“You still have your sister.”
“Vicky won’t be a problem, and if she is, then she knows what I’m capable of.” He straightened and sniffed the air. “I believe the gas is leaking. How fortuitous. That and the fire will see an end to this place and to you.”
He climbed back over the debris. “It might have been different if you’d accepted my proposal of marriage. Then the money would have been mine, and I wouldn’t have had to kill you . . . at least not right away.”
“Bill, please, help me. You can’t just leave me here.”
He laughed. “That’s where you’re wrong, cousin. I can and I will.” He left her room, laughing. “The house is soon to explode, so you’ll excuse me if I don’t remain to chat.”
Judith shook her head at his madness. How could anyone just leave another human being to die?
“Is everyone all right?” Caleb asked, taking a head count. “It looks like we’re all here.”
Mrs. Wong stood holding a kerosene lamp. “Gas turned off and no fire. We are all good.”
Caleb nodded. “The house seems to be in one piece, but it’s impossible to tell how bad it is. I don’t know if it’s safe, but I suggest we get dressed as quickly as possible and then meet outside on the stairs. We can take stock from there.”
They scattered in different directions, with Caleb following Camri and Kenzie back upstairs. He dressed in record time and pulled a large satchel out from under his bed. The floor was littered with broken glass, and pieces of it stuck into the leather as he drew out the bag. He didn’t worry about it, however, instead cramming several things into the satchel and then making a dash for the first floor. He hurried to his office and opened his safe. He drew out all the papers there, as well as money he’d put aside, and shoved those into the bag as well.
As he made his way back down the hall, Camri and Kenzie were coming down the stairs. They were doing their best to finish dressing and keep hold of their purses.
“Come on,” Caleb said, taking Camri’s arm.
He was almost to the front door when someone turned the knob several times. Caleb was about to call out when Patrick kicked in the door.
Everyone looked at him in shock, but it was Kenzie who began to giggle. Caleb couldn’t help but smile, and Patrick looked rather embarrassed.
“We would have opened the door for you,” Caleb finally said.
“Beggin’ yer pardon, Caleb. I’ll be fixin’ that for ye, of course.” He went to Camri and pulled her into his arms. “I’m so glad ye’re all safe. The world’s in pieces out there.”
“How bad is it?”
“Bad. Fires are startin’ everywhere. Buildings have collapsed, and streets have split open wide. It’s like the end of the world.” He looked at Caleb over Camri’s shoulder. The fear in his eyes was something Caleb had never seen in the big Irishman’s face. Not even when he faced the possibility of a death sentence for a murder he hadn’t committed.
“Judith!” Caleb shoved his bag at Kenzie. “There’s money in here, as well as important papers. Would you mind?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. Are you going to Judith?”
“Yes.” He headed for the door and stopped. “Will the car make it through?”
Patrick shook his head. “It’s doubtful.”
“It’s all right. I’ll run it.”
“Caleb, be careful,” Camri called. “We don’t want to lose you.”
He didn’t even look back. “I have to find out if she’s all right. I have to bring her home.”
He ran as fast as he could, but the life of a lawyer had caused him to grow soft. His legs burned and his lungs fought to draw in enough air. As he topped the first hill, he could see the fires sprinkled across the lower neighborhood. Smoke was muting the rising sun and turning the sky the color of blood. As he gazed upon the destruction, it was easy to see that the fires were spreading fast.
After running another few blocks, Caleb pushed through the gates to the Whitley estate. At first it appeared to be in one piece, but as he drew closer, he could see that the walls were cracked, windows shattered, and there were places where the roof had caved in. The front door stood ajar, as if to welcome him inside.
Caleb entered the foyer and saw the disastrous mess. The large gild-framed mirror had splintered into a thousand pieces. The overhead chandelier now lay on the floor, crystal shards mingling with the broken bits from the mirror. The far side of the room, including the right-hand staircase, was engulfed in flames.
