by Bree Wolf
Alexandra’s heart hammered in her chest as Antoine escorted her off the ship and back down to the beach. With his arm slung around her waist, her head nestled against his shoulder, they walked back toward Silcox Manor. His hands held her tightly, and she could feel the reluctance to release her in the tension that held his muscles rigid.
When they stopped at the bottom of the small path that led up to the cliff top, Antoine pulled her into his embrace, his eyes dark as they burnt into hers. “You will hurry back as fast as you can,” he whispered, his tone commanding as though his will could ensure their plan’s success.
Alexandra nodded, running her hands over his arms and linking them behind his neck. Gazing up into his eyes, she wondered how she had ever lived a day without him. A few hours ago, she had not even known of his existence, and now, he was as important to her as the breath of her body. This was the kind of love she had always dreamed of. The kind of love she had feared she would never find. And she would heed her brother’s advice. She would not think of all the consequences of her decision. No, she would simply act upon her heart’s desire. It was a risk, yes. And yet, it did not feel like one. It felt like her life was finally beginning. After all, if the way she felt about Antoine after merely an hour or two already stole the breath from her body, how would it make her feel in the years to come?
“I wish I could go with you,” Antoine whispered, and she could feel his arms tightening on her even more as he glanced upward toward the darkened manor.
“But you cannot,” she replied, unable to hide the smile that came to her lips. Never had anyone felt about her the way he did. She felt precious. Special. Extraordinary.
Like one of a kind.
Like she had something to offer that no one else in the world had.
It was a heady feeling. One she never wanted to be without again.
“You must stay behind,” she urged him when he held on to her tightly the moment she forced herself to step out of his embrace. “No one must see you or all will be lost. Trust me.” Holding his gaze, Alexandra knew that it was not a lack of trust in her that held him back, but the dreaded notion that despite good intentions and impeccable planning, things could still go wrong.
What if her husband had returned in her absence? What if she had been discovered missing? What if she was spotted the moment she entered the house?
All these what-if’s were not likely, and yet, they sent a shiver down her back. Her new life was so close, and seeing it slip through her fingers would surely break her heart beyond repair. Still, there was no choice. Not truly, for this new life only held wonder and happiness if her daughter was by her side.
“If you’re not back in an hour,” Antoine said, his voice tense and his eyes insistent as he looked at her, “I will come after you.”
Almost overwhelmed by his willingness to risk his life for her, Alexandra bit her lip and merely nodded. Then after a last glance at the man she loved, she rushed up the path to Silcox Manor, praying that all would go well, and they would soon be on their way.
On their way to a new life as a family.
Glancing around the outside of the manor house, Alexandra felt her heart slow when she spotted no signs of activity. The house seemed asleep. Slipping inside the way she had left−through the kitchen entrance−Alexandra rushed up the servants’ staircase, doing her utmost to walk quietly while listening for sounds of someone else approaching. Fortunately, all remained quiet.
For a moment, Alexandra glanced at the door to the nursery before she hurried into her own chamber. Quickly, she pulled a parchment from her small desk and sitting down hastily penned a few short lines to her beloved brother. Although Alexandra had come to realise that as long as Violet was with her she would not shed a tear for the life she was leaving behind, he was the one person who made her hesitate.
Despite the fact that they had drifted apart in recent years, Alexandra loved him dearly and knew that nothing but guilt kept him from visiting her more often. Still, she could not leave without a word of farewell.
Indeed, nothing is set in stone as I have come to realise tonight. Destiny has finally found me, and I will heed your advice as promised and take a risk in order to find the same happiness that you have found all those years ago. Thank you for giving me the courage to claim it.
On impulse, Alexandra did neither address nor sign the short note. After all, she could not risk it being a clue to her disappearance. William would understand. Of that, she was certain.
