*****
Two other people in London greatly mourned the death of Jacob Abbot. One was Queen Charlotte, who had been very impressed by the young man with the courage to bring his story to her and protect his friends in the orphanage. She was very saddened to learn her country lost this fine young man. And lost him while he was again trying to rescue others.
His mentor was also one of his mourners. Lady Sarah Hastings had heard the news much like most of the members of the aristocracy—through word of mouth first, and then from reports published in the newspaper.
She had first heard the news at a luncheon three days after the kidnapping. Like all other guests, she arrived at Stafford House for the lavish reception wondering what had happened to the bridal party. They had taken part in the lovely repast set for them in somber silence, barely able to whisper their musings to each other. No one could remember anything like this ever happening before.
Lady May attended the luncheon, and was the center of attention as she tearfully relayed the events of the day. Lady Sarah almost fainted when she heard that Jake had tried to rescue the women, and was shot and killed for his efforts. She barely made it through the meal.
That night she cried herself to sleep. She cried for Mara and the loss of her beloved. She cried for herself and the loss of a cherished friend. But most of all, she cried for the loss of a vibrant young man whom she could still see galloping down the lane on Lightning Bolt, laughing in pure delight.
*****
The letters began to arrive within the month. A small boy knocked on the front door and practically threw the first one at Termins, before running off again.
The letter was written on plain paper, inside a plain envelope, giving away nothing of its origin or owner. Lord and Lady Markham sat in the parlor and read the first letter from their missing daughter.
Dear Mother and Father,
I am writing to let you know I am well. The journey has been frightening, and losing both Jake and Cecilia to those two contemptuous villains was horrible beyond description. I screamed and fought with them during the entire ride to wherever I am now, giving quite a few bruises to the one sitting in the carriage with me. Those murderers had explicit orders not to hurt anyone, and the despicable Lord Phantom (I must call him Lord Phantom or he will not allow me to send you missives) was very angry, and sends his regrets at their loss. I miss Jake and Cecilia terribly, and have nightmares every night about their awful deaths. I miss my home and all who are in it.
That vile lord treats me well, letting me have whatever I want on the estate, within reason. I am not allowed out of the house, and am locked up or followed everywhere I go. I am a prisoner in every sense of the word. I tried climbing out a window my first night here, and now a maid sleeps in my room every night to keep me from escaping. I am only allowed pen and paper to write to you, and he is reading this as I write. He laughs every time I call him “despicable.”
He has so far been a gentleman, catering to my every whim except for letting me leave, which is the only true wish I have.
He insists I tell you that he loves me and will never let any harm come to me. But he did harm me irreparably when he allowed Jake and Cecilia to be killed. A bit of me died with them, and the Loathsome One will never have my esteem, let alone my love. I will close for now, and write again later.
Your devoted daughter,
Mara
The Markhams sent for Chief Perrin, who could only look at the letter and shake his head. It revealed no clues that would help them find her.
They took a trip to Stafford House to show the letter to the despondent Duke of Cleveland. The man was actually quite depressed, and no one could lighten his mood. The letter didn’t help much.
Besides Mara being gone, the other great mystery was the disappearance of all the jewelry the duke had given her before the wedding. He had come to claim it back, and the Markhams had searched the house for it, even opening the safe for the duke to inspect. In it was only one necklace that he’d given his bride-to-be. In desperation, the duke was about to accuse Lord Markham of theft if all the pieces weren’t returned. Lord Markham began to ask the staff, while the duke was in the room, if they knew anything.
Each remembered seeing her ladyship wear many of the beautiful pieces on her evenings out with the duke. It was Calvin who finally cleared up the mystery.
“Of course I knows where they be, m’lord. It was my job to see to their safety during the wedding ceremony.”
The duke grabbed Calvin and shook him. “Where are they?”
Calvin cringed. “I don’t know now. They were in a box, under the seat in the carriage. You see, the seat lifts up to store things in it.”
Lord Markham groaned and sat heavily upon the divan, head in hands. He felt his stomach lurch. Lady Maureen turned ghost white.
Calvin swallowed and continued. “Miss Mara wanted to carry them in a velvet box first to the church, then on to Stafford House to properly store them. She gave the box to me that morning, and I put it inside the seat.”
The duke let go of Calvin and fell to his knees, sobbing. It was all too much for him to bear.
*****
The second letter arrived about a month after the first. Rory found it early one morning as he was pruning the potted plants on the front stoop.
Mara’s parents sat once again in the parlor, and read the note.
Dear Mother and Father,
Lord Dreadful sends his salutations. He laughs at me again, vile creature. He has given me more freedoms around the house, and I am now directing the actions of the servants. They do my bidding, with the exception of helping me escape. I am also able to ride again, accompanied by two servants who are expert riders so that I can’t try to escape. I do try often, but they have almost turned it into a game. Lord Distasteful told me he let the villagers know that his new bride is delicate and easily confused, so even if I were to escape, they would simply return me to the manor house.
