by Mari Carr
“After their deaths and that of my sister, the earl came to retrieve me from my grandfather’s house. He insisted that as I was his heir and my parents were gone, it fell to him to raise me. Sebastian didn’t want to let me go, but he didn’t have any choice. He wasn’t nobility and the law would side with the earl, so he let Wilshire take me to the Homestead. I don’t think you can begin to understand the contrast between living with my parents, who were loving, kind and generous to living with Wilshire, who hated everything about me.” He shuddered as the memories began to creep back.
She grasped his hand. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have asked. It’s really none of my business.”
“No,” Jack replied. “I haven’t thought about those years in a long time. I don’t mind telling you. I think you need to understand how truly wicked Wilshire is.”
Hayley nodded and tightened her grip on his hand.
“Initially,” he continued, “I was confused by my uncle’s cold reception. After all, he claimed I was his heir, so I thought that meant he wanted me there. I was only eight years old and had been raised in an environment where I had been pampered and doted upon. I knew nothing of hate and cruelty. Despite my attempts to please Wilshire, I was treated worse than the earl’s hunting dogs. He fed me table scraps and took great pleasure in beating me for minor offenses. Once he gave me a dozen lashes for entering his study without knocking.”
“What about your grandfather?” Hayley asked. “Surely he could have done something to help you.”
He shook his head. “No, Wilshire threatened to kill Sebastian if I ever told him or anyone about the beatings. I was a scared child and I believed what he said.”
“He’s a manipulative asshole.”
“Fortunately, I didn’t have to tell. Sebastian was no fool.” Remembering his commanding grandpa brought a smile back to Jack’s face. “He began to become suspicious of my sudden, so-called clumsiness and started arriving for surprise visits at various times and days of the week, hoping to catch Wilshire in the act of hurting me. For all my uncle’s bluffing, I suspect now, he was actually intimidated by my grandfather. Sebastian’s visits did curtail the beatings for a while.”
“But not permanently?”
“No, Wilshire’s a mean bastard, pardon my language. He didn’t like having to forgo the privilege of using his whipping boy to vent his spleen. I made the mistake of defending my father one day. I’d been living at the Homestead for a couple years. Two years in Hell can toughen up even the softest of souls. It wasn’t uncommon for Wilshire to tell me I was as useless or as stupid as my father. One day something inside me snapped and I’d had enough. I told him he wished he could be a quarter of the man my father was and he would always be the man my mother didn’t choose.”
“Oh my God.” Hayley paled. “You’re lucky he didn’t kill you.”
Jack grinned coldly. “Oh he tried. Luckily, Sebastian came by for one of his surprise visits before he had the chance to finish the job.”
“Finish the job? What did he do?”
“He tied me to a whipping post behind the stable and proceeded to take nearly all the flesh off my back. I still have scars. Sebastian showed up and informed Wilshire that if he ever came near me again, he would chop him up into little pieces and ship him off to China in a cask of liquor. You have to understand, Sebastian was a former sailor—and suspected pirate—not to mention one of the largest men I’ve ever seen. My grandmother used to call him her gentle giant. The earl released me into Grandfather’s care, claiming he was glad to be rid of me.”
Hayley seemed pleased that Jack had a defender in his corner. “I think you must take after Sebastian and I don’t just mean your size.”
“I hope so,” Jack replied, his easy smile returning. “I can think of no greater man to emulate.”
Jack continued to relate the rest of his life history, flattered she was so interested in him and not horrified by the stories of his past. He told her of his experiences at Eton with Ben and Alex, about joining the army—much to Sebastian’s dismay—about fighting in the war with France and the Battle of Waterloo.
He told her about returning home to Dover after the war to find his grandfather’s health failing. His grandmother had passed away the year before and Sebastian died a mere six months after Jack’s homecoming. Upon his death, Jack inherited one of the largest and most profitable shipping companies in England.
“It must have been overwhelming to find yourself in such an important position with so much responsibility resting on your shoulders.”
