“It does fit a bit snug, but it does the job,” She said looking down at the dress. It was an emerald green dress, and Jacob had chosen it specifically to match those green eyes, the green eyes that he could never forget about. The dress fit snugly around her now ample breasts, and the buttons threatened to pop open at any moment. Jacob cleared his throat and looked away; the young girl that turned into quite the young woman.
“Are you injured?” he asked, crouching down next to her.
“No. I am fine. Just a little tired and worn, but I am not injured. You must tell me how you came to find me,” She said.
Jacob stood up and walked to the small table. He poured water into one cup, and whiskey in another. He brought both to her. She drank first the water, drinking it down, and then sipped the whiskey. Jacob built a board with dried fish, cheese, and bread and brought it over to the fireplace.
“I will tell you everything if you will eat.”
“Yes sir.” She said playfully, and a smile appeared on her face. Oh how I have longed to see that smile.
“ Well, news was printed in the newspaper, about the factory fire. When I heard it was a sewing factory, I indeed thought about you. I have thought of you often Jennifer.”
“You have? I have thought of you as well. It is very good to see you Jacob, I thought I would never see you again.”
“As did I, it is what I feared. Then when I read of the fire, I needed to find out more. When they printed more news, your name was among them, but not among those that had died, among the accused. I could not believe it. I knew that it must be wrong. So I found out everything I could, kept up with the news. I asked those and everyone that I passed. Once I learned that you had been sentenced to transportation, it did not take much to find out when you would be moved. The rest; I called in a few favors with a couple of Highwaymen, gave them some as well. They were up for a midnight moon ride, to set women free. They thought it was quite the notion.”
“You did all of that for me?”
“Yes. I am skilled in these ways, I might as well use my skills to help a friend should I not?”
“I am very grateful, so incredibly grateful to you, Jacob.”
“There is no need for that. I wish I could have done more, kept you from prison in the first place. I should have never let you go to London. I knew what it was like.”
“At the time I was foolish and naive, you are right. It is horrid. But I did not mean for all of this...”
“Tell me what happened. Tell me everything. I knew that you could not be guilty of what they accused you of, setting fire to a factory.”
“It is partly true Jacob. It hurts for me to say so. The factory life was hard, I saw horrible things. I lost a loved one, and because of it I turned to a radical movement, the Labour Party.”
“The Labour Party? Those men are no better than I, criminals.”
“I did not know this. They spoke of passion and of change. I got involved in writing, small articles for the pamphlets that they circulated. I wanted to make a change in the factory system, I needed to make a difference.”
“They set the fire...”
“Yes, but with my help. I did not know what I agreed to. One of the Party convinced me to open the back door of the factory where I worked, they were to come inside and steal the books. They were going to print them and circulate them to show everyone just how crooked the system was. At least that is what they told me. But as soon as I opened the door, they pushed me outside and came in. They set the fire. Now I shall live with it. My lodgemate and friend died in the fire, all because of me. Those women died because of me.”
Jacob stood up and paced back and forth in the room. The anger inside of him was overwhelming. “What are their names? I will find them and set them straight. They are the ones that should take the fall for this, clear your name.”
“No!” she shouted.
“But why not? It is justice. You did nothing, but were persuaded by some very persuasive men. They used you. They cared nothing for you.”
“They threatened me. They said if I talked, they would hurt my mother and brother in Cottered. it is a very small village and it will not be hard to find the Bronson home. They are evil men and they will do it, they have a network. Even behind bars they can still cause harm. I will not have that done to my family. I have done everything I can in order to keep them safe, I will not put them In harm's way simply to clear my name.”
Jacob looked at the young girl, the fiery woman. She was stubborn, loyal, and demanding. She was no longer the naive young girl; she had lived a hard life and it had made her hard and strong.
“Very well, Jennifer. Then that is settled, I do not think you are guilty of this fire. But I know that you must learn to see that yourself, learn to live with it. Eat, I will fetch more whiskey.”
Jacob grabbed the bottle of whiskey, and poured a cup for himself. Then he refilled her cup. He watched as she ate, and then placed more food in front of her. He would check the fishing traps tomorrow; there should be plenty of crab in fish in there, so he could feed her proper.
“What is this place?” She asked.
“This is my new home, for the time being. It suits me well. It is hidden away from eyes, we are far from the road to Brighton, no one would come this far. They will be looking for women on foot, and if they do, you can hide and I will answer the door. You are safe.
“Safe. I have not felt that way in a long time. All I want to do is sleep.”
Jacob stood up and made the bed comfortable, “The bed is all yours. I shall sleep on the floor in front of the fireplace, just as old times.”
He watched as she walked to the bed and sat down. Then she looked at him, there was some sadness in her eyes. “Will you sleep on the bed with me? Not on the floor. I just need to feel safe, to know that you are close by.”
Jacob was surprised by this request, but also elated, for he wanted the same thing.
