The Bride Price

by Tracey Jane Jackson

  Andrew’s eyebrows went up in surprise.

  “Sophie is not really treating this lightly, Andrew. Are you, sweetheart?” Jamie gave Sophie a warning glance.

  “No, you’re right, I’m not.”

  Jamie led Sophie out to the Wades barn and made her stand where he could see her while he and Andrew hitched up a small buggy.

  “All right, sweetheart. We’re ready.”

  Sophie smiled as Jamie helped her into the buggy. He had to stop himself from lifting her out again and locking her up. He climbed up beside her as Andrew mounted his horse and then the three took off toward town.

  Sophie squeezed Jamie’s thigh. “Baby, I’m going to be fine.”

  His grunt was the only response.

  Arriving at the jail, Jamie lifted Sophie down and followed her into the building, Andrew following close behind. Joe reluctantly let Jamie and Sophie into the room housing Carl and then closed them in.

  Carl stood and made his way to the front of the cell. “I thought I was clear. I’ll only speak with your wife…alone.”

  Jamie laughed without humor. “Not going to happen.”

  Carl turned and walked back to his cot. “That’s too bad.”

  Sophie faced her husband. “Jamie, the man is locked up. Just let me talk to him.”

  “No.”

  “Jamie,” she growled. “He has answers to several questions, it would seem, and I’d like to know what he knows. You can stand right outside the door and watch through the window.”

  Jamie dragged his hands down his face. “I don’t like this, Sophie.”

  “Noooo!” Her mocking earned her a frown from her husband. “He can’t hurt me. Give me five minutes.” Sophie gently pushed Jamie toward the door, and he hovered just outside. Sophie made her way back to Carl and stood close to the bars.

  “Sophie,” Jamie warned.

  * * *

  Stepping back slightly, she sent a smirk in his direction and then turned back to the prisoner. “So, Carl. Tell me what this is all about.”

  Carl stood. “You’re in danger.”

  “I heard you, but what does that mean?”

  “You’re the key to a much bigger plan, Sophie. You’re not the only person who has traveled here,” he whispered.

  Sophie gasped. “Traveled?”

  “Yes. You’re the key to a larger plot and they do not want you to succeed.”

  Sophie narrowed her eyes. “Who?”

  “You must be careful, Sophie. He has brought men back with him who have resources.”

  “Back?”

  “In time.”

  Sophie grasped the bars and leaned forward. “How is that possible?”

  “That’s complicated and entirely beside the point.”

  “But I don’t understand why I’m here or who this man is. How did I get here?”

  “His name is Victor Cary, and he’s—”

  Without warning, the glass in the window above Carl shattered and she heard Jamie swear. Turning at his voice, she found herself on the floor, and Jamie covering her as all hell broke loose around her. “What happened?”

  “Baby, are you okay?” Jamie began to run his hands over her face and body.

  Looking down, Sophie let out a screech at the sight of blood covering the bodice of her dress and glanced back up at Jamie, frantically wiping her face with his handkerchief. “What happened?”

  “Are you okay?” Jamie cupped her face.

  Sophie nodded slowly and leaned around him to look at the cells but Jamie blocked her view. “What happened? Why can’t I see?”

  “Sophie, Carl has been shot.”

  “Shot? How?” Sophie tried to sit up. “Why didn’t we hear it?”

  “Sophie, stop,” Jamie growled. “I need to make sure you’re okay.”

  Sophie stilled his hands and grasped his lapels. “Jamie, I’m fine. Can I please get up? You’re crushing me.”

  Jamie stood quickly and then lifted Sophie from the floor, ushering her out of the room and settling her in one of the chairs in the main office. Sophie was surprised when Andrew rushed through the door, out of breath, with a look of relief on his face. “Sophie, are you well?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. Where did you come from?”

  “What did you find out?” Jamie stepped in front of Sophie.

  “Nothing. Whoever did it is long gone.”

  Jamie swore, and Sophie stood and pushed him aside. “What is going on? One of you needs to tell me.”

