by Hatch, Donna
“Oh, God, please save him,” Christian moaned.
The fervency of his prayer was so strong Elise half expected to see a legion of angels descending from heaven to free his brother.
Despite the chill air, sweat trickled down the side of Christian’s suddenly pale face. Elise put an arm around his waist in an attempt to be comforting, though her own heart crumbled. Christian looked down at her with desperately anguished eyes.
The executioner came back down the line and made a final adjustment to the nooses. Then he pulled the lever.
Elise’s knees crumpled.
CHAPTER 29
Christian caught her to prevent her from falling. She turned and buried her face in his coat. Disbelief and despair plunged her into absolute darkness. He held her in a brotherly embrace while she sobbed.
A moment later, he leaned down and said into her ear, “It’s over. Let’s go.”
Light-headed and shivering, Elise glanced up as the executioner cut Jared down. Another man helped dump the lifeless form onto a waiting wagon. Jared’s body landed on the wagon with a thud.
Her stomach hit the ground and she let out a low moan.
The second man snapped the reins and drove through a cleared path. The hangman returned to the others, cutting down the other bodies and dumping them in wagons.
Elise pressed her hand over her mouth, cold clear down to her soul.
Christian half-carried her through the crowd and hailed a hackney. Elise remembered nothing of the ride home, only Christian close by, grim and stunned.
Jared.
She relived their first encounter, his playful grin, his sensual kiss. She remembered his thoughtful gesture when he’d given her a pearl of sentimental value. She recalled that moment of vulnerability in Lily’s garden revealing a deeper man underneath. Memories flowed over her; his playfulness with Colin, his tenderness, his passion, the times he’d truly needed her.
How would she ever find joy without him in her life?
How could she ever feel anything again?
Christian saw her safely to the Greymore’s house. At the stairs leading to the front door, her knees gave way and she crumpled. Christian silently swung her into his arms and carried her inside.
Emptiness engulfed her. Voices swelled through a haze, Christian’s and Charlotte’s, among others. Christian carried her to her room and laid her on the bed. Without resistance, Elise drank the laudanum-laced brandy Charlotte gave her. She floated in a world of half reality, sometimes in sweet dreams, sometimes recoiling from horrifying nightmares.
The nightmares were real. Jared was dead.
She’d never again see his beautiful aquamarine eyes gleaming with roguish charm or his unabashed grin. She’d never feel his arms around her, never enjoy his sultry, passionate kisses. She’d never feel that sense of home and belonging as she watched him play with Colin.
She’d never love again.
Somewhere through the fog of grief and pain, Colin climbed into bed with her. She pulled his small body in close and finally drifted to unfeeling darkness.
“Elise.”
She tried to climb into consciousness, but failed.
“Elise. Christian Amesbury is here to see you.”
Fearful of her waking reality, Elise turned from the light and sank back into the shadows.
A cool hand rested on her brow. “Elise.” Charlotte’s voice cut through the mist.
Elise opened hot, gritty eyes. Sunlight streamed through the gap in the draperies over the window. Colin had gone, leaving her bed cold and empty.
The memory of Jared standing on the scaffold drew a groan from the depths of her soul.
“Elise. The Amesburys have sent for you. You need to get up.”
Elise pressed a hand over her eyes as tears squeezed through her lashes. “No. No.”
“Wake up, sister-in-law-to-be, there’s someone demanding to see you,” called an urgent, yet strangely cheerful voice.
“Mr. Amesbury! You shouldn’t be in her room,” scolded Charlotte.
Christian leaned over her. “Come. Don’t keep Jared waiting.”
Keep Jared waiting?
“I’m dreaming,” Elise moaned.
Gently, Christian took her hand. “He’s alive.”
Elise blinked. “You’re mad. I watched them hang him.”
“Yes. Then they revived him.” Christian’s eyes were earnest, ringed by the shadows of a sleepless, tortured night. The horror of seeing his brother hang still clung to him, giving him a haunted look. Yet he smiled, and his eyes were alight.