“I would be honored.”
Jennifer scooted her body against the wall, and laid down, putting her back to him. Jacob pulled off his boots, handkerchief, and cloak. He moved into the bed, pressing his chest against her back, pulling her close with his arm around her. In minutes, she was sleeping soundly. He was glad that she felt safe; safe enough to fall into a deep sleep. It was possible that she had not slept since she entered that prison. Now, he wanted to offer her safe and rest, just as he had done many years before.
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Jennifer awoke two days after her rescue. Indeed she had been very exhausted, and because she felt very safe with Jacob, she was finally allowed to relax and rest. At night, she could feel the warmth of his body against hers, and she would sleep with her head resting on his chest, or with his chest to her back. She never wanted to move from the spot, but she knew that this could not be forever.
“Good afternoon,” Jacob said as she rolled out of bed.
“Afternoon? Is it really?””
“Yes, it is. Do not worry, you needed the sleep. I am boiling crab and fish; there is cheese and hot tea on the table.”
Jennifer wiped the sleep from her eyes, and looked at the tall man. He had grown more attractive over the years. His blue eyes were the same, and those full pink lips, still beckoned for a kiss. His blond hair was a bit longer, down to the tops of his ears. She liked it this way. It made him look very rugged.
She sat at the table and drank the hot tea. It warmed her on the inside. She still could not believe that she was free, but she was a fugitive now, and there definitely was not freedom to that.
“I want to thank you again for all that you have done. Not just now, but before as well, before I went to London.”
“Why were you still in London? Your plan had been just for that winter, and then to return to your village, was it not?” He said as he pulled the boiling crab out of the boiling pot and placed it on a tray.
“Yes, but my circumstances changed. M
y younger brother is ill and needs constant medical attention and medication. I knew that if I returned home there would still not be work and I would be going through the savings I had saved very quickly to care for him. So I stayed working, to make sure that there was always money to send home to care for him. My family means a lot to me.”
“Yes, I can see that. I am very sorry to hear about your brother.”
“All of my savings was in my carpet bag in my room. I have lost it all. Now I am back to the beginning, I must find work.”
“You cannot do that Jennifer. They will be searching all of England for you. You cannot go out there and find work. You will be caught.”
Jennifer's eyes grew wide. How far did they plan to reach out in order to find her? This meant that she could not go home either.
“But I must. I must make my way back to Cottered. I miss my family dearly. I have not seen them in years. I must find a way to get money as well for Adam.”
“You do that. That is the first place they will look. Do you think the guards have not knocked on your mother's door already? They are looking for you, as they are looking for all the women that escaped. You cannot do that.”
“But how will Adam get medication?”
He gave her a stern look. He moved to his bag, and ruffled through it. Then he slammed a coin purse on the table. “There is three pounds in there,;that should set your brother for a year or longer.”
“Three pounds! I cannot take your money, Jacob. You have done too much already.”
“Then think of it as sparing me from having to rescue you again when you get yourself caught, Jennifer.” He said with anger in his voice.
Jennifer looked down at the floor. She felt like that silly naive girl when he talked to her like this. He was practically paying her to stop being a nuisance to him, and that pained her greatly.
“Thank you. But how will I send it home? They will know that I am out there.”
“I can see that you have no mind for this. Allow me to teach you, Jennifer. For you are now a fugitive, you are an outlaw like me, whether you like it or not. There are certain techniques that you must learn if you are to survive. First of all, you send that home from an alias, some long-lost cousin of your father, having heard the news of your rest, and sending aid. You know how to write, make something up.”
“I understand. That is very clever.” She said. She forgot that Jacob had been doing this a long time, and indeed he knew what he was doing because he was still free.
“You will also need to change your name,;you must change your identity. You are no longer Jennifer Bronson, only to yourself and to me. Think of a new name, and as much as it pains me to say so, you must cut that hair. Perhaps dye it with some Elderberry so that it is darker. You must do all that you can to hide who you were in your past. If you are this new person, then people will believe you are this new person, and not Jennifer Bronson.
“A new name?”
“Yes, something very common. Something that many women across England have the same name, therefore it is very easy to confuse you with another. No one would question a name that everyone has.”
“Sarah, Sarah is fairly common. I shall be Sarah... Christian.”
Jacob gave her a very wide smile, the same smile that could melt her heart. “That is a very good choice. Such a pious last name, for who would not want someone with that last name working for, or lodging with them. Very good, Sarah.”
Jennifer smiled, happy for his approval. He broke into the crab on the wooden cutting board, breaking it into pieces for them to eat. Jennifer started to pick away at the delicious salty meat. It had been very long since she had seafood, as it was a delicacy very far inland. But being on the ocean, Jacob had set traps himself.
“What else? What else should I learn, besides cutting my hair? In truth it is very long and gets in the way. I can do that, and dye it as well.”
“ You could work with me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do the work that I do. You are already a fugitive. It will be enough money to send home to your brother and mother.”
