He startled her by pulling his hand from her channel. He shoved her roughly off his lap. Standing, he licked at his bleeding wrist, cursing as the blood flowed steadily from the bite wound. He stared at her with unblinking eyes, dark and coldly furious. Then he spoke harshly in his guttural tongue before he turned fluidly, disappearing through the entrance flap, still clasping his injured wrist.
After he’d gone, Linnet dropped sideways with her arms clasped around her upper body, legs drawn up. She lay curled into herself, weeping bitterly. Shifting, she felt a sharp object dig into her flank. Reaching beneath the blanket, she pulled out Yaogah’s dagger. She stared at the blade, pondering. Why did this native man want her so much?
Any young woman of the tribe could mother his son. Was he, like his small son, drawn to her because of her red hair? He certainly seemed to be fascinated by the colour. She twirled the knife in her hands, then, before she could change her mind, she reached behind herself and grabbed her hair. Twisting it at her neck, she drew the blade across the wedge she’d created. A cascade of rippling russet fell into her hand. She placed it on the fur bed she sat upon.
Perhaps if he found this gift from her, he would let her escape, and not pursue her. If he did give chase and he caught her, perhaps, without her hair, he might release her. Anyway, she needed to get away quickly before the man came back to finish what he’d started.
She took several calming breaths before using the dagger to scrape at the mud and rushes that were the main components of the wall’s construction.
Due to her previous efforts of digging that afternoon, it wasn’t long before she’d made a hole large enough for her to wriggle through. Terrified that at any moment Yaogah would return to rape her, she frequently glanced over her shoulder, her heart racing, beating so loudly she was certain that someone would hear.
Lying on her stomach, she squirmed through the small gap. Once outside, she ran lightly from lodge to lodge, keeping to the shadows. A snarling dog appeared but all at once a small, shadowed form caught hold of the dog, whispering a command. Immediately, the dog fell silent and flopped onto its belly.
Linnet wondered if this person was about to give her away, but as the form moved close to her, she realised it was Running Deer. She recognised her as the girl she’d seen peeking into the lodge earlier. The girl took hold of her hand, quietly leading her around the perimeter of the encampment, keeping any dogs that growled quiet with a softly spoken command.
Once they were at the edge of the village, she pushed Linnet toward the cover of trees then melted away into the darkness. Linnet didn’t look back. She crept quickly through the undergrowth. When she was deep enough into the forest, she sprinted.
It was pitch black so she couldn’t see her feet, let alone where she was going. After struggling downhill, constantly tripping over tree roots, her head whipped by low branches, she became exhausted. Eventually, she had no choice, her legs turned to jelly and she collapsed in a heap upon the ground, her chest heaving painfully from her exertion.
After a brief rest, she stood up, determined to get as far away as she could under the cover of darkness. She continued to push her way through the press of trees, heading to a lighter area of ground that she hoped might be edge of the woodland. Disappointingly it turned out to be simply another clearing in the forest. Linnet crept around the edge, unwilling to risk exposure. Without warning, she was grasped from behind and lifted clean off her feet. A hand clamped itself over her mouth before she could scream.
Chapter 22
She fought with every ounce of strength she had until a familiar voice cursed her and delivered a stinging slap to her bare rear end. “Nee, lieveling!” a man whispered in her ear. Not Yaogah, then, but Hans. She fell limp with relief. Hans carried her through the darkness and handed her up to John, who sat astride Amber, clutching the reins to Hans’s own mount.
She pressed her face into her husband’s shoulder and breathed in the safe familiar scent of him. Her relief made her boneless. She felt him kiss her face and sighed. Safe, at last I am safe…
Linnet awoke from her deeply healing sleep. It was the morning after they’d arrived back at the homestead. Sarah sat next to her on the bed. She stroked the short fair hair back from Linnet’s face.
After they had arrived back at the Lammers’ house the night before, Linnet had given a brief version of what had occurred at the native village. After feeding her oats and brown sugar in warm milk, John had carried her upstairs, where he’d gently tucked her into bed. She had fallen instantly into a deep, restorative sleep.
“I should stay in bed today if I were you,” Sarah advised, handing Linnet a cup of steaming coffee.
“I need to get up. I want to talk to John as soon as possible,” she replied, looking expectantly at the door.
“I don’t think that would be a very wise idea,” Sarah replied firmly.
“Why ever not? I feel just fine!” she assured her friend.
“Believe me, Linnet, you won’t feel fine for long. Now that you are safe and sound again, John is livid with you for riding away so recklessly the way you did. I would stay in bed today and let him calm down a bit before you get up. It won’t save you from a spanking but he might go easier on you once a day has passed!”
“Sarah!” The women jumped and looked to the doorway where Hans stood, looking thunderous. “I told you before not to interfere in their marriage! You will go to our room and await me there.”
Sarah gave Linnet an apologetic look. Flushing guiltily, she squeezed her heavily pregnant body past her furious husband.
Hans looked severely at Linnet. “Get up and go and find your husband, or pack your bags and leave. I have had enough of your selfish behaviour. You put everyone around you in danger and all because you cannot learn to do as you are told!” He turned away, banging the door shut behind him. Linnet felt ashamed. Dear Hans must hate her to talk to her that way.