Elise pushed herself up, looking to Charlotte as confusion and faint hope mingled in her heart.
Charlotte offered a teary smile and nodded. “It’s true.”
Looking haggard, Charles Greymore hovered in the doorway. When Elise met his gaze, he said, “He’s had a tough go of it, but he regained consciousness a few minutes ago.”
They left her in the care of her maid, Morrison. Numb with disbelief, Elise struggled to wash and dress. Fortunately, Morrison’s hands were steadier than hers or she never would have managed.
As she tied her bonnet under her chin, Elise asked, “Where’s Colin?”
“Two of the Greymore’s maids and a footman took him to the park,” Morrison assured her.
Moments later, they climbed into the coach. She glanced from Christian to Greymore and back again, searching for an explanation. Greymore appeared bone-deep weary. Christian looked as though he’d barely survived a war and come home wounded.
“Tell me,” she insisted.
Mr. Greymore rubbed his eyes. The poor man probably would go home and sleep for a week when this was all over. “The Secret Service came through for us. Unofficially, of course.”
Elise stared, hardly daring to believe.
Mr. Greymore shot Christian a wry, albeit tired smile. “The youngest Mr. Amesbury has friends in high places, apparently.”
Christian took a shuddering breath. “I thought I’d failed. They gave me no hope when I appealed to them.”
“Apparently whomever Christian spoke with bullied the Secret Service. They arranged to have the hangman switched at the last minute with one with whom Grant is acquainted. This executioner knows how to tie knots a certain way to prevent the victim from dying immediately. The victims strangulate more slowly, and it’s painful, but this allows them to lose consciousness rather than die immediately.”
Elise shivered at the thought of Jared suffering, but did not interrupt.
“When Jared appeared dead, the executioner cut him down. They took him to a tavern around the corner which was empty and ready. The Service had a man inside who is expert at reviving the nearly-dead.”
“It sounds terribly risky,” Elise said.
“It is. Many die anyway. Sometimes their windpipe is crushed. Sometimes they go without air too long. Sometimes their hearts stop and cannot be restarted.”
Horrified, Elise shook her head slowly. “And they were willing to take the risk he would die?”
“Actually, I’m surprised they helped as much as they did.” Mr. Greymore glanced at Christian in admiration.
“Is that why you didn’t tell me? In case you couldn’t revive him?” she asked.
“There wasn’t time. The final arrangements were made less than an hour before the hangings were to take place. But, yes, even if I’d known, I wouldn’t have told you. It would have been cruel to raise your hopes. If something had gone wrong ….” He rubbed his hands over his face. His unshaven whiskers made a scraping noise against his hands.
She leaned back, absorbing all she’d been told. She tried to decide how she felt. Shocked. Numb.
It still seemed unreal that she’d seen Jared die. It seemed even less real that he now lived. Tentative hope mingled with a fear that this was all an elaborate hoax, but for what purpose, she could not guess.
Christian squeezed her hand briefly, his eyes intense. “I know this is difficult to believe, but all is well. Truly. Jar
ed asked for you the moment he awoke.”
The carriage stopped near a park in front of a stately townhouse with a tastefully elegant façade. With Grecian flavor, the entry boasted sweeping staircases and marble floors. It managed to be lavish without appearing ostentatious. Elise barely saw it all as Christian led them immediately upstairs.
Her pulse quickened, not in excitement, but in fear. Fear this would prove to be a cruel joke. Fear she would only be led to Jared’s lifeless body. Fear she’d never feel anything but this utter desolation.
Steeling herself, she followed Christian slowly. At the doorway, she hung back, terrified at what she’d find inside.
Christian reappeared, his face revealing first puzzlement, then compassion. He took her hand gently, looking into her eyes with a sincerity she could not refuse. “I could hardly believe it, either. But he’s alive and well. Come.”
Elise let him pull her inside.
The room had a masculine feel, with rich, dark fabrics. The draperies had been thrown back from the windows, letting in London’s intermittent light. The bed on the far end loomed, but Elise could not bring herself to look at it.