  “We’ll talk at home, Ten-Cow.”

  “Joe and I can handle everything here, Jamie,” Andrew said. “Take Sophie home.”

  Jamie assisted Sophie into the buggy, drove back to the house, and then ushered her silently up to her bedroom.

  “Jamie?” Grabbing his hand, she led him to the trunk at the end of the bed and pushed him down. Cupping his cheek, she leaned down and kissed him. “I’m fine, sweetheart. No injuries, no failing heart, nothing. So tell me what is going on.”

  “I think the person who shot Carl might be a sharp shooter.” Jamie dragged his hands down his face. “From our time.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes. Carl said someone is after you. The reason the shot was so accurate is because it came from a high powered rifle—I think.”

  “Did you tell Andrew?”

  Jamie shook his head. “No.”

  “Why didn’t we hear the shot?”

  “I can only guess the rifle would have a silencer attached.”

  Sophie sat next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder. “This is like something out of a movie. Time hopping, sharp shooters, intrigue.”

  Wrapping an arm around Sophie’s waist, Jamie pulled her closer to him. “What did Carl tell you?”

  “He said someone was after me, that I’m the key to a larger plot, and that a man named Victor Cary has brought men back to kill me. At least, that’s what I think he was trying to tell me. He didn’t finish his sentence.”

  Jamie swore as he stood and began to pace the room. Sophie stared at him and then down at her bloody dress. She began to shake as reality set in, and she dropped her face into her hands only to be met with filth. Dried blood and caked-on dirt covered her fingers, so unusual on her perfectly manicured hands.

  “Baby.” Jamie knelt in front of her and grasped her hands.

  Pushing him away, Sophie stood, her control slipping. “Get it off.” She dug her palms into the folds of her dress and wiped as hard as she could. “Get the blood off me.”

  Sophie ripped at her clothing and Jamie grabbed her hands. “Shh, Sophie, it’s okay. I’m going to get this off you, sweetheart, but you need to let me.”

  Sophie nodded and tried to stand still as Jamie made quick work of her buttons. She couldn’t stop shaking. Placing her hand over her mouth, she took several deep breaths and squeezed her eyes shut. Jamie loosened her corset and pushed it over her hips then led her to the bowl on the bureau and dampened a towel.

  Sophie slid her hands into the bowl of water and did her best to remove the blood and dirt as Jamie gently wiped her face. Tears filled her eyes as the events of the past thirty minutes replayed and before she knew it, Jamie had wrapped his arms around her and led her to the bed. Holding the covers back, he waited for her to climb in before joining her and pulling her into his arms.

  “Do you think the person was aiming for me?”

  “The one who shot Carl?” Jamie stroked her hair.

  Sophie nodded.

  “I don’t think so.”

  Sophie sat up slightly. “You don’t think so, because if he was aiming for me, I’d be dead, right?”

  “Baby.”

  With a shudder, she let Jamie pull her tighter against his chest. “What did I do that would make someone want to kill me?”

  “I don’t think it’s personal, sweetheart.”

  “Well, that makes me feel so much better,” she snapped.

  Jamie tipped her chin up. “I’m going to figure this out, Soph
ie. I promise. You just need to be careful now.”

  Sophie sat up, onto her knees. “How am I supposed to be careful with a freakin’ gun pointed at my head from a hundred miles away?”

  Jamie threw his legs over the side of the bed as he sat up and pulled her onto his lap. “Melodrama aside, I think it would be a good idea for you to stay inside for a while.”

  “The house?” Sophie linked her arms around his neck, already knowing the answer.

  “I don’t want you out in the open. It’s too dangerous.”

  “I have work, Jamie. The hospital, Samson, among other things.”

  “Until we know exactly what’s going on, you’ll have to find other things to occupy your time. Act the quintessential Victorian lady.”

  Sophie slid off his lap. “When did you become such a chauvinist?”

  Jamie stood slowly and crossed his arms. “I want you safe, Sophie. If you feel that makes me a chauvinist, then so be it.”