Hastily she donned her clothing and went out onto the landing. She could hear raised voices coming from Hans and Sarah’s bedchamber. She paused to eavesdrop, concerned that Hans might spank his heavily pregnant wife.
“…because you carry our child, I shall not risk spanking you, which you richly deserve. I am making a note in the family bible of each transgression, so that when you are recovered from the birth, you will go across my knee for the tally. Now, you will stay in our chamber and rest until I tell you that you may join us downstairs.”
“Yes, Hans,” came the very meek reply.
Relieved that Sarah’s behind was safe, at least for the time being, and recognising the love that Hans had for his wife, Linnet left them to it and made her way downstairs.
John sat at the table, cradling a cup of coffee between his hands. He gestured for her to sit at the table opposite him. His eyes were steely.
“John, I—” she burst out, but her husband interrupted her, holding his palm up for silence.
“I don’t want to hear it! I intend to punish you and then tomorrow we are leaving on horseback for Boston. I won’t put these wonderful people in any more danger because of your thoughtless escapades. We are leaving tomorrow and that is final.”
She tried again. “No, you must listen to me, you don’t understand, John… I have learned my lesson—”
“I said, ENOUGH! I mean ENOUGH! Now come with me!” He stalked around the table and pulled her to her feet, towing her towards the door.
She cried out at the top of her voice. “Stop this! I am with child! I am carrying our child!”
He dropped her arm, staring at her incredulously. “What did you say?”
“I am going to have our baby,” she repeated softly. She smiled at the bewildered expression on her husband’s face.
“Are you sure?” he asked, bemused.
“Well, as sure as I can be. My courses have ceased.”
She waited for him to respond but he simply stood still. She went and leaned against his solid form. “I realised while I was kidnapped that I h
ad brought all this trouble on myself and I promised that if I ever got back to you safely, I would become a good and obedient wife and not rush off to do what I wanted, whenever I wanted. I have learned the hard way that I have to listen to you, the voice of experience. I have never been more terrified in my life than I was stuck in that native camp!” She shuddered, remembering Yaogah’s unwanted advances and the liberties he took with her body.
She’d decided not to reveal what had happened between her and the huge native. She would take the shameful knowledge with her to the grave.
John wrapped his arms about her and kissed her forehead. Tilting her head back, he gazed down into her swimming eyes. It was obviously taking him a moment to get his emotions under control. “Linnet, if you ever do anything that endangers you in any way again, so help me, I-I promise I’ll switch you every day for the rest of your goddamn life!”
He lowered his head and kissed her, all his love and pent up fear and frustration were in his kiss. She responded as though her breath was bequeathed by John’s sensual mouth. Finally, he broke away. Pulling out a chair, he sat with her cradled on his lap.
“I was beside myself when I arrived at the cabin to find the natives had deliberately burned our nest to the ground and you were missing, gone! Linnet, I thought I might have lost you forever and I so might have, if it hadn’t been for Hans and his tracking skills! Clever girl, for dropping those strands of your hair, we’d never have found you without your forethought. However, I refuse to be put through anguish like that again and I won’t let you drag other people into danger because you refuse to learn from your mistakes!”
“Oh, John, I’m sorry. I truly thought I would never see you again. I swear to you that this fright has put paid to my defiance. I finally understand the lessons you have tried to impress upon me since we were married. I realise the wilfulness I possessed and acted upon caused myself and everyone around me such terrible trouble and anguish! I intend to become a perfectly biddable wife from this day forward, I promise!”
She burst into noisy sobs and he clasped her to his heart, comforting her as she sobbed, releasing the dammed-up shock from her system. Shushing her, he rocked her like a child in his arms, kissing away her scalding tears.
“Tell me true, darling, did any of those natives harm you?” he asked softly. “I know you said you cut your hair as a gift to them, something I still don’t quite understand… but did any of the men put their hands upon you?” he pressed. She knew he was watching her intently.
She felt his tension. Unblinking, she denied any misuse, only explaining about the child missing her and telling him that, amazingly, Will the fur trapper was alive and he had helped her to escape. She went on to explain that he was living with a squaw who was expecting their first child and that he was happy living among the natives. She knew her husband would try to exact revenge on Yaogah if she told him the full story behind her kidnapping. She was certain that Yaogah would win any fight between them and that John would die, never to see his unborn. She could not allow that to happen. She resolved never to reveal the truth to him.
Reassured by his wife’s guileless gaze, he tucked her head under his chin and stroked her soft, shorn head. Given time, her lovely hair would grow back.
Rocked safely in her husband’s arms, Linnet knew she was home at last. Lavenstock Hall and England were a thing of the past, a happy memory. Reality was John and this amazing, wildly beautiful country. This was her future—their future—and her place was by her husband’s side. Together they would build a family, John would guide their children, helping them to flourish and grow into strong independent young people, just as he had helped her to become an adult woman.
She’d learned that actions have consequences and she had finally learned to consider other people. Most of all, she’d learned about love—true love, which she now realized knew no selfishness.