“Is anyone here? Judith?” he called, making his way to the other set of stairs.
Bill Whitley came around a corner, all but tackling him. “We have to get out. The entire place is going to collapse.”
As if to prove his point, there was rumbling from the east wing, and debris rained down onto the flames.
Caleb was dragged back out the front door before he could stop Bill. “Wait. What about Judith?”
Bill shook his head. “She’s dead. My father too, and most of the servants.”
The wind left Caleb’s lungs. Dead? She was dead? “But . . . where? How?”
“The quake collapsed the roof on her room. The entire west wing is in shambles. I tried to get to her, but I was too late.”
Caleb stumbled back a few steps and looked at the house. “She can’t be dead. I have to help her!”
He tried to push past Bill. “You can’t. The fire is consuming the house. The gas is leaking, and there isn’t time.”
Caleb went still, and Bill let go of him. The thought of his beautiful Judith being dead—burned in the fire—was too much. He could scarcely draw breath.
“I’m going to see if the butler made it out,” Bill said. “You should come with me.” When Caleb didn’t answer, Bill shook his arm. “Come on. There’s nothing you can do.”
Caleb looked up and met Bill’s eyes. There was something cold and calculating in his expression. Caleb felt a stirring in his spirit.
Judith needs you.
He shook his head and pushed Bill away. “She’s alive. I know she’s alive.”
Caleb raced back into the house and took the stairs as quickly as he could, jumping over fallen debris and pushing aside anything in his way. The fire had spread and appeared to be engulfing the entire upper floor and roof.
“Judith!” he yelled.
He heard what sounded like another collapse of walls or roof. They needed to hurry.
“Judith!” He roared her name and pushed at her suite door. It would only open part of the way. “Judith, are you in there?”
“Caleb!”
Her voice was like music to his ears. “I’m coming.” He forced open the door to her suite, pushing against whatever wreckage was holding it in place. “Where are you?”
“I’m here, on the floor.”
Light filtered down from the hole in the roof. Caleb frantically scanned the room, finally spotting Judith on the floor, a piece of the roof pinning her in place.
He maneuvered through the mess, tossing rubble aside to make a path. With strength born of desperation, he lifted the debris and tossed it to one side. He helped Judith to her feet. “Try to stand.”
“It hurts, but I think I can manage.”
“Come on, then, the entire house is about to go up in flames.”
She grabbed his arm. “Bill is out there somewhere. He’s the one who’s been trying to kill me. He told me so when he left me here to die.”
Caleb seethed. He had known something wasn’t right about the smarmy young man. There had been something in his tone, in his expression, that bordered on cruel. “We’ll deal with him later. Right now, we have to leave.”
He pulled her along with him, helping her maneuver out the door. He could tell by the way she moved that she was in pain.
“I know this is difficult.” He coughed as the smoke thickened around them. “But we have to keep moving.”
They were out of the room and heading for the stairs when Bill appeared in the smoky
haze with a gun in his hand. He looked at them both and shook his head.
“It seems killing you is a difficult task.” He aimed the gun directly at Judith.
Caleb pushed her behind him. “I won’t let you kill her.”
Bill only laughed. “I’ll kill you both.”
He squeezed the trigger, but nothing happened. He looked down at the gun.
Caleb was going to charge him, but an explosion rocked the entire house, sending Caleb and Judith to the floor. Knowing Bill wouldn’t be stopped by the growing conflagration and destruction of his home, Caleb jumped to his feet and drew Judith up with him. He looked to see what Bill was doing and found him pinned facedown by a large portion of wall. Only his head and upper shoulders were clear.
“Get out of the house,” Caleb told Judith. He pushed her toward the stairs. “Hurry, the fire is out of control.”
“I don’t want to leave you, Caleb.”
He was already trying to pull the wall frame from Bill’s back. The wreckage wouldn’t move. “Bill?” Caleb tried to feel for a pulse in his neck, but could find none.
