by Bree Wolf
“Call me Sophie,” the nurse replied as she sank onto the other chair, her hands coming to rest on the table, her fingernails scratching across the weathered wood. Her eyes followed her fingers’ movements as though she had lost all hold on reality, barely aware where she was and who was with her.
Inhaling a slow breath, Claudia felt her heart go out to the young woman. Still, she could not leave without asking her questions. “Sophie, may I speak to you?” she asked gently, trying to look into the young woman’s eyes. “I need…” Her voice hitched, and for a brief moment, she had to close her eyes. “I need…to find my son, and you’re the only one who can help me.”
Slowly, Sophie’s gaze rose from the table and met Claudia’s. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, deep sorrow in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
Ignoring the tears that spilled down her face, Claudia nodded. “I know you are, and I want you to know that it wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have stopped them.” She inhaled a deep breath. “But you can tell me what you remember.”
The young woman’s lips pressed into a thin line as she shook her head. “But I don’t remember. I don’t…” Her head moved from side to side more vehemently as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I don’t!”
The remnants of shock clung to Sophie’s face, and Claudia felt a stab of guilt for putting the young woman through this. “Is it truly all gone?” Claudia whispered. “Or are there bits and pieces you remember? Please!”
Again, Sophie’s gaze rose to meet hers. Only this time, Claudia could see the young woman’s desperate wish to help, to remember something that would be of value.
“Anything,” Claudia pleaded. “Please.”
Inhaling a deep breath, Sophie nodded. Then she closed her eyes, her fingernails digging into the table top. “They came out of nowhere,” she whispered, her eyes pinched shut as though she did not dare look. “The driver fell to the ground…and did not get back up. Mr. Lambert told me to stay in the carriage, but when he opened the door, he was struck on the head.”
Seeing the woman all but cower on her chair, Claudia wished she did not have to ask. “What happened then?”
Sophie’s eyes opened, and tears spilled forth. “One of them came forward, and before I knew it, the babe was snatched from my arms. Then they were gone.”
Claudia swallowed, momentarily overwhelmed by the woman’s recount of her son’s kidnapping. Would she ever see him again? So far no ransom notice had arrived. Why had they taken him if not to ransom him? What did they want?
Fresh panic gripped Claudia’s heart, and in order to keep her wits, she gritted her teeth until her jaw hurt. “What did they look like?”
Sophie shook her head. “They wore masks.”
Claudia sighed, feeling resignation encroach upon her heart. So far she had learnt nothing new. “Did they…did they say anything to you?”
“They told me to give them the boy.”
Rubbing a hand over her eyes, Claudia blinked, trying her best to focus. “What about to each other? Did they talk to each other?”
Sophie stilled, and her eyes shifted sideways, her mind at work.
Hope surged into Claudia’s heart. “What was it? What did they say?”
A frown came to Sophie’s face as she tried to remember. “One of them was talking the whole time,” she whispered as though afraid to lose the memory if she spoke too loudly. “He wouldn’t stop even though the other one shouted at him to be quiet.”
“What did he say?” Claudia asked, sitting on the edge of her seat.
“He was…boasting,” Sophie whispered, a frown drawing down her brows, “about how well they’d planned this. He said it had all worked so much better than he had expected. He laughed, saying that he ought to think about changing his profession and that the other owed him a drink once they got to the Prancing Pony.”
The air caught in Claudia’s throat. “The Prancing Pony?” she whispered to herself. “Have you heard of that place?”
Sophie shook her head, her eyes still closed as she tried her best to relive what had happened. “They headed north,” she whispered then. “They headed north.”
When Sophie opened her eyes, a soft smile played on her lips, and Claudia could see that despite the ordeal of remembering what had happened, the young woman was pleased that she had been able to help. “Thank you,” Claudia said, squeezing Sophie’s hand. “Thank you so much.”