Later, John took a stroll around the farm alone. He wanted to contemplate the arrival of a baby. He pondered about this exciting development and the fact that it would change their lives forever. He’d told Linnet that he had decided they should stay at least another week at the Lammers’ homestead, there was much to do and arrange before they could think of leaving. Leaving, was that what he really wanted?
The following day, they both took a trip into town. Sarah lent Linnet a bonnet which hid her lack of hair. They went to see the town doctor, who confirmed that Linnet was indeed expecting a baby.
While they were in town, John had left Linnet in the general store with instructions to buy whatever she needed. He went to set in motion some of the business transactions he had been secretly organising.
He hired a man to ride to Boston to deliver a packet of papers and letters to his mother, explaining all that had passed since they’d sailed from England. He included a package to be forwarded to England that contained letters to the families of the crew who had died aboard The Tempest. Linnet had written to her father, telling him that she was alive and well and expecting his first grandchild.
After collecting his wife from the mercantile, John packed the cart with supplies and Linnet’s packages. They set off back to the Lammers’ homestead at a calm pace. John felt enormous contentment.
That night, Sarah prepared a celebratory meal at the homestead. The men made toasts to their pregnant wives with Han’s homemade brew. After they’d finished eating, Hans stood and held his hand up for silence.
“I would like to say a few words. Firstly, formal congratulations to you, dear friends, on your wonderful news. I thank the Lord that Peter asked me to take him to the beach that day when we found you both half-drowned on the sea shore. I am proud to call you my friend, John Foster. I turn now to you because I believe you have some quite exceptional news for us.”
Linnet looked at her husband curiously. He winked at her and cleared his throat. “First of all, we owe you our lives and nothing can ever repay your goodness to us, Hans, Sarah and Peter—however, should you need us for anything, we will be there to support and offer our help in any way we can.”
Linnet nodded her head vigorously in agreement.
John turned his gaze on her. “I have purchased a large parcel of land along the shoreline, near Ogunquit. I intend to start a boat building business there. I think this area would benefit from such a business and flourish. I know shipping and I have helped to build boats in the past. In time, I intend building a large house for my family to live in.”
Silence fell as all eyes turned to Linnet; they waited, openly gauging her reaction. She stared at John, her mouth slack with shock.
“So, darling, what do you say?” he coaxed, looking at her anxiously.
She pushed back her chair and ran around the table, flinging her arms about him. “Oh, thank you, darling! John, this is wonderful news!”
He kissed her, looking relieved. “You have no idea how pleased I am to hear you say that. I thought you had your heart set on travelling to Boston. What changed your mind?”
“All I could think about before I was taken by the natives was returning to Lavenstock Hall and going back to England, but while I was in the tribal camp, I realised that all I really wanted to do was spend the rest of my life with you. It does not matter to me where we are, just so long as we are together. I love it here, and I would really like living nearby to Sarah, especially when our babies are both due!”
She turned a shy smile on her friend but she noticed Hans’s sombre face, whereupon she turned to him anxiously. “You don’t want me here, do you, Hans?” she asked, her eyes pleading with the stern Dutch man.
His lip quirked, he shook his head and Linnet’s heart plummeted. “Mistress Foster, we should like to have you living close by, my Sarah would love to have her friend near so that she can gossip and talk babies with you. You are our very dear friends—almost family—but, Linnet, I do think that trouble is thy middle name. However, John and I have reached an agreement about you staying here in my house. I am most happy to offer you both a ho
me with us until your own house is ready.”
She ran to Hans and planted a kiss on his cheek. “You mentioned an agreement. What is it that you both agreed?” she asked suspiciously.
Hans winked at John. “Ja, well, after your child is born and you live under my roof, John has granted me permission to give you a sound switching every time you step out of line and, knowing you as I do, lieveling, I look forward to the day I can enjoy giving you your comeuppance!”
Everyone laughed except Linnet. Indignant, she fell silent. Surely Hans was joking? She jolly well hoped so. How dare John give him permission to chastise her! She was about to become a mother and she intended to behave appropriately from now onwards. She determined to be both a good mother and a biddable wife to her husband. She certainly never wanted Hans to take her in hand—nor John, no, not ever again!
She calmed herself, took control of her emotions. Smiling absently about the table at her friends, she listened to their conversation and enjoyed their banter. John winked at her. She smiled back, remembering the first time he had kissed her on the balcony, during the ball. Comparing herself to that green girl who’d married a man she did not love and crossed the Atlantic Ocean as a new bride, she recognised how much she’d changed. Chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully, she relaxed, realising that she had nothing to fret about.
She determined to evolve, to become a sensible, mature matron. It was entirely possible for her to become the woman she wished to be, especially with the help of her husband, the man she loved beyond all others, the man who had unerringly proven to be her match, her mate, her master.
THE END
Vanessa Brooks
International bestselling author Vanessa Brooks lives in Sussex, England. She has a lifelong love of history, most especially English and American. She has written a few western tales, one notably for the Red Petticoat series, which was such a huge success in America. Her Georgian series, Masterful Husbands, set in the 1700's, also proved highly successful on both sides of the Atlantic
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