Dark Rider (40 page)

His hand fell on her shoulder, and he spun her around to face him. “Don’t run away from me, dammit.”

“I’m not running away.”

“The devil you aren’t. You’ve been avoiding me all day.”

“I don’t have time to talk to you right now. I have to go ride Kapu.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“No!” She moistened her lips. “Not today.”

He drew an exasperated breath. “I’m trying to be patient, but this can’t go on. Will I see you at supper?”

“Yes, yes, of course.” One last meal together. Another good-bye.

“You promise?”

She nodded. “But I have to go now.”

“Cassie …” His hands opened and closed on her shoulders. “I feel … Did I hurt you in some way?”

She kept her eyes fastened on his cravat. “No.”

“I never meant to hurt you. I’d never … Dammit, look at me.”

If she looked at him, he might realize the truth. She was so filled with love and sorrow, she felt as if they must be written on her face. She swallowed. “We’ll talk about this another time.”

“Tonight?”

She shook her head.

“Tomorrow? We’ll settle this tomorrow?”

She would be gone tomorrow. She would be in France on her way to Paris, far away from him. “Yes, it will all be settled tomorrow.”

He released her, and she fled across the courtyard toward the stable.

Josette landed the sailboat a scant two miles from a small French fishing village just before dawn the next day. “Am I not superb?” she asked triumphantly. “I told you I could do it.” She grabbed one of the valises, jumped out of the boat, and waded the few feet to shore. “Now all you have to do is go to the village and ask the way to Paris.”

“Is that all we have to do?” Lani chuckled as she grabbed the other valise and jumped out of the boat. “I think there are a few minor obstacles to overcome.”

“Well, maybe,” Josette conceded. “But I got you here.”

“Yes, you did.” Cassie followed Lani to shore. “And we thank you very much.”

“It was nothing.” Josette waved an airy hand. “For a marvelous sailor and navigator.”

“And good fortune had nothing to do with it?” Lani asked.

“Absolutely not.” She reached into the pocket of her jacket. “I took these francs from Jared’s desk drawer. He always keeps French currency on hand for his trips abroad.” She pushed the bills into Cassie’s hand. “You may need them until you can find a safe way to exchange your English pounds.”

“You stole them?”

“Borrowed,” she corrected. “You need them more than he does.” She rummaged in another pocket and brought out something that glimmered in the light. “The ruby necklace Jared gave me for my last birthday. If you need to, sell it. Otherwise send it back to me.”

Cassie felt tears rise to her eyes. “Josette, I can’t take—”

“Hush.” She stuffed the necklace into the pocket of Cassie’s cloak and delved again into her seemingly bottomless pockets. “One more thing. It was in the desk in the library, too.”

She handed Lani a small dagger with a bejeweled hilt sheathed in engraved Moroccan leather. “You should have some means of protection since I’m not going with you.” She held up her hand as Cassie started to speak. “I don’t have time to argue.” She gave Cassie a hug. “Go with God.” She turned and embraced Lani. “I’ll miss you.”

Before they could speak, Josette was wading back toward the sailboat. She gave it a push into deeper water, then scrambled over the side. She called, “And
you’ll miss me. I should really go with you. You see how well everything goes when I’m in charge.”

“We’ll suffer through without you,” Lani called. “Difficult though it may be. And Jared would be most upset if we took you along.”

Josette nodded glumly. “He’s not going to be pleased now.” She looked at the lightening sky. “He should be reading my note soon.”

“Note?” Cassie said. “You left a note?”

“Of course. I love Jared. I wouldn’t worry him longer than necessary. I left a note on Kapu’s stall door that told him where I’d gone and that I’d be returning by nightfall.”

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Cassie said.

“Why not? Now that he knows I’m coming back, he’ll wait until I get to Morland to question me about where you’re going. That will give you time to make your way to Paris.” Josette grinned. “Isn’t that clever?”

She could find no fault with Josette’s reasoning. “I guess it can do no harm.”

Josette was busily turning the small sailboat. “You’d better change your gowns in that thatch of trees. The hems are wet and might attract attention. Be sure you think of a good story about your presence here. I really should have done it myself while we were sailing. And I think you should—” She was still giving orders when the wind took the sails and the boat skittered beyond earshot.

