by Wendy Vella
She thrust a warm pie into Sarah’s hand. “Steak ‘n kidney pie, young sir. That’ll start you out right.”
“Thank you,” Sarah replied with a grin. Her mouth watered. Another rumble boiled through her belly. Before she could say ought else, her uncle pulled her through the door.
She had no time to think. His sense of urgency infected her.
A gray dappled mare stood a few yards away, already saddled and waiting. The animal idly pulled up mouthfuls of clover by thrusting its head between slats in the fence separating the kitchen yard from the pasture beyond. He helped Sarah onto the back of the horse. Then he climbed in front of her, taking the reins.
“I’d liefer go south, sir,” Sarah said as they circled around the inn, heading for the highway. “I’ve plans already. And a good place to hide until Mr. Trenchard discovers the truth of these matters.”
“A place to hide?” Uncle John replied in a thoughtful voice, patting the horse’s neck.
“Yes. I’ve a place to go. No one will think to find me. I’d be safe there.”
“The Isle of Wight, perhaps?” He clicked his tongue and turned the horse toward the north.
“How—how did you know?”
“Easy enough when I heard about the Bingham lad, a brickmaker lately come from that island. It won’t do, you know. Not at all.”
“But—”
“If I could deduce this, others could. No. We’ll keep you safe in London.”
“With you? Mr. Trenchard will never—”
“Agree? Then we won’t ask him.”
“But we must at least tell him—”
“You weren’t going to inform him you were going to the Isle of Wight, were you? I fail to see why we should tell him if you change your mind.”
“This is entirely different. Besides, it wouldn’t be safe for Lady Victoria. Do you wish to place her in danger?”
He sighed elaborately. “Mr. Trenchard and you have appalling similar notions. No one will be in any danger, I assure you. Have faith in my judgment. Lady Victoria will be quite safe. As will you.”
Sarah wasn’t convinced, but she’d made her decision. And if she slipped off the back of her uncle’s mare, she might fall right into the hands of Rother. So although she wasn’t entirely sure the duke was the one to fear, she was reluctant to put it to the test.
She wished she had met William at the tavern instead of her uncle. She really was very tired. Her mind felt muddled and confused, and she needed William’s steadiness.
While she mulled over her predicament, she realized Uncle John had tensed. He nudged the horse in the ribs with his heels and clicked his tongue.
“What—”
“Shush,” he replied. “Listen.”
Clippity-clippity-clippity. The sound of a horse cantering smoothly down the road toward them filled the darkness. The sound rose in pitch as the rider neared.
“Hold on,” he ordered.
Sarah locked her arms around his waist while trying to glance over her shoulder. “What—”
A sharp, cracking explosion echoed behind them. Her uncle jerked forward onto the horse’s neck. Before Sarah could do anything, he kicked the horse with his heels. He jerked the reins to the right and headed them off the road toward a small copse of trees.
“Hold tight. Keep your head low,” he called, leaning forward awkwardly. His voice sounded strained.
The iron-tinged smell of blood filled the air. Sarah clutched her uncle with her face pressed against the center of his back, knowing something was terribly amiss. His ragged breathing rasped in her ears. She raised her head enough to look at his back. A black-edged hole marred his right shoulder, just above her head. Blood seeped through the wool of his jacket, spreading slowly.
Fear filled her veins with ice. “Stop! You’ve been shot!”
“No stopping now! It’s London or nothing—just don’t let go!”
They surged over a low stone wall marking a field border. Over her uncle’s shoulder, she could see the distant darkness of the small grove. An oasis of safety if they could reach it. Glancing behind, she saw the black outline of a man on horseback, following and cutting the distance between them swiftly.
“He’s coming!” she yelled, desperation cracking through her voice. She’d made the wrong choice—she should have gone south. Because of her foolishness, her uncle was dying even as she clung to him.
It was her fault.
I need William—where is he?
