by Mari Carr
“World War Three?” Jack asked. “Was there a one and a two?”
“You’re changing the subject, but yes there was.”
Jack shook hands with Alex and the two laughed, patting each other on the back. “I won’t hurt her,” Jack said quietly.
“I know,” Alex replied.
Rushing upstairs, Jack paused outside Hayley’s door thinking about his uncle’s sudden departure. It made him uneasy. Concussion be damned, his firebrand had some confessing to do. Opening the door, he stopped and stared at the empty bed. Glancing around, he confirmed that she wasn’t anywhere in the room. Mrs. Scott entered with a tray of food.
“Where is Hayley?” Jack hoped his suspicions about her sudden disappearance were incorrect.
“Why, I don’t know,” Mrs. Scott replied. “She was just here. I went to fix her some supper. I thought she would be hungry when she woke up. Where on earth could she have gone? You don’t think she wandered off, do you? With her injured head, what would become of her?”
“Go tell Lord and Lady Dorset that Miss Garland is missing. Tell the marquis to form a search party immediately.” Jack ran to the hallway. She must have left the house by the back stairway, as everyone else was in the library and the door to the foyer was open. He would have seen her had she descended the main staircase.
Jack paused in the garden. She had returned from the path through the woods last night. The cabin, he thought. The only place Hayley knew of besides the Grange was the cabin where he had taken her the first night. Running down the path, he prayed Hayley and Julia were safe.
The sun was setting behind the trees when he arrived. He stayed hidden at the edge of the tree line making sure things were normal. He had an uneasy feeling about the quick exit of Rawlings and his uncle. What if Rawlings had seen Hayley leave the house and knew she was headed here? He doubted the earl knew about the existence of the cabin, but Rawlings had watched Hayley come out of the woods last night. He suspected she knew of Julia’s hiding place. Wilshire and Rawlings could be on their way this very moment.
Stirred to action by that unsettling thought, he crept to the front door. Inside, he heard voices speaking softly. Peering in, Jack saw Simon, Julia and Hayley gathering up food and blankets, obviously preparing to escape into the night.
Hayley quickly threw what food remained into a bag while Julia and Simon packed the clothing and blankets. Having very few options, the trio decided Simon and Julia would travel all night to London where Simon hoped to convince his mother and sister to take them in. Both Simon and Julia were unhappy about endangering Sarah and Katie, but they could think of no other place to go. The young lovers were unwilling to separate. Simon insisted they would only stay in London a day before securing the means to travel to Gretna Green, as they were desperate to marry.
Although she didn’t mention it, Hayley suspected that after spending the past month alone together, they should probably wed sooner rather than later. The real problem with the plan was the feasibility of getting the two safely to London and then Scotland without being captured by Wilshire. The earl had men posted all over the countryside keeping a lookout for Julia. The first leg of the journey was going to be especially long and difficult, as they had decided it would be easier to slip through undetected if they weren’t on horseback. Simon planned to purchase a horse at an inn once they’d made it through the most dangerous stretch of territory.
Hayley was going to see them to the edge of the woods before returning to the Grange. She promised to keep the young lover’s secret only until the day after tomorrow—giving Simon and Julia a decent head start—then she planned to confess everything to Jack and the McCormicks. She was dreading the look on Jack’s face when he realized she had deceived him. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t have too long to imagine that look.
“Well, well, well,” a familiar voice from the doorway said. “What do we have here?”
Jack was leaning against the doorframe, his long limbs seemingly relaxed. However, Hayley could feel heat radiating from him as he attempted to conceal his fury.
“Jack,” Julia said, running to him. “Oh Jack,” she cried, grabbing his hand.
“Julia.” Jack pulled the young girl into his embrace. “Thank God, you’re well. I’ve been so worried about you.” Jack sent Hayley a cold glance over Julia’s shoulder. “Why didn’t you come to me? You know I would have protected you.”
“Jack, I couldn’t.” Julia looked up into his eyes. “I didn’t want to cause any more trouble between you and Wilshire. He threatened to kill you if I came to you. He’s insane. I was so afraid. Besides, Simon was here to protect me.” Julia said the last hesitantly, unsure of Jack’s response to her declaration.
