Secrets In Savannah (Phantom Knights) (20 page)

“It is fitting, no? To meet your
end at your wife’s hand? Then, she is not your wife, not legally.” Lucas
laughed. “She did not tell you, did she?”

“If you mean to tell me she is a
temptress you may save your breath, I will never believe a word you say against
her.” Charlotte had tried to convince me of that, though where she heard it was
what interested me.

“Ah, but then you know so little
about her.”

My gaze focused on Guinevere,
knowing the truth, but needing to reassure her that things would not be as they
were the last time we faced Lucas.

“Too late.” Lucas aimed
Guinevere’s hand at my head. He pulled back the hammer, his finger snaking over
Guinevere’s.

“No,” she shrieked and jerked to
the side as Lucas pushed their fingers against the trigger.

Chaos broke out as both Sam and
Leo broke free from their guards. I had dodged to the side, and the shot missed
me and my guard. I tried to move toward Guinevere as Lucas grabbed the back of
her shirt and pulled her against him, a knife appearing in his hand. He placed
it against her throat. My chest tightened.

The tavern door opened, and a
guard stuck his head in. “
Soldater
,” he shouted into
the room and then disappeared outside.

The sound of a whistle somewhere
outside the tavern and growing closer caused Lucas to back toward the door
behind the bar, still holding Guinevere against him. His guards followed him,
keeping their pistols pointed at us while Sam and I advanced toward them. They
would not take Guinevere, for I was prepared to fight to the death to protect
her.

“We will meet again soon, Jack
Martin.” Lucas shoved Guinevere into me and then slammed the door shut.

“Follow them,” Sam ordered Leo and
Leo rushed to the front door, just as it opened, and a constable came in with
Hannah on his heels. The constable caught Leo’s arm.

“Trying to flee are ye? Well ye
won’t be
gettin
’ away so easy-like.”

“Release him at once, he is not
the one you want,” Hannah said as she struck against the constable’s arm with
her reticule.

He looked around at the fallen
sailors and the barkeep who was moaning as he was coming to.

“You are a moment too late. The
ones responsible for this mess just escaped,” Sam said with a scowl cast at the
constable.

“I have my men outside. They have
captured two of the rogues and will catch the rest.”

As the constable questioned us,
Sam ran up the stairs to search for Bess. When he came back down, it was with Bess
who had been searching the rooms. Charlotte was not there, nor was George
staying in the Inn.

Hours later when we arrived home
after an extensive search for Charlotte, Bess led the way into the parlor. She
did not sit, but stood before the fireplace with her hands on her hips. When
Guinevere and I were seated, she stared straight at us.

“It is clear to us all that a war
is ahead. Though we each have our own reasons for fighting,” she looked at
Guinevere, “we protect our own. If you want our help, you must become one of
us. Which is why,” she said with a smile that I knew all too well, for it
usually came before a dangerous plan, “you two will be getting married. At
once.”

Guinevere’s head jerked up from
staring at her lap. After my surprise had worn off, I fought the urge to tell
Bess to mind her own matters. This matter was not something you could force,
nor could you bribe, implore, or entrap for I had tried, numerous times.

She must have seen that for she
walked to the door. “It is simple. You have one choice, but I will leave you to
make that one choice together.” She ushered Hannah out and closed the door,
leaving Guinevere and me to make a decision that would change the rest of our
lives.

Guinevere

B
ess did not know what she was
asking, what I would be risking if I agreed. It would not only change my life,
but that of my sister. It had been my intent to marry Jack, but after the fight
at the tavern, my heart and head were at war. Lucas would be sure that he did
not fail again. To marry Jack would be to destroy him.

“Do you realize,” Jack began,
“that you have told me secrets, but I have yet to tell you one of my own?”

My head shifted off of Jack’s
shoulder so I could see him.

“The night that we first met, and
you threw a knife at my head, I was on my way to enlist. The life of a Phantom
no longer appealed to me, and I was searching for something of worth.” His face
was that of a young boy in mischief when he grinned. “I was too young then to
know that I had found the best part of my heart, but I spent weeks searching
for you to return this.” Jack pulled a knife from his belt, holding it out.

My heart squeezed, overflowing
with love for the only one who had ever made me feel of worth.

“Thoughts of you were what helped
me throughout the war, Guinevere,” he said with such sweet vulnerability. “I
love you, and if you take a chance with me, I vow that I will strive to be
worthy of your trust.”

Consequences no longer mattered, I
knew what my decision was. Taking his hand and pressing it, there was one thing
that had to be said.

Before I could speak, the door
opened and Bess entered. “Splendid, you have decided. I have a wedding gift for
you,” she said cheerfully, stepping aside so Reverend Gideon Reid could enter
the room.

Jack rose and went to greet his
friend while I tried not to panic. Everything was moving too swiftly for me.
Bess and Gideon were speaking about the wedding ceremony; Hannah was saying
something about a dress, and Jack still did not know my name.

“Wait!” I did not mean to shout,
but it came out, and everyone stared at me. Calmly, I said, “I would like a
word with Jack and Reverend Reid alone.”

Bess and Hannah each appeared
concerned for me as they went out, leaving me to face the truth.

“I cannot marry you, Jack—”

“Guinevere,” he began but I took
his hand, silencing him.

“Not until I tell you who I am.”

Gideon was smiling at me; the
creases in the corners of his eyes wrinkled into three lines. He knew who I was,
for I had told him all when I began to visit him every week.

“Guinevere Clark was a name
created to protect me. My true name is Constance.” I held my breath and my
hope.

