“It won’t be long, sweetheart,” Teddy promised, his breath warm against her temple. “Try to remain calm.” She hadn’t realized she was clutching his hand or that he could probably feel her grinding her teeth as he pressed his face against hers. “I’ll keep you safe, Sophie. I promise. Just trust me.”
“I trust you,” she managed to answer, but the words were snatched from her mouth by a gust of wind. Her hood was blown off, leaving her exposed to the cold and the prying eyes of anyone who happened to see them trotting past.
They left the town proper and continued past frozen fields and darkened farms. The further they traveled from Boston, the safer and calmer Sophie felt, mentally measuring the distance between them and any possible pursuit. All was quiet, the snow quickly covering their tracks as if they’d never passed that way at all. She shivered, half-frozen after nearly an hour out in the bitter cold.
“Nearly there,” Teddy said, wrapping his cloak around them like a tent. “Stay with me.”
Sophie nodded, wishing she could protect her face from the wind that was so much stronger out in the open where there were no buildings to shield them from its frigid gusts. At last, they approached an isolated farmhouse. A sliver of light was visible through the crack in the shutters, and thick smoke curled from the chimney, promising warmth and light. Teddy caught her as she slid down and kissed her tenderly on the forehead before escorting her to the door. It opened immediately, a large, bewhiskered man filling the doorway and blocking out what lay beyond.
“Ted, come on in. And this must be Sophie. We’ve been expecting you.”
Sophie was ushered into a warm, cozy room that smelled pleasantly of stewed meat and freshly baked bread.
“Sophie, allow me to present Brock and Molly Langford. We’re going to stay with them for a short while,” Teddy said. He didn’t explain how he knew the Langfords, and Sophie didn’t ask. She looked around, taking in her new surroundings. The room was square, with a hearth and table on one side and a bedstead on the other. A baby slept in a cradle, its little face peaceful.
“Good evening, Sophie,” Molly Langford said. She was short and plump, and her round face radiated welcome. “I’ve prepared the loft for you. It’s nice and warm up there,” she assured them. “Have you eaten?”
Sophie hadn’t eaten since luncheon, since she’d claimed to have a headache and had gone up to her room, but was too embarrassed to admit she was hungry. She was grateful to Teddy for not sharing her inhibitions.
“Starved. Hardly had time for a cup of ale today,” Teddy replied as he shrugged off his cloak and hung it on a peg. “Come, sweetheart. Let’s get those wet boots off,” he said gently. He untied her cloak, hung it up next to his own, then led her to a bench and waited until she sat down before getting down on one knee and removing her sodden boots. “Hold your feet out to the fire, so your stockings dry faster,” Teddy suggested.
Sophie stuck out her feet and sighed as the cold, wet wool began to steam.
Molly ladled stew into two bowls, cut several slices of brown bread, and poured two cups of ale. “Have some supper and go on up to bed,” she said. “You both look ready to drop.”
“Thank you,” Sophie said, turning to face the table. “You’re very kind.”
Molly smiled warmly in response, but Brock seemed surprised by the sentiment, making Sophie question whether the Langfords were Teddy’s friends or simply people he was paying to put them up for a time.
After their delicious and filling supper, Sophie climbed the ladder to the loft, undressed down to her shift, and settled down on the makeshift bed. Straw poked her in the ribs where the cotton mattress was threadbare, but there were two woolen blankets and an illusion of privacy enhanced by the Langfords blowing out the candles and heading off to bed. Teddy undressed and got in next to her, taking her in his arms and holding her tight. Sophie buried her face in his chest, inhaling his familiar smell and absorbing his warmth. She’d forgotten what it was like to feel safe and loved, and the realization that she was free brought tears to her eyes.
“I know you have questions, but honestly, I’m too tired to answer them tonight. Shall we get some sleep, love?”
Sophie nodded into his shoulder. She did have questions, too many to count, but she was exhausted after her emotional day and needed to rest. The questions would still be there tomorrow, and hopefully, she would finally have a clearer picture of what to expect now that they were together.