“Simon?” Jack looked at Alex’s young cousin. “Do I need to call you out?”
Simon walked to stand beside Julia, placing his arm lightly across her shoulders. “No sir,” he replied. “I’m in love with Lady Julia and I intend to make her my wife. With your permission, that is. I promise to keep her safe and happy for the rest of her life.”
“Jack,” Julia began, but he cut her off.
“I’m not Julia’s guardian. I cannot give you permission to marry her. You realize the Earl of Wilshire has a special license and he intends to make her his bride.”
“I’ll die before I let that man touch her,” Simon said heatedly.
Jack smiled at his response. “Well, you’ve kept her safe this long. For what it’s worth, you do have my blessing.”
Turning to Julia, he took her hand. “He’s the one you love, little one?”
“More than anything. Will you help us?”
“Yes, but we need to be quick. If I’ve figured out you’re here, it’s only a matter of time before Wilshire and Rawlings come to the same conclusion. They could be on their way as we speak. I have a plan, but we need to move fast.”
Simon and Julia quickly gathered their bags, while Jack walked to where Hayley stood in the corner.
“Jack,” she said, but Jack interrupted her.
“Not now,” he said harshly.
“One of my ships is leaving port tonight,” Jack said to Simon. “You and Julia are going to be on it. It’s traveling to Portugal. I have a friend there who will take you in. I’ll send a letter of introduction with you and make arrangements for the captain of my ship to perform the wedding ceremony during the trip. I want the two of you to stay there until I determine when it’s safe for you to return.”
“What about Alex?” Simon asked.
“I’ll explain the situation to your cousin tomorrow. Tonight, we need to make haste. We’ll all return to the Grange. Simon, you and Julia will remain hidden while I have three horses saddled. Hayley, you will go back to your bed and stay there until I return tomorrow. Do you understand?”
The anger in Jack’s voice was palpable and Hayley—too tired to argue—simply nodded. She feared from the look in his eyes she had destroyed any trust the two of them had built. Losing Jack’s friendship hurt her more than she could stand. Weary and upset, she followed the others back to the Grange, feeling more alone than she ever had in her life.
Chapter 19
Hayley watched from her window as the three riders made their way through the trees toward the shoreline. In her hands, she held Julia’s beloved red cape. Jack insisted Julia wear one of his dark overcoats, a pair of breeches and hide her hair in a cap in an attempt to look like a young boy. Julia had given the cape to Hayley as a gift, thanking her for all she’d done for her.
“Mrs. Scott told me you were back,” Erin said, entering the room. “We were worried about you. Where did you go?”
“It’s a long story.” Hayley felt too weak to disappoint the only other friend she had in the world.
“You look exhausted,” Erin said quietly. “Go to sleep and we’ll talk about it in the morning. Alex received a message while you were out and had to leave immediately for London. Apparently, Simon is missing. This is becoming an epidemic. You, Juli
a, Simon.”
Hayley could see the worried look in Erin’s eyes, despite her attempt to make light of the situation. Unable to hold back any longer, Hayley rushed to hug her, the words flying out.
“Oh, Erin,” Hayley said, heartsick over her deception. “Simon is fine. He’s with Jack and Julia right now.”
“What are you talking about?”
Hayley quickly recounted the events of the past month for Erin, telling her about finding Julia in the garden, discovering Simon at the cabin this afternoon and Jack’s plan to help the couple escape safely. Erin listened; horrified by the abuse Julia and Helena had suffered at the hands of Wilshire and thrilled by the news of Simon and Julia’s elopement. The only part Hayley omitted in her tale was Jack’s anger and disappointment in her. The wound was too fresh and painful to talk about.
“And I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, but I’ve been secretly trying to find a way back to our time. Through the tree.”
“You have?” Erin asked quietly. “Oh Hayley, are you that unhappy here?”
