My Guardian Knight

by Lynette Marie

  “Just one moment,” the man said and disappeared behind a door. He returned with an envelope and she thanked him.

  Walking out into the lovely day, she sat down on a bench and gave Matthew a snack to tide him over until dinner. She opened the envelope and was surprised to find ten dollars. Tucking it quickly into her reticule, she opened the letter that accompanied it.

  “Dear Mrs. Darcy,” it began, “I am sorry to tell you that we no longer require your services. A family emergency in our hometown has called us away and we don’t know how long it will be until we return, if indeed we return at all. I have enclosed ten dollars to compensate you for your trip and am sure you will find adequate work, St. Louis being such a large place. Best of luck, Mrs. Richardson.”

  Amanda’s eyes closed against the harsh reality that she was still without a job. She had no money and no prospects of earning more. Where would they stay until she found a job? That could take days, even weeks! How would she feed her son? She had always been strong willed and determined, but this was the last straw. What could she do now? She’d come all this way depending on that job! How could they go away and leave her with a measly ten dollars?! Amanda stared straight ahead, aware of nothing but her own problems. She didn’t see the many people who passed by, throwing curious looks her way. She didn’t see the storm clouds that rushed to cover the sun, and didn’t feel the drops of rain that soon began to fall.

  Sebastian walked out of the barbershop and headed to the mercantile. As he stepped off the boardwalk he noticed Amanda and Matthew sitting across the street. He quelled the urge to go over to them, knowing that if the first goodbye had been so gut wrenching, a second would be almost impossible. So he continued on his way, picking up the special supplies that he would need for home that he would not be able to get in Alton.

  An hour later he noticed the storm clouds as he strode away from the store. Unable to stop himself, he glanced across the street to where his friends had been and was surprised to find them still sitting there. Upon closer inspection, he could see the dejected look on Amanda’s face and hear Matthew’s frightened chatter. He had no idea what was wrong, but nothing was going to stop him from finding out!

  He made his way quickly across the crowded street and waved. Matthew ran to him and wrapped his little arms about Sebastian’s legs. “What happened?”

  The small boy shook his head. “I don’t know.

  Mama’s sad and she won’t talk. She only stares and I don’t know what to do!”

  Taking his hand firmly, Sebastian walked over to

  Amanda and knelt before her. “Amanda?” he called softly. She seemed not to see him. “Amanda, what’s the matter? Talk to me.” There was still no response. Noticing the crumpled paper lying on her lap, he picked it up and read it, barely feeling the rain that wet the words and made them run together.

  “Oh, you poor girl,” he murmured, putting his arm around her and urging her to her feet. She gave no protest but still did not return from her trance-like state. “Come along,

  Matthew. I’m taking you to my hotel room.”

  Laying Amanda on his bed, he then turned his attention to Matthew. “Here son, let’s get those wet clothes off you.” He took a clean shirt from his own bag and, after drying him off, slid the soft cotton over the boy’s head. “I bet you’re tired after such a long day, huh?”

  Matthew nodded, his big dark eyes full of fear. “Is Mama okay?”

  He pulled Matthew onto his lap. “Your mother has had news that was a bit shocking to her and she’s trying to find a way to cope with it. I promise I’ll talk to her and help her to feel better. Do you trust me?” Again he nodded. Sebastian placed some blankets on the floor in the corner of the room and settled Matthew upon them, watching as he curled up and fell fast asleep.

  With a sigh he set about relieving Amanda of her clothes. His fingers shaking, he unbuttoned her bodice and stripped the wet clothing away from her warm skin. He had hoped he wouldn’t have to put himself through the torture of removing her unmentionables, but they were soaked through and so he made quick work of ridding her of them, also. He clothed her in another of his soft cotton shirts and tried unsuccessfully to quiet the desire raging through his body. Although he had tried his best not to look, such a task was impossible, and he found that her body was even lovelier than he had imagined.

