Once Upon a Masquerade

by Tamara Hughes

  Rebecca stirred in the bed. “Christopher?”

  The earliest wisps of sunlight peeked through the small window to chase the darkness away.

  “Over here.” He rose from his seat and lit the lantern. The soft glow bathed her face, and she blinked against the light.

  As he knelt beside the bed, Rebecca’s bed-ruffled hair and sleepy face tempted him. He wanted nothing more than to crawl back beneath the blankets beside her and forget the rest of the world existed.

  Closing his eyes to the alluring sight, he let the slight creaking of the ship ground him. He looked at her again, determined to keep his wits. “I need to talk to you.”

  Her lips curled into a languid smile, and she reached out to caress his cheek.

  He swallowed hard, grasped her hand and returned it to the bed. “Tell me about last night. Who were those men?”

  The smile faded. “I don’t know,” she muttered, rolling onto her back.

  His stomach clenched into a tangled mass. He had a strong suspicion she knew the men. They’d spoken a little too long for some random assault.

  This wasn’t going to be easy. No doubt she’d deny any connection with them, especially if it could implicate her in the murder. Regardless, he had to try.

  Taking her hand in his, he sat on the edge of the bed and took a chance. “I’ll do everything in my power to protect you from them if you’ll let me.” God help him, he would, no matter her guilt or innocence.

  A puzzled look touched her face. “Why do you think I’ll need further protection?”

  “It seemed as though those men knew you, as if they were waiting for you.”

  “As if they…how would you know if they waited for me? How long had you been there?”

  “I saw you leave the Endicotts’, and I followed.”

  Her eyes grew wide, accusing.

  “Would you rather I hadn’t?”

  “I don’t know what I want anymore.” She looked away. “Christopher, there are things you don’t know about me. Things I’m not proud of.”

  His jaw clamped tight. Those weren’t the words of an innocent woman. “What kinds of things?” he ground out.

  She winced. “Don’t look at me that way.”

  “What do you mean? What way?”

  “Like I’m a criminal.” She rubbed hand over her brow. “Sometimes people do misguided things for the most honorable of reasons.”

  Excuses would do her no good. “I want to help you, but I need to know what I’m up against.” Although his offer was sincere, even to his own ears it sounded forced.

  She stared up at him for several long moments then shook her head. “You shouldn’t get involved in this. You should take me home and stay away. I’ll only bring you trouble.”

  He stood with a dry laugh. “I’m already involved.” There was no way he could let her go, knowing she was in danger. He paced away from her. “What if you run into those men again?”

  “I’m sure that won’t happen.”

  By the rustle of linen and the creak of the bed, he knew she’d risen. He didn’t turn. Instead, his gaze rode up the wall, and he willed himself not to look. The padding of feet and whisper of fabric tortured him as he resisted the overwhelming urge to carry her to bed, back into the safety of his arms.

  After several minutes, impatience snaked over his skin, and he turned around. Her fingers fastened the last button of her simple black dress, reminding him of her lies. Dammit. “Talk to me.”

  A sad resolve wilting her features, she stared into his eyes. “You don’t need to feel responsible for me.” She sat on the bed and slipped on her battered boots. “What happened between us last night was wonderful.” Her hands stilled, and she studied the floor. “I don’t expect anything from you, especially not after what you witnessed last night.”

  He should feel relieved. Rather, her words sliced through him. “I’m glad to hear you say that,” he lied, a note of bitterness tainting his voice. “Last night should have never happened.”

  Her gaze snapped back to his and a flicker of pain crossed her face. Perhaps she’d expected words of love and devotion. He couldn’t give that to her. Not now. Reality had returned.

  Rising to her feet, she snatched up her cloak and headed for the door. He blocked her path. “I can’t let you go out there. How do I know you’re not still in danger?”

  “Don’t concern yourself. This is my burden to bear.”

  “No,” he growled, grasping her arms to prevent her from passing by. “Tell me what you’re involved in.”

  She shrugged off his hands. “Leave me be,” she cried, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

  “I can’t.” Now more than ever, he couldn’t let her walk away.

  Heaving an exhale, she glared up at him. “If you must know. My father’s a gambler. Not a very skilled one at that. He owes those men a great deal of money.” Her glare flashed with fire. “Is that what you wanted to hear? Does that sate your curiosity?”

  He ignored her questions, his mind whirling this new fact around in his head. “These men. They think by kidnapping you, he’ll come forward with the payment?”

  She pulled on her cloak, avoiding his eyes. “Not exactly.”

  “What do you mean, not exactly?” Seizing her wrist, he demanded her full attention.

  “They’ve found another way to raise the money my father owes and then some,” she admitted, her face paling to a sickly hue.

  Dread tightened his skin. “Which is?”

  She clenched her eyes shut and swallowed, not once but twice. “Some man has offered to pay six hundred dollars…if they kill me.”

  Good God. “Who? Why?”

  “I don’t know.” She tore her wrist from his grip. “I think it best if I go now.”

  “What of your brother? Surely he can help.”

  “I have no brother.” Stepping around him, she opened the door and hurried out.

