by Sharon Drane
Chapter Fifteen
The day before the wedding
“Miz Wilcox, something terrible has happened!” Mariah was so out of breath she grabbed onto the banister and stood panting.
Amelia rushed down the stairs. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Dougie,” Mariah put her hand to her chest and tried to get her breath. “He ran off after a hurdy-gurdy man.”
“Where did he go?” Amelia turned cold at the thought of her three-year-old wandering the streets.
Mariah shook her head. “That’s just it. One minute they were there and the next the crowd closed around them. Then they were gone.”
Amelia grabbed her servant’s hand and dragged her out the door. “Show me where you saw them last.”
The two women ran down the street. Though she did not have her cape, Amelia did not feel the chill of late December. At last they came to the park entrance.
“They were right over there.” Mariah pointed to a bench by the central fountain.
Dropping Mariah’s hand, Amelia ran to the spot in the center of the park. From her vantage point, she could see in all directions. There was no sign of Dougie or a hurdy-gurdy man. “Let’s take separate paths and call out to Dougie. If he doesn’t answer, listen for music from the hurdy-gurdy. If we’re lucky, one of us will hear him, or at least the music.”
Mariah nodded and stumbled down the northern path. Amelia took the one opposite. She ran and called her son. She peered into the bushes on the sides of the path, fearing what she might find.
“Dougie, where are you?” she called. What was that? She turned around to look. She thought she heard the breaking of a branch. There was nothing and no one behind her. “Dougie, come here to me.” She ran onward down the path.
Dear Lord, where could he be? Please let me find him, please!
Her steps flagging, she continued on toward the river. She reached the edge of the park. There’s no place left to go. I’ll have to turn back.
She looked along the fence line to the right. From the left came the faint sound of the hurdy-gurdy. Amelia left the path and staggered through the brush headed for the distinctive noise. She broke through to the next path and sighed in relief.
There was her son laughing and clapping with a group of other children at the music and the antics of the musician’s pet monkey.
She ran to him. “Douglas, you scared Mama.” She bent down to his level and picked him up.
“I like the monkey, Mama.” He giggled and reached toward the tiny performer.
“It’s time to go home now. Tell the monkey goodbye.” Amelia held her son tightly while he waved at the creature. She focused on taking deep breaths.
When she calmed her breathing, she walked down the path, intent on going back to the fountain. They rounded the bend as Dougie put his head on her shoulder. Soon she could feel him nod off to sleep, exhausted from all the excitement.
As she walked, she noticed a strange echo of her footsteps coming from behind her. Frowning, she walked faster. The sound came faster, mirroring her pace. She stopped abruptly and the echo stopped. It’s just my imagination. I need to focus on getting my son home and not engage in fits of fancy.
Amelia started walking once more. The sound of her steps rebounded. Something made her stop abruptly. The other footsteps did not.
Shaking, she reached for her gun, only to find she had left her reticule at home with her cape and gloves. She ran, gaining speed until she could see the fountain where Mariah waited for her.
“You found him. Oh, I’m so glad. I didn’t mean to look away from him. I’m sorry…”
Amelia waved off her apology. “Let’s just get him home where he belongs.”
“Of course, Ma’am, would you like me to carry him for you?”
“I don’t want to let him go right now.” Amelia looked at Dougie’s loyal nanny. “I’m not angry with you, Mariah. He could have easily gotten away from me, too. We’ll have to watch him closer from now on.”
“Yes, Ma’am, he’s fast when he’s after something.”
“Is there anyone following us?”
Mariah peered down the path behind Amelia. “No, Ma’am, I don’t see anybody.”
“Very well, let’s just get home, shall we?”
They walked on in silence.
I must remember always to carry the pocket pistol. She was certain she was followed and terrified that Dougie could have been hurt. The gun won’t help me if I forget to carry it.
Later that evening, after Dougie was safely asleep in his bed, Amelia sat with Joshua in the parlor. Ellen and her husband tactfully left them alone.
“We really shouldn’t be together tonight, you know.” Amelia put her head on Joshua’s shoulder.
“Oh yes, the myth about bad luck or some such nonsense.” He stroked her smooth cheek lightly in a circular, hypnotic rhythm.
Amelia shut her eyes and felt his tender touch down deep in her core. “How could anything that feels so good be bad luck?”
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm, once, twice, three times.
She sighed and snuggled closer to him. “I can’t wait for tomorrow.”
“Neither can I.” His deep voice reverberated pleasantly near her ear.
They were quiet for a while, dreaming of the future. The only sounds were made by the fire crackling in the grate.
Amelia stirred against him. “Have you had any word about Logan Matthews?”
He raised his head. Amelia immediately regretted the loss of his head next to hers.
“Why would you ask about Matthews?”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled against him. “I was only wondering. I still worry that he could follow us.”
“Don’t bother about him. Tomorrow is our wedding day and the next we leave for Fort Leavenworth. The man is headstrong and quick to anger. But even he isn’t stupid enough to follow us to the post. He wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“I’m certain you’re right,” she whispered. “We should be talking of more pleasant things.”
He leaned down and deeply kissed her. “We shouldn’t be talking at all.”
When the kiss ended, he embraced her. I wonder if I should have told him about someone following me today. She shook her head. No need to worry him because I might have an active imagination. She pulled back and smiled, trying to concentrate on her joy at the upcoming wedding