Still, as rational as Alexandra tried to go about her departure, tears welled up in her eyes as she folded the parchment and placed it in an envelope with shaking hands. Quickly, she reached for another sheet, blinking back tears, and penned another short letter. This one did not fill her heart with regret, but with a deep sense of relief instead. When she had finished, Alexandra addressed it to her husband and with a last sigh left it on her desk for her maid to find in the morning.
A soft knock sounded on her door, and Alexandra froze, terror crawling up her spine.
“My lady?” came Miss Peachum’s whispered voice.
Exhaling in relief, Alexandra rushed to the door and then silently slid it open, her heart quickening at this most fortunate twist of fate.
The stout governess appeared in its frame, her gaze narrowed as it moved over Alexandra’s sand-speckled skirts and wet hem. “Are you all right, my lady?”
Glancing down the corridor, Alexandra stepped outside, closing the door behind her. “I’m fine,” she whispered, praying that the older woman would understand. “Miss Peachum, may I ask a favour of you?”
For a long moment, Miss Peachum held her gaze, speculation in the woman’s eyes as though she suspected what Alexandra was about to ask before she slowly nodded her head in agreement. “Certainly, my lady.”
With shaking hands, Alexandra held out the short note she had written for William. “Would you see that my brother receives this?” She swallowed. “It is for his eyes alone, and I cannot trust to send it out with the household’s post. Would you do this for me?”
Once more, Miss Peachum’s gaze rested on Alexandra’s face, and she could see that the stout governess’s mind was slowly grasping the hidden meaning of Alexandra’s words. Would she deny her? Would she alert the household? Worse, her husband?
“Very well.” Gently, Miss Peachum took the letter from Alexandra’s trembling hands. “I promise I shall place it in his hands personally.”
Exhaling a breath of relief, Alexandra momentarily closed her eyes, all tension leaving her body. “Thank you,” she breathed, her voice barely audible. “Thank you so much. For everything.”
“You’re very welcome, my lady.” A soft smile came to the older woman’s face, and for a moment, Alexandra felt reminded of her mother.
“It is late,” Alexandra whispered, once more blinking back tears. “You should retire. I will look in on my daughter.”
“Very well, my lady.”
“Thank you,” Alexandra whispered once more and squeezed the woman’s hand, unable to find the right words to express her gratitude.
Miss Peachum smiled, gently patting Alexandra’s hand. “I hoped this day would come, but I never dared dream it would. Good luck, my lady. May you find happiness.”
Touched by the governess’s words, Alexandra swallowed, the corners of her mouth curving up into a smile. “Thank you for everything.”
With a last encouraging smile, Miss Peachum turned down the corridor, and Alexandra watched almost transfixed until the woman stepped into her own chamber and was lost from sight. The moment the door closed, it was as though Alexandra was given permission to move. The sudden paralysis fell from her, and she rushed to her daughter’s nursery.
Casting a glance at her sleeping child, Alexandra hurried to the armoire and selected a warm dress and a heavy cloak that would ensure that her daughter stayed warm. Laying both over the back of Violet’s bed, Alexandra gently sat down beside her little girl. “Violet, Sweetheart, wake up.” Brushing a hand
over her daughter’s head and rubbing her little hands, Alexandra waited with ill-concealed impatience for her child to wake from her dream.
After what seemed like a small eternity, the girl’s little mouth opened in a wide yawn, and she blinked at her mother, confusion in her dark blue eyes as she took note of the fact that it was still dark out and her mother fully dressed. “Mummy?”
“Shhh.” Putting a finger to her lips, Alexandra silenced her daughter and cast an uneasy glance at the door near her back, afraid that they might be discovered at any moment.
“What’s wrong, Mummy?”
Noting the hint of apprehension in her daughter’s voice, Alexandra vowed that she would see to it that her child would never have reason to live a life of fear ever again. Every child deserved to feel safe and protected, and she would ensure that Violet would never doubt how much she was loved.
“Everything’s fine,” Alexandra whispered, brushing a gentle hand over her daughter’s cheek. “We’re going on a little adventure.”