As they neared the woods, the mare slowed. It acted skittish and snorted as if it had caught the terrifying scent of blood in the air. Sarah could feel Mr. Archer’s muscles starting to relax. His thighs slackened their grip. He slumped forward.
Heart pounding, she cast a quick glance over her shoulder, cursing the bright moon and stars. The dark figure was closer and raising something to his shoulder. A rifle.
She reached around her uncle and grabbed the reins, turning the mare off the farm path to pick their way between the trees. They skirted a twisted maple. The sharp retort of rifle fire blistered the air, followed by the hollow sound of wood splintering. The maple next to them quivered. A few small twigs and leaves gently fell over Sarah’s head and shoulders.
She gulped the air, struggling to clear her mind, knowing her life—and that of her uncle’s—depended upon it. Guiding the horse to the right, she forced them deeper into the woods. They eased away from the trail and into the darkness between the trees.
At first, she gave the mare its head, letting it set a slow pace as it picked its way between the pale, ghostlike saplings and the thicker trunks of mature trees crowding the night shadows. The horse seemed to see despite the gloom and moved quietly and deliberately, as if sensing the need for secrecy. Several times Sarah pulled back on the reins, halting their progress to listen.
Behind them, she heard the sounds of a larger horse crashing through the underbrush. It moved toward them rapidly, apparently uncaring that it sounded like an entire herd of cows trampling between the trees.
Sarah tightened the reins again. She forced the mare to circle a large oak until they were facing the way they had come. The thrashing noise of pursuit neared. A man on a large horse emerged from the Stygian blackness. And his silhouette revealed a rifle resting on his thigh. He urged the horse forward with a low curse and the movement ruffled the light-colored cloak flowing over his shoulders. A soft, slouching hat, pulled low over his brow, hid his face.
She watched for a minute, but his posture and manner brought no flash of recognition. And she was afraid to stare too hard, or get to close, in case he should sense their presence. Identification would have to wait, if they managed to survive.
The man continued forcing his horse forward through the woods. His head turned this way and that, listening to the whispers of the trees. Somehow, the stealthy movements terrified Sarah more than any direct confrontation would. She waited, barely breathing, until the sounds of his horse faded.
She tightened her hands on the reins to urge their horse back toward the road when her uncle awakened from his stupor. He stiffened with a low noise halfway between a moan and a gasp.
“You’re shot,” she said unnecessarily.
“Nothing—it’s nothing, just a mere scratch,” he whispered with difficulty. “Where is he?”
“He continued amongst the trees, heading east. We must find a place to stop before you bleed to death.”
“Don’t be absurd. We shall continue—we’ll stop when we get to London. And he’ll expect us to take the closest route, especially if he believes he wounded one of us. He’ll head for Kennington. We’ll have to go another way, through Battersea, I think. Cross the river on Battersea Bridge. Let’s hope he takes the more direct road. Under no circumstances do we stop—is that understood?”
“But—”
“No circumstances. We’ll both live if you keep your eyes open and wits about you.” He paused to draw a raspy breath. “Now, we’ll wait five minutes. In case our friend deci
des to return this way. Then we’ll go back—but not to the main road. Did you see that lane running alongside the road?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Follow that. I have the vague idea it runs to Battersea Rise.”
She agreed reluctantly. While they waited, the mare browsed on a few new leaves and acorns from the previous fall. Her munching sounded horribly loud. Frantically worried about her uncle, and fearful the rifleman would return, Sarah pulled up on the reins to keep the horse from browsing. Then she reached around and snagged her uncle’s handkerchief from his waistcoat and stuffed it under his snug jacket. She could only hope it would staunch the sluggish flow of blood.
He winced under her touch and sucked in his breath. But he didn’t have the strength to object.
Nearer ten minutes than five, he roused himself enough to observe that their pursuer had apparently gone. The only sound was the light whisper of the breeze through the trees. Archer plucked the reins out of Sarah’s hands. With a tap of his heels, he urged the mare to step lightly through the woods toward the moonlit pastures beyond.
