by Jamie Carie
Dorian bowed his head at Angelene in defeat. “I suppose if John is riding that sorry excuse for a horse, there will be room in the carriage.”
John rubbed his hands together and chuckled. “She may not be the quickest mare, but better than such a crowded carriage.”
Dorian gave John a look that said he would like to throttle him and then asked Angelene, “Your things?”
“Oh, I’ve already had them loaded in the back.” She looked down at Kendra’s trunks sitting on the ground next to the carriage. “I do hope there will be room for more.”
Dorian went around the back of the carriage and peered into the small storage space. “For goodness sake, Angelene, must you really have two trunks for a few days’ travel? Lady Townsend’s things must be transported.”
“Oh, but I must have it all.” She batted her lashes up at him. “I’ve promised Faith we would have lots of gowns to try on for the ball. She will be so disappointed if I don’t bring them.”
Bring the sister into it, Kendra thought, her mouth pressing into a tight line. This woman was not one to underestimate. “Dorian, could we not fit the smaller of the two in the seat with us?” Kendra had already thought through the seating arrangements on the small, single seat of the carriage and suspected Angelene had too. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if the woman didn’t manage to wrangle to sit in the middle, next to Dorian. Maybe a trunk squeezed between them would be just the thing.
“That is so kind, Lady Townsend. Yes, let’s try that.” Angelene’s bright smile could have melted the lacquer right off the carriage.
Dorian gave Kendra a considering look as if trying to discover what she was about and then shrugged and lashed down all of Kendra’s trunks to the back with one of Angelene’s and carried Angeline’s smaller one over to the seat. He started to reach for Kendra’s hand to help her up, when Angelene edged in front of her and took a firm grasp on Dorian’s forearm. “Do let me sit in the middle, Dorian. I get dizzy if I sit on the edge, the trees whizzing by so fast and all.”
John made a choking sound that turned into a cough while Dorian took a deep breath and gritted his teeth. Kendra saw that Angelene was now sitting beside the trunk and that it would be between her and the driver, but then Angelene surprised them all by heaving up the article by herself and moving it to the other side. She didn’t say a word, just faced forward and waited.
Kendra walked to the other side of the carriage and allowed Dorian to take her hand and help her up. He squeezed her hand with gentle pressure as she seated herself. Kendra glanced down at him and saw him mouth, “I’m sorry,” with a pained expression. Kendra faced forward, the hard edge of the trunk pressing into her side, and took her own resigned breath. What had started out as a delightful, sunny day had turned into an endurance race. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. She ticked off the nine fruits of the Spirit with a silent groan. She had no one to blame but herself. This should teach her to plot and scheme as if she had some rights to this man. She was no better than Angelene.
With fresh determination to do right, she turned to Angelene, smiled with some measure of genuine warmth, and asked, “Won’t you tell me about your life in America, Miss Monteiro? I have so much to learn.”
A look of surprised suspicion flashed across Angelene’s face but then she settled back, her shoulder pressing against Dorian’s, and launched into a stream of feminine chatter that lasted for the entire next hour.
The sun moved across the sky above them with agonizing slowness. The trunk pressed into Kendra’s ribs, making each bump feel as if a new bruise was forming. The jostling from the rutted road made her whole body ache. But worst was Angelene’s outrageous flirting. She cooed and batted her lashes like a strumpet. When a wheel dipped into an especially deep rut, she squealed and clung to Dorian’s bulging upper arm. Kendra bit her tongue and stared out at the countryside of rolling hills and forest land. Once in a great while they passed a farm, but for most of the journey it felt as if the four of them were alone in the world.
As the long afternoon waned into evening the wind quickened and turned cool. Looking up she noticed the weather and said with concern furrowing her brow, “It looks as if a storm is brewing.”
Dorian followed her gaze toward the western sky that was swirling with dark clouds. “Yes, it does look as if we’re in for a big one.”
“Oh, no!” Angelene moaned. “We’ll get soaked in this open carriage. Isn’t there any place we can go?”