“We can’t help him,” Caleb said, rushing back to Judith. Without waiting for her to say a word, he pulled her down the stairs. Flames danced all around them, and the hot air burned every breath as they pressed through the foyer and out the front door.
In front of the house, a handful of people had gathered. Caleb recognized Ramsay, the butler. Mrs. Whitley’s cat was in his arms. Caleb and Judith joined him as he looked on in dumbfounded silence.
“Bill is dead. He was crushed by debris,” Caleb told the older man.
“He said that Uncle William was dead, too,” Judith announced. She shivered. “I don’t know where Sarah is. I don’t know if she made it out.”
Caleb glanced around. “I don’t see her here. Bill told me most of the servants were dead.”
Ramsay shook his head. “I don’t know where anyone is besides those who are here, and the stable boys and groom. They managed to get the horses to safety on the lawn.”
Judith shivered and hugged her arms to her body. It was only then that Caleb realized she was wearing nothing more than a nightgown. He pulled his coat off and put it around her shoulders. He would get her back to the house, where Kenzie and Camri could care for her needs. There was certainly nothing he could do here.
“I’m taking Judith back to my house,” he told Ramsay. “I doubt you’ll have any help from the fire department. It looks like there are at least a dozen fires in the city.”
Ramsay said nothing. His gaze was fixed on the destruction of the grand Whitley mansion as he mindlessly stroked the cat. Caleb put his arm around Judith and led her down the drive.
They had walked nearly two blocks before Judith finally spoke. “What about my grandmother? Do you suppose the hospital was destroyed?”
“I don’t know. The earthquake did a lot of damage, as you can see.” He motioned to one of the houses across the broken street. It had shifted sidewise down the hill. The morning light through the smoky skies revealed more and more damage. People were everywhere, milling about, the same shocked expression on each face.
Judith stopped. “I must go to her. I must know.”
Caleb nodded. “We will. I promise, but you need to get clothes first. Camri and Kenzie will be able to help you at home.”
“Then everyone is all right?”
“Yes. Everyone, including the Wongs. We got the gas turned off before it could cause problems.”
She looked at him with a dazed expression. “So your house . . . it’s all right?”
He smiled and shook his head. “I have no idea of what damage was done, but it was still standing when I came to find you.”
To his surprise, she wrapped her arms around him. “Oh, Caleb. Thank you for saving my life. Thank you for coming for me.”
He encircled her with his arms, and for a moment relished the feel of her against him. Safe. Breathing. Alive. If he’d listened to Bill, she would be dead, and he would have never had the chance to tell her that he loved her—that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
She pulled back just enough to look up into his eyes. “I . . . I need to tell you something.”
He didn’t give her a chance. Instead, he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her.
CHAPTER
26
You two there!” a man’s voice called out.
Judith was so stunned by Caleb’s kiss that she could only look at the approaching man in dazed wonder. He wore a soldier’s uniform, and a dozen more men were with him. Judith was glad Caleb was able to take charge. She felt dazed.
“Can we help you?” Caleb asked.
“Where have you come from?”
“The Whitley estate.” Caleb pointed back in the direction of the house. “It’s engulfed in flames. Many people are dead. We’re heading to my house four blocks to the south.”
The soldier nodded. “You should get your family to safety. The fires are burning out of control. The fire department and army are doing what we can, but the damage from the quake is substantial, and many are dead.”
“I understand. Are you recommending a particular place to go?” Caleb asked.
“There’s less damage to the west on the coastline. I believe tents are going to be erected there to house those who’ve lost their homes. We’ll know more by afternoon. There’s to be a meeting of the Board of Supervisors and mayor later this morning.”
Caleb nodded and waited until the soldiers moved on to say anything more. He put his arm around Judith once again. “We need to get you home so you can dress.”
Judith had forgotten all about the fact that she was wearing little more than her nightgown.
A woman with three children walked toward them. The littlest of the children was crying and clinging to her mother’s skirts. The woman looked at Caleb and Judith for a moment, then crossed the mangled street, herding her brood without a word.
