A Thin Line

by Tammy Jo Burns

  The sound of loose gravel being scattered interrupted her thoughts. “Is anyone there?” she called out. No answer. She stood and pulled off her boots, wanting to dangle her feet in the warm water. She heard the noise again and stood straight as a man entered into her sight. “Who’s there?”

  “Good afternoon, Mikala. It’s wonderful that you have your sight back. I always wanted to know that it was me you were seeing when I finally made you mine.”

  “Dewhurst?”

  “Yes, my dear.” He fully entered the room, the sun shining on his golden, Byronesque curls. A malevolent look crossed his face. “Perhaps what they say about this part of the country is true.”

  “And what is that?” She asked stepping back. Her hands frantically searched the wall behind her looking for a weapon, but found nothing. No one knew where she was. She stiffened her resolve, refusing to die at the hands of this man.

  “It is magical, or hadn’t you heard?” She shook her head in the negative, stalling for time. “This is supposed to be the land of King Arthur. I could be Arthur, and you could be my Guinevere.”

  “Arthur dies.”

  “True, then perhaps I’m Lancelot, and your husband was Arthur.” Kala didn’t miss the reference to Gabe in the past tense. No, he had to be all right. There was no way he could have followed her so quickly and had time to dispatch of Gabe, as well. “And I have the item to prove that I have the power.” He reached into a bag strapped across his chest that rested at his hip. Slowly, Dewhurst pulled out a plain looking wine cup. It was made of wood and had intricate carvings on the outside.

  “What is that?”

  “If my history is correct, I believe I am holding the Holy Grail.”

  “You are out of your mind.”

  “No, I don’t think I am. You see, this area is steeped in Arthurian legend.”

  “I know that.”

  “I had your husband followed here, and knew I had to bide my time until I could get to you. For my friend may want the grail, but I want you.”

  “What makes you believe that is the Grail?”

  “I’ve been doing some studying for my dear friend, Napoleon. You know, we went to school together, until my British father found out he had a bastard son. Then he had me brought to England, but my school chum and I never lost contact with one another. Then father sent me on my grand tour and Napoleon and I met once more. He told me of his grand plans, and he promised me great power and wealth if I would help him.”

  “He wanted you to find him the Grail?”

  “This is just a little gift to congratulate him on his successes so far. A little token of my gratitude.”

  “Bribe, you mean. You hope that if you give him that, he will move you high up within his ranks.”

  “I always knew you were clever. Too bad you had to choose Hawkescliffe. The French would have loved you, especially Bonaparte.”

  “I’m very happy here, thank you. You know, when it comes down to it, the Holy Grail is just a cup. It isn’t as if it holds a magic spell that will grant you instant power. It is merely a cup that a man drank from.”

  “Oh, ye of little faith.”

  “I have faith, just not in inanimate objects.”

  “Mikala, it hurts that you doubt me.” He walked closer to her blocking her into the corner. He had replaced the cup in the pouch. Dewhurst reached up to touch her cheek. His fingers felt cold against her skin. She slapped his hand away. “Do not push me away,” he said angrily. He grabbed one of her wrists and twisted her arm behind her back, immobilizing her and pressing her against him at the same time. He locked his other hand in her hair, twisting her head at the angle he wanted. Dewhurst leaned down and captured her lips. “Open your eyes when I kiss you,” he hissed.

  She fought against his hold. “I would rather you kill me than touch me.”

  “Unfortunately, it will have to be both,” he said, before capturing her lips once more. They were so close, she could feel his physical reaction to her. She felt nauseated thinking that he might take her against her will. Kala could not imagine any man touching her as Gabe had. Unwilling to give in without a fight, she reached up and raked her fingernails down his face and across one of his eyes. The scratches were deep enough to draw blood.

  Unsteady, she pushed him backwards, but he still had a hold of her arm and he pulled her with him into the placid pool. They both came up for air, but Dewhurst fought the water.