Josette sighed and lifted her hand in farewell before turning her full attention to the sail.

Cassie waved and kept on waving until Josette’s small, valiant figure was lost in the half darkness. It had been a long journey, and Josette had borne the
brunt of it. Now she must make the same journey alone. “Will she be all right?” she murmured.

“Of course she will. She’ll be out of sight before it’s fully light, and it’s a calm sea.” Lani gently took Cassie’s arm. “Come along, we must obey Mademoiselle General and change our gowns.”

“They’re gone.” Jared crushed the note in his hand. “Christ, I may strangle Josette.”

Bradford took the crumpled note from him and spread it out with shaking hands. “When do we leave?”

“Send a message to have them ready the
Josephine.
” He stared blindly at Kapu. “We’ll leave as soon as we talk to Josette.”

“If the little devil comes back,” Bradford said. “She may decide to go with them.”

“She’ll come back. She promised. Besides, Cassie wouldn’t let her endanger herself any more than necessary.” But there would be danger for Cassie and Lani. Two women alone in an enemy land with no papers or friends. Panic tore through Jared as he realized they might already be facing danger while he stood here helpless. How would he even find them when he reached France?

Josette. She might know something, and, by God, he would force her to tell him.

But she could not possibly be here before nightfall, perhaps later if the winds weren’t with her. So he would be forced to wait, going mad with worry.

He had to keep busy. He whirled and headed for the stable door. “I’m going to order our luggage readied and tell Mrs. Blakely to pack clothing for Cassie and Lani. They can’t have taken very much on the sailboat.”

As he crossed the courtyard, he was barely aware of Bradford beside him.

It was only a little after eight in the morning, but the sun was shining brightly, not a cloud in the sky.

Let there be good winds. Jesus, let them all be safe.

“You knew this was bound to come,” Bradford said quietly.

“Not like this.” He knew now he had deliberately kept himself from thinking about the reason Cassie was here. The time at Morland was a time apart. He had not wanted to remember Deville, because then he would have to remember Cassie would never belong to him.

But she
did
belong to him.

“They’re intelligent women,” Bradford said. “They’ll be careful.”

“Is that supposed to comfort me?” he asked savagely.

“No, it’s supposed to comfort me. I really don’t give a damn about your feelings at the moment.”

Jared glanced at Bradford’s face and for the first time realized it was both pale and drawn. Any other time he would have had a twinge of compassion, but not now. “Because you think this is my fault?”

“No, you could no more stop yourself from going after Deville than they could stop trying to save him.” He smiled crookedly. “Destiny, my lad.”

Destiny. Jared didn’t argue with him as he had the last time. For the first time in his life he felt as if he had no control, that he was being sucked helplessly into a giant whirlpool of circumstance.

“I beg pardon, Your Grace.” Mrs. Blakely met them as they came in the front door. “But a messenger came a few minutes ago and brought this.” She
proffered an envelope. “He said I should give it to you at once.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Blakely.” He took the envelope and waved her away. “I have a few tasks for you to perform. Please come to the library in a quarter of an hour.”

“Certainly, Your Grace.”

He broke the seal, ripped open the envelope, and scanned the letter. He felt the blood drain from his face as he finished it. Then he read it again.

“What is it?” Bradford’s alarmed gaze was fastened on his face. “For God’s sake, who is it from?”

“Guillaume.”

Jared was standing on the dock when Josette sailed into the small harbor just after darkness had fallen.

Her expression was wary and became even more so when she saw his face illuminated by the lantern in his hand. “I had to do it. They needed me,” she called. She jumped out of the sailboat and secured it before turning to face him. “So you needn’t shout at me.”

“I’m not going to shout at you.”

“You’re not?” She said uncertainly, “That’s very understanding of you. I didn’t think you’d—”

“Where are they?”

“France.”

Jared drew a long breath. “Josette, I’m trying to be patient with you. Where in France?”

“You know I can’t tell you that. They trusted me. It wouldn’t be honorable.”

“Would it be honorable to let them have their throats cut and be thrown into the Seine?”

Her eyes widened. “What!”

“Would it?”

“No, of course not, but they won’t—” She frowned. “Are you trying to trick me?”