“How far do we have to go?” Kendra asked.
“From the directions I received, your aunt and uncle have a small farm just southeast of Williamsburg. I’m afraid it will take us another day to reach their farm. I had planned that we stay at an inn tonight as there is one on the way.”
“And your home? Is it further away?” She did want to meet Dorian’s family but not with Angelene hovering over them.
Dorian propped his foot on the dash in front of them and edged away from Angelene’s side, peering around her to look at Kendra. “It would be out of the way to take you there first, but I did promise to introduce you to my mother.” He winked at her.
“I don’t want to cause you any trouble. Perhaps I can meet her another day.”
John trotted next to the carriage on his horse and entered the conversation. “What about that ball Miss Monteiro mentioned? You could make sure she gets an invitation and introduce her to the family then.” John gave Kendra a big grin and conspirator’s wink. Kendra couldn’t help but smile back at him.
Angelene stiffened beside her, crossing her arms over her ample bosom and elbowing Kendra in the arm.
Dorian frowned at her and then cast a glance at John. “That is an excellent plan, John. I shall see that Kendra and her aunt and uncle are invited.” He looked over at Kendra. “That is, if you would care to go?”
The thought of a ball made an excited feeling bloom in Kendra’s chest. “That would be lovely. Mayhap I can meet some of our neighbors there.”
A sudden gust of wind tore at the carriage and caused Kendra’s hat brim to press around her face like a fluttering veil.
Angelene shrieked and grasped Dorian’s upper arm, clinging to him.
Gazing at the sky, Kendra’s brows knitted together in concern. The clouds were whipping up into a frenzy and headed right for them. She clung to the side rail as the carriage swayed back and forth with the wind. After a few more minutes, huge drops of rain began to pelt the carriage. Dorian slapped the reins, trying to keep the frightened team under control as the rain began to come down in earnest.
“Lady Townsend, grab the side of the top and help me pull it up!” Together they tugged on the leather cover but the sides of the carriage were open so the flimsy covering did little good. Within minutes they were all drenched and the road, as rough as it had been, grew muddy and slippery. “This may be worse than I thought!” Dorian yelled. “We may have to stop and take cover.”
Kendra nodded her head, fear rising in her throat. This night reminded her of the thunderstorm that had taken her father from her. And they were in a carriage with unfamiliar horses.
A strike of jagged lightning, close by, and the boom of thunder caused Angelene to scream and cover her face with her hands.
“Look, do you see that?” Doran pointed to a weathered gray building in the distance.
Kendra nodded, shivering so much that she didn’t think she could speak.
They struggled through, taking only minutes but what seemed like hours to reach the building. One of the horses jumped with fright, the other reared, as the lightning zigzagged across the sky. Kendra had never felt so cold and soaked through as they pulled up into the yard of a ramshackle, abandoned barn.
There was no door so Kendra rushed from the carriage, Angelene just behind her, and ran into the dark, leaky building. Dorian and John unhitched the horses and led them one by one to the stalls on the far side of the barn. Dorian shouted in delight at finding s
ome hay that wasn’t too damp and then walked over to where Kendra was scouting through the dim light for a lantern or candles.
Kendra found a nub of a candle on the floor and rubbed the dirt off with the corner of her skirt. “You wouldn’t happen to have flint, would you?”
Dorian reached into his pocket, showed her the flint and stone, and gave her an admiring look that made a happy thrill rise in her chest. “Gather anything that looks worthy of making a fire and I’ll have one warming us in minutes.”
Kendra was shivering so hard her teeth were chattering as she gathered scraps of wood that had fallen from the walls and roof. Water dripped from the ceiling, making mud puddles on the dirt floor and increasing the smell of musty hay. There was an ancient-looking cookstove in one corner. After some pushing and pulling she managed to get the door open and shove the wood inside. “I think I have enough for a decent fire.” She looked over her shoulder toward Dorian. He came over, squatted in front of the open door, and struck the stone to the flint. After a couple of tries, he had a nice little flame eating through the rough, dry wood. “I hope the stovepipe works. If it’s clogged, we’ll be in for a heap of smoke.”
