Less Than a Gentleman (24 page)

“We could use more men like you, Jacob, if you’re interested.” Marion slanted a look at Matthias. “Unless your master objects.”

Matthias winced at the title
master
. “Jacob can do as he pleases. I consider him a free man.”

Jacob’s eyes glinted with moisture.

Richard patted him on the back. “Would you like to come with me, cousin? I’m taking Aunt Jane to my father’s house on the Pee Dee.” He lowered his voice. “And we’ll have some papers drawn up for Matt to sign.”

Jacob nodded. “I’d like that.”

“Fine.” Richard turned to Marion. “Permission to leave, sir?”

Marion nodded. “Godspeed.” He bowed to Jane and made his leave.

Matthias helped his mother to mount once again. “What is in this bag of yours?”

“A change of clothing and all my jewelry,” Jane answered. “I didn’t want Hickman to get his hands on it. Don’t forget about the silver. ’Tis hidden in the bathing room.”

He squeezed her hand. “All will be well, Mother. Someday it will be safe to go home again.”

“ ’Tis only wood and brick, Matthias. It is love that makes a home. If you are fortunate enough to find love in this life, you must grab it and never let it go.”

He snorted. “This is not the time for matchmaking.”

Jane shook her head. “There is nothing stronger than love. You must trust in it.”

“I’ll see you soon, Mother.” He swatted the horse’s rump, and Jane’s horse trotted off after Richard and Jacob.

“Ah, there ye are, lad,” Major Munro approached him, accompanied by a young man. “I have someone I’d like ye to meet.”

Matthias extended a hand to the stranger. “Matthias Thomas, at your service.”

“A pleasure.” The young man shook his hand. He glanced at Major Munro, his blue eyes twinkling. “Aye, ye’re right, Grandpa. He’s the right man for Caroline.”

Matthias groaned inwardly. More matchmakers. “And your name is?”

“Josiah Stanton, son of Quincy and Virginia.”

Matthias studied him with a frown. He looked to be about twenty years of age. “I didn’t think Virginia was old enough—”

“Adopted son.” Josiah grinned. “Quincy bought me in Boston when I was a lad of nine years.”

“Oh. Then you have news of Quincy?”

Josiah laughed. “We have more than news. Can you take us to see Ginny?”

Matthias snorted. “You realize there are redcoats there? We just killed a few of them and burned their bloody barge, so they’re looking for someone to hang.”

“We know.” Jamie gave him a wry look. “But since ye were able to sneak yer mother out, we were thinking, lad, that ye can sneak us in.”

C
HAPTER
T
WEN
TY-
E
IGHT

“W
ait here,” Matthias whispered. He eased along the wall of the kitchen and peered into the window.

In front of the fire, Dottie was resting in her favorite chair. Caroline sat at the table, mending a pair of stockings. Betsy was unloading a tray of dirty dishes.

He motioned to others. They approached quietly, their black clothing rendering them almost invisible in the dark. He had insisted they wait for the sun to set before embarking on this foolish plan.

He leaned close to Jamie. “I suggest we have your family reunion in the kitchen. The nursery would be too difficult to reach and much harder to escape from.”

“All right, lad,” Jamie agreed. “Lead the way.”

At the front corner of the kitchen Matthias paused for the guard to complete his pass. “Now,” he whispered, and darted to the door.

Caroline looked up. “Thom—”

He held a finger to his lips to warn her.

Her eyes widened as three men entered behind him. With a gasp, she stumbled to her feet. “Quin!” She slapped a hand over her mouth, then lowered her voice to a whisper. “Quincy! You’re alive!”

“Caroline.” He grabbed her in a quick embrace. “How is Ginny? Can you bring her here?”

“Oh, my God.” She touched his shoulders as if to verify he was real. She glanced at the other men. “Josiah! Papa!” She lunged toward them, laughing.

“Caroline.” Josiah enveloped her in his arms.

Matthias rolled a barrel to the door, glancing back to make sure Josiah’s embrace was of the platonic sort.