Violet’s eyes widened in surprise. “An adventure?” She glanced at the windows. “But it’s still dark.”
Squeezing her daughter’s hands, Alexandra smiled. “Precisely. Come, you need to get dressed.” She pulled back the coverlet and reached for her daughter’s dress. “But quietly,” she urged. “We must not make a sound, but be as quiet as mice, do you understand?”
Alexandra prayed that her daughter would not be frightened and was relieved to see the little girl’s head bob up and down in confirmation. A hint of excitement shone in Violet’s eyes as she hurriedly got dressed and then allowed her mother to guide her out into the dark corridor, her little hand resting securely in Alexandra’s.
Glancing into the shadows, Alexandra walked with quick steps, her daughter almost running to keep up. Down the servant staircase they went and into the deserted kitchen. All the while, Alexandra feared that someone would happen upon them and bar their way out. The little hairs in the back of her neck stood on end, and she did not dare think of what would happen if they were discovered.
Their freedom was so close. Please!
Once more, Alexandra unlocked the bolt on the heavy door. Then she looked down at her daughter. “Are you ready?” she asked, gently squeezing her child’s hand.
“Where are we going?”
“On a ship.”
“A ship?” Violet’s little eyes opened wide. “You mean, like Gulliver’s Travels?”
Leaning against the heavy door, Alexandra smiled at her daughter. “I do not know what awaits us, my sweet child, but I am certain that we will find happiness out there that has been denied us in here.” Then she inhaled a deep breath, grunted as she pushed open the door, her strength barely a match for the powerful wind outside, and pulled her daughter out into the night toward a new life.
Chapter Thirteen − Family
Pacing the beach, Antoine kept his gaze fixed on the dark house. His thoughts ran rampant, and his hands curled into fists at his sides. He ought never have allowed her to go alone. What if she had been discovered? What if her husband had returned?
Minutes ticked by, and his pulse hammered in his veins as though he were sprinting down the beach, trying to outrun the waves. Then movement caught his eye, and he hid behind a large boulder, his hand on the hilt of the sword dangling at his hip. Peering around the large rock, Antoine prayed that it was Alexandra, and not someone come to search for her. However, that was unlikely, was it not? After all, the house seemed to be fast asleep, not a light in sight.
When the moonlight bounced off Alexandra’s blond curls peeking out of the hooded cloak she wore, Antoine breathed a sigh of relief, and it was in that moment that he realised how much she meant to him. That she was his life, his love, the breath of his body. Panic and fear fell from him, and his heart soared high into the heavens at seeing her safe, her beautiful face looking down at a little golden-haired girl, walking beside her, the girl’s little hand safely wrapped in her mother’s.
Striding forward, Antoine only had eyes for the woman he loved, failing to consider the little girl, who looked anxiously at her dark surroundings. The moment he stepped into their path, a scream tore from the little girl’s throat; she clung to her mother’s skirts, eyes wide with fear.
For a moment, they all tensed, and Antoine glanced up at the house.
Fortunately, all remained quiet as the wind’s howl had swallowed up Violet’s scream, carrying it far out to sea.
Once more relief filled Antoine’s heart, and he stepped up to Alexandra, his gaze seeking hers. Her eyes shone brightly in the moonlight, and a soft smile tugged on her lips as she beheld him. In answer, his own heart skipped a beat, and he reached out to draw her hand into his, his thumb gently brushing over her knuckles.
Even this short absence had been torture, and Antoine vowed he would never let her go again.
“Are you all right, ma chérie?” he asked, forcing his gaze from hers and once more glancing up the path they had come. “Did anyone see you?”
“I do not believe so,” Alexandra whispered, her blue eyes gazing into his with the same longing he felt in his own heart. Finally, their life together was beginning, and he could not wait to spend the rest of his days with her.
“Mummy?”
The soft voice of the child reached their ears as though from far away, and Antoine blinked.