  He sat on the side of the bed and took her cold hand in his, rubbing until some warmth returned. After what seemed an eternity, she opened her eyes and looked at him, actually seeing him for the first time. She didn’t question how she had gotten there, or why Sebastian was once again in their company. No, she was too relieved to see him to wonder why. “Oh Sebastian,” she said softly, tears gathering in her lovely dark eyes, “what am I going to do? I have no job, no prospects, and no money. I’m afraid. Oh, I am so afraid that I can’t do it anymore. I’m tired of trying. It’s time I finally gave up.”

  Scowling fiercely, he grabbed her shoulders tightly and shook her. “I don’t ever want to hear you talk like that again, do you hear me? You have a little boy counting on you.

  Don’t give up so easily.”

  She laughed humorlessly. “I’m tired of fighting. I always knew this day would come and finally it has. I’ve no

  more spirit left. No choices, nowhere to turn.”

  Sebastian turned away, seemingly deep in thought.

  When he turned back to her, he was smiling. “I can help you, Amanda.”

  She touched his cheek. “No, you can’t. I thank you for trying, but no matter how much I want to lean on you I can’t—” She broke off suddenly, eyeing him thoughtfully.

  He stood up, running a hand through his hair. “It’s time for truth, Amanda Darcy. I know, have known from the beginning, actually, that you are running from something. Don’t bother trying to deny it, your every action gives you away. The way you move from job to job, trying to save enough money, I assume, to move far away where you won’t have to run anymore. I want to help you, and I need to know

  the truth here and now so I can.”

  “You’re right, you can help me,” she said, sitting up in bed and skirting the issue of why she was on the run. “All these years, moving from one place to another, I haven’t been trying to save money so I could find a permanent hide-out. I know that is impossible. I have hired myself out as governess and maid time and again not for money, but in the hopes of finding a home for Matthew. I have searched high and low for a family that I could trust to take Matthew in and treat him as their own. But in all the time I’ve been out there in the cold, hard world, I’ve only met one person who I could trust to love him. You.”

  Sebastian was floored. He felt as though he’d been kicked in the gut. The only emotion he could feel took hold of him and filled every cell in his body. Gone was the sympathy he’d felt for her being alone. Gone was the admiration he bestowed upon her for taking care of her child in the best way she knew how. All he could feel now was rage. Hot, blinding rage.

  He stepped back from the bed, fisting his hands so he wouldn’t hurt her. “How could you possibly even consider dumping that child in someone else’s lap? Look at him!” he bellowed, pointing to the small bundle in the corner. “He loves you! He needs you! And, after you push him out of

  your life, what do you plan to do?!”

  Tears formed in Amanda’s eyes. She could barely look at him, his anger was so potent. “Turn myself in,” she whispered.

  He sank into the chair by the bed, his legs suddenly too weary to support him. “What did you do?” he demanded.

  “Sebastian, there is no reason for me to tell you. I am a wanted woman who has been running from the law for too many years. If you take Matthew for me then, when I’ve finally been caught, he won’t have to bear the repercussions.”

  “How can you say that? He’ll have no mother.” “But at least he’ll have someone to love him. And he

  won’t have to see me carted away to jail.”

  “How ba
d is it? How long are you looking at?” She smiled fearfully. “I can say with strong

  conviction that I am sure I will hang.”

  Energy returned to his legs with such force that his chair slid across the room as he stood. “I’ll not let that happen!”

  “I appreciate all you’ve done for me, Sebastian, but you can do nothing about this. If you take Matthew, at least I can meet my punishment knowing that my son is well taken care of.”

  “I can help you.”

  “No, you can’t.”

  “Are you guilty of this crime you supposedly committed?”

  “Yes!”

  He leaned down until his face was barely an inch from hers, and she thought she’d never seen eyes so hard. “Let me tell you something, Amanda Darcy. Over the past two weeks I have gotten to know you well, and I refuse to believe that you would do anything that would cause you to hang. Now, whether you like it or not, you will tell me what happened. Everything. And, mark my words, I will help you!”