“No, of course not, although, it doesn’t matter if I am. No one I’ve talked to knows a damn thing about that tree. I’ve been pretending to have heard some legend or story about a magical place by the sea.”
“What a clever ruse,” Erin added.
“Yeah, well. Not that clever. Most folks just shrug. Although a few said I should talk to a woman called Lady Looney. Problem is everyone who mentions her has a different opinion on whether she’s a wise woman, a fairy or a crazy old bat.”
Erin laughed sadly. “I didn’t know you were so anxious to return. You’ve been so busy and I truly thought you were enjoying your time away from the real world.”
“Oh, Erin, I have, but I’ve made a mess of things and my being here has only brought everyone pain and—”
“What on earth are you talking about?” Erin asked.
“I’ve been lying to you and Jack since the first day. Hiding Julia even though I knew how worried everyone was.”
“Hayley, you kept her safe. You made sure Wilshire didn’t find her. Because of our station in life, Alex and I couldn’t have sheltered her. Wilshire’s been watching Jack like a hawk. Julia was right to stay away from him. You were the only one who could care for her and you did. You and Simon. You have nothing to be sorry for.” Erin grasped her hand and led them to the bed where they sat down. “But I do owe you an apology.”
“Me?” Hayley asked.
“I know about Lady Looney, actually her name is Lady Linley.”
“What about her?”
“She can explain the magic of the tree to you. I should have taken you to see her right away.”
Hayley was surprised by Erin’s confession. “Why didn’t you?”
Erin shrugged. “So many small reasons that seemed to make sense at the beginning. I was happy to have you here. I could see in your eyes how much you’ve suffered this past year. I hoped I could make some of that up to you. And then, there was Jack.”
Hayley dropped her gaze to her hands. She had denied her attraction to Jack since the day they’d met, but her protestations had been nothing but lies.
“He’ll never forgive me,” Hayley’s voice broke on the words.
“Oh, Hayley,” Erin wrapped her arm around her shoulders. “Of course he will. He cares about you and, once he’s gotten Julia to safety and calmed down, he’ll see that you did the right thing.”
Hayley didn’t believe the words, but she didn’t have the energy to fight. “You’ll take me to see Lady Linley.”
Erin nodded. “I will, I promise.” Then, she excused herself, telling Hayley she wanted to send a messenger to try to intercept Alex to let him know Simon was safe.
Alone again, Hayley walked back to the window. She pressed her head against the windowpane and stared out into the dark night. The sky was overcast and threatening rain. She sent up a silent prayer that Simon, Jack and Julia would make it to the docks safely. As she looked toward the shoreline, she saw two horsemen riding full speed in the direction Jack had gone. A flash of lightning briefly revealed the shock of gray hair on one rider and the incredibly large size of the other—Wilshire and Rawlings.
Without a thought, Hayley grabbed up Julia’s cape, throwing it over her shoulders and rushing down the front stairs. At the door, she nearly knocked over Templeton who was standing guard.
“My lady,” he said, startled by her rush to leave.
“Oh, Templeton, thank God you’re here. I need a horse. Now!” She flung open the front door.
“Oh no, my lady. Cap’n Campbell would have my head on a silver platter if I let you ride out on a night like this.” Templeton moved to stop her journey down the porch stairs.
“What’s going on?” Erin rushed from the library at the sound of Hayley and Templeton’s voices.
“It’s the earl. I just saw him. He knows—he knows Jack has Julia. He’s going after them. I have to warn him,” Hayley said, tears threatening to fall.
Understanding the desperation and anguish in her friend’s face, Erin nodded. “Go. Go after them. I’ll send word to Alex.”
“My lady, you can’t let her go off by herself in the middle of the night,” Templeton argued.
Erin took Templeton’s hand. “Sir, I know my friend and I know no force on earth will stop her. I’m asking you to go with her and keep her safe.”
“Templeton, Captain Campbell is in danger. I need to warn him. Either get me a horse or get out of my way!” Hayley was unwilling to waste any more time.
Upon hearing the captain was in trouble, Templeton rushed to the stable in front of Hayley. “Seein’s how you won’t stay put and the Cap’n’s in trouble—”
“Be careful,” Erin yelled after them as they entered the stables.