As did Alexandra. Then she looked down at her daughter lovingly, pulling her closer into her arms. “This is my daughter,” she whispered, her gaze finding his once more. “Violet.”
Antoine swallowed, suddenly overcome with the notion of securing this child’s happiness. She seemed so small and helpless, so innocent and vulnerable. And yet, a fierceness shone in her eyes that he had only once seen before. In his nephew, Henri.
Looking up at him with her wide blue eyes−so much like her mother’s−Violet stood in Alexandra’s arms, and Antoine could see that there was no fear in the girl’s gaze, which spoke to the trust that existed between mother and daughter.
“Bonsoir, Violette,” he said, smiling down at the little girl that would now be his daughter, and he knelt in front of her, his eyes finding hers. “Have you ever been on a ship?”
Violette shook her head, her blond curls swaying in the wind. “Are you a pirate?”
Antoine laughed, impressed by her courage, her blue eyes holding his without flinching. “Not quite, ma petite. My name is Antoine Duret, and I am a privateer, sailing under a French flag.” He briefly looked up at Alexandra, and joy danced in his heart as he realised that there was no longer a single doubt in his heart or mind. He had finally found his family, and he could not wait to take them home. “I’ve come to steal your mother away. Your mother and you.” Inhaling a deep breath, Antoine watched her little face. Then he held out his hand to her. “Will you come with me?”
Violette glanced up at her mother, but then she slipped her hand into his, and the feel of her little hand in his large one, humbled him. A sudden desire to protect her, to keep her safe claimed his heart. The thought that she might be harmed or hurt, that tears might fall from her eyes, that her heart might break pained him greatly, and Antoine knew that he would do everything within his power to guard her for the rest of his life.
A little voice, deep inside, whispered that the world had changed, that she was now his daughter, like a child born and placed in her father’s arms. His heart opened, and a new love−one he had never experienced before−sparked into life, slowly reaching out and claiming more and more of himself. Soon, he would be hers, and he did not mind in the least. Was that not the way parents loved their children?
In that moment when they stood on the beach below Silcox Manor, Antoine began to love Violette for her mother’s sake. But he had no doubt that before they would reach French soil, he would love her for her own.
Becoming a father was a strange thing.
As was life itself.
A few hours ago, he had been focused on the sea and his shi
p alone, and he had been convinced that there had been nothing missing from his life. And now, suddenly, he found himself in love, and a father no less, and he could not imagine ever being anything less.
Chapter Fourteen − Born to be at Sea
The sky was still dark when the tide rolled out, carrying the Destinée out to sea. The storm had subsided, and the dark, angry clouds moved westward as though the world smiled upon the decision that had been made that night. In the distance, dawn lurked on the horizon, and Alexandra stepped up to the bow, her eyes sweeping over the world before her.
“Are you all right?” Antoine asked, coming to stand behind her, his strong arms wrapping her in a tight embrace. “Do you have regrets?”
Alexandra could hear the apprehension in his voice and knew that they would need time to truly get to know one another. Although their hearts had instantly recognised one another as two pieces of a whole, tying them together for the rest of their days, they had both lived very different lives, and it would take some time to create one that belonged to both.
“None,” Alexandra replied, her voice strong, as she felt her blood pulse in her veins. Leaning back against Antoine, she placed her hands on his, which were securely wrapped around her middle. “I’m merely saying goodbye to a life I never thought I’d ever be able to escape. A part of me can still not believe that this is real.” She turned in his arms and looked up into his warm eyes. “That you are real. I’m afraid I might wake up any second and find myself back at Silcox Manor, our meeting only a dream conjured by my heart’s desire.”
A soft smile curled up his lips. His eyes, however, were serious as they looked into hers. “I’m very real,” Antoine whispered, his breath brushing over her lips. “And I will never let you go.” Then his mouth claimed hers, urging her to believe that what they had found was not a dream at all, but life in all its beauty. Sometimes a path was not a direct line. Sometimes it took turns and detours. Sometimes it took one a long time to travel it.