The young woman nodded, wiping a tear from her cheek. “I hope you’ll find your boy. A child belongs with his mother after all.”
Feeling tears sting her eyes, Claudia rapidly blinked her eyes. Then she rose from the spindly chair and reached into her reticule, leaving the young woman a little compensation. Still, from personal experience, Claudia knew full well that no amount of money would be able to right the wrong she had witnessed. Then she silently stepped from the room. Instantly, Mr. Lambert stopped his pacing and crossed to her side, his face expectant as he looked at her.
“Have you ever heard of the Prancing Pony?” Claudia asked, refusing to feel disheartened when Mr. Lambert frowned. “I’m thinking it might be an inn.”
“That’s possible,” Mr. Lambert agreed, a hint of caution on his face. “We can ask around; however, there are countless inns in all directions. It will probably take a while to−”
“They headed north,” Claudia interrupted. “She saw them head north.”
Mr. Lambert blinked, and for a short moment his gaze travelled to the closed door behind Claudia in confusion. “Why did she not tell us so before?”
“She couldn’t remember,” Claudia said, heading toward the door, knowing only too well how that felt. A part of her wondered if she would ever get her own memories back. Would she ever remember the night at Gretna Green? Would she ever remember her child’s father? Or would that forever remain a mystery?
Pushing that thought aside, Claudia knew that there were more important matters to take care of now. She needed to find her son, and thanks to Sophie, she was now one step closer than she had been the day before.
How many more steps would it take her to find him?
Chapter Seven – In the Dark of Night
Pacing up and down the carpet in the drawing room, Claudia did her best to ignore Evelyn’s and her mother’s concerned glances. She was well aware that she was wearing a hole in the rug, but in that moment, she simply could not help it. Her family’s attempts at distracting her drove her insane. Did they truly think that anything could take her mind off her son?
Trying to calm her nerves, Claudia cursed her brother for the thousandth time that afternoon for not allowing her to go along to visit the inn. Accompanied by a handful of Mr. Lambert’s hired men, he had set off two hours ago to search out the Prancing Pony and find witnesses that might have seen two men and an infant passing through.
Ever since they had left, time seemed to have slowed down.
While her mother worked on her embroidery, Evelyn sat on the settee, an open book in her lap. Still, Claudia had not noticed her turning a single page, her sister-in-law’s gaze directed out the window, her thoughts directed inward.
At least they had finally stopped trying to draw her into a conversation.
Spinning to stare at the large clock on the mantle, Claudia wondered if that blasted thing had always chimed so loudly!
Inhaling a deep breath, she avoided looking at her mother who had looked up from her embroidery at her daughter’s unusual reaction to such an ordinary thing as a clock’s chime. Her arms crossed in front of her chest, and Claudia guided her steps to the window and glanced out at the quiet street. Nothing as far as the eye could see.
At least nothing worth seeing.
Only moments later, her legs began to twitch, unable to stand in one spot, and Claudia continued pacing up and down the length of the drawing room.
More time passed.
Unfortunately, it did so excruciatingly slowly.
When her brother’s voice finally dri
fted over from the hall, Claudia almost fainted on the spot, her nerves wrung too tight. While her mother set aside her embroidery, Evelyn’s book clattered to the floor when she rose in a hurry, her feet carrying her to Claudia’s side. The women exchanged a tense look and then turned toward the door the moment it opened, and Richard strode in.
The look on his face dashed Claudia’s hopes in an instant.
Evelyn’s hand grasped hers. “Did you learn anything?” she asked her husband, her voice tense as her other hand came to rest on her midsection.
Claudia felt as though someone had struck her.
Richard’s face was collected as always, and yet, the look in his eyes held compassion as well as a hint of defeat. “No one saw them,” he said without preamble. “We questioned everyone we saw, but nothing.” He sighed, his gaze drifting to Claudia. “I’m sorry. I paid the innkeeper to continue asking around and inform me if anything should arise, but I doubt it.”