Chapter 36
Sophie woke sometime during the night, the unfamiliar sighs and groans of the house combined with the snoring from downstairs leaving her momentarily disoriented. There was no light in the loft, and she experienced a brief spell of panic before recalling the events of last night. She snuggled closer to Teddy as joy surged through her, overcoming her fear of the repercussions and uncertainty about the future. They’d be together now, and everything would be well.
Teddy rolled onto his side and pulled her closer, clearly no longer asleep. His lips found hers in the dark and she gave herself up to his kiss, her body melting into his. Teddy was so warm, so familiar, and so aroused. His gentle hands followed the path of his lips, awakening feelings she’d forgotten she was capable of. By the time they came together, she was ready and willing, eager to please him and to be pleased. Waves of ecstasy washed over her as Teddy moved within her, taking her with him on a journey of rediscovery that left her happy and sated.
“Oh Teddy,” she whispered, “don’t ever leave me again. Not ever.”
“I will never leave you, Sophie. I promise,” he said softly.
You left me before. “Where have you been?” she asked, determined to finally get some answers.
Teddy rolled onto his back. A low sigh escaped his lips. Whatever had happened, he clearly had no wish to talk about it. “After years aboard the Sea Falcon, I came to know the crew and the officers well enough to gauge who might be open to persuasion,” Teddy began.
“Persuasion to do what?” Sophie asked, a cold dread settling in the pit of her stomach.
“I was particularly eager to cultivate the goodwill of Mr. Higgins, the quartermaster,” Teddy continued. “He was a calculating fellow, always looking to make a bit of clandestine profit. So, we hatched a plan, Mr. Higgins, myself, and two other members of the crew, Jim Royston and Gregory Mason. I’d go ashore in every port and purchase goods with the money we all invested—rum, sugar, tea, whatever was easily obtained—and Mr. Higgins would turn a blind eye while Royston and Mason smuggled the casks aboard and hid the contraband until it was safe to unload it in Boston. I’d made connections over the years and was able to sell the merchandise easily enough, making enough of a profit to keep Mr. Higgins from turning me and the others in.”
“What would have happened had he changed his mind?”
“Best case, I’d get flogged within an inch of my life. Worst case, I’d be hanged,” Teddy replied, his voice flat.
“Why did you do it, Teddy? Why did you take such risks?”
“I was desperate, Soph,” Teddy replied, his voice trembling with feeling. “My wages weren’t enough to keep my ma and sisters fed and clothed, and I couldn’t go on that way forever. I wanted us to marry, to have a life of our own. My ma would never have let me go as long as she depended on me for her very livelihood. So, I took a chance, and it paid off. I was able to earn ten times my pay, enough to keep ma happy and put something by for our future.”
“Did Mr. Higgins turn on you?” Sophie asked, already hating the man.
“No, he didn’t. What happened wasn’t his fault. I came ashore in Port Royale and headed to my usual haunts, looking to buy some rum. The first stop was no problem. I bought several casks and handed them over to Royston and Mason before continuing on to the Sea Serpent, a tavern of dubious repute,” Teddy added with a bitter chuckle. “While I was there, a fight broke out, a vicious brawl between members of two competing crews. The floor of the tavern was slick with blood, bodies everywhere. It was pandemonium. I s
hould have left the cask of rum and returned to the ship, but I’d already paid for it and knew Mr. Higgins wouldn’t be too happy with me if I didn’t get something for our coin. I hid behind the bar and waited it out, then got out the back way. I thought I was safe.”
Teddy pulled her closer, as if her proximity could undo whatever had happened next. “There were two of them, waiting for me in the alley. They were armed with cutlasses and pistols. They were still riled from the fight. They’d have killed me had I resisted.”
“Did they want the rum?” Sophie asked.