  “Help! I can’t swim,” he cried out. Kala remembered what the boys told her about the underground river and saw her chance for escape. She took a deep breath before diving underwater and swimming to the side of the pool. Quickly finding the tunnel, she levered herself head-first into it and let the current carry her with minimal help. Before long, she flew through the air and into another pool of water. She broke the surface, gasping for air, her heart pounding.

  She treaded the water to catch her breath and then swam to the side of the pool. She pulled herself onto shore and lay there. The cool air on her wet body, made her shiver. She closed her eyes to rest for a moment.

  ***

  “She should still be in there,” Nate pointed out to the men. “I’ll help you get over there. There is a back room to the cave that she really liked. It has a pool of water. Tommy, stay here.”

  “I’ll stay with the lad and keep an eye out,” Richard said.

  Gabe merely nodded and followed the boy, the two other men following as well. Time seemed to pass slowly as they made their way to the cave. “Nate, I want you to go back to your brother and take him home.”

  “Yes, sir,” the boy answered without questioning the authority in Gabe’s voice. The men cautiously entered the cave when the boy had begun the descent to the gorge floor. They could hear the murmur of voices, but could not make out what was being said. Suddenly someone yelled followed shortly by a large splash of water.

  The men quickly found out they could not run because of the changes in measurement in the tunnel. They continued to hear splashing and cursing. Finally they came closer to the light and broke into a large room. A man floundered in the water. Derek ran over while removing his coat and boots and jumped in. As he surfaced, he grabbed the man and began swimming to the side.

  “Dammit, man, quit fighting me,” he growled. The man stopped thrashing, but remained stiff. Once he got him to the side, Mack and Gabe helped the man out.

  “Dewhurst,” Mack growled upon recognition. The only sign of Kala’s presence was Gabe’s discarded coat and her boots.

  “Where’s Mikala?” Gabe fisted his hands in the man’s wet shirt and pinned him against the wall, ignoring the pain in his shoulder.

  “Don’t know,” Dewhurst muttered.

  “I will only ask once more, where is my wife?” He enunciated each word.

  “I don’t know,” Dewhurst answered. “She was there. Pulled her in with me. Then she just disappeared.” Gabe started to pull off his boots when Derek stopped him.

  “Gabe, it’s deep. Kala is a good swimmer. If she didn’t survive this, there is nothing we can do.”

  “Damn you, Dewhurst,” Gabe felt someone grab each arm, holding him back. There was a scuffle of sound at the entrance and then Richard emerged.

  “Heard some shouting and thought you might need some assistance.”

  “Let me go,” Gabe struggled against the men holding him.

  “Don’t do anything you will regret. Mikala wouldn’t want this, regardless of what he’s done,” Richard said calmly.

  “I didn’t kill her,” Dewhurst squeaked. “She was alive when I last saw her. Took a deep breath and dived under the surface. Didn’t see her again.”

  “What did you do to her?”

  “Not what I wanted to. You know, I would have enjoyed her much more than I did Natalia.”

  “Mack, take this bastard away. I’m sure we will all be glad to see him hang.”

  “My pleasure.” The group made their way slowly to the mouth of the cave. A woman, with dark wet hair an
d wet clothes came down another tunnel.

  “Mikala?” Gabe questioned, almost afraid to ask. She whipped her head around to see her husband. Kala ran into his arms, her body shaking. She felt his arms tighten around her and she relaxed slightly.

  “Hey, get back here,” she heard her brother call.

  “Who’re you talking to?” She asked pulling out of Gabe’s arms, missing his touch.

  “That damn fool, Dewhurst.”

  “He’s still alive? I was trying to gather my courage to see if he had drowned.” They walked to the cave opening and she looked over the side. “Dewhurst, stop. Be careful. You need to go down the way you came up.”

  “Why should I...” his question was cut off by a scream. He toppled backwards, the large loose boulder he held onto going with him. It only took the two a few minutes to reach the bottom of the gorge. Dewhurst lay lifeless, the boulder covering half of his body.