“Constance.” Jack said it slowly,
as if trying it out. “Do you live up to your name?”

“I will if you will allow me the
opportunity.” The time for pretense was over. I knew that I would marry him in
the end, no matter how long I fought it. It was time for me to stop fighting
him, and to begin living my life with him for however long we would have
together.

“You must vow never to breathe my
name to another person. It is imperative to my sister’s safety as well as my
own.”

Jack seemed to grasp what I meant
for he agreed then told Gideon to get his book, it was time to perform a
ceremony.

“I am not marrying you dressed as
a boy, Jack. I will return soon.” In the foyer, I found Hannah and Bess waiting
for me. They ushered me up the stairs to my chamber where they helped me to
dress in a deep blue gown that Hannah had brought with her from her home. As
Hannah ran into her chamber to fetch some shoes, I had a moment alone with
Bess.

“In the absence of your family to
offer you their blessing I will tell you what Jack told me on the morning of my
wedding.
” Bess placed her finger beneath my chin and
tipped it up so that I looked straight into her eyes. “You deserve happiness.
You deserve love. You deserve to know every day that you are of worth to
someone, and I know without a doubt that you have found that person.”

She placed a hand on my shoulder,
smiling at me, and I felt a great longing for my sister. “This life we live is
never easy and hardly ever fair, but you have been given a great treasure,
Guinevere, do not waste it.”

She stepped back as Hannah came
into the chamber, and after she had arranged my hair she declared that I was
ready.

Was I? Making my way down the
stairs and into the parlor where Jack was waiting, I knew the answer.

Hannah, Leo, Sam, and Bess all
gathered in the parlor as Jack and I stood before Gideon.

Jack took my hand as Gideon began
the ceremony, and I barely heard what he was saying for the emotions that I saw
in Jack’s eyes. He had waited for this moment, fought for it, and now that it
was happening I could truly see how much he loved me. Even with all of the
trials that we were facing, all of the secrets that I had yet to tell him, he
wanted me, and I swore to myself that I would be deserving of him every day.

Jack pressed my hand. “I will.”

My mind came back to what was
being said.

There was no turning back from this
moment. Did I want to spend the rest of my life with him no matter what came
our way? “I will.”

“Who
giveth
this woman to be married unto this man?” Gideon asked.

I had not thought about that.
Facing Gideon I was about to say that I gave myself, but someone cleared their
throat. Leo nodded, and I did not think that Jack could look any more surprised
than I felt.

“In the place of her family, I do
give her to this man,” Leo said in his smooth, deep voice.

Tears burned my eyes, and I wiped
one away as I mouthed thank you to Leo. A ghost of a smile touched his lips
before he turned his attention back to Gideon.

We went through the vows and when
Jack placed a ring on my finger the pressure of finality that I was sure to
feel did not come. Instead, I felt a giddy love. I belonged with Jack now, and
he with me. What I had wanted from the time I was ten years old had come true.
I had a family again.

As Gideon pronounced us man and
wife, I knew that what I had done would have consequences, but none of that
mattered any longer. It was Jack and I to the end.

Bess came up to us and hugged her
brother and then me, whispering in my ear. “You will do well by him, this I
know,” she leaned back to look into my eyes, “sister.”

Sam, Hannah, and Gideon were
congratulating Jack, but as I turned from Bess, Leo came up beside me.

“Thank you for what you did. It
meant more than I can say.”

Leo inclined his head, his
handsome face smiling slightly. “You are one of us now,” he said, then
surprised me by kissing my hand. Seeing the approval in Jack’s friend, I felt
reassured that I had done the right thing.

As I joined Jack, he placed his
hand on my waist, holding me close to his side.

Sam and Leo were preparing to go out
to search for Charlotte when Jack inquired about Rose, Abe, and Betsy and why
they had not come to Savannah. Bess said that Rose had a mission of her own.
Sam frowned as he shoved one of his dark curls behind his ear. He told Jack
that Rose had a shadow and she, Betsy, and Nell were determined to oust the
unfortunate person.

When they had departed, Bess
winked at her brother and led Hannah and Gideon back into the parlor,
entertaining them with a story about a donkey, a pig, and Sam.

Jack took my hand, leading me up
the stairs. From my chest to my stomach felt like a thousand butterflies had
been released, flapping their anxious wings and searching for a place to go.

With each step we took, the
butterflies fluttered until they came to a stand outside his door. He pulled me
to him and kissed me lightly, but it sent hot waves through my body, curling my
toes in my slippers. He opened the door and allowed me to walk in before him. A
single candle was lighting his chamber that was similar to my own, but my gaze
was fixated on the large bed. My body was tensing with something that I would
not call fear. Nerves perhaps.

The lock clicked on the door, and
my attention moved to Jack. He was smiling as he walked across the chamber with
the key in hand. He pushed open his window, winked at me, then tossed the key
out the window.

That broke the tense mood as we
both laughed. Jack stood before me, taking my hands in his and raising them
between us.

“Will you tell me another secret?”
He grazed his lips over my knuckles.

There were a dozen secrets I could
have told him, but only one felt right for the moment.

Slipping my hands away from his, I
removed several pins from underneath my hair. Pulling off the auburn wig that I
had worn since I took on the role of the white phantom was freeing. A tan cap
was covering my hair. Once it was removed, my dark brown hair fell to brush my
shoulders.

“When I became the white phantom
it was imperative that no one knew who I was. The wig helped to change my
appearance and no one looked close enough to see who I was, until you.”