“Josiah!” Caroline brushed back his long brown hair. “Look at you. I vow you’re still growing.”

“And you’re even more beautiful.” With a grin, Josiah lifted her and swung her in a circle.

Matthias jammed the barrel in place beneath the door latch. Beautiful? Was that how a man talked to his aunt?

“I can’t believe it!” Caroline hugged her father. “You’re all safe and sound.”

“Has Ginny had the baby yet?” Quincy asked.

“No.” Caroline grinned at him. “She’ll be so happy to see you.”

“Can ye bring her and the wee ones to the kitchen?” Jamie asked.

“Yes, of course.” Caroline rushed to the door.

Matthias moved the barrel. “Be careful that you are not seen.”

Caroline touched his shoulder. “Thank you, Thomas.”

He shrugged. “ ’Twas the least I could do.”

“Where is Jacob? Is he all right?”

“Yes. Caroline, you must return the crossbow to me. Hickman suspects you, so he might search your—”

“What crossbow?”

He studied her face. She looked genuinely confused. “You didn’t borrow a crossbow?”

“No.” She stepped closer to him and whispered, “What has happened, Thomas? Why have you been angry?”

He brushed her cheek with his knuckles, reluctant to explain his suspicions. “Forgive me.” If she hadn’t shot the redcoat, then who the hell did? “Do you want me to come with you?”

She reached up to squeeze his hand. “I’ll be fine. Pugsley was sent to report the burned barge, so there’s only one guard left.” She slipped outside.

Matthias shoved the barrel back in place.

“She calls you by your last name, Major Thomas?” Quincy asked, a suspicious glint in his eye.

Jamie glared at him. “No’ courting, are you? I’ve seen how ye look at each other. Ye doona think my daughter deserves the truth now?”

Matthias faced them, aware of the heat in his face. “ ’Tis for the best. I’m a wanted man. If Hickman knew that she had knowledge about me or the partisans, he would not hesitate to abuse her for the information.”

Quincy’s eyes narrowed. “I’m a wanted man, too. But I’m honest with my wife.”

Matthias gritted his teeth. As far as he was concerned, Quincy Stanton was not doing an adequate job of protecting his wife and children. “What took you so long to get here? I believe your wife is due any day now.”

“I am aware of that.” Quincy scowled at him. “With the blockade in place, we had to come ashore south of Savannah and make our way over land. We arrived at the hunting lodge on the Pee Dee only to find it burned to the ground.”

Josiah nodded. “We feared the worst ’til we found a partisan who took us to Snow’s Island.”

“And there they found me,” Jamie continued the story. “I was able to set their worries to rest.”

“Have you men had a decent meal lately?” Dottie asked.

Jamie snorted. “I’ve been living on roasted potatoes for weeks.”

“Sit.” Dottie motioned to the table. “Betsy, pour them some ale.”

Conversation dwindled while the men dug into roasted beef and minced meat pies. Matthias grabbed a pie and returned to the door. When he heard footsteps, he peeked outside.

Caroline carried a sleepy Charlotte in her arms. Edward was in shirt and breeches, but barefoot. Virginia was in a night shift with a woolen cloak thrown about her shoulders.

He opened the door. “Quickly,” he whispered. “And keep your voices down.”

“What is this big surprise you promised us?” Virginia muttered to her sister. “It had better be worth it. I hate going up and down those stairs.”

Caroline bustled them into the kitchen, and Matthias rolled three barrels across the door.

“Papa!” Edward ran to his father and leapt at him.

With a laugh, Quincy caught him. “Not so loud.”

Charlotte, now wide awake, wiggled out of Caroline’s arms. “Papa!” She ran toward him.

Quincy gathered her up as he strode toward Ginny.

She stumbled, and Caroline steadied her.

“Am I dreaming?” Virginia pressed a hand to her chest.

“Ginny.” Quincy stopped in front of her, his arms filled with their children and his eyes glimmering with unshed tears.