“Then why did they speak of that inn,” their mother asked, annoyance in her voice, “if they had no intention of heading there?”
“Perhaps it was a ruse,” Evelyn suggested, glancing at her husband.
Richard nodded in agreement. “Perhaps it was meant to disguise their true intentions. After all, they knocked the two men unconscious and then conversed freely in front of the female witness. After all their planning to ensure they could obtain the child, it seems unlikely that they would have made such a mistake.”
Claudia’s heart sank at her brother’s words. “Thank you nonetheless,” she whispered, taking a step back when her mother reached for her. “I’ll need a moment alone,” she whispered, keeping her eyes down, and all but ran from the room.
Closing the door to her bedchamber with much more vehemence than necessary, Claudia stalked around her room. A part of her felt like breaking down, but that thought felt so much like giving up that Claudia forced herself to stay on her feet. Annoyed with herself, she wiped the tears from her eyes, unwilling to accept that all was lost. Certainly, her brother would keep searching, but would that do any good?
After all, despite the dead-end, it had been she who had managed to obtain the name of the inn. Mr. Lambert had told them that the nurse did not remember anything, and Richard had accepted the man’s word. If Claudia had not gone to seek the woman out, they would never have known about the Prancing Pony. She had found something the men had overlooked. Perhaps they had overlooked something at the Prancing Pony as well. Although Claudia had no idea what that could be, she knew she could not simply sit at home and wait. She needed to go and see the place herself.
Drawing in a deep breath, Claudia felt her nerves settle once the decision was made. Yes, she would go and look for her son herself. After all, she was his mother, and that was what mothers did, was it not?
When supper was called, Claudia forced herself to go downstairs and eat, knowing that whatever lay ahead she would need her strength. Also, she needed to put her family at ease in order to gain a head start. Her brother would never allow her to travel to the inn, and so she had simply decided not to involve him in her plan. She had followed his lead thus far, and it had led her nowhere. Now, she would do things her own way.
After bidding her family a good night, emphasising her exhaustion, Claudia retired to her room where she slipped into her most comfortable riding habit. She found a small bag and stuffed it with a few garments as well as a purse with her small savings. Then she sat down to wait for the house to fall asleep.
Chapter Eight – A Watchful Man
Atop his horse, Garrett once more stood beneath the large oak outside the viscount’s townhouse and gazed up at the darkened windows. The last light had been extinguished only moments ago, and Garrett was trying to convince himself to head back to Lord Tynham’s residence. Although he knew he needed sleep, he also knew that it often eluded him these days. If he slept, it was only for a short while and always fitful. He woke unrested, his head still filled with all the questions that had already plagued him the day before.
His mind had presented him with many reasons why he ought to hold back and not confront his wife directly about why she pretended not to know him. However, slowly, Garrett was coming to realise that what truly held him back was the fear that she would reject him.
What would he do then? Would he simply return home? Or would he fight for her? Was there any use in fighting for a woman who did not want him? A woman who had made her disregard for him known by looking right through him?
Perhaps on the morrow−no matter the outcome−he ought to call on her and let the cards fall where they may. He needed to know the truth. Before long, all these unanswered questions would drive him insane.
Sighing, Garrett nodded, somewhat relieved to finally have decided. His heart felt a bit lighter when he pulled on the reins, urging his horse down the street. However, his mount had barely taken a few steps when something caught his eye.
Again, he pulled on the reins and then turned his gaze back to the viscount’s residence. At first, he saw nothing in the dim light, but then movement caught his attention, and he squinted his eyes to see better.
A shadow moved beside the large building approaching the street. It was a rider leaving the viscount’s property.
A frown drew down Garrett’s brows before a second later his eyes opened wide when he recognised the rider was a woman. She kept glancing over her shoulder as though trying to reassure herself that her departure was going unnoticed.
Claudia!