He was touched by her insight. “I was scared to death the day after my grandfather’s funeral. I walked into his office at the shipping company to find men looking to me for direction.”
“Obviously, you succeeded.”
“I discovered a trick,” Jack replied.
“Trick?”
“For the first few months, I pretended I was Sebastian.”
“What?” Hayley asked, laughing.
“I’m serious. I barked out orders like I’d seen him do a thousand times, sat at his desk with my feet up just like he did. For months, I was playacting and it worked.”
Hayley giggled at the idea of a thirty year old man imitating his grandfather. She leaned against him and he tightened his grip around her shoulders. It felt good to simply sit and talk to Jack.
Her thoughts quickly returned to Julia alone in the cabin, surrounded by the horrible memories of her sister and her untimely death. “You must be terribly worried about Julia.”
“Yes, I’m concerned. Julia is a bit impulsive and I’m afraid maybe that’s gotten her into some danger she can’t get out of.”
“She must be very special to have secured you as a champion.”
“It’s important to protect the people who need it. My uncle is not a suitable guardian or husband for Julia.”
“You must care for her a great deal. I mean I see how much you worry about her and I wish—” Hayley paused, suddenly overwhelmed by the desire to confess everything. The stress of keeping Julia’s secret weighed heavily on her conscience, but she had promised Julia to remain quiet for one more day. After hearing Julia’s confessions about the horrors she’d witnessed and experienced for the past five years, Hayley decided to honor that request and stopped mid-sentence.
“You wish?”
“You don’t give your loyalty or trust easily, but when you do, you’re a friend for life. It would be nice to be on the receiving end of…”
“Don’t stop.” Jack gently reached over to take her hands in his. She didn’t realize how chilly the night had gotten until she felt the warmth in his touch. Jack noticed the drop in temperature as well and he pulled Hayley closer, placing his arm around her shoulders once again.
“I forgot what I was going to say.” She placed her head on his shoulder. She had missed his touch the past few weeks. At night, she dreamed of him holding her again, as he had that night in the cabin. She’d never slept in a man’s arms before that night and the warmth and comfort of it clung to her like a soft, terrycloth robe.
“Never mind.” Jack’s arm moved slowly down her back. “It’s not important.”
She waited for him to say more, but he didn’t. Instead, he continued to move his hand slowly, his caresses lulling her into a state of total relaxation. She waited for the panic that always accompanied this type of closeness with a man, but it didn’t come. His other hand reached over to touch her cheek, lifting her face to his. Then he placed his lips against hers.
He kissed her. Hayley had missed this. He kept things light, as it was more touch than kiss. His lips moved against hers in the same soft way his hand rubbed her back.
It was hypnotic. Jack’s hand moved through her hair. She’d taken it down before sneaking out and it now lay in curly disarray over her shoulders.
“This hair,” Jack murmured against her mouth, not ceasing his movements even to speak.
“It’s awful,” Hayley whispered against his cheek, as his
lips began their descent toward her neck.
His tongue darted out to touch her earlobe. “Glorious,” he breathed into her ear. His hot breath and sweet words soothed her soul like a hot bath on aching muscles. It was all she could do not to purr like a well-loved kitten. His lips came back, harder this time, and with his tongue he parted her lips and began to stroke inside her mouth, playing tag with her, dancing it along her teeth.
A limb broke at the edge of the woods and shocked them out of their embrace.
“What was that?” Hayley looked in the direction from which the sound had come. A shadow moved deeper into the woods and Hayley realized someone was out there.
“Stay here.” Rising slowly, Jack crept along the cover of the rose bushes attempting to reach the woods by stealth. Unwilling to remain behind, Hayley followed him, holding onto the tail of Jack’s coat. Glancing over his shoulder, Jack scowled. Then he must have decided she was safer with him than attempting to find the stalker on her own. He moved her hands from his coat and placed both of them around him to rest lightly on his chest.