Jennifer grew angry, “No. I was caught once and I will never be again. I never want to be sent to transportation. You want me out there doing what you do; I will surely be caught and not get away a second time. I will not make that gamble.”
“I have one big job coming up. It is a job that will set me straight, just one last job, I could use your help.”
“You tell me that I cannot go home because I will be caught. Yet you are asking me to do criminal activity where I could get caught. You make no sense, Jacob Leary.”
“It is just one time.”
“ No. Thank you for saving me, thank you for putting clothes on my back and feeding me and allowing me to rest here. But after the search has gone away, I am to set out and find right and proper work. Nothing illegal. Sarah will find rightful work. I will go to small villages and ask until I find a place to start over again. I do not want to be a criminal, Jacob. That is not the life I can lead, constantly looking over my shoulder.”
“You already have that life Jennifer, you are a fugitive. You should always be looking over your shoulder.”
“You know my meaning.”
“I do know what you mean. But I also know that I do not want you to walk out that door and I never see you again. Can you not understand that?”
Jennifer was shocked into silence. She never thought Jacob could have any sort of real feelings for her, he thought of her as nothing but a naive child before, when did it change?
“Jacob..”
“Jennifer..”
He stood up, and pulled her from her chair. His lips pressed against hers, and she finally had the kiss that she had ached for, for so long, for years.
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Jennifer pressed her hands against his strong stomach. How she longed to feel his hard body for so long. Now, it brought her relief.
He kissed her with deep feeling, and she could only assume that this was what real passion had felt like, for she had never been kissed before. How she was glad that Jacob was her first kiss.
Her lips parted slightly and he took the invitation she offered, slipping in his tongue. A small groan escaped his mouth and Jennifer felt flooded with happiness. She did not want this to go away, but she also could not allow it to last.
She pressed on his hard stomach and pushed away from him. “I cannot. I am sorry, that should not have happened.”
“I wanted it to happen,” His voice was stern.
“As did I, but I cannot continue, not like this,” She moved to the fire and stared at it.
“I do not understand.”
“No, you would not.”
“Then tell me, Jennifer!”
She turned to him. “If I know what it is like to kiss you than I shall mourn it even greater when we are apart. I cannot have that.”
“Why must we part?”
“I am terrified, Jacob, of knowing you, of being with you. I cannot go back to prison. I must find a way to support my brother and eventually to be able to see my family again, somehow, someway.”
“Yes...?”
“If you are caught and I am caught with you, I will never have that again.”
“I understand. I cannot ask you to risk that.”
“I want to find work again, with this new identity, and save money. And after a year, perhaps send for my brother and mother to live with me someplace new where I will not be found. That is my plan. My plan is not to risk going back to prison.”
Jacob sighed. “You are right. I could not live with myself if you are caught because of me. What I do is my own work. But you will see, Jennifer. One day I will be set right and proper.”
“But not today? If you were to leave it all behind today, I would stay with you, Jacob.”
“I cannot do that, Jennifer, not when I am so close to everything I have ever worked for.”
“Then we shall not kiss again. I cannot bear knowing what that feels like, only to not have it.”
“Then you must excuse me.” Jacob kicked open the door and walked out. Jennifer closed her eyes, allowing the bittersweet feeling of still feeling his lips on hers.
She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and moved to the window. Jacob pulled off his tunic. Her eyes grew wide, what was he doing?
He kicked off his boots and walked straight into the ocean water. Lowering his body, he swam out. Jennifer watched him. He was like a God, and she would never forget this image before her.
* * *
“Is this really necessary, Jacob?” she pleaded.
“Yes, it is.” Jacob said, standing behind her as she sat in the chair, scissors in his hands.
She sighed. “ If you must. I am ready as I ever will be,” Jennifer closed her eyes tight.
Behind her, Jacob cut her long red hair.
“Oh, no. It is so short.”
“ it has to be if we are to disguise you as a boy, on our journey west.”
“West? Why west?”
“I am heading in that direction for my job. Too, I may know of a family in need of a woman for some housework. They have a very comfortable living. Not extravagantly rich, but they do have servants.”
“Yes, thank you Jacob””
“Do not thank me yet. We can only inquire and it is up to them to accept you.”
“That is a start,” she said.
Jennifer knew that this was all very lucky indeed. At this moment she should be on a ship, sailing away to Australia, never to see her family again, sentenced to die in horrid servitude.
“There, all done,” Jacob said.
“I am too frightened to look,” she said.
He held up an old mirror in front of her with a big grin on his face.
“Oh you think this is funny do you?”
“Yes, I do. Take a look.”
Jennifer turned to the mirror. “Oh Lord. I look like a boy!”
“That’s the idea.”
“But what of when I change back into women’s clothing?”
Passage of a Desolate Woman (#2, the Winds of Misery Victorian Romance) (A Family Saga Novel) Page 14