“ ’Tis really you.” Ginny reached a trembling hand toward him.

Caroline retrieved the children from Quincy’s arms. “Look! Grandpa and Josiah are here, too.”

Edward and Charlotte ran toward them. Jamie lifted the boy in the air, while Josiah twirled a laughing Charlotte around.

Quincy pulled Ginny into his arms. “I’m here, Ginny. I love you.”

She burst into tears. “I was so afraid.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.

Quincy held her tight. “I missed you, sweetheart. I’ve wanted to see you for so long, but—”

“I know.” She touched his face. “They want to arrest you. You sweet man, you shouldn’t have come.”

“I had to, Ginny.” He kissed her.

Caroline turned away, wiping a tear off her cheek, and Matthias was tempted to pull her into his arms.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Virginia glanced at her adopted son. “My brave Josiah. Thank you for coming. And Papa.” She stiffened with a gasp.

“What’s wrong?” Quincy asked.

A puddle formed around her feet. “The baby is coming.”

A series of exclamations circled the room.

“Not so loud.” Matthias held up his hands to hush them. “Are you sure, Mrs. Stanton? This is not the best time.”

She gave him an incredulous look. “Try telling that to the baby.”

Quincy snorted. “He has a lot to learn.”

Matthias frowned. “She doesn’t have any control over the matter?”

“Och, lad, ye canna order a baby back in.” Jamie looped an arm around his daughter’s shoulders. “Ye’ll be just fine, Ginny. We have a nice fire here and water.”

“And a midwife,” Dottie added, headed toward her room. “I’ve delivered many a baby over the years. Come along, Ginny. And you, too, Caroline and Betsy.”

Quincy held on to his wife as she waddled toward Dottie’s room.

Dottie frowned at him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’ve been separated from her for five months,” Quincy growled. “I’m not leaving her side.”

Dottie snorted. “Then be prepared if she starts cursing you.”

All the women and Quincy disappeared into Dottie’s room. Matthias frowned at the closed door. If Ginny screamed during her labor, it might bring the guard to the kitchen door.

“Can I go, too?” Charlotte asked. “I want to be with my mama.”

“In a while, perhaps.” Jamie sat in the chair by the hearth and pulled the young girl into his lap. “But first, I want to hear all about you.”

Charlotte took a deep breath and launched into a detailed description of her life at Loblolly and how her brother tormented her. Josiah returned to the table and finished his dinner. Edward sat beside him and bit into a meat pie.

Matthias waited at the door, uncertain what to do. He drummed his fingers on barrels. “Will this take very long?”

“Aye. Sit down, lad.” Jamie replied. “It could take hours.”

Hours?
Matthias strode to the windows and shut the curtains. “The guard might wonder why the kitchen remains lit so late at night.”

“If he knocks on the door, we’ll hide while Edward tells him that his mother is giving birth,” Jamie said. “The guard will want nothing to do with a birthing, so he’ll leave us alone.”

“I’m not so sure. We just destroyed their barge, and they have some dead soldiers with our arrows in them. Hickman suspects Caroline already.” Matthias paced across the room. “This is bad timing.”

“Grandpa?” Charlotte tugged at Jamie’s neck cloth to get his attention. “Will it be a boy or a girl, ’cause I really want it to be girl so I can have a sister.”

“I doona know, lass.” Jamie brushed back her curls. “But if he’s a boy, ye’ll be bigger than him.”

With a smile, she nestled her cheek against Jamie’s shoulder.

Caroline peeked out the door to Dottie’s room. “Could one of you set some water to boil?”

Matthias strode toward her. “Is the baby coming?”

She looked amused. “Yes. Eventually. I thought we might like some coffee. ’Twill be a long night.” She closed the door.

A long night. Matthias grabbed a kettle and filled it from the pump. He placed it on a hook over the fire, then added more wood. After he had made everyone a cup of coffee, he resumed his pacing.