Breast to back, the two of them moved quietly toward the edge of the woods as a single being. They’d nearly reached their destination when a dark figure leapt from behind the large tree they approached and took off through the woods. Jack—releasing himself from Hayley’s hold—turned. “Stay here and I mean it. If you move, I will take my belt to you.” Then, he chased after the shadow.
Hayley—briefly appalled by Jack’s rude threat—was ready to chase him down and give him a piece of her mind when she noticed both men were headed in the direction of the cabin. Anxious to divert them before they stumbled across a hidden Julia, she took off through the woods and attempted to catch them. Stumbling over roots, she cursed her foolish impulsiveness. She should have returned and taken the path instead of trying to move quickly through the underbrush in the dark.
A noise to her right altered her direction and she headed for the sound. She slowed after several minutes of running and listened again. She could hear someone gasping for breath about a hundred yards ahead of her and her instincts warned her it was not Jack. The stranger was unaware of her presence yet and obviously exhausted. She had an idea.
Moving away from the direction of the cabin, Hayley began to yell. “Jack, where are you?”
She ran as quickly as she could. Taking the bait, the man in the woods pursued her. Hayley hoped Jack would hear the ruckus and change direction too. She had no doubt she could outrun the stranger given his harsh breathing. With any luck, Jack would catch the assailant before the man caught her and no one would find Julia’s hiding spot.
Her luck ran out quickly as she tripped over a large protruding root, hidden by a pile of fallen leaves. Hayley flew face down, hitting her head on the ground, hard. Breathless and stunned, she lay still for only a moment before she realized someone stood above her, his breathing harsh and heavy.
“Got you, whore,” a deep voice growled. “Did you like that bastard’s hands on you?”
Before she could move, a giant hand yanked her up by her hair and shoved her forward. “You took the master’s woman, now you can give her back or take her place.” Hayley tried to turn to see her captor, but his rough hand in her hair held her firmly while his other hand pushed her forward. This had been the person she’d sensed in the woods earlier this evening. He had been following her and he’d heard her call Julia’s name.
A small hope bloomed in Hayley’s heart. He wanted her to return Julia to the earl. He didn’t know about the cabin. Hayley saw a horse tethered to a tree and realized he intended to take her with him. She shuddered at the thought of facing Wilshire again. She hadn’t forgotten his angry threat or Julia’s revelations about Helena’s life. She could only imagine what he would do to her if he believed she knew where Julia was.
Suddenly, a loud crack pierced the air. Hayley found herself falling hard to the ground once again, this time pushed by the large man behind her. She felt only a moment of fear before her head hit a rock and the starry night turned completely black.
Chapter 16
Loud whispers and agonizing pain brought Hayley back to the world of stars and light. However—instead of seeing the nighttime stars in the sky—she could only see the shooting stars in her head, stabbing her like she was a giant pincushion. Numerous candles, too many candles, provided the bright light. They increased the pain tenfold.
Jack—the source of the loud whispers—demanded to know where the servant was with the doctor. Erin attempted to calm him down and asked Mrs. Scott to bring some tea and brandy.
Glancing to her side, Hayley spotted Alex looking at her with a sympathetic smile. “Welcome back,” he whispered.
At the sound of his voice, Erin and Jack stopped their pacing and hurried toward the bed.
“Oh Hayley, how do you feel?” Erin asked, tears in her eyes. “I was so worried when Jack carried you in. You have such a nasty gash on your head and there was so much blood. After hearing that gunfire, I thought you’d been shot. What were you doing traipsing around in the woods in the middle of the night?” Hayley winced at the loudness of her friend’s voice, but Erin didn’t notice and only ceased her rambling speech when Alex reached over and grabbed her hand.
“Erin,” he said quietly. “She, no doubt, has a headache, so let her rest. She can answer your questions later.” Erin smiled apologetically at Hayley, then leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so glad you’re awake. Someone has gone to get the doctor.”
