by Lori Wick
when he got to the parlor that he could barely turn the knob.
Inside he found Buck and Greer. After greeting them, he
collapsed with relief into a chair.
He had sent a servant to tell Buck the news but wasn't sure
if he had arrived. Buck told him that Greer had been over for
supper, and so he'd brought her along. Tate was glad for all the
support he could get.
"How is she?" Buck's voice was slightly anxious, but Greer's
face was calm.
"Willa says she's fine, but she's in so much pain that I had
to get out of there."
From that point on, Buck and Greer did their best to
console and uplift him. Every so often he would go to the
door, open it, and look up the stairs. But each time he would
come back to his seat.
"Do you want me to go out and look for Doc?" Buck
offered after an hour of pacing.
"No," Tate told him. "I've left messages all over town, so if
he can come, he will. I think Willa will do fine."
The words were no more out of Tate's mouth than a bloodcurdling
scream came from the bedroom upstairs. Tate came
out of his chair as though jerked up by a rope and ran for the
stairs. Buck began to tremble all over as he sat on the sofa.
From her place beside him, Greer reached for his hand
He held onto it like a lifeline. "She's my baby sister, Greer. I
can't stand to see her hurt." His breath caught on the last
word.
"It does hurt, Buck, but you know that childbirth pains are
normal. The doctor has told Jenny she's strong."
Buck let his head fall back against the seat, and Greer did
the same, her head turned slightly so she could study his
profile. She had just watched him put aside his own feelings in
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the last hour to be a comfort to Tate. Now that Tate was out of
the room, he let down to the point of shaking all over. Greer
thought he was wonderful. She didn't know exactly when it
had happened, but she had finally fallen for Buck Knight.
"I hope you haven't given up on marrying me, Mr. Knight,"
she said softly and watched Buck freeze. Like a man in a
dream, his head came off the seat and he turned to stare at her.
"What did you say?"
"I said, I hope you haven't given up on me"
Buck looked so stunned that Greer smiled. She reached
with gentle fingers and brushed the hair from his forehead,
her eyes full of love as she watched him.
"Am I to believe that if I asked again, your answer might be
different?"
Greer nodded serenely, her eyes warm with love. Buck
suddenly found himself with nothing to say. They leaned
simultaneously toward each other, and their lips touched
When Greer would have pulled away, Buck's arms went
around her. She laughed in delight before his lips met hers
once again.
"Will you marry me, Greer?" Buck asked when he could
speak.
"Yes, I will," Greer answered without the slightest hesitation.
Buck had to refrain from shouting his joy to the room at
large. Instead, he kissed her again. They were still wrapped in
each other's arms when the door burst open 20 minutes later.
"It's a girl!1' Tate shouted, and Buck jumped from the sofa
to hug him. Greer was next in line, and Tate nearly broke her
ribs, so exuberant was his embrace.
"A girl," he repeated as though they had not heard "And
she's beautiful. We're going to name her Victoria. Isn't that
beautiful? Victoria Jennifer." Tate's smile was so triumphant
that Buck and Greer laughed
Upstairs a much quieter scene was taking place. Willa,
now washed up and needing a seat, came to sit next to Jenny's
bed Tears poured down the old's woman cheeks as she looked
at the tiny infant in Jenny's arms.
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"I've always dreamed of being there for Smokey when she
had a baby; you're the next best thing."
"Oh, Willa, I don't know what I would have done without
you," Jenny said, her own eyes filling with tears.
Willa grinned. "Won't Smokey be surprised when she
hears the name?"
"I can hardly wait. I wonder where she is now?"
"I don't know," Willa admitted. "But I sure hope she's on
her way home,"
"Yes," Jenny agreed "And bringing my brother with her."
"Are you going to continue to search for Smokey?" a
distressed Sunny wanted to know as they talked after supper.
"No," Brandon told her regretfully. "It might seem heartless
of me, but we've tried every avenue and now we need to
concentrate on the case. All we can do is hope and pray that
she's all right."
"And this new information?" Sunny went on. "What will
you do about that?"
"Keep it to myself for the time being. I've still got men
looking everywhere for him. If they can beat him out into the
open, that's going to be the best way to free Smokey, wherever
she is."
Dallas was about to put a word in when a footman knocked
on the door to announce a visitor. Brandon and Dallas stood
as Brandon's private investigator walked into the room. Brandon,
who was beginning to doubt the man's ability, did not
greet him cordially.
"I can't stay," the man began without preamble, "but I've
got to tell you, it's not good He seems to have disappeared
from the face of the earth."
"You're searching the docks?"