“I’m trying to tell you that you may have taken them to a place that will only bring them death.”

“I knew there was danger, but Cassie has to find her father.” She added with a touch of defiance, “Before you do.”

“Charles Deville is dead.”

She stared at him in shock. “You can’t know that’s true.”

“I received a message from Guillaume, my contact in Paris, this morning.” His lips curled bitterly. “It was my morning to receive unpleasant correspondence.”

“It shouldn’t have been unpleasant for you. You wanted him dead.”

“I didn’t want him murdered by Raoul Cambre. I wanted him to lead me to Cambre.”

“And did he do it? How else would this Guillaume know that Cambre had killed Deville?”

“By following Cambre himself. Guillaume was watching an artist, Jacques-Louis David, who went scurrying to a Raoul Bonille after being visited by a man Guillaume suspected was Deville. Bonille met with Deville one evening at a cafe near the Seine. It was Deville’s last meeting on earth.”

Josette shivered. “You’re sure?”

“Guillaume is sure.”

“And this David had something to do with it?”

“Directly or indirectly. He did know Raoul Bonille. And Guillaume is almost certain that Bonille is Cambre.” His gaze narrowed on her face. “You’re very interested in David.”

Josette turned to face him. “You’re telling me the
truth? You’re not trying to trick me into betraying Cassie and Lani?”

“Have I ever lied to you?”

“No.” She moistened her lips. “But this is different. I know you’ve always hated Deville.”

“Do you want to see Guillaume’s note?”

She met his gaze, then slowly shook her head. “But I had to be certain.”

“They mentioned this David?”

She nodded. “They talked about him on the boat. Cassie said that her father would go to him first. She planned on contacting him as soon as she reached Paris.”

“Christ.”

“You think he’ll tell Cambre?”

“There’s not much doubt.” His lips tightened. “And Cambre doesn’t want to be found. He’s already killed one man to prevent it.”

“But Cassie doesn’t want to find anyone but her father.” Then Josette nodded as she thought it through. “But one will lead to the other.”

“As day follows night. Do you know where they’re planning on staying?”

“They had no idea. A pension near David’s residence …”

He turned and strode down the dock.

Josette trotted beside him. “Where are you going?”

“Where do you think I’m going? Paris. Bradford is waiting for me on the ship now.”

“I want to go with you.”

“You’ll stay here.”

“You’re blaming me for their being in danger. Well, maybe I am to blame, but all this hatred seemed wrong. I didn’t know this would happen—”

“I know you didn’t.” He wearily looked at her. “I don’t blame you. Maybe Bradford is right and it’s just fate.” His jaw clenched. “But I won’t have you running about Paris in danger, too. You’ll stay here and take care of Kapu and Morgana. Cassie wouldn’t thank you for leaving her horses to the stable boys, would she?”

“No, I guess not.” A frown wrinkled her forehead. “But I don’t like being left behind. I’ll be frightened for you.”

“Good—then maybe you won’t act so hastily again.”

“You’re not being kind.”

“I don’t feel kind.” His stride lengthened as they approached the stable. “If I wasn’t more frightened than you ever dreamed of being, I’d have tanned your hide until you couldn’t sit down for a month.”

“You’re frightened?” She gave up trying to match his stride and called after him, “I’ve never known you to be frightened of anything, Jared.”

“Then enjoy the experience. I certainly don’t.” He disappeared into the stable.

“I’m sorry, mademoiselle.” David gave Cassie an entirely winning smile. “I regret I’ve not had the opportunity of renewing my acquaintance with your father. It’s not surprising, since we did not know each other well.”

“But you did know Raoul Cambre very well,” Lani said. “And we have reason to believe Charles will want to find Monsieur Cambre.”

“Impossible.” David sighed. “Alas, Raoul and I drifted apart after your father left for Tahiti. Raoul was always a solitary man.”

“Then you have no idea where he is?” Cassie asked.

“Not the slightest.” His gaze shifted quickly to Lani, and he changed the subject. “You’re quite lovely. Did Charles ever paint you?”

“No, Charles was interested only in painting landscapes.”

“A great mistake. I’ve done one landscape in my entire career. An artist has a duty to himself and history to mirror life. I have all the great men of France begging me to paint them.”