“I’m sorry to keep having you travel out here Sammy. I think we are getting close to finding Charles though. Is your leg troubling you today?”
“It is just the weather Captain. The rain tends to make it ache a bit more than usual. I have been waiting for you since last night sir. Did you run into any trouble?”
Thorn smiled to himself, “You could say that Sammy. But nothing to trouble yourself over, it was definitely the good kind of trouble.”
Sammy shook his head in confusion at the Captain but didn’t ask any further. The Captain seemed to have enjoyed his trouble, whatever that was.
“Were you able to track our good friend Shears?”
“Even better than that Captain; I saw with my own two eyes him and that friend of yours Maxwell meeting down by the docks. I followed them down an alley and into an abandoned warehouse. They did not see me sir, but I saw them.”
“Did you hear anything that was said?”
“They were talking about a shipment coming in and Shears was threating Maxwell to come through for him with details of Mallory’s hideout. I think Maxwell might know where Mallory is being hidden.”
“Was there anything in the warehouse?”
“Yes, it is full of weapons. There are enough weapons there to start a war here on English soil Captain.”
“Can you find this warehouse again?”
“Yes, I know just where it is sir. But we are going to need a lot of men to take it. It is heavily guarded by Shears men.”
“I want you to set a few men to watching it and let me know if there is any sudden activity.”
“Yes sir. What are you going to do about Maxwell?”
“Did you see where he went after his meeting with Shears?”
“Yes, sir; I followed him out of town to a small cottage set back in the woods. When he knocked on the door a young lady opened the door and rushed him inside. He looked behind him after he went through the door, like he was trying to see if he had been followed.”
“Do you think that he saw you?”
“No Captain. He only stayed for an hour then he left again. He returned to the inn and has been there ever since. I got men watching both exits and I have been talking to the chambermaids and he has his been having all his meals sent to his room.”
“Did you recognize the lady at the cottage?”
“I did not get a good look at her sir. Do you know who she is?”
“I have a good idea. I will know more soon.”
There was a knock on the door and Thorn bade them to enter. It was Cleaves bringing him the clean handkerchief. After the butler left the room, Thorn opened the material and saw what he had feared when he saw first saw it. It bore the initials RL.
“Does this look familiar to you Sammy?” Thorn held out the cloth for Sammy to inspect.
Sammy touched the soft linen turning it over in his hands. He rubbed his fingers across the embroidered letters. When recognition replaced curiosity, he looked up to meet Thorn’s eyes. Thorn nodded his head at Sammy’s unspoken question. They both knew what this meant. She had sworn revenge on them and it seemed that she was putting it into action in the form of Charles.
“Where did you find this?”
“It was at a place that only Charles and I know of. She was there with him and now she has him. I need you to take me to her Sammy.”
“Lady Ivy will be excited to hear that we have found Lord Mallory.”
“I do not want her to know any of this, until we have him back here safely.”
“Yes Capt’n.”
“Can you ride Sammy?”
“Yes, anything for Lady Ivy. Let’s go bring her brother home.”
Thorn rose from his desk and pulled open a drawer. He pulled out two pistols and loaded them. He handed one over to Sammy to take. He grabbed the other pistol and they made their way out of the room. They were able to make their way down to the stables without running into Ivy or his parents. After their horses were saddled; Sammy led Thorn to the cottage. He just hoped that they weren’t too late.
Ivy snuck down the hallway making her way to Thorn’s room. Watching for any sign of Katherine; she had managed to avoid her so far. She wanted to greet their guests with Thorn. When her maid told her that Thorn wasn’t downstairs yet, Ivy figured he was still in his room getting ready. She knocked lightly on his door to announce herself; then slipped inside quickly.
“Thorn, are you in here?” Ivy whispered.
When there was no reply, Ivy ventured further into the room. She noticed that his desk had been disturbed, like he left in a hurry. There was a white piece of linen lying on top of his papers. Ivy picked it up and noticed that it was a woman’s handkerchief. It was embroidered with roses around the edges. It also had the owner’s initials sewn in; RL. Who was RL and what did she mean to Thorn? Was it an old lover’s memento? Why would he have this lying about after all that they had just confessed and shared with each other? Old doubts began to creep into Ivy’s head. Would she ever feel secure in their love?
Ivy heard voices outside the room. They were searching for her. It would not look good to be found in Thorn’s room. She grabbed the handkerchief, sliding it into the pocket of her dress. She made her way over to his closet and slid inside. The door to Thorn’s room opened and closed. Ivy peeked her head out to see if the coast was clear. She saw Zane slip inside the room and make his way over to Thorn’s desk. Ivy’s fingers slipped on the door and it slowly opened; revealing her hiding space.
Zane heard the door to the closet creak open slowly. He saw Ivy tucked away amongst Thorn’s overcoats. He was almost caught. If Ivy hadn’t revealed herself, she would have seen him searching Thorn’s desk. If that would have happened, he didn’t know how he could explain himself out of this mess. While he was frustrated that he couldn’t look for what Thorn had stolen from his room at the inn and some information on the treason plot he was relieved that he wasn’t caught. He knew he could explain himself to Ivy and she would believe him. But he knew once she told Thorn, that Thorn would not believe him. He was already on thin ice with Thorn and did not need him to be any more suspicious than he already was.
