listening to his words. Her mind remained focused on Jacko marrying. He would never marry Maria, unless he had no choice. What if that horrid creature had threatened to have her killed? Tears filled her eyes. She knew Jacko would do anything if he thought her life in danger.
She sat up. This marriage could not happen. Jacko was hers and only hers.
Having heard the door open and close enough times to know which way to walk, she stood, waited until she felt steady enough to walk, and stepped forward into the darkness. She pushed forward, testing the emptiness with outreached hands and tentative feet.
An eternity later, her fingers touched a flat surface. With minimal searching, she found the frame of the door, and finally the cool metal handle.
Resting her forehead on the door, she smiled. She could do this. For Jacko, she could do this.
She opened the door and stepped out of her room. She wasn’t even certain she had entered a hall. It could be another room for all she knew. She stretched her arm out as far as she could, trying to locate the opposing wall. Her hand fluttered about in black space, locating nothing. This meant either it was another room, or the hall was wider than the span of her arms. Determined to know which, she released the doorknob and stepped a foot further into the blackness.
Her fingers jammed into another hard surface.
It was a hallway.
Uncertain which way to turn, she chose left and followed the wall. Not only did it provide her a sense of location, but support when she needed to stop and rest her throbbing head.
You have to stay strong. You can do this. She pushed forward with determination.
Her extended palms slammed into something hard. She had chosen the wrong direction and hit a dead end.
Cursing softly, she turned and followed the hallway to the other end.
When the wall at her side disappeared, she almost lost her balance and fell. Her hands fluttered through the air, searching for something to grasp, finally locating a railing.
She had found the stairs.
Clinging tightly to the wood rail, she slowly worked her way down the steps, her right foot testing for each edge and then sliding back to ensure a safe footing.
After endless steps, she grew faint and had to rest until she could rally her strength to continue. When she reached the bottom floor, she took a chance and walked straight forward. Blackness closed around and panic threatened to overwhelm her. When her hands hit a wall, she gasped in relief. The muted sounds of life could be heard outside: men’s voices and the rumbling of a wagon.
“You’re almost there,” she whispered and moved sideways, searching for a door. Finally, her hand hit an arch of metal. Upon locating the front door lock, after several tries, the lock mechanism turned and the door opened.
Stepping out the door, she lost all sense of orientation. A cacophony of sounds came from every direction. Then the scent of animals and dirt filled her nostrils and gave her a sense of wellbeing. The sun’s heat warmed her left side. Keeping the warmth to her left, she slowly moved forward, testing the surface in front of her before she put weight on her foot. Her precaution paid off as she maneuvered down three steps.
The sounds of carriages and people were all about her and she struggled to determine where anything was located.
Focus! Locate one sound and focus!
Young men, speaking in Spanish and laughing, stood somewhere directly in front of her. One of them was smoking‒she could smell his tobacco.
They might help a damsel in distress. Or they might be friends of Maria.
She had to take a chance. If they attempted to return her to the house, she would fight to her last breath.
Recalling the young man who had tried to come to her rescue on the dock, she thought of another problem. They might not speak English. If only she had insisted on those lessons in Spanish to start the first day, but she had assumed they had plenty of time.
Stop thinking of what can go wrong, and just do it. Jacko is getting married to Maria. I have to stop the wedding!
She stepped forward only to hear a driver yell and a horse scream in pain.
She jumped back, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. “Can someone help me? Please! I’m blind and need help!”
The only reply was what sounded like Spanish curses from the driver.
“Does anyone here speak English?” She called out again, desperately waiting for a reply.
Nothing. All the voices she had heard previously remained silent, as if the blackness of her world devoured them. Worse yet, she had lost her bearing. She couldn’t feel the sun anymore. The nothingness of her world overwhelmed her and she dropped to her knees.
“Please, someone, help me!”
She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t save Jacko. She couldn’t even save herself.
As despair overtook her, a familiar
voice pierced through the all-consuming blackness. “Alice, dear, stay where you are. We’re coming.”
The sound of Mrs. Hathoway’s voice caused a burst of tears to erupt. By the time Mr. and Mrs. Hathoway had their arms about her waist, leading her away, Alice was sobbing and almost too weak to walk. Fortunately, they had a carriage nearby.
Once inside the carriage, she gained control of her weeping and focused on the dire emergency at hand. “We have to stop Jacko from marrying Maria.”
“No dear, we have to get you home. The local doctor who told us where to find you says the London doctors may be able to help you see again.”
“I would rather be blind than lose Jacko. Now please help me stop this marriage.” Sensing their resistance, and knowing she could not save Jacko without their cooperation, she focused on Mr. Hathoway. “Maria struck me on the head and took me here. Jacko is only marrying her so she will tell him where I am. I beg you. Please help me save him from a life of hell. I love him and he is mine.”
She relaxed when she heard Mr. Hathoway yell to the driver to go to the cathedral. “Thank you.”
She felt Mrs. H’s hand on hers. “Dear, what if you are wrong? What if he wishes to marry the girl?”
“I am certain that is not the case, but if you are concerned about being embarrassed, then open the door to the chapel and push me in. I can do the rest on my own.”
***
The priest had droned on for two hours about the sanctity of marriage. Not in this marriage. This was a marriage conceived in hell. Jacko stared at Maria, so happy, so blissfully angelic in her white wedding gown. He would hate her until the day he died.
When the priest finally asked Maria if she would love and obey… Jacko almost laughed aloud. This conniving bitch knew nothing about loving or obeying. But she better keep her word about Alice, or by God he would kill her before a hundred witnesses.
The priest turned to him, “Do you, Jacon Bienora, take this woman—”
“No!”
Alice’s voice cried out from his soul. He grimaced in pain. His beloved might never forgive him for this, but at least she’d be alive. He would rather love her from afar than to lose her entirely.
A Right to Love: Romantic Spinoff From The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Book 2.5 Page 25