That horrid man had a vicar stop by a few days ago to marry us, so now I am Lady Vile Creature. I hate him so much. I strain constantly against the fetters that bind me in my prison, as nice as the estate is, but Lord Disgraceful insists I will someday come to love him and the manor house, as it now belongs to me.
He treats me well, for a prisoner. I am a very reluctant and unenthusiastic wife.
I believe I shall never see you again. Lord Appalling will never let me leave, for he would then have to pay for his crimes with his life. (I personally see nothing wrong with that, murderer.) I am sure the ladies are not pleased that their jewelry was stolen. It doesn’t sit well with me, either.
I still have the entire set of the duke’s jewelry, as it was in the carriage under the seat when I was kidnapped. The hoodlums didn’t find it, because they didn’t know it was there. I would dearly love to return it in person, but that is impossible. Lord Vile Creature just started laughing and told me to relay his thanks to the duke for the unexpected gift. He says I look breathtaking in all those Cleveland jewels.
I will close now, and write again later.
Your dedicated, chafing-at-the-bit daughter,
Mara
Lord Markham again sent for the chief, although he knew he would not be able to help. But it made them all feel like they were doing something. They debated showing this latest letter to the duke, since it was now apparent that Mara belonged to another man. However, in the end they decided he needed to be told. Plus, the statements about the Cleveland jewelry proved that Markham didn’t have it.
The duke read the letter, without comment. The finality of what had happened—and what was to be—sunk in. He had lost. He had lost Madame Butterfly and a goodly chunk of the Cleveland jewels to this phantom. He needed to pull himself together and move on with his life.
*****
The third letter arrived six weeks later. This time, it was lying in the middle of the driveway. No one had any idea that Alvin delivered the letters. The family and staff fell for the p
loy completely. Alvin realized that his role was indeed a very important one. He was the one feeding the fire of doubt and redirection.
Dear Mother and Father,
I am slowly becoming accustomed to the prison I now call home. The servants treat me well, and Lord Vile Creature tries to be gracious, generous, and gentle. If he hadn’t kidnapped me and was the cause of Jake and Cecilia’s deaths, he would probably be the kind of man you would have liked to come calling on me.
Unfortunately, I can’t yet forgive and forget the kidnapping, murders, betrayal, and imprisonment that he foisted upon me. I didn’t want to marry the duke, but at least he went about the whole process in a civilized manner. This brute has done nothing except force his will upon you and me, and caused the death of two dear people. He is laughing over my shoulder as I write this, assured that I will eventually love him. He says we have nothing but time on our hands and that in the end, he will win. I don’t agree, and so the struggle continues.
He has sent my measurements to a seamstress for an entire new wardrobe, so I will be well attired for a country lady. I wish I could describe my surroundings, but Lord Phantom won’t allow it, for fear I will give away clues. Just know that the house and grounds are not hateful, and I enjoy my daily rides around the estate.
Your dedicated daughter,
Mara
This time, they didn’t bother to tell the duke. They would never forget Mara, but had returned to the normal ebb and flow of their daily lives, all talk of the heist and kidnapping having waned. After all, three-and-a-half months had passed. The Markhams were no longer the center of attention, as other gossipy news took over.
Chief Perrin queried all the seamstresses about a large order for a small woman. None could help. Madame Le Strange remembered the additional clothing Mara had requested, but her motto was that loose lips sinks ships, and this was one ship she didn’t want to board. She only admitted to having made Mara’s wedding gown.
The trail had grown cold, and they were at a dead end once again.
Chapter 45
The rest of the journey passed pleasantly enough, with the five runaways spending lots of time in the cabin in the evenings, playing cards and talking about New York.
Without Alvin the card shark, the rest of them took turns winning their hands. They bet with the jewels, taking them out of the little petticoat purses and dividing them up. At the end of the evening, they put all the jewels back, not really caring who won or lost. They were just having fun with the varied and brilliantly-colored stones.
*****
Jake decided to approach Carrington one day, to see if he could recommend a barrister in town. He also wanted to learn more about the immigration process so they could determine how best to proceed.
He found the good captain at the wheel one afternoon.
“James! Come on in, my good man. You want to try your hand at the wheel? Mighty different from driving your horses!” He laughed heartily at his own joke.
“Sure, I’d love to.”
Carrington spent the next few minutes teaching Jake the basics of steering a ship. Soon Jake had the wheel of the massive ship.
“Captain, I need your help.”
“You’re doing just fine, lad. Keep her steady.”
“Not with the wheel, sir, with our landing. How will we be processed when we arrive in New York?”