  Of course. No wonder he’d never met the man. He grabbed his jacket, blew out the lantern, and followed on her heels. “Do you have any family you can go to?”

  When they reached topside, she looked back. “I’ve decided to travel back to Boston. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

  Another lie. She’d been in New York all along. “Why doesn’t your father come for you? Does he know you’re in trouble? I’m sure he wouldn’t want you to travel alone.”

  “He’s in hiding.” Taking a deep breath, she raised her chin. “There’s nothing he can do for me anyway. He has to concentrate on protecting himself.”

  An odd comment. “What kind of father leaves his daughter to fend for herself?”

  “It isn’t like that. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time.” Her tone reflected hurt and anger. “In fact, it’s usually the other way around. He’s the one who gets into trouble, and I’m the one to help him out of it.”

  Jack, the night guard, came into view, headed in their direction.

  Seeing him, Rebecca blinked, her tears on the brink of flooding down her cheeks. She grasped his hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “I’d best go. Good-bye.”

  When she would have pulled away, he strengthened his grip, his protective instincts rising up with a vengeance. “Let me take you home.”

  The relief that flashed over her features proved she was still afraid. “All right.”

  “Captain,” Jack called as he approached. “You wanted to know of any unusual visitors?”

  “You’ve seen something?” Christopher scanned the deserted pier.

  “Over there.” Jack pointed toward the warehouses across the street.

  In an alley something moved. Or rather someone. A tall hulking man with a long mustache. Christopher recognized him immediately. Rebecca must have too. She stiffened beside him.

  “We need to get out of here, now.” Grasping her hand tight, he led her to the gangplank and down to the dock. He peered past the ship, the area around them silent, save for the screeching of seagulls overhead. His only th
oughts focused on her safety, he guided her around buildings and through alleyways until satisfied they’d passed by undetected.

  He spotted a hack just down the street and headed in that direction. “Those men your father owes. Do you suspect they know where you’re staying?”

  “I don’t think so. If they did, I would imagine they would’ve come looking for me there.” The confidence in her voice wavered by the time those words had passed her lips, and she cringed.

  “What?”

  Uncertainty glinted in her eyes. “A messenger delivered a note from my father, but when I asked him about it, he said he hadn’t sent one.”

  The news left him with a bad taste in his mouth. “Maybe those men do know where you are then. They could have sent the message to lure you into a trap.” He awoke the driver inside the carriage, paid for their ride, and helped Rebecca climb up the step to the seats within.

  The hack lurched forward, and Christopher sank into the seat beside her, his mind made up. “I’m taking you to the country. You’ll be safe there.”

  Her lips parted with a sharp intake of air. “No, there’s no need,” she insisted, her color rising.

  Did she really believe that to be true? “There most certainly is. You said yourself that those men may have been responsible for the note.” Perhaps she didn’t care for his prying. He could be getting too close to the truth for her comfort. So be it. This was a matter of safety. “You can’t stay. I won’t let you.”

  Her eyes narrowed, and he could almost hear the gears turning in her head, her desperate need to get away. “I’m not staying. I told you I’m leaving for Boston.”

  “I’ll go with you,” he offered, knowing she would do no such thing.

  A “no” burst from her lips almost before he’d finished. “I…I mean, that won’t be necessary.”

  The hack pulled up to the Endicotts’ house, and with a hand on her arm, Christopher aided her descent from the coach. Instead of releasing her once her foot reached the ground, he held tight. “Rebecca, let me help you.” No matter what trouble she was in, even if it involved Nathan, he couldn’t stand by and let those men find her. He didn’t want to think too much about the whys of it. He just couldn’t.

  She tugged her arm from his grasp, her eyes searching his. “If you want to help…” Her teeth worried her lower lip, and her gaze dropped to her hems. She swallowed, the fine skin between her eyebrows wrinkling with her slight grimace. “Lend me… Lend me the money these men want.” She peered up at him with an earnest look. “I promise to pay you back with interest as soon as I can.”

  Her request stung like a jab to the ribs. “Is that all you want from me, money?”

  A rush of color pinkened her cheeks, and her attention dropped to her skirts once more. She closed her eyes and took in a breath. “Yes.” Although the word was barely audible, it blared inside his head.

  How could he have forgotten? She only gave her favors to those who paid for them. He ground his teeth so hard his molars just might erode to dust. “How do I know I’d ever see you again?”

  Her head jerked up, anger twisting her lips. “I think you know me better than that.”

  “Do I?”

  Reaching behind her, she unclasped the chain around her neck and thrust it under his nose. “Here’s my mother’s locket as collateral. You know I would never leave it behind.”

  He did know, and her action surprised him to no end, draining away his resentment. He pushed the keepsake away and raked his hand through his hair, the memory of Nathan’s request for money days before his death searing his brain. No, this wasn’t the same. It didn’t matter how sincere she was, her plan would never work. “What would stop them from taking the money you offer and killing you anyway? They could be paid twice for the same job.”

  With a determined set to her jaw, she held out the locket once more. “That a risk I’ll have to take. I have no other options.”

  That wasn’t true, not as far as he was concerned. “Come with me, and I’ll help both you and your father. Give me time to come up with a plan.”