“They wanted me. They needed men to make up the numbers since both crews had lost a number of sailors that day and couldn’t sail with a skeleton crew. Several others were taken as well. Having settled their differences, the captains were willing to share, so they split the prisoners between them. I had no way of getting word to my ship and knew that if I didn’t return, Mr. Higgins wouldn’t try too hard to find me since he might be implicated in whatever the search party discovered. I was left for dead, and the Sea Falcon sailed without me.”
“So, you became part of a different crew?” Sophie asked.
“A pirate crew.”
“Oh, Teddy,” Sophie gasped. “Was it awful?”
Teddy didn’t reply, nor would he tell her anything more no matter how many ways she asked. Sophie knew him well enough to realize that he was sparing her the worst of it. Whatever had happened to him after he was taken must have been harrowing and left its mark.
“Have you killed on their orders?” Sophie asked, her voice trembling with horror.
“I did whatever I had to do to survive. I was caught between the Devil and the deep blue sea, love. After the first few months, I was given my first share of the booty, and I’ve been receiving my cut ever since. The captain wasn’t too bad, a Frenchman by the name of Jean Martel. He was fierce but fair. He treated the crew with honesty and respect, not something you’d expect of a pirate. I worked hard to win his trust.”
“And did he come to trust you?” Sophie asked, thinking the man must have set Teddy free.
Teddy laughed quietly. “Captain Martel doesn’t trust anyone, but he understands the nature of men and uses it to gain loyalty and respect. After a year on his ship, I worked up the courage to confront the man,” Teddy said. “I asked to see him privately and explained that I’d left behind a mother, sisters, and the girl I loved. I asked for leave to see to my family.”
“And he granted it?”
“He gave me four months,” Teddy replied. “From December till the end of March to sort out my private life. If I don’t return, he’ll have me killed.”
“Dear God,” Sophie gasped, realizing that the sands of her future with Teddy had just shifted once again. She needed to understand what this meant for her. “Teddy, what do you mean to do?”
“I planned to provide for my mother, marry you and set you up in a house of our own, and then return to Martel, as promised, but when I finally made it to Boston, I learned that your father was dead, you were gone, and my mother was living with a man she’d met while filling tankards at the tavern. I left her sufficient funds to provide a dowry for my younger sisters and live on for years to come, and I still have enough left to set us up, Sophie. You’ll want for nothing while I’m gone.”
“And if you don’t return?” she croaked.
“That could have happened just as easily had I still been part of the crew of the Sea Falcon.”
“But we’d have been legally wed then.”
“We can be legally wed now,” Teddy replied. “Will he grant you a divorce?”
Sophie opened her mouth to reply, then closed it again. George had nearly killed her when she spoke in a friendly manner to Alexander Trevor. What would he do if he discovered she was living with another man? He’d want retribution. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, then I’ll have to get rid of him another way,” Teddy replied, his voice steely with purpose.
“I won’t marry you if you kill George,” Sophie snapped. “I won’t build my happiness on the death of the man I promised to honor and obey.”
“That’s very commendable, but that leaves us in something of a quandary.”
“We’ll think of something. What of our son, Teddy?” Sophie asked, her voice catching.
Teddy turned to face her and kissed the tip of her nose. “Sophie, you have my word that I will leave no stone unturned to find our boy. I pray he’s alive, but even if he’s no longer on this earth, I will find his resting place so we can pay our respects.”
“And how will you find him?”
“I have an idea,” Teddy replied.
“What is it? Tell me.”
“Not yet. I don’t want you to be disappointed should it prove a dead end. In the meantime, we’ll stay here with the Langfords. They’re good, hardworking people and will put us up until we’re ready to set up a home of our own.”
“Teddy, if you leave me on my own, George will get wind of it and come after me,” Sophie said, her belly in knots.
“George will never find you, not where we are going.”
“And where is that?”
“I hear the Langfords getting up, so our planning will have to wait. I don’t want anyone to know where we are going.”
“Why?” Sophie asked.
“Because everyone has a price, even men who call themselves a friend.”
“Are you paying the Langfords to put us up?” Sophie asked, needing to know where she stood. She didn’t want to be a charity case.