The realisation hit Garrett so abruptly that he almost groaned, his hands tensing on the reins. What on earth was that lunatic woman doing now? First, she sought out a solicitor, and now she was leaving her brother’s house in the middle of the night without an escort?
Garrett shook his head, wondering if he had been misinformed about the conduct of English ladies or if he had found the only woman in all of England who possessed the courage to go against convention. It was either that or she had lost her mind.
Keeping his distance, Garrett once more followed her down the street, his mind conjuring all kinds of reasons for her unusual behaviour. However, when she continued onward and eventually crossed over into a less savoury part of town, Garrett felt his concern grow in spades.
Glancing around, Garrett took note of the taverns lining the street, loud voices echoing through the night while his wife up ahead seemed to be completely unaware of her surroundings. At the very least, her posture gave no indication that she was aware of the fact that she was potentially placing herself in harm’s way. What on earth drove her to ride across town in the middle of the night?
Only when a group of drunken men, their slurred singing drifting through the night air, stumbled out of a tavern and onto the street, effectively blocking her way, did Garrett see signs of alarm in her.
One man tumbled over another, and in no time a fight broke out among the two while the others cheered them on. At least until one of the spectators took note of the young woman upon her horse only a few paces away.
Within moments, the men swarmed around her like moths drawn to a flame.
Finally alarmed, Claudia kicked her horse’s flanks, urging it onward, but one of the men stepped into her path, snatching up the reins, a satisfied grin on his face. “What’ve we here?” he slurred, his words grotesquely mangled. “A mighty fine lady.”
Another man joined his drinking companion in the front, his eyes raking over her. “Wanna join us, darlin’? Promise we’ll show ye a real good time.”
Although his honour urged him to interfere, Garrett held back, wanting to see what she would do. Perhaps it would do her some good to be frightened out of her wits so she might learn her lesson and not do something so foolish again.
Still, Garrett could not say that he was surprised when she did not cower or plead, but squared her shoulders, lifted her chin and said with utter disdain, “Unhand my horse immediately, you filthy brute, or you’ll pay for it!” Her right hand−as of yet hidden to th
e men−tensed upon her riding crop as she slowly moved it forward in the shadow of her horse’s neck.
Despite the severity of the situation, Garrett could not help but smile, the sight of her here this night reminding him of the woman he had met almost a year ago.
Gone were the paleness of her cheeks and the sadness clouding her eyes. Now, her fierce character shone through, and Garrett remembered well the vivaciousness he had so admired in her. Whatever had happened to change her so, the woman he had known−if only for a short few hours−was still there, hidden deep inside!
Perhaps all she needed was to be reminded of who she was.
Kicking his horse’s flanks, Garrett left behind the shadows and came out into the dim light of the lit street lamps, urging his mount to her side. “May I assist ye?” he asked, feeling his skin tingle at simply being near her.
At the sound of his voice, her head snapped around and her eyes met his, and Garrett fell for her all over again.
Chapter Nine – A Lady and a Highlander
Cursing her own foolishness, Claudia glared down at the man holding on to her reins.
With only her son on her mind, she had not noticed the changes around her, had not been aware that townhouses no longer lined the sides of the street, but instead taverns and presumably other establishments unsuitable for a young woman.
Her attention had been focused inward, and her thoughts had circled around what to do once she reached the Prancing Pony. Now, it looked as though even reaching the inn was rather unlikely.
Still, she would not give up at the first sign of trouble.
Squaring her shoulders, Claudia gritted her teeth, ignoring the icy chill that slowly crept up her spine and met the man’s stare with a disdainful one of her own. Do not show fear, she counselled herself, for a pack of wolves always goes after the weak. Be strong!
“Unhand my horse immediately, you filthy brute,” she hissed, the look on her face underlining each word, “or you’ll pay for it!” Her fingers tensed around the riding crop in her hand, and she lifted it slowly, wondering how best to respond should the man laugh in her face.