Zane heard the rattling of Thorn’s door to his bedroom and knew that unless he acted quickly they were both going to be caught where they shouldn’t be. Also, being caught together would cause Ivy a whole new set of problems that she didn’t deserve. He quickly slipped into the closet with her and covered her mouth with his hand.
“Don’t make a sound. Somebody else is coming into the room.” Zane whispered into Ivy’s ear, holding her body close to his.
Ivy nodded her head to let Zane know that she understood. She heard him sigh and felt his body relax into hers. He lowered his hand from her mouth but kept her held close to his body.
They stood there listening as somebody was going through Thorn’s desk. They heard the doors slide open and the rustling of papers. Then just as quickly as the person entered the room they left again. Either the person found what they were looking for or did not want to be found in the room and left quickly. With servants and guests wandering all over the house they knew that they would not have much time to search. Zane and Ivy were unable to see who was in the room without being caught themselves. Zane knew what the person was looking for without knowing who the person was. Thorn held a vital piece of information in his possession of the treason plot. Zane only hoped that whoever was in the room did not find it and if they did that they would not try to use it.
Zane ran his hand down Ivy’s hair and pulled her closer. Ivy looked up at him in confusion from his touch. He had never been this intimate with her before. When he lowered his head and took her mouth in soft gentle kiss; Ivy was never more surprised. He kissed her long and slow, testing the waters. When Ivy didn’t respond to the kiss; Zane deepened the kiss in desperation. The kiss felt nice to Ivy but it didn’t hold the passion that she felt from Thorn’s kisses. Zane pulled back and ran his thumb across Ivy’s lips.
“No
thing?” he questioned.
Ivy shook her head in response.
“Why?” she asked.
“A man has to try, doesn’t he?”
“Why?” she asked again.
“Why? That is a very loaded question my dear.”
“Can you answer it?”
“I was just curious if you felt for me what I felt for you.”
Ivy reached out with her hand to cup his cheek.
“You don’t feel that way for me either. So why did you kiss me?”
“I have always been attracted to you Ivy. I just knew that you were off limits. I had to at least give it a try. If not, I would always regret that I didn’t.”
“Except that you also felt nothing either.”
“Believe me my dear, I felt more than nothing. I would have to be dead not to feel anything with you in my arms and my lips on yours. But no, my dear friend, I felt no passion between us. Are we still friends?
Ivy laughed and stood up to kiss him on the cheek, “The very best of them.”
Zane grabbed Ivy’s hand and led her from the closet.
“Who was that in here and what were they looking for?” Ivy asked Zane.
“I do not know but they did not stay long. Our mysterious guest either found what they were looking for or they didn’t want to get caught.”
“What are you doing in Thorn’s room?”
“I was just going to ask you the same my dear.”
Ivy looked down at the piece of fabric in her hand and her eyes became sad at the sight. A tear slid down her cheek and she wiped it away.
“I came looking for Thorn but I found this on his desk instead.”
Zane reached down to grab the linen from Ivy’s hand. He saw the initials on it and knew where Thorn would be. This was a disaster, things were getting out of his control and he had to figure a way to gain it back. But first he had to ease Ivy’s mind and put her fears to rest.
“Who do you think she is? Does he love her?”
“He loves you my dear. There is nobody else nor has there ever been anybody else.”
“Who is she then to him?”
Zane slid the handkerchief into his trouser pocket and pulled Ivy’s into his arms. He gave her a friendly hug. He had to get Ivy out of Thorn’s room without being seen by anybody. Then he had to go to the woman that this belonged to. He hoped he was not too late.
“I will find out for you. Meanwhile we need to get you out this room without anybody seeing either one of us.”
Zane went to the door and opened it up a crack. When he noticed that there was nobody in the hallway he motioned for Ivy to leave. Ivy slipped out of the door and rushed down the hallway to put distance between them. Zane looked back over his shoulder at the desk in regret. He knew that he had to leave or else get caught. He just hoped that whoever left the room did not find what they were looking for.
As Thorn and Sammy approached the road that led to the cottage they slid off their horses and tied them to a tree. They had decided to sneak up on the cottage on foot. When they arrived at the cottage they noticed that there didn’t seem to be any movement inside. Thorn motioned for Sammy to go around back and that he was going to enter through the front. Thorn slid the door open as quietly as he could. He winced when the door let out a loud squeak. He raised his gun ready to defend himself; but nobody rushed out at him. Keeping close to the walls, he searches the cottage, only to find it empty. Thorn made his way to the back bedroom, when he opened the door he hoped to find Charles. Instead he found an empty bed and bandages strewn across the floor. There was no sign of anybody.
“The place is empty Captain, not a soul in sight,” Sammy said from the open doorway.
“It appears they left in a hurry. The question is to where?”
Thorn searched the room for any clue to if Charles had been there or his mystery lady. Whoever was here made sure that they left no evidence behind. They had come to another dead end.