“Brock is a friend, but yes, I’m paying him for his help. After all, he’s got two more mouths to feed while we’re here. People’s goodwill only goes so far when they are hungry.”
Sophie nodded in understanding. “Tell me what I can do to help.”
“You must remain hidden,” Teddy replied. “If anyone asks, Molly will say you’re her sister, come to visit.”
“And you?”
“I have our son to find.” Teddy made to rise from the pallet, but Sophie grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.
“No!” she said, surprising them both with her forcefulness. “I have a right to know where you’re going and how you mean to find Theo.”
“Theo?”
“Yes. I named him Theodore, after you. I’m his mother, and I will not be kept in the dark.”
Teddy smiled at her in the half-light of the coming morning. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ve become accustomed to keeping things to myself.”
“Well, then?”
Teddy sat cross-legged on the pallet, and she sat up to face him. The chill bit into her skin once she left the sanctuary of the blankets, but she didn’t care. She needed to see Teddy’s face when he told her.
“You said that your father brought in a midwife who wasn’t from these parts, a woman who was willing to drug you and take our son from his mother,” Teddy began.
“Yes.”
“Where would a respectable printer find such a person?” Teddy asked, giving Sophie a few moments to ponder the question.
“I don’t know. I never considered that.”
“He’d have to ask a woman, a woman he can trust.”
“The only woman my father knew and trusted was Agnes,” Sophie said, horrified by what Teddy was implying.
Teddy shook his head. “Agnes doesn’t have a devious bone in her body. There’s someone else,” he continued, watching Sophie’s face for a hint of understanding.
“Your mother,” she whispered.
“My mother,” Teddy concurred. “My mother helped my father run the tavern for years. She came into contact with all sorts, and she already knew you were with child, so your father wasn’t risking anything by talking to her.”
“Why would our parents conspire to hurt us like that?” Sophie wailed.
“My mother didn’t want me to wed,” Teddy said. “Taking a wife would sever the ties of control she’d bound me with since my father’s death. She wanted to tether me to her an
d keep me at her beck and call, so she tried to put you off me, telling you lies about me. My mother would be all too willing to get rid of any child that would make demands on my wages.”
“So, you think your mother knows Mrs. Meeks?”
“I think that’s a good possibility.”
“Will she tell you where she is, do you think?”
“Probably not without an inducement,” Teddy replied with a grimace of disgust.
“What sort of inducement?”
“The only kind there is—money.”
“Teddy, that’s awful. Theo is her grandson.”
“Theo means nothing to her. I will pay whatever it takes to get our baby back, Poppet.”
“Can you afford to do that?”
“Piracy pays better than honest work,” Teddy replied. “I have enough to see us through.”
As Teddy got up and dressed, Sophie wrapped the blanket about her shoulders, her legs too wobbly to get up. For the first time since losing Theo, she felt a spark of hope. She hadn’t been able to discover anything on her own, but her mind wasn’t devious enough to suspect the people she knew of such treachery. Her father had done what he’d done out of a misguided sense of love for her, but Mrs. Mercer had had darker motives. She’d probably hoped Theo would die so as never to make any claim on his father, not that he’d ever know who his father was. How could any woman, especially a mother, be capable of such cruelty?
“Come, love. Get yourself dressed. I’ll be leaving directly after breakfast.”
Sophie threw off the blanket and hastily pulled on her stockings before reaching for her stays. She was grateful to Molly for leaving a chamber pot in the loft since going out to the privy would be a frigid business. As soon as Teddy climbed down the ladder, she saw to her personal needs, splashed some water on her face from the pitcher Molly had provided, and dressed in her woolen gown, grateful for its warmth. Her boots had dried overnight, and she pulled them on, glad of their protection against the wooden floorboards. When she came down, Brock was feeding wood into the fire and Molly was nursing her baby. It finished eating and looked around, taking in the newcomers.
The House on the Hill: A Ghost Story Page 19