At the edge of the woods, he pulled back on the reins. They studied the road in silence. The pale gray ribbon looked terribly open and exposed. But neither of them saw their pursuer. She nervously scanned the fringe of trees to their right, her exposed back itching and frozen to the bone. They remained there for several breathless minutes before her uncle reluctantly urged the horse forward.
“We can’t remain trembling here forever,” he said as they crossed the fields and regained the road.
Icy fear slipped down her vulnerable back and she shivered, imagining a shot ringing out behind them. Uncle John let the mare trot down the road for a mile before they swung off to the left. They passed through a narrow gate to a small winding lane angling to the northwest, all the while alert to pursuit.
The trip through Battersea to London seemed to take forever. Sarah’s taut nerves stretched like strained corset ties on a fat lady until she wanted to scream. Several times, they came upon solitary riders, a few on heavy horses like the one their assailant rode. But as the night passed, she grew more confident. The man who attacked them must have taken the more direct route. They eluded him. Unfortunately, it added an extra agonizing hour to their journey.
Reeling from exhaustion and strain, Sarah offered no resistance when her uncle roused himself enough on the outskirts of the city to take the reins. He led them through a series of narrow, evil-smelling, dank alleys to his townhouse. But, extraordinary though his stamina was, when they finally stumbled up the steps to the narrow back entrance, he collapsed into the startled embrace of his cook.
Sarah entered after him, praying that William followed and that the imminent sacrifice of her independence would be worth it. Perhaps it was the late hour, but her optimism was rapidly fading.
She could only hope he would not break her heart and laugh at her nonsensical notion that she could become lady enough to tempt him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Fearful that he was on another futile chase, William turned down a narrow lane just a mile outside of Clapham. His horse ambled toward a rambling brick home. A low wall of bricks done in sections, each with a different pattern, bordered the lane. A display of bricklayer’s art, silently advertising his business.
With a tired grunt, William dismounted and opened the gate, leading his horse through. No one appeared to be around. He tied the reins to a hitching post at the corner of the house and walked up to the front door.
A maid opened the door. “May I help you, sir?”
“I’m looking for Mr. Sanderson. Is he here?”
“Mr. Sanderson, sir?”
“Yes, I understand he works for Mr. Hawkins. Is he here?”
“Oh, was this about a job, then?” She grinned up at him, wiping her hands on her apron. “Mr. Hawkins be in London. But one of the other lads’ll talk with you, although it were best to wait for morning.”
“Actually, I just wish to speak to Mr. Sanderson. A private matter.”
“Oh, dear. Well, he’s not here, sir.”
“Was he here, then?”
“Oh, yes. Just an hour ago. He came to see Miss Hawkins. They’re engaged, you see.” She dimpled up at him and twisted her apron between her fingers.
William glanced into the hallway with frustration. “Did Mr. Sanderson say where he was going?”
“Why, no.”
“Then may I see Miss Hawkins?”
“Why, no. She were gone, too.”
“Did they leave together?” Had Sarah eloped with Hawkins’s daughter? Why? Why would she do that when they only had to wait until Monday to be married? Assuming Sarah was insane enough to marry another woman.
“Why, I couldn’t say, I’m sure. We’ve been at sixes and sevens since they all went missing.”
“They all?”
“Why, yes. Miss Hawkins, Mr. Sanderson, and Mr. Bingham.”
William’s jaw tightened. If the maid repeated the word “why” one more time, he could not be held responsible for his actions. “Who is Mr. Bingham?”
“Why, he be a brickmaker,” she said. When he frowned at her, she blurted out, “From the Isle of Wight.”
“Of course,” he replied. Then his tired mind absorbed her words. “Of course. The Isle of Wight. Of course. Thank you.”
“Were there a message, sir? Do you know where Miss Hawkins went?”
“Not the slightest idea,” William replied happily. “Thank you.”