  The rest took their time getting to the bottom. They arrived at the body to find most of his bones had been crushed in the fall.

  “He thought he had found the Holy Grail. It was in the pouch.”

  Richard felt around in the pouch, but came away empty handed. “If it does hold magical powers, there were none to help him. Better that it is left a mystery and has disappeared once again if that is what it was.”

  “We’ll take care of the body, you take care of Mikala,” Derek said meaningfully. “Don’t go back to London until everything is fixed.”

  “You’re soaking wet,” Kala said in a sisterly voice.

  “I’ll be fine. Before we leave though, I’m dying to know. How did you get away?”

  “The boys pointed out an underground river the other day. It leads to a waterfall and pool in the next cave.”

  “Smart, Pest,” Derek said.

  “Brilliant,” she heard Gabe say with pride.

  ***

  He had her settled in the big bed she had vacated for him. He found himself exhausted by the day’s events. The Fisher boys had come to make sure everything was all right and would not leave until they saw Mikala. Satisfied, they had returned home. Gabe had just removed both his boots when he heard Mikala whimper. On silent feet, he walked to her room. In the firelight he saw her curled into a ball in the center of the bed. Silvery tracks ran down her face. Not even stopping to think, Gabe went to her and knelt beside the bed.

  “Pest, are you hurt?” She nodded her head in agreement. “Do I need to get Mrs. Fisher?”

  “No, just hold me.”

  “But if you hurt, she may can help.”

  “I hurt here,” she said and placed her hand over her heart, sobs racking her body. She found herself unable to push away the memories or guilt any longer and they washed over her like a tidal wave.

  Gabe crawled onto the bed and leaned against the headboard, then gently drew her into his arms and let her cry.

  ***

  Dawn peeked through the curtains when Kala’s voice brought Gabe to wakefulness. He must have dozed at some point.

  “You have every reason to hate me. It’s my fault.”

  “What do you think is your fault?”

  “Everything. If I had kept my mouth shut and not made that stupid appointment I wouldn’t have been blinded. Dewhurst would not have tried to kill me and ended up dead himself. Our maid would not be dead. You would not have been shot. We would not have been forced into marriage.”

  “All right,” Gabe said slowly. “Perhaps you should have taken your concerns to Richard, but you believed you were doing something for your country. That is admirable. As for the others, you cannot control the actions of a madman.”

  “I did try to take my concerns to others, but everyone kept treating me as if I were a child that still needed protecting.”

  “You are right. I apologize for that.”

  “What about your mother.”

  “How is her behavior you fault?”

  “Maybe I flirted with your brother and didn’t realize it? What if I led him to believe I wanted more than friendship? Your mother would have even more reason to hate me.”

  “You listen to me.” He pulled her chin up so that he could look into her eyes. “He had already ruined several innocents before you. Father spent a lot of the estate’s money paying people off on Andrew’s behalf, so you just get that thought out of your head. As for mother, she has been unstable for years. Grandmother sent her away while I was still recovering, and I support her decision. It is best for everyone.”

  They lay in silence for several minutes. He tenderly rubbed her back and she relished his touch.

  “The baby,” she finally said broaching the subject that hung between them like an albatross. She felt the hesitation in his touch and pulled herself away, her back to him. She heard his breath escape in a sigh and felt him turn her over onto her back so she would be forced to look at him.

  “How is the baby your fault?”

  “You blamed me for causing the miscarriage, perhaps I did. Gabe, I didn’t want it,” she blurted for lack of a better explanation.

  “I don’t believe that.” Gabe lay propped up on one arm and watched Kala closely. She needed to talk and he needed to listen.

  “It must have happened on our wedding night. When I realized I could very well be pregnant, I was scared. Gabe, I know nothing of being a mother. Children like me because I play with them and keep them entertained, but when they get fussy I give them back to whomever they belong. And then with everything happening, our lives in danger, I couldn’t stand the thought of one more innocent being in danger.”