There were others along the way. Judith could see by their expressions that everyone was still in a state of shock. She wondered if she looked just as stunned. Her uncle and cousin came to mind and only perplexed her more. How could Bill have done what he did? How could he poison an old woman who was already nearing the end of her days? How could he have poisoned Judith without so much as a single thought of remorse? And now he lay dead. She supposed it was God’s justice, and yet she felt bad for the cousin she barely knew.
“Judith!” She looked up to see Camri and Kenzie running toward her. They swept her into a group hug. “Oh, we were so worried,” Camri continued. “Are you all right? Is your family all right?”
“No. I mean, I’m fine, thanks to Caleb.” Judith looked at Caleb and smiled. He was watching her with affection.
“What happened?” Kenzie asked.
“Maybe we could get some clothes for Judith,” Caleb said. “And then we can tell you everything.” He looked at Patrick. “What about the house? Is it safe enough for us to go back inside?”
“For sure I’m not seein’ any reason that we can’t go back. There’s damage, but it looks solid enough.”
Caleb nodded. “Do you have anything Judith might borrow?” he asked his sister.
“She still has clothes here,” Camri said. “Her grandmother didn’t want her to bring anything. Come on, Judith. We’ll help get you cleaned up and dressed, and you can tell us everything.”
Camri took her from Caleb’s side, and Judith immediately wanted to return. She said nothing, however, as Camri and Kenzie each took hold of her and led her up the many steps to Caleb’s front door.
Once inside, they made their way to Judith’s old bedroom. She could see cracks in the wall, and the contents of the room had been scattered about.
“Where’s the rest of your family?” Camri asked.
Judith looked at her for a moment, trying to convince herself that it hadn’t just been a bad dream. “They’re dead. Well, Bill and Uncle William are. Victoria left on Sunday f
or Switzerland, so I suppose she’s safe.”
“Were they killed by the quake?” Kenzie questioned as she closed the bedroom door.
“Yes. Bill said Uncle William was killed by a collapsing chimney, but I didn’t see him. The house was falling down around us. I got trapped, and Bill showed up. I thought he’d come to help me, but he wanted me to die. He was the one who poisoned me and Grandmother.”
“Oh, my word!” Kenzie said, shaking her head. “He actually admitted to it?”
“Yes. He was also the one who put a rattlesnake in my bed.”
“A snake?” Kenzie looked at Camri. “Did you know about that?”
“Caleb told me. He also said Judith killed it all by herself.”
Kenzie looked at Judith with a raised brow. “Did you, now? Well, I have a newfound admiration for you, and I already thought quite highly of you.”
Judith frowned. “You shouldn’t. You and Camri told me not to move there. I should never have gone.”
“Spilt milk. Have you heard anything from your grandmother?” Camri asked as she helped Judith sit on the side of the bed.
“No. Caleb promised we would do what we could once we made sure everyone else was safe. I know Micah planned to see her this morning. He was going to help another doctor with an early morning surgery, so he planned to be at the hospital.”
Kenzie frowned. “Has anyone heard whether the hospitals were damaged?”
Camri shook her head. “I can’t imagine that any of the city’s buildings have escaped damage. The concern is whether or not they’ve collapsed altogether. Patrick said there’s been such poor workmanship over the years—all because of Ruef and the mayor allowing corners to be cut. This will only serve to help our cause.”
She and Kenzie gathered all of Judith’s clothes and helped her dress. Judith felt her spirits and energy renewed as she finished securing her stockings. Her leg was scraped and cut, but mostly just sore. She was determined to ignore the pain, just as she was determined to forget the horrors of that morning.
She stood, slipped back into the shoes she’d worn, and then looked at her image in the mirror. Her blond hair hung limp. She hadn’t thought about what a mess she must have looked like to Caleb until that moment.
In Dreams Forgotten Page 25