Lady Tarrington arose from a chair next to the bed and took Elise’s hands, drawing her near. “Jared. She’s here.”
Trembling, Elise swallowed and finally made herself look inside the canopied bed. In the bed, half-inclined on pillows, lay Jared. Alive.
His face was pale, and horrible open wounds, surrounded by purple bruises, ringed his neck. He turned his head and the brilliance of his blue-green eyes flared. One corner of his mouth lifted as he held a hand out to her.
With a cry, Elise ran the last few steps and threw herself against him. She inhaled his scent. Under her cheek, his heart beat in his solid, warm chest, assuring her he indeed lived. He wrapped his arms around her.
He was alive.
Great, shoulder-shaking sobs seized her. He pulled her in tighter until she lay next to the full length of him. Enfolded in his arms, she released all her grief, her terror, her despair.
Without speaking, he rubbed circles on her back and stroked her hair, occasionally kissing her brow. Her sobs died down until she rested quietly against him. He was real. Solid. Whole. Alive.
And she would live again.
Only then did she realize the others had left and closed the door. Their lack of concern over propriety surprised her. They probably assumed after being kidnapped by pirates, her sullied reputation would suffer no worse by leaving her alone with Jared.
Grateful for the privacy so she could, without embarrassment, improperly enjoy her reunion with him, she kicked off her slippers and draped a knee over his leg.
She burrowed her face into his shoulder. “I hope you still mean to marry me, Jared Amesbury. After what you just put me through, you’ll need a lifetime to make it up to me.”
He let out his breath in a weak laugh. “Yes, ma’am,” he whispered roughly.
She heaved a shuddering breath. “Is it really over? Will anyone else wish you dead? Because I truly couldn’t bear seeing you in a noose a third time.”
In a hoarse voice he said, “The pirate Black Jack is legally and officially dead. The only one who might wish Jared Amesbury dead would be one of your jilted suitors.”
Elise smiled in spite of herself. “I doubt either of them feel strongly enough about me to wish to challenge you.”
She heard him exhale a smile. Tears of gratitude and relief coursed silently down her cheeks. She’d never laughed or cried so much until she met this man. How numb and unemotional she’d been before him!
His breathing deepened, grew more regular. She held him as he slept. Elise anticipated Colin’s reaction when he learned the man he’d grown to admire so quickly would be his new father. She wondered how much they’d tell him when he was old enough to understand.
She’d leave it to Jared. It was his story to tell. But she’d demand a full explanation herself.
She wanted no more secrets between them.
As she snuggled against him, she suspected Jared had also tired of secrets.
CHAPTER 30
Jared bolted up with a hand at his throat. Seized by wild terror, he gulped air in ragged gasps, vaguely surprised he could do it.
“Jared. It’s all right.”
A soothing voice pushed gently through the horror that left him shaking and cold. Soft hands touched him. Perspiration ran down his face and back. For the moment, all he could manage was to breathe.
Slender arms went around him. “You’re safe.”
Pushing back the darkness, he focused on Elise’s angelic face. Fear and despair receded. The ropes were gone; his neck was free, his arms unbound.
He touched his throat, fingering the welts and the open, raw skin and he flinched against the soreness. Swallowing brought a new wave of pain, but assured him he truly lived.
Elise’s fingers combed through his hair and caressed his face. He let her pull him into her arms and guide his head to her shoulder. Finding solace, he leaned against her. Comfort and peace drove away the terrifying memories.
“Oh, Jared,” Elise whispered. “What you must have endured.” Her arms tightened around him and she wept softly.
Jared closed his eyes, moved beyond words that someone would weep over him, and thanked God for the gift of this angel whom he clearly did not deserve. He’d never in his life felt so safe.
After a moment, she loosened her hold on him and pressed a cup to his lips. When he’d drunk a few painful swallows, she arranged the pillows before she let him lay back.
Jared could not take his eyes off her. She sat next to him on his bed, wearing a rumpled gown, her hair slipping out of its hairpins. Her leg rested against his and her eyes were soft with affection. She was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.