Angelene stood in front of the fire complaining. “What a mess this is! I’m so cold. We need to get out of these wet clothes before we catch our deaths!”
Kendra stood as close as she dared and held out her hands to the growing flame. Her clothing began to steam as the wet cloth warmed. She shot Angelene a startled look at her comment. What did the woman propose they do? Strip down to their shifts in front of the men? They would just have to stay close to the fire until they dried out.
Her stomach made a loud rumbling noise. Dorian looked up and grinned, ignoring Angelene. “Hungry?”
Kendra bit down on the side of her lower lip and nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
John ran inside, his back hunched over a basket of food to keep it dry. He motioned toward the three of them. “Good thing I thought to bring this along in case we didn’t make it to the inn in time for supper.”
Dorian clapped him on the shoulder. “You have always had a knack for taking care of our stomachs. Let’s have a picnic, shall we?” He opened the basket and pulled out a large loaf of corn bread, a pot of ham and beans, and an apple pie. “A feast, John. Thank you.”
“How long will we have to stay here?” Angelene wailed, not appearing the least grateful for the food.
“The roads will be impassable after this storm and I won’t have light enough to drive around the dangers. We will leave first thing in the morning, I promise. Kendra will be home before tomorrow is out.”
“But, we can’t possibly spend the night here! Where will we sleep?” Angelene’s pout was almost comical.
Dorian’s face was grim. “We have no other choice, Angelene. Let’s just make the best of it, shall we?”
Kendra looked away. An image of herself curled up next to Dorian, he holding her in his arms flashed through her mind as bright as the lightning outside. She took a big bite of the corn bread and forced the image away. Tomorrow she would be home.
Her new home.
That was the only thing she needed to be concentrating on right now.
Chapter Ten
The yellow streaks of morning spilled through the roof’s cracks and onto Kendra’s face, awakening her. She rose, stretching, feeling as if she hadn’t slept at all, and smoothed the wrinkled plum traveling dress. Sleeping on the hard ground had left her body feeling like a stiff old lady.
There was the leftover half of apple pie for breakfast, which they washed down from Dorian’s water canteen, each taking it up, wiping it off with a sleeve, and taking a single swig, except for Angelene, of course, who drew long draughts on the spout. Kendra tried to ignore the wretched feeling that slashed through her every time Angelene took an opportunity to touch Dorian, which was often, and the even more painful jab when he didn’t rebuff her. Kendra was the first to climb onto the carriage seat and didn’t even bother to try and sit in the middle. They obviously had a fondness for one another.
After two long hours of creeping through the muck-filled roads, they came to a Y in the road.
“This is where I’ll be leaving you,” John said with a tip of his hat. He looked into Kendra’s eyes with a kindness that brought a well of emotion to her throat. It was as if he was saying what he couldn’t out loud. Have courage. Everything is going to be okay.
Dorian stopped the carriage and looked at his friend with a thoughtful wrinkle in his brow. “You know, if Miss Monteiro can manage a horse . . . I could give her one of mine and you could see her home first. It is on your way to Victoria’s—”
John’s eyes widened and Angelene gasped. Dorian turned to her and said in quick staccato, “I do so admire a woman who can sit a horse.” His black brows rose in challenge as he stared her down.
“Well, of course I can ride a horse. It’s just that, it’s so . . . so—”
Dorian chuckled. “You’ll be with my sister all the sooner. Isn’t that why you’ve come?”
Kendra pressed her hands together to keep them from clapping. Dorian was as adept at this game as Angelene it seemed, and the knowledge that he could take care of himself around the forward woman made Kendra feel giddy with relief.
John, though, had a tight, pained expression on his face. “Oh, very well. Let’s unhitch one of them. Do you have a saddle?”