  She stared up at him, wondering if she were physically capable of uttering the words that would turn him against her. She had never told another soul what had happened, and had never planned to. She jumped when he barked “Now!” in a tone that would brook no argument.

  Her hands shook as she began to speak. “I grew up in an orphanage. It wasn’t so bad there, the ladies were nice to me, but I had no feeling of belonging. I was the town outcast and laughingstock because, unlike the other girls in the orphanage, everyone knew who my parents were. The ladies tried to shield me from the worst of the gossip, but even children hear what’s being said on the street, so by the time I was five I knew that my mother was the town’s prettiest, and youngest, prostitute and my father was the town drunk. My mother had been but fifteen when I was born and couldn’t take care of me. She could barely take care of herself. Even so, I used to watch her when she walked down the street, hoping against hope that she would change her mind and take me away with her. Of course that never happened, and eventually I stopped wishing it would.

  “So I grew up in the orphanage and all I wanted in life was a good husband, many children around me, and a pretty little house.” She laughed. “My three wishes. So when Avery passed through town and gave me some attention, I followed him like a lost puppy. They tried to tell me he was no good, but I wouldn’t listen. I wanted someone I could belong to. I was fifteen when we were married and moved to a small one-room shack a long way from my hometown. Almost immediately he began treating me badly. I wasn’t a wife to him, I was a slave. I was there to cook, clean, and, well, please him in any way he wanted. And, believe me, there were many different ways he liked to be ‘pleased’.” She shuddered. “Matthew was born less than a year after we’d been married and that’s when he started beating me. Right after Matthew had his first birthday he was playing on the floor while I cooked dinner. Quite accidentally he knocked Avery’s glass over and brandy spilled all over the place. I turned to pick up the baby but I was too far away. Almost in slow motion I saw Avery lift his fist toward my child.” She looked up at him then. “I didn’t think, Sebastian, I just did whatever I could to save my child. He was so small, I knew he wouldn’t survive one of Avery’s beatings. So I picked up the fireplace poker, the end of which had been laying too close to the fireplace, and hit him over the head. It must have been very hot, because as it slid off his head, it burned a whole through the shirt on his shoulder. I’ll never forget the smell of charred skin.

  “I grabbed Matthew and the bag I knew Avery kept some money in and ran. After I boarded that first train and looked to see how much money I had I found our marriage certificate, which was quite fraudulent. That’s when I found out I was never even married to him. All I knew was that I had to hide until I could find a safe place for my son. I never dreamed it would take this long. So, I’m wanted for attempted murder.

  “I’m sorry to drag you into all this, and I tried not to speak to you when we met, but you were so kind to us, and we’ve had so little kindness.”

  When he didn’t speak, she looked up to see his reaction. He was glaring down at her. “Your name is not

  really Amanda Darcy, is it?”

  “No,” she whispered. “My name is Amanda Higgins. Well, it would have been had I actually been married to him.”

  Sebastian began pacing. “Avery Higgins,” he

  growled. “I should have known.”

  “You know Avery?”

  “Unfortunately. He tried to pay me to find his run away wife.”

  Amanda laughed hysterically, afraid she was losing touch with reality. “And you found me anyway. Do you know when I first met you I thought you’d been sent by him?”

  “Amanda, you have done nothing wrong. He deserves everything you gave him and more. He is the most corrupt official I have ever seen. Avery Higgins is one of the reasons I left my job. The man is evil. He is the largest criminal in Boston. Every US Marshal is searching for him, and yet he’s right under their noses. He covers his tracks too well. I found out he was the criminal we’d been searching for, but I had no way to prove it. I’m so tired of seeing innocent people suffer because the criminals are too hard to catch.” He turned to her. “I will help you, Amanda, but I need your help, too.”

  “To catch Avery?”