“Take a seat, lad.” Jamie sipped from his mug. “Ye’ll wear out yer shoes.”

Matthias sat and gulped down some coffee. A low moan drifted from Dottie’s room, and she emerged, shutting the door behind her.

“Is something wrong?” Matthias asked.

“No, ’tis going well.” Dottie rummaged along her shelves and selected a bottle. “Here, this will help with the pain.”

Matthias sighed when she went back into her room and shut the door.

“The wee lass is asleep,” Jamie whispered. “Is there a place I can lay her down?”

“I’ll fix something.” Matthias lined up some sacks of flour on the floor and covered them with a tablecloth.

Jamie deposited Charlotte gently on the makeshift pallet. “Would ye care to lie down, Edward?”

Edward made a face, then turned to Josiah. “Tell me about the pirates on the high seas.”

Josiah grinned. “I haven’t met many of those, but I can tell you about the battle for the
Serapis
with John Paul Jones.”

Edward’s eyes lit up. “How many ships did you sink?”

Matthias sat at the table to listen, but Josiah’s story grew more and more farfetched in his attempt to entertain the boy. Apparently, Josiah had personally shot every cannonball that hit its mark during the battle—an amazing feat that required him to be on every ship in the fleet at the same time.

The smell of Jamie’s pipe tobacco permeated the room. Moans continued to emerge from Dottie’s bedchamber, each one sounding more intense than the last.

Matthias clenched his fists. Why was it taking so long? At least Edward didn’t seem aware of his mother’s suffering, so enthralled was he by Josiah’s outrageous tales.

Caroline rushed from Dottie’s room, fetched an apron from a drawer, and tied it around her waist.

Matthias jumped to his feet. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes.” She wrapped a towel around her hand and grabbed the kettle.

“It has been four hours.”

“It takes time.” She headed back to Dottie’s room.

Matthias followed her. “How long?”

Caroline shrugged. “ ’Tis hard to say, but it is progressing faster than it did with Edward or Charlotte.”

“How long did it take me?” Edward asked.

“About fourteen hours.” Caroline reached for the door latch.

“
Fourteen hours?
” Matthias grimaced. “Why does it take so long? Either the baby is coming or it isn’t.”

Caroline sighed. “Can you find a bottle of rum, Thomas?”

“Aye.” Matthias rushed to the table and grabbed a bottle. “Is it to help with your sister’s pain?”

“No.” She smiled. “ ’Tis for you.” She slipped into Dottie’s room and shut the door behind her.

“Damn.” Matthias thumped three mugs on the table and poured some rum for Jamie, Josiah, and himself. He was refilling his mug when Caroline ran from the room, collected a stack of bed linens and towels from a cupboard, then dashed back. She shut the door without reporting a single word. How the hell were they supposed to know what was happening?

Matthias rose to his feet and paced across the floor. He didn’t like not being in charge.

Jamie chuckled. “Ye’re wearing a rut in the stones, man. Take a seat.”

Matthias glowered at the man as he sat calmly puffing on his pipe. “This is
your
daughter who is suffering.”

“He reminds me of Quincy,” Josiah observed.

“Aye.” Jamie removed his pouch of tobacco from his coat pocket. “Seems to me he’s practicing for fatherhood himself.”

Matthias snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I think you’re right, Grandpa.” Josiah grinned. “If he’s going to act like a father, he might as well be one.”

Matthias glared at Josiah as he paced by. “This is the worst possible time to have children.”

“Ginny is surrounded with family and friends.” Jamie pointed his pipe at Matthias. “Ye should remember that, lad. ’Twould be the same for Caroline. A woman is not alone when she has family.”

Matthias halted. Were his fears ungrounded? Virginia was receiving the best of care while surrounded by loved ones. If he had children with Caroline, she and the children would always have family. Even if he died, they would not be alone.

But if he died, she would be left a grieving widow. How could he bring such suffering upon her? Then again, death was inevitable for everyone. Shouldn’t they seize every moment of joy that was possible while they could?