“Simple. You stand in line, you sign your name and where you were born in the big book, you receive a stamped entrance card, and you are done. Everyone over the age of five has to do this.”
“What about people who can’t write?”
“You simply tell the man behind the book your name and he writes it down, spelling not withstanding!”
The both laughed.
“What if we don’t want to be found? Can anyone look at those books?”
“They are open to review once they are put in the archives.” Carrington gave Jake a squinty-eyed look. “You worried about your father coming after you?”
Jake nodded. “It might have been a grave error for us to use our real names to book passage. I’ve been thinking about it since our talk the night Elizabeth was attacked.”
“I see your point. I guess it is up to you. I don’t think the books are used for anything official again. Those stamped cards are not an official form of identification. I’ve never seen anyone actually use them for anything.”
Jake stared out into the great blue yonder.
“I would also like the name of a reputable barrister. I need to set up our accounts, buy land, prepare to travel to our homestead—all things I believe a good barrister could guide me through.”
“We call them attorneys over here. Mine is Cavendish. Bernard Cavendish. I’d trust him with my life. Actually, I do. He takes care of things while I am at sea. You can find him on Duane Street next to the Turkey Shoot Tavern which, by the way, is a good place to stay if you don’t want to spend a bundle or be seen by the socialites. With your background, you may not want to be seen by society in case you are recognized.”
Jake nodded. That was a great piece of information!
“How do I find this Mr. Cavendish?”
“Follow Broad Way to the north, which means go around Battery Park and turn on Broad Way. It will intersect Duane about fifteen streets up. Turn right, and look for the Turkey Shoot. Can’t miss it.”
“In order to keep you out of this mess, please don’t mention me to Mr. Cavendish just in case I have to, um, give him a false name. I would hate to drag you into our mire.”
Carrington slapped Jake so hard on the back he nearly fell over the top of the wheel. “No problem, my man. Your secret is safe with me!”
Jake smiled, and enjoyed the rest of his time on the wheel.
Chapter 46
The day the ship landed dawned hot and clear. It was July 18th, and New York City was at her sticky best.
The excitement on the ship was palpable. Mara and Cecilia, on their last day as Elizabeth Abrams and Ellen Fullington, finished packing and awaited their departure from the ship.
As the Fleetwood docked to a cheering crowd, the passengers waved from the deck. Jake’s arms were around Cecilia on one side and Mara on the other, Pete and Luke on either end. The five stood arm in arm as they landed in their new country. Emotions overwhelmed Mara, and tears of joy and wonder rolled down her cheeks.
She couldn’t believe it! Since that horrible night in December when the duke proposed, she, Jake, and her friends had done some amazing things to arrive at this point, here in New York, a mere eight months later. She finally felt that they were safe. Once on shore, it would be nearly impossible for her family to find her, especially since they still thought her to be on English soil.
They purposely waited to disembark last because they didn’t want anyone behind them in line as they signed the immigration book. They had decided to put their real names in the book to make their entrance into the United States of America official. They were throwing off the veil of their fake personas as soon as they set foot on the docks.
As the last person disappeared into the immigration building, the five finally walked down the plank to the dock. Pete dropped to his hands and knees and kissed the deck. They all laughed heartily. He had turned green many a time in rough waters, and was happy to be on terra firma once again.
The immigration office was nearly empty when they entered. Without much ado, Jake went to the book and wrote down his name and London, England. He then clearly printed his name on the card he was handed. The other four did the same.
Welcome to America.
*****
They had the most luggage of any other passenger group, and it took them the longest to disembark. They were able to unload the carriage, Python, and Angelo first, and then Jake drove the women to the Turkey Shoot Tavern. He paid for a week’s lodging and food for the group, rented a storage area for the carriage and two wagons, and rented stalls for the ten horses before returning to the docks to help Pete and Lu
ke. Luckily, English pounds were still just as welcome as American dollars.
The men finally returned about eleven that evening, tired after the long, eventful day. They put away the horses, ensured the crates were locked, and then crawled into bed, exhausted.
*****
The next morning, the men missed breakfast downstairs, so the women carried the meal upstairs to them on trays. Cecilia simply dumped her trays on Luke and Pete, leaving them to their own devices, whereas Mara served up herself to Jake, along with the food. Jake decided he liked the way they served breakfast in America!
*****
After long baths all around and clean clothes from the trunks, they set out to meet the local merchants. Luke and Cecilia searched for jewelers and goldsmiths, while Pete hunted down various banking establishments. The group put him in charge of converting all the pounds to dollars. To avoid arousing suspicion, he divided the pounds into smaller batches, and converted them at different locations. Jake and Mara went straight to Mr. Cavendish’s office to start the process of buying land.
Mara: A Georgian Romance Page 25