  “I didn’t do anything intentional, you have to believe that. I had been having pains for days. I thought I had pulled a muscle in my back weeding the plants. Mrs. Fisher later explained to me that is a type of labor pain. She said it had already begun long before I went with the boys and nothing would have stopped it. Then you showed up at my doorstep and I was so frightened. I kept thinking if it had happened at another time, when I didn’t have to deal with all this other chaos in my life perhaps it would be better. Gabe, I wished our baby away, the only good thing that has occurred in this marriage is gone. And as horrible as this is going to make me sound, part of me is glad.”

  “Why?” He asked softly knowing she needed to answer as much as he needed to know.

  “Because I’m not ready. I’m not even a good wife, how can I be a good mother? There. I’ve said it. You can’t dispute the fact. I’ve been a horrible wife. I didn’t deserve to have a baby. We didn’t deserve to have a baby. Our marriage has been on a slippery slope from the beginning. You didn’t even want to marry me. I... Oh, Gabe, how can I miss something that I didn’t think I wanted,” she moaned wrapping her arms around her waist.

  Gabe pulled her into his arms once more, holding her. He kissed her on her temple. “I miss it, too. The idea of it, of what it would have meant to us.” Gabe cleared his throat before continuing, but could not hide the emotions he tried to hold in. “I’ve never had any doubts what kind of mother you would be. You will be strong and courageous, teaching our children virtues that are so sadly lacking among members of our set. They will be hoydens just like you, and I will love every one of them just like I do their mother. And I’m sorry for the accusations I made earlier. That was wrong of me in more ways than one. I was hurt and angry.”

  Kala leaned back, pushing against his chest. She looked into his face, tears shimmering in her eyes, before asking very carefully, “What did you say?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “No, before that.”

  “I love you, Mikala. That’s what I tried to tell you the day I arrived, but then you were losing the babe. And I said the wrong thing because I was hurt and angry and scared that I might lose you. My God, there was so much blood. I just stared at that door, praying. And then we shut each other out. Yes, I was angry with you for leaving, but I understood. I know you. You always try to take care of everyone else. But you cannot leave me again. Do you understand? I love you, and
I need you. You can never give me any cause to think you might leave me for any reason.”

  “Gabe, I love you so much. I have forever.” He leaned down and captured her lips. When she stretched up to meet him, she couldn’t hide the wince.

  “Are you hurting?”

  “I’m sore. Mrs. Fisher said I would be and would need to take it easy for a couple of days. I’m sure today’s activities didn’t help any. Gabe, if childbirth is worse than what I went through, then I’m doomed.”

  “Mrs. Fisher had some wise words. She said after childbirth you had a baby to make you forget the pain, but with this you had nothing,” he caught the tear that slipped through her lashes on his thumb. “But just in case, I will be with you through it all from now on. The good and the bad. I love you, Kala.”

  “I love you, so much,” she whispered.

  He got off the bed and stoked the fire, even though it was past dawn. He pulled the heavier drapes over the window to block out the light, then stripped off his clothes. He climbed back into bed and took Kala into his arms.

  “I love you, Pest, always and forever. I don’t care what trouble we find ourselves in in the future, promise me you will never leave me like you did.”

  “Never,” she promised, finding strength in her husband’s arms.

  Epilogue

  “One more push, Mikala,” her husband whispered in her ear as he held her upright.

  “No, too tired. It can stay where it is.”

  “Mr. Hawke, you have to get her to push. Another contraction is coming,” the familiar voice of Mrs. Fisher announced.

  “No more. Gabriel James Hawke, I swear if you ever think of even touching me again, I’m going to tell Papa… Oh, oh, oh,” she gave a guttural cry.

  “Kala, if you want the pain to stop you have to push. Now!” Somehow his wife found the strength to push not one more, but three more times before their baby slid out into Mrs. Fisher’s capable hands.