  Sophie dropped her head onto his chest and nodded into his sternum. “We need help,” she whispered.

  “I know.” Jamie let out a deep sigh.

  Sophie looked up at him. “You’re going to have to tell someone in order to get it.”

  “I know.”

  “Which means you’re going to have to trust someone with our lives.”

  “I know.”

  Sophie wrapped her arms around his waist. “Andrew.”

  “Yes, Andrew,” Jamie said with a humorless smile.

  “When?”

  “No time like the present, I suppose.” Jamie cupped her cheek. “Will you be okay if I leave you?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  His eyebrows puckered. “You won’t be okay?”

  “Jamie, I want to be there when you tell him. It might help if Christine is there, too.”

  “That’s a lot of people, Ten-Cow.”

  “No, it’s not. Christine already knows about us, and Andrew is the only other person who will know. I trust them.”

  “I hate the thought of waiting.”

  “They’ll both be here for dinner. I’m sure we can find some time alone.”

  Jamie pinched the bridge of his nose. “You have an answer for everything, apparently.”

  Sophie kissed his chin. “I think the fact that you are worried about me might be clouding your judgment a bit.”

  Jamie smiled. “You might be right.”

  “Why don’t I make things clearer for you?” Sophie started to unbutton his shirt. “Because I happen to need a distraction, and I’m thinking you’re the perfect person to provide it.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yes. Are you up to the challenge?” Sophie slipped her hands under the waistband of his trousers and chuckled. “It would appear that you are.”

  Jamie laughed as he pushed her to the bed and then spent the rest of the afternoon distracting her.

  An hour before dinner, they heard a sharp rap on the door.

  “Yes?” Sophie called through it.

  “Sophie, are you all right?” Christine asked.

  Sophie opened the door slightly and smiled. “Yes, I’m fine. Did you talk to Andrew?”

  Christine nodded. “Yes, he came to the hospital to find me. Are you certain you’re not hurt? You have something in your hair.”

  Sophie reached up, felt the roughness of dried blood, and shivered in disgust. “Yuck.”

  “Shall I organize a bath?”

  “That would be much appreciated. How long until dinner?”

  “One hour.”

  “Jamie wants to tell Andrew everything after dinner,” Sophie whispered. “We need some help to figure out what’s going on.”

  Christine gasped. “My word. I didn’t realize it was that serious.”

  “I know. We’ll fill you in after dinner, okay?”

  “Of course.” Christine smiled. “You can trust Andrew, as you can trust me.”

  “Why do you think we’re telling him?”

  “I’ll send Betty in with your bath.”

  Sophie nodded and closed her door. Jamie sat in the chair and started to pull on his boots. Sophie raised an eyebrow. “Where are you going?”

  “I need to check on a few of the horses.” He rose to his feet. “Can I leave you to your bath?”

  Sophie nodded. “Sure. Don’t miss dinner.”

  Jamie chuckled. “I’ll be back in plenty of time.”

  “Oh, wait. I need to check on Samson.”

  “You’re not leaving the house, remember? I’ll check on him for you, and will even give him sugar and remind him that you love him.”

  “You better,” she warned as Jamie opened the door. “I love you.”

  “I love you more, Ten-Cow,” Jamie whispered and then he was gone.

  Sophie wrapped a robe around her body and waited for Betty, who arrived just a few minutes later. Once she felt clean, she dressed quickly and made her way downstairs, surprised to find Jamie had beaten her to the parlor.

  “How did you do that?” she asked as he met her at the doorway.

  Jamie chuckled as he leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Everything was in order, so I visited with Samson and then had a quick swim.”

  “How is he?”

  “He’s good, baby. He thanks you for the sugar.”

  Sophie giggled as she leaned her head against his shoulder and. “Mmm, you smell good.”

  “How was your bath?”

  “Lonely,” she whispered.

  “Naughty.”

  “How are you, Sophie?” Andrew rushed forward and raised her hand to his lips.

  “Hold that thought,” Jamie whispered.

  “I’m fine, Andrew.” Sophie smiled. “I promise.”