"No. I've had two of my men jumped and one killed and--"
233
the man cut his words off when he spotted the distressed look
on Sunny's face and the anger in both men.
A muscle jumped in Brandon's cheek, not only over the
man's refusal to do the job, but over his careless words in his
wife's presence. His voice was curt and dismissive. "I'll be in
your office in the morning. Until then, goodnight."
The room was strangely quiet after he left, and when the
silence was broken, it was by Dallas. Both Sunny and Brandon
knew he meant every word
"I'll find him and bring him in. The trial starts in five days
and I won't be back until I've got him. You stall or do whatever
you have to do, Hawk, but don't let them pass sentence until I
get there. I won't let Smokey down."
This said, Dallas bid them goodnight. He knew they
needed to be alone, and so did he.
I can't stand the thought of her in jail, Dallas told the Lord
of lords as soon as he climbed into bed and turned down the
lantern. / ache each time I think of it. Please take care of her,
and give her Your peace and comfort.
Tears came to Dallas' eyes and slid down his temples onto
the pillows. He knew he had to get his mind off of Smokey, so
he began to silently name God's attributes. He was halfway
between "holy" and "righteous" when sleep came to claim
him, something he would be thankful for in the morning. He
would be heading out early to find the man who would save
Smokey from death.
Smokey squinted against the light but could see enough to
&nbs
p; reach for the food thrown in to her. She passed Aggie's over
with trembling hands and then frowned at the light when it
didn't go away.
"My offer still stands, Smokey. Have you changed your
mind?" a voice asked from somewhere behind the light.
234
Smokey started She tried to see him in the cavern, but could
only make out a dark shape.
Weak as she was in body, she was strong in spirit. With a
deliberate move she turned her head away and continued to
eat. She even asked Aggie to pass the salt, which brought a
cackle of laughter from the old woman.
Smokey made herself ignore the low curse that emanated
from the cavern just before the light went away. This time
trembling did not come with the darkness as it had so many
times before. The women finished eating in silence and when
Smokey thought Aggie had gone to sleep, she surprised her by
speaking.
"Something different 'bout you."
Smokey smiled "Yes, it is," she agreed. "Want to hear
about it?"
"Well, A've an appointment with the dressmaker in an
hour, but let's 'ear it anyway."
The comment brought a small laugh out of Smokey, but
she went on. "Do you believe in God, Aggie?"
"Yeah," the old woman answered briefly.
"Well, I believe in the one true God, Aggie, and His Son,
Jesus Christ, even when it wouldn't be logical to do so. Like
right now, when it feels like I've been deserted, I know that
God is with me.
"The last time that man was here and cut my hair, I was
devastated. But then I got to thinking about all the stories I've
read in the Bible. I thought of Joseph. He was in jail because
his own family sold him, but he trusted God and believed it
was for the best.
"And then I got to considering all the people walking
around in the world who are in their own little prisons. I've
been in a prison about my hair. I wish he hadn't cut it, but I still
have so much to praise God about. He could have cut my
throat. It doesn't matter what they do to my body; my spirit can
always be free if I choose to obey God. I'm telling you, Aggie, I
can be in this cell and still be free as a bird"
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"It's all gettin* to you, ain't it, girl?" Aggie voice was compassionate,
and Smokey wanted to laugh.
"No, Aggie, I am really free. I'm free to know that God
loves me and sent His Son to die in my place. I'm free from the
sins of the past and from the bondage of sin in the future. It
doesn't matter where I am--I can be free in Christ, and so can
you."
Aggie stared at her as if she had gone around the bend "If
God loves us, why are we starving to death down 'ere?"
"It is awful down here, Aggie." Smokey's voice was sad.
"But I know of someplace that's worse, and that's a lost
eternity, an eternity in hell. I don't know if I'm going to die
down here or not, but I do know that I've a better home after I
die. I'm talking about heaven, Aggie, and it can be your eternal
home as well."
Aggie only stared at her.
"Have you heard of Jesus Christ?" Smokey's heart pounded
in her chest. She had never done this before and desperately
wanted to say the right words. She saw Aggie nod and continued.
"Jesus Christ is God's Son, and He came hundreds of years
ago to die for our sins, but He didn't stay dead, Aggie. He rose
again, and He lives today to save people like you and me, and
to give us hope.
"I don't know why you're down here, but it doesn't matter
what you've done. God is waiting to forgive you and save you
from your sins. I trusted Him when I was just a little girl. You
can trust Him too."
"I ain't never prayed before," Aggie murmured softly
when Smokey paused.
"The words don't have to be fancy. I remember that I told
God I was a sinner and that I believed His Son died for my sins.