“Oh yes”—Angelene jumped on the statement—“I must have a sidesaddle.”
“Really?” Kendra joined in the fray. “At home I often rode bareback.”
“Bareback! Like the Indians? You must be jesting.” Angelene’s face registered genuine shock.
“Oh, yes. My father, Lord Townsend, encouraged it. I became quite adept.”
“There is no need to panic, Angelene,” Dorian interjected. “I have a saddle lashed to the back with the trunks. Just in case we had difficulties with the carriage.”
Angelene huffed but couldn’t seem to come up with a good argument why she shouldn’t go with John. She took Dorian’s proffered hand and climbed down from the carriage. While they were readying the horse, Kendra hefted the trunk and moved it to her other side. It was past time she was sitting next to Dorian.
Angelene did not miss the maneuver.
“That was neatly done,” Kendra observed as Dorian started the horse and John and Angelene rode off down the other road.
“Do you think so?” Dorian cast her a glance full of mischief.
Kendra laughed. “She’s very beautiful.”
“I suppose so, if one is attracted to dark temptresses.”
“Are you saying that you are not? I should think most men would be flattered by so much blatant attention.”
“I am not most men.”
“No. I can see that you aren’t.” Kendra looked at his strong, rugged profile. “So what type of woman are you attracted to?”
“Oh, damsels in distress have always been appealing.” He shot her a grin and Kendra huffed.
“Those are plentiful, I’m sure.”
“Yes, I have run into a few over the years but none have held my attention for very long.”
“Just long enough to rush in for the rescue? The adventure and all of that?”
“That’s about right.” He furrowed his brow as if in deep thought. “I suppose I need a woman who is always getting herself into scrapes.” He cocked one brow at her. “Do you know anyone like that?”
Kendra huffed, looked away, and said in an irritated mumble, “Insufferable, churlish, colonial rogue.”
Dorian threw back his head and laughed.
The next hour was spent in companionable silence until they neared what appeared to be a farm, hacked out of the rough wilderness of this country. Dorian turned the horse toward the front door and Kendra began to feel as if she might be ill. Her stomach rolled as her thoughts sunk from bad to worse. What if they didn’t want her? What would she do? She turned her head to the side and blinked back tears. Stop
it. She would not let her mind run wild like this. Surely they would be glad to see her.
The carriage came to a stop. “I think this is it.”
They sat there for a few minutes looking out over the disheartening view. There was a log cabin, small and drab, with two smaller outbuildings behind it. The land to the west had been cleared, showing rows of short green plants that Kendra didn’t know the name of. To a woman who had only lived in a castle with famed manicured gardens all of her life, the reality of her aunt and uncle’s existence made her heart pound with anxiety. How was it they were so sadly situated? They were still of England’s nobility, still had titles, and should have had some wealth, should they not? But then her own family had lost so much, so it didn’t stand to reason to judge them. She would treat them with love and respect, no matter what.
“It’s worse than I expected,” Dorian ground out, his mouth set in a grim line.
“Something of a shock, yes. But the land is nice.” She pointed to a meadow with forest surrounding it to the north. Wildflowers grew in abundance, creating a yellow and purple carpet all around the clearing. Rich black dirt of the fields could be seen behind the house and off to one side, and behind and around it all was thick woodland, filled with leafy trees and the sweet smells of long grass. She took heart in the woods and rocky ledges that met her gaze.
Dorian turned toward her with a startled look of respect. A small, gentle smile formed on his lips as his eyes turned proud. “As you say, my lady, the land is quite nice.” He sprung down from the carriage, went to her side and extended his hand. “Shall we?”
She took it, the tight hold giving her a measure of courage.
They walked arm in arm to the front door, pausing in front of it for just a minute, and then Dorian reached out and knocked. They waited for several moments until a worn-out looking woman opened the door. She stood in a faded blue skirt and yellowed bodice, bare feet poking out from the hem. She looked back and forth at them as if they’d come from another world. “Yes?”