Tenderly, she touched his face. “Rest.”
“Stay with me?” he whispered.
She curled up next to him. “Always,” she promised.
He drifted to a place of peace for a time. He awoke with Elise in his arms. Were they still aboard his ship, and the capture by the navy, his flogging, imprisonment, and hanging, were lingering visions of a terrible nightmare?
But no, those were real memories. He lay in his old room in the family London home in Pall Mall. At least he did, indeed, hold Elise in his arms. She lay unmoving, with one arm resting on his chest, and one leg over his. Her body melted into his, perfectly relaxed, the rhythm of her breathing told him she lay awake.
She raised up on an elbow and looked down at him. The love in her expression nearly made him break down and cry. She touched his face, her fingertips light and soft, and kissed him.
“Are you thirsty?” she asked.
At his nod, she reached to the nightstand and retrieved a glass of water. Frustrated that she saw him in such a weakened state, and fighting his natural instinct to be self-sufficient, he had no choice but to let her hold his head while he drank. A part of him he’d repressed for years enjoyed her attention. Her gentle hands soothed him.
She lay back down next to him, warm and comforting.
He nuzzled against her and whispered, “Do you wish to run off to Gretna Green, or shall I obtain a special license?”
She raised her head to look at him, a gleam in her eye. “Any special reason why we’re in a hurry to marry?”
“I don’t want to give you opportunity to change your mind. Once the adventure of these last few weeks wears off, you might decide you don’t want to marry me after all.”
“There’s no danger of that. But are you sure you can bear my quiet life?”
“My angel, as long as you and Colin are there, it will be heavenly.” He looked at her soberly. “Will you marry me?”
“Oh, Jared, of course I will. You’ve asked me three times, now. My answer will not change.” Her eyes danced mischievously. “And I promise to leave both my gun and my candlestick outside the bedroom.”
CHAPTER 31
In the gardens behind E
lise’s manor house, serenaded by the heavenly strains of a harp, Elise smiled in awe. She’d just married the irrepressible Jared Amesbury. She counted herself blessed.
Still amazed at how close she had come to losing him, she looked up at her husband of only a few hours and tightened her grip on his hand.
He glanced at her with a smile and squeezed back. Resplendent in his wedding superfine, with nary a mark from his brush with death, he laughed with his brothers Cole and Christian. The three brothers standing together made an impressive picture of masculine beauty, yet Jared stood out as if a light shone upon him. If she’d thought him handsome before, he was positively stunning now. She admired the shine of his dark hair, the breadth of his shoulders, the brilliance of his smile. Once again every inch the gentleman firmly entrenched in the world of aristocracy, he stood with the assurance of a nobleman. His usual undercurrents of watchfulness had faded.
More at ease than she’d ever seen him, he tousled Christian’s golden hair and laughed at the objection his youngest brother raised.
The wedding breakfast had been consumed yet the guests lingered, enjoying the fine company and the fine weather.
She met Jared’s gaze and he awarded her with a roguish grin. Tenderly, she smiled, hoping he saw the promise in her eyes.
Charlotte Greymore and Lily Standwich—now Mrs. Harrison—embraced her and wished her well. “I’m so happy for you, dear one,” Charlotte said.
Elise smiled. “Thank you. I never imagined I’d be so happy.”
Lily, with her arm through her husband’s, said, “Now, isn’t this better than widowhood?” Her eyes twinkled.
Elise laughed somewhat sheepishly, remembering her reaction when Lily first told of her decision to remarry. “I should never have disagreed with you, Lily.” She exchanged a loving glance with Jared, nearly melting at the tenderness in his expression.
Greymore called Jared from her side, and Cole and Christian also moved away to allow her to converse with her friends. As she stood talking, she cast longing looks at Jared standing in a circle of relatives and neighbors. He looked away from Mr. Greymore, who smiled knowingly, to meet her gaze. He sent her a look so smoldering that she felt breathless.