Templeton, with the help of several groomsmen, had two horses saddled and ready to go in less than five minutes. As the first boom of thunder sounded, they flew off into the night.
Templeton was a major asset in getting her to the docks as quickly as possible. Having traveled from the Grange to the shipping company everyday for a month running messages to and from Jack, he knew all the shortcuts. The rain grew progressively worse as they rode, limiting their visibility and slowing them. She cursed aloud several times—much to Templeton’s dismay—in her impatience to get to Jack.
Lightning became their guide, illuminating the path for them every few seconds. She recalled the last time she’d been in a storm like this. It was the night Jack had pulled her from the tree’s grasp. If only she could go back to that night, knowing what she knew now. Would she have done anything differently? She wrestled with the question, but before she could settle on an answer, Templeton pulled her from her thoughts.
“There they be, miss.” He spoke loudly so as to be heard over the rain.
Squinting, Hayley could barely make out the docks less then half a mile before them. She saw two ships anchored slightly offshore. Urging her horse forward, she moved closer to the shoreline. Near the water’s edge, she stopped again.
“I don’t like this, miss. We’re out in the open. Anybody can see us. Come back a ways, back to them trees.” Templeton was frantically surveying the surrounding area as he spoke.
Pulling the hood of Julia’s cape around her head in an attempt to keep the rain out of her eyes, Hayley stared hard at the decks of both ships until she found what she was looking for. Finally, she saw him. Jack.
“He made it,” she shouted with a grin to Templeton.
“Not yet he ain’t.”
At his words, she turned to look in the same direction Templeton was. There, at the edge of the woods was the earl and Rawlings, looking straight at her. Saying a quick prayer that Wilshire hadn’t seen her clearly, Hayley twisted toward her companion. “Templeton, run!”
Hayley spurred her horse down the shore at a dangerous speed. After a moment, she could hear Templeton pounding behind her. “Yer crazy. Yer crazy!” he shouted over and over.
The
rain was blinding her, but she refused to ease up. She could only hope the earl had taken the bait, assuming her to be Julia, and was giving chase right now. Pure fear kept her from turning her head as the speed, the storm and the prospect of being captured by an irate earl of Wilshire kept her thoroughly focused on the path before her.
“This way, miss!” Templeton yelled when he was finally able to pull up beside her. “I know how to lose ‘em.”
Lose them. The earl and his lackey had fallen for her trick. They believed they were chasing Julia in her red cape. It was the answer to a prayer. All she and Templeton had to do was lead them on a merry chase long enough for Jack’s ship to depart with the tide. She heard someone shouting behind her. Chancing a backward glance, she peered over her shoulder and saw Wilshire and Rawlings bearing down on them.
They weaved a complicated path through the woods before emerging onto the streets of Dover. Once in town, Templeton seemed to know every side street and alleyway. After nearly an hour of hard riding with too many close calls to consider, Templeton suddenly dismounted and led his horse and hers into a small stable, closing the door just before the earl rode by. Holding her breath, she watched as Wilshire and Rawlings paused, looking up and down the side street for their lost prey. After a quick consultation, they split up and disappeared around different corners.
“I don’t dare run ‘em anymore, miss. Ain’t good for the horses. We’re safe ’nuff for now.”
“Templeton,” Hayley gushed. “You were brilliant.” Overcome with joy, she hugged the surprised valet. “That was great. The way you kept losing them, then reeling them back in, only to lose them again. It was amazing. Like watching an expert fly fisherman. Surely that gave Jack plenty of time to get Julia and Simon safely away.”
Blushing a bright scarlet from her effusive praise, Templeton simply grinned.
Hayley took a moment to study her surroundings. “I guess we should brush these sweet horses down. At least there’s clean straw. That should be okay to sleep on.” Shrugging off the red cape, she wrung it out like wet laundry, leaving a huge puddle of water on the ground. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this wet. I don’t suppose there are any blankets we could use to make a dry bed with.”