Then I asked Him to live in my heart, and I know He did
because He's never left me."
"Until ya came down 'ere," Aggie said with soft regret.
"You're wrong, Aggie. It's awful down here, but God is
236
with me," Smokey repeated herself. "As long as I've got breath
in my body, I'm going to praise Him."
Smokey stretched out on her pallet, praying that she had
made sense to Aggie.
The older woman watched Smokey fall asleep, her heart
thoughtful. For the first time in nearly two months, her mind
was too busy for sleep.
Dallas stood against the wall of a dockside tavern and
scanned the room's occupants. In the four days he had been
out searching, he had found his height to be a hindrance. It
made him more conspicuous than he cared to be. Since he
was not a regular in these places, it was easier to stand in the
shadows against the wall than to take a table and be watched
Four days and he'd come up with nothing. The detective
had mentioned that their prey seemed to have disappeared
Dallas was beginning to believe he had been right.
With another scan of the smoke-filled room, Dallas pushed
away from the wall. He was meeting someone at midnight in
yet another tavern. Maybe this one would be of more help
than the others. With Smokey on his mind, he prayed this
would be the lead he needed as he walked back out into the
foggy London night.
the morning of the trial the jailer came for Smokey
without warning. Giving her no time to even speak to Aggie,
she was cuffed and led slowly back up to the streets of London.
The sun nearly blinded her as she was led to a waiting wagon.
She stumbled repeatedly from her blindness and the weakened
physical state of her body.
By the time she was pushed onto a seat in the prison
wagon, her legs were ready to buckle. The ride was rough, and
her stomach started to turn. She prayed with confidence
though, telling the Lord she simply had to be freed if she was
going to help her men and Aggie.
Brandon stood inside one of the small anterooms outside
the courtroom and waited. He had pulled a few more strings
and was granted permission to meet with Smokey prior to her
going before the magistrate.
He'd told himself to expect the worst, but he hadn't fully
reckoned with how tiny Smokey had been before her captivity.
Brandon was so stunned by her appearance that for a full
ten seconds he didn't move.
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She was a walking skeleton. Huge dark circles ringed eyes
that were sunk deep in her head Her skin had a frightening
pallor to it and her clothing hung on her emaciated frame.
Brandon's heart pounded, and he praised God that Sunny had
not argued with him over coming to the trial.
"Sit down, Smokey," Brandon said, finally finding his
voice. It sounded hoarse even to his own ears. He watched
Smokey lick her lips, but beyond that she didn't seem able to
move.
"It was a long walk from the wagon," she said cryp
tically,
and Brandon knew then that she was barely staying on her
feet.
He moved forward swiftly and positioned a chair so that
she had only to bend her legs. She did so. When she sat,
Brandon noticed a look of peace amid the fatigue in her eyes.
Again she licked her lips, and for the first time Brandon saw
how dry they were.
He pressed a glass into her hands and watched as her
whole frame shook with exertion. She raised it to her mouth
and found it fresh-tasting, unlike the water in prison that
tasted strongly of iron, and she nearly choked as she tried to
swallow it all at once.
"Easy, easy," Brandon warned her, but she didn't notice his
words or the tears that had formed in his eyes. Please, Father, he silently begged Please don't make her go back to ibat
place. I don't know if she can take much more.
"Here, Smokey." Brandon finally had to step in and take
the cup from her before she made herself sick. She looked
at him with vague, wounded eyes that cleared after just a
moment.
"They don't give you that much to eat inside. For a moment
I forgot where I was."
"Smokey," Brandon spoke softly. "It's almost time to go in.
Are you going to be all right?
"Where are my men?" she asked, ignoring the question.
"They were released just this morning and all taken back
to the ship. Darsey said none of them had been mistreated."
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Smokey eyes slid shut with relief. It simply didn't matter
what they did to her, as long as her men were safe. She opened
her eyes when Brandon spoke
"You're going before Judge Pinkerton. He's a complete
eccentric and loves a show, so be prepared for anything."
"Where is Dallas?" Smokey asked as though she hadn't
heard Brandon's words.
"He'll be here." Brandon spoke with confidence even
though he hadn't seen him in nearly five days.
The door opened then, and the guard outside came for
Smokey. She was led into the courtroom and onto a bench.
Another trial was in session, but Smokey didn't really catch
the gist of it. Praying all the while, she half dozed until her
name was called
When she did hear the sound of her name, Smokey opened
her eyes and was directed to stand in the criminal box called a
dock. The magistrate appeared to be hundreds of feet above
her, but in truth it was only six or seven. She looked up into his
frowning face and had to catch herself when the room tilted