“I don’t need a doctor,” she replied.
“The hell you don’t,” Jack said loudly, causing her to wince again.
“Jack,” Alex admonished. “I know you’re angry, but now is not the time. She has a rough night ahead of her and your yelling is not helping. If you can’t control that temper of yours, you can leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Jack said, quieter this time. He sat beside Hayley on the bed, reaching for her hand and scowling down at her. “I told you to stay put,” he started, but stopped after a warning glance from Alex.
“How do you feel?” Erin asked.
“Like there’s a stampede of buffalo running around in my brain. What happened?” Hayley spoke softly as each word pierced her aching head.
“There was someone in the woods. I went after him, foolishly thinking that for once in your life you would do as you were told. Next thing I know you’re screaming and when I find you, some man is pushing you through the woods. I fired a shot in the air to scare him. He pushed you down and took off. If I live to be a hundred years old, I will never forget the sound of your head hitting that rock.” Jack stopped speaking as he shuddered slightly at the memory of her fall.
“Why did you have a gun?”
“I’ve taken to carrying one with me at all times since Julia’s disappearance and my uncle’s threats.”
“Oh,” Hayley replied weakly.
Alex continued the tale. “The shot woke up the entire house. When I reached the edge of the woods, Jack was carrying you, yelling for a doctor.”
“The man?” Hayley asked.
“I have several footmen out searching in the woods, but I doubt they’ll find anything. He’s probably well out of the area by now,” Alex replied.
Tension filled the overly warm room. She tried to fight the agonizing throbbing in her head, but with little success. Jack gripped her hand tighter, his face showing he understood what she was feeling.
“Well,” began Erin. “That didn’t take you long. How long have you been here—less than a month?”
Hayley smiled despite the pain, while Jack and Alex simply looked puzzled.
“What are you talking about?” Jack asked.
“Have you ever gone so long without an injury?” The teasing tone in Erin’s voice and her words brought a full-fledged smile to Hayley’s face. “Our Hayley is somewhat of an expert in getting hurt.”
“What can I say?” Hayley answered
softly. “It’s a talent.”
“One I had hoped you’d lost with your trip through time. Oh well, strap yourselves in boys. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.” Erin giggled.
Hayley laughed before clutching her head. “Don’t make me laugh, it hurts.” She was still smiling, however, and the tension of the room was quickly dispelled.
“I didn’t want to tell you guys this,” Erin whispered as if revealing some big secret, “but Hayley tends to get into situations like this all the time.”
“All the time?” Jack didn’t laugh.
“Every phone call I made to Hayley usually included her describing the latest brawl, accident or attack, complete with all the gory details about her injuries.” Erin was smiling, but Jack could see in her eyes she was no stranger to worrying about her friend. He grimaced, thinking he was now included in the list of people who would fret over Miss Garland and her impulsive, self-destructive activities.
“It was not every phone call,” Hayley protested.
“It was every phone call,” Erin contradicted. “Hayley is a bit of a tomboy, if you haven’t figured that out.”
At Jack and Alex’s confused looks, Erin explained the term. “A tomboy is a girl who acts less like a lady and more like a rough and tumble boy.”
Hayley scowled, obviously remembering their first night together in the cabin when she’d been offended because he told her she acted more like a man than a woman. She’d hit him for it. Jack raised his eyebrows and grinned. Hayley stuck her tongue out at him before looking away.
“I don’t think defending yourself is quite the same thing as being a tomboy, Erin,” Hayley replied.
“Maybe not,” Erin answered. “But you wouldn’t have to defend yourself quite so often if not for your response prior to the confrontation.” Though Erin’s tone was still light and playful, Jack sensed Erin didn’t approve of Hayley’s actions.
Hayley rolled her eyes, gasped at the pain the motion caused, then took a deep breath. Jack squeezed her hand sympathetically as Erin continued describing Hayley’s penchant for trouble. He had the feeling this was not the first time these ladies had had this conversation or one similar to it.