  Her shoulders sagged, and she lowered her arm. “For your own sake, you should let me go.”

  Probably true, but God help him… “I can’t.”

  “You’re putting yourself at risk, and you don’t need to,” she said, as if he hadn’t understood her first warning.

  “True. If you stay, I’ll be here right by your side, in harm’s way,” he agreed, hoping this new tactic would work. “But if you come with me to the country, we’ll both be safe.”

  She frowned, and cocked one sleek brow. “You’re not being fair.”

  “I don’t intend to be.” An idea took light. “In fact, I could just take you against your will.” He reached out in a half-hearted attempt to grab her, and she skittered away, her mouth open in shock.

  “Stop. I’ll go. I’ll go.”

  “Good.” He steered her toward the front door. “I’ll wait for you to pack, and then we’ll go to my home, where I can do the same.”

  With a nervous glance at the entrance, she halted him mid-step, her hand settling on his chest. “There’s no reason for you to wait. You go on and get your things in order.”

  “I thought we already discussed the dangers—”

  “I’ll be safe enough until you return.” Her words came out fast and anxious. “No one will barge into a fine residence like this one. If that were their intent, they would have done so already instead of using a note to lure me out.”

  While her reasoning made sense, her desperation was curious. “I don’t mind,” he assured her, more to see her reaction than for anything else.

  The hand on his chest tensed, pressing against him as if to ensure he stay back. “If you stay, leaving town will take that much longer.”

  Her reluctance to let him inside had to stem from one of two things. Either the other servants had no knowledge of her efforts to act the lady, or…

  “I’ll be here when you return. You have my word.”

  He couldn’t question the sincerity in her eyes. She would be here as she said, and they had no more time to waste. He gave her a nod, and her hand relaxed.

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he said as he walked away, heading for the waiting carriage. This trip would be beneficial in more ways than one. He would appease that deep need inside him that demanded he protect her, and perhaps he would get some answers along the way.

  Chapter Nine

  REBECCA WAITED BY THE front parlor window for Christopher’s carriage to approach, dread burning a hole into her stomach. She longed to catch sight of him, and at the same time, she wished he wouldn’t come. The time she’d spent in his arms came back to haunt her. Those heavenly moments were gone forever. There could never be anything real between them. She’d deceived him time and again. He still had no idea that she was nothing but a maid. If he knew, he likely wouldn’t be helping her at all.

  Drat. Where was he? Hazel would be returning from the market any minute.

  The sun was sinking into the horizon by the time he arrived.

  “Mary, he’s here,” she called in a hushed tone and hurried to pull her luggage from its hiding place, then rushed to the door. Before he could climb the stone steps, she met him outside. “We’re ready.”

  He crooked a brow. “We?”

  “My maid is coming with me.” As if to punctuate her point, Mary emerged from the front door, a valise in hand. She seemed almost eager to be away. Now fully recovered from her “illness,” she’d asked Hazel for some time to assist in Rebecca’s family affairs. Would the lies ever end?

  “Yes, of course,” he agreed, although his frown said otherwise.

  Mary strode past with a wink, ready to sit up top with the driver. Blast it, Mary. Always the matchmaker. As if anything could come of a simple ride in a carriage. Besides, she’d rather not be alone with Christopher. She needed the distraction. “Please tell Mary she would be foolish not to ride inside the carriage with the two of u
s.”

  Christopher glanced between the two women, then shrugged. “She’s welcome to join us, but she’s also free to make her own choice.”

  “Thank you, sir. On a warm night such as this, I’d much prefer to enjoy the fresh air and sit up top,” Mary said with a satisfied grin, although the wool coat she wore contradicted her statement.

  Rebecca suppressed the urge to argue further. It would do no good. Mary was determined to find her a rich suitor even if she had to arrange the union herself.

  Her pulse leapt when Christopher’s strong hand clasped hers as he helped her into the carriage. She scrambled to her seat, and he climbed in behind her, reducing the size of the interior tenfold. Sinking onto the bench to her opposite, he rapped the roof and the carriage lurched ahead. Once they left the city, only the silver glow of the moon lit the interior of the enclosed carriage as its outside lanterns remained unlit to conceal them in the darkness.

  Still, she couldn’t look at him. Instead, she adjusted her skirts and removed her hat, his words from this morning echoing in the confines of the carriage. Last night should have never happened. Her heart constricted. She was a fool to feel so strongly for someone. Surely, it couldn’t be love. She thought she’d learned better. People were human, fallible, and never failed to disappoint. Best to protect her heart from anyone who might hurt her again.

  After all, Christopher hadn’t professed his love. He made no promises of the future. She imagined spending the next days by his side, certain he would never return her affections, that only his sense of honor demanded he protect her, and her hands clenched in her lap.

  She pulled off her short black gloves and carefully folded them together, the action doing little to keep her senses from reaching out to him. Inside the confines of the carriage, his very essence made her skin sensitive, his every breath a whisper in her ear. Releasing a shaky exhale, she set the gloves on the seat beside her.

  “I won’t bite, you know,” Christopher’s voice rumbled in the darkness, the sound brushing over her skin in a tantalizing caress.