“Help me search the house and grounds Sammy for any clues that we can find. Then we will need to hurry back to Thornhill. I have a ball I must attend tonight. I need you to stand watch at the ball tonight, for any suspicious activity. You must be on the lookout for the girl and have the men watch Maxwell like a hawk. He is knee deep involved in all this and I don’t think for the good.”
“Where do you think they disappeared to?”
“I’m not sure Sammy but I have a feeling she will be showing up tonight at the ball and I want us to be ready for her.”
Thorn and Sammy searched the house and grounds but came up empty handed. They made their way back to Thornhill. As they traveled back they tried piecing together the puzzle and putting the pieces where they thought they might fit. At this moment, Thorn knew that he could only trust a very few number of people. Until Charles was found nobody was safe from Shears and what he had planned.
Chapter 25
Thorn waited impatiently for Ivy to arrive downstairs. He paced back and forth at the bottom of the staircase awaiting her appearance. He was as nervous as a schoolboy. This was going to be his once chance to give Ivy all the things he wanted to do with her as if he was courting her. He had sent a dozen red roses to her room earlier as she was getting ready for the ball. She had replied with a simple thank you note written on her stationary sprayed with her perfume. He kept the note in his pocket now.
Having given the orchestra instructions for the first dance to be a waltz. He could not wait to hold her in his arms as he whisked her across the ballroom floor. Pulling his timepiece out of his pocket, he noted that the hour was growing late. They would have to get in line soon to receive their guests. He wanted a few private moments with Ivy before the ball began.
Thorn heard a noise at the top of the staircase and looked up to see Ivy waiting to descend. Holding onto the banister and clutching her fan tightly in her other hand, she looked as nervous as he felt. Thorn starred at her dumbfounded. She was a vision to behold. Her long blond hair was held up in curls that softly framed her face as they cascaded down her back. The soft blue material of her dress shaped her body into a goddess. It flowed around her curves in soft waves. Her dress was all the different shades of blue blending together. All the blues matched the ocean and open sky that he sailed on for the last seven years. His Ivy dressed to make his heart sail to her open sea. He knew that he should help her down the stairs but he stood there like a green boy looking at his first pretty lady. He watched as she floated down the stairs to him with her sweet innocent smile that held a bit of minx.
Ivy smiled to herself as she made her way down the stairs to Thorn. She was nervous when she left her room. But when she came to the top of the staircase and seen Thorn pacing back and forth, she realized that she wasn’t the only one nervous. He was dressed in dark evening attire; black trousers that hugged his thighs, dark black evening coat with a blue waistcoat underneath that matched her dress perfectly. He wore a white cravat with a blue sapphire pin in the middle. His hair was pulled back in a queue. He looked so different from being the Captain of his ship to a Marquis of the ton on his way to a ball. His ball no less. As she continued watching him she realized that she would take him anyway that she can have him. Because he was Thorn. Then when he had looked up at her full of desire and love, Ivy knew in her heart that there was nothing to be nervous about. By the way that Thorn was looking at her; she knew that this was going to be a night that they would never forget. Ivy stopped near the bottom of the stairs so that she was level with Thorn. She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips.
“Thank you for the beautiful roses Marcus.”
“Your welcome my dear. I hoped you enjoyed them while you got ready for the ball.”
“I did.”
“There are no words to describe the beautiful vision that you are tonight my love.”
Ivy blushed as she smoothed her hand over her dress.
“Do you like the colors Marcus?”
“Yes, my dear. Your choice makes my heart ful
l.”
Marcus lowered himself to one knee and reached for Ivy’s hand. He slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out a sapphire ring surrounded by diamonds. Sliding the ring onto Ivy’s finger, he placed a kiss on her hand. He rose and pulled Ivy’s into his arms.
“Now you are mine,” he said as he lowered his head and took Ivy’s lips into a passionate kiss. The kiss told Ivy of his love for her and how much tonight meant to him. It also held a promise of more to come. He felt Ivy clutch to him and return his kiss with the same amount of passion, desire, and love.
“Are you ready to greet our guests my love?” Marcus asked.
Ivy shook her head yes. She had wanted to confront Marcus on the handkerchief but now was not the time. She did not want to ruin tonight for anything. Tonight, was all the nights she wanted with Marcus rolled into one. It could wait until tomorrow. He loved her she knew that, whoever the other lady was; she was in his past. Ivy was his future.
Marcus and Ivy made their way to the front of the house, to join his parents and Ivy’s father to receive their guests. The guests were already beginning to file into the house. His mother had out done herself. Also, this ball would put all the gossip to rest and nobody was going to miss a chance to see how the engaged couple behaved with each other. He sure hated to disappoint the ton, but disappointed they will be. All they were going to see tonight was two souls very much in love with one another.
After they greeted their guests, Ivy was pulled off to the sides by her friends for some friendly gossip and Thorn was welcomed home by his. Thorn listened in boredom as he watched Ivy talk to her friends. He saw them admiring the ring he had just given her. As her friends moved on; he watched the men swarm to her side.
Thorn made his way over to Ivy’s side. He should have known that she would be danced on attention by all the eligible bachelors. Her dance card was going to be full tonight, but before that happened he had a surprise for her.
Rescued By the Captain Page 17