  “No, sweetheart, I’m looking forward to doing that myself. Remember when I told you about Misty? I found out, just a few months ago, that the little girl my grandma took in was Misty’s child. Misty’s— and mine. I’d known the child all her life, spending a lot of time with her when I visited Grandma. I loved her and planned to take care of her when Grandma passed on, but it wasn’t until the day she died that I found out Marissa is my daughter. I stayed with her for a week, and then the orphanage took her away from me. They claimed that a single father has no idea how to raise a little girl. Ha! Like it’s better for her to live in an orphanage where no one cares about her! Anyway, I’m heading back to my hometown to try to win custody of her. If you go back with me, we can help each other.”

  “How?”

  “We’ll pretend we’re married. You and Matthew can take my name and you’ll have security. I promise I won’t let Avery hurt either of you. I already have a plan forming to take him out of commission. And I can get my little girl back if I have a wife to help take care of her. Please, Amanda, we’ll both get the help we need.”

  Amanda took a deep breath. “Just sit still and let Avery find me? What about the charges against me?”

  “When I uncover what he’s done you won’t have to worry about those charges. They’re bogus anyway. The only way he’d be able to punish you for them is if he bribes the judge, something he does frequently. Can you trust me? If you go with me and take care of Marissa like a little girl should be taken care of, can you trust me to worry about

  Avery? I know how to get him.”

  “I do trust you, Sebastian.”

  His heart swelled. “You’ll do it, then?”

  She smiled at him. “I’ll do it. I must admit,” she said shyly, “I was very depressed at the thought of losing your friendship.”

  He crossed the room and crushed her to him in a bruising hug. “Give me one year, Amanda, and then you can have your life back, free and clear. And I’ll have my daughter.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Sebastian awoke the next morning to the sound of

  Amanda feverishly throwing her belongings into her small bag. He jumped up from the chair where he’d slept and grabbed her arms. “Amanda? What is it?”

  She tried to shake him off. “Let go of me, Sebastian,

  I have to go. I have to get out of here!”

  He gave her a gentle shake. “What about last night? You said you’d help me. What about Matthew and Marissa?” “I’m sorry, I just can’t do it. Don’t you understand? He’s found me! Avery knows where I am!”

  “So? You knew he’d find you sooner or later. Wait a minute, how do you know he’s found you? Did you see him?” “No! I don�
��t have to see him to know he’s coming. I had the feeling! This morning when I woke up I had the

  feeling that he knows where we are.”

  “Amanda, be reasonable. There is no way you could know—”

  “Shut up!” she said, slapping his hard chest. “Sometimes I know things, and I’m telling you he knows

  where I am and he’ll be coming to find me!”

  “Okay, just calm down. Do you remember what we talked about last night? I can protect you from him. I know Avery Higgins and I know his weaknesses. You have to trust me, Amanda. We can make this work, but we have to do it together. Otherwise you’ll spend the rest of your life on the run, and that’s no way to live. And think of Matthew. If you come with me we can give him the kind of family life you’ve always wanted for him, and for yourself. Take that step, sweetheart, and I promise when it’s all over you won’t regret it.”

  “What if something happens?”

  “What alternative do you have? If you don’t come with me you had planned on turning yourself in to the law for something you aren’t guilty of and facing the hangman. Can anything be worse?”

  “Well, when you put it that way—” she said uncertainly.

  “Good! Now let’s get the squirt up and go buy a horse and carriage to take us home.” He turned away from her, hiding the relief he felt.

  By the time they were at the mercantile loading the supplies into their new carriage, Amanda felt much calmer. “Amanda, I need to run over to the hardware store for a minute. Why don’t you see if there is anything that you like here. St. Louis has a much better selection than Alton. I want you to get enough material for three new outfits a piece for you and the children. If you can’t find what you like here there’ll be plenty of time to look at home.” With a wave, he took Matthew by the hand and headed toward the hardware store, leaving Amanda gaping behind him.