  Andrew stared at her briefly and then lifted his head to Jamie. “I understand we need to have a conversation?”

  Jamie nodded. “We’re hoping we can steal some time after dinner.”

  “I think that’ll be fine.”

  The butler announced dinner, and as her plate was set in front of her, Sophie thought she’d never survive the evening. With stomach churning and heart racing, she couldn’t eat, so she stared at her plate and occasionally moved her fork around.

  “Relax, sweetheart,” Jamie whispered as he reached under the table and squeezed her thigh. Sophie nodded but continued to push the food around on her plate.

  “Sophie?”

  “Hm?”

  “You’re distracted, dear. Is anything amiss?” Nona asked.

  Sophie shook her head. “Sorry, Nona. I’m fine. It’s just been a long day.”

  “Perhaps you should turn in early. We’ll go for a walk tomorrow morning, bright and early.”

  Sophie glanced at Jamie, who shook his head slightly.

  “Perhaps, you’re right, Nona. I’ll turn in early.”

  “I think Sophie should stay in tomorrow. She hasn’t been feeling well, and I’d like her to rest,” Jamie said.

  Sophie sent him a pointed frown.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Nona said.

  “Is there anything I can do?” Michael asked.

  “No, it’s just a headache,” Sophie said quickly. “I’m sure a day or two of rest will suffice.”

  “Well, if you don’t feel better in the next few days, let me know.”

  “I will, Michael. Thank you.” Sophie glanced at Jamie and then back at her plate.

  “Shall we move to the parlor?” Nona asked.

  “Actually, I need to speak with Jamie.” Andrew stood. “Do you mind if we take a few minutes?”

  “Not at all.”

  “I’d like Sophie and Christine to join us as well, but it won’t take long,” Jamie said.

  “We’ll meet you in the parlor shortly,” Christine said, and the foursome stood and made their way into the library.

  “So, what’s this all about?” Andrew asked as Christine closed the door for privacy.

  Sophie slipped her hand into Jamie’s for silent support and smiled
encouragement.

  “Someone is targeting Sophie and they want her dead.” Jamie squeezed her hand.

  Christine gasped. “Whatever for?”

  Andrew crossed him arms and waited.

  “Andrew, I am about to tell you something that can never leave this room.” Jamie grimaced.

  “All right.”

  Jamie looked at Sophie and then back at Andrew. “Sophie and I are not from this time.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We are from the future.”

  Andrew raised his eyebrows and Christine stepped in front of him. “It’s true, Drew.”

  “Explain, please.”

  “I don’t think we can explain. Exactly. We’re just as confused.”

  Jamie filled Andrew in on everything they did know, ending with Carl’s warning and the name of the man after Sophie. Andrew sat on the hearth and rested his forearms on his knees, waiting several minutes before speaking. “I don’t know why, but I believe you.”

  “You’ve both accepted this quickly.” Sophie said. “I don’t know that I would have if I were in your shoes.”

  “After knowing me, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you something like this?” Christine asked, surprise in her voice.

  “I guess I didn’t look at it that way.”

  “Sophie, we know that neither of you are mad, and having spent so much time with you these past few months, there are things that didn’t make sense, other than this.”

  Andrew nodded.

  “Really? Like what?”

  “Your strange speech, for one,” Christine said.

  “The fact you know so much about the war,” Andrew added and then looked at Sophie. “Before things happen.”

  Sophie shivered. “Have I really been that loose lipped?”

  Christine wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “With me, you have, and on occasion I know that Andrew has overheard.” She sent a look of admonishment in his direction for his eavesdropping and frowned when he shrugged in response.

  “I need to watch that.” Sophie sighed. “You need to help me watch what I say.”

  “I will,” Christine promised.

  “What if this man, Victor Cary, is part of the Confederacy?” Andrew ran his hands through his hair.

  Jamie let out a low whistle. “He could be posing as the enemy and providing crucial information to the other side.”

  “I didn’t even think of that.” Sophie rubbed her temples. “And I don’t really want to think of it now.”