“But, sir!” she called as William strode away. “Why—”
William climbed back onto Hunter, his muscles protesting. He rubbed his palm along the horse’s long, sleek neck. “Back to the tavern, my lad. Then we’ll see about getting rid of Archer so I can carry on to the Isle of Wight. I’ll wager I find Sarah before anyone else—I’m beginning to understand the tortuous way she thinks, God help me.”
The same stable boy came sauntering out of the stables when William returned to the Plough. He tossed Hunter’s reins to the lad and entered the tavern. There were only a few patrons, weary-looking souls clustered around scarred wooden tables, staring at their plates of cheese and bread as if too fatigued to lift a slice to their lips.
“Hey!” William called, pulling off his leather gloves. He tried not to stand still too long for fear of falling into an exhausted stupor like the rest of the patrons. The cool night air held an oddly soporific quality. “Is anyone here?”
“Can I help you, sir?” the barkeep asked, coming through the kitchen door, rolling up his sleeves.
“Yes, Mr. Archer rented one of your rooms an hour ago. I wish to see him.”
“Mr. Archer?”
“A moderately tall man. Graying brown hair. Surely, you remember.”
He shook his head. “Sorry, sir. Rented a few rooms yesterday, but nothing this evening. Not yet.”
“I left him here, outside! Your lad stabled his horse.”
“I daresay he did, but he’s not here, now. Now, if you’d like a room—”
“Never mind. Thank you, but never mind.” William strode out and called for the stable lad. “That man who rode in with me, did you see him leave?”
The boy cocked his head to the right and held out his hand. William flipped another half crown into the palm.
“Aye, sir.”
“Where did he go?”
“Back on the London road.”
“Was he alone?”
Holding his hand out again, the lad stared idly over William’s shoulder. Swearing softly, William dug out another coin and tossed it to him.
“Well?” William asked impatiently.
“He and another gent left a little after you.”
“Did you recognize the other man? Was it Mr. Sanderson?”
“Might have. Hard to say exactly.”
“I’m not giving you another coin, you scamp, though I’d be happy to teach you a thing or two about greed. Now answer my question. Did the gentleman leave with Mr. Sanders
on?”
“Aye,” the boy agreed sulkily. As William turned, he caught the lad sticking his tongue out at him.
William did his best to control his laughter.
The news that Archer had Sarah sobered him. She was in the hands of the enemy. Perhaps. At least she didn’t have the papers with her.
William could use the documents to ransom her, if necessary.
He focused on the stable boy who stared at him expectantly. “There’s another half crown if you’ll saddle my horse and bring it here within the next five minutes.”
Hunter was still chewing a mouthful of oats when the lad led him out of the stable. His hooves barely cleared the dusty ground. Feeling just as energetic as his horse, William climbed into the saddle. After a deep breath, he turned northeast, toward London. Both horse and rider stumbled along the edge of the road for a few moments, contemplating the long journey ahead of them. Then they fell gratefully into that empty-minded state known mostly to those suffering from acute sleeplessness.
“Sorry, Hunter, but Archer has kidnapped my love—uh, client,” William said when he briefly awoke. He patted the horse’s neck. It felt warm and damp with sweat. “You can sleep for a week once we get back. I just hope Mr. Gaunt still has that set of leg irons. I was obviously remiss in not using them on Sarah earlier. I won’t make that mistake again.”
4:00 a.m. came and went before William entered the outskirts of London alone and dreaming about chaining Sarah to his bed.
Chapter Twenty-Six
When William crossed Westminster Bridge, he hesitated midway across. He nodded, almost falling asleep in the saddle, before making a decision. He couldn’t abandon the chase. He needed to find Sarah.
If she was still alive after a night spent in the company of John Archer.
The need to discover her whereabouts and protect her—partially from herself—drove him forward. Hardly aware of his surroundings, he swayed as the horse plodded through the streets. He almost rode past the Archer townhouse before he remembered to stop.
“Is Miss Sanderson here?” he asked the butler who opened the door.