Surrender (28 page)

She felt paralyzed, but with an effort, she said, “You have misheard, sir. I would hardly harbor an enemy of this country.”

“I have it from an excellent source—and the gossip is all about the countryside.”

“I never heed gossip, nor should you. As for your source, he or she is wrong.”

He smiled slowly at her. “If you do not mind, we will search the house and the grounds.” He turned and signaled his men.

Alarm flooded her. Was Jack in the tunnels? Would he attempt to hide in the stables? Or would he try to leave the estate? In any case, she had been told to delay, and delay she would.

“I am sorry, Captain, but as you can see, we are very busy today as we are about to leave for town. This is a highly inconvenient time for you to turn my household upside down. Hopefully, my word will suffice. Mr. Greystone is not here.”

He stared. “I would also remind you, Countess, that if you are aiding and abetting him, that is also a very grave crime, punishable by imprisonment or transportation.”

She stiffened. “He is not here, sir.”

“I am afraid, then, that your word is insufficient. For I have also been told, on good authority, that you are friendly with Greystone. We are going to search the house, the stables and the grounds.”

“Do you have papers, documents, if you will, or even some kind of warrant? Otherwise, I do not think you can simply barge into my home!”

“Of course I can search this house—and I do not need a warrant or any unusual authority to do so.” His cool smile returned. “This is war, Countess.” He turned and waved his five men, now dismounted, inside.

Evelyn was horrified. She could be arrested. Of course, she would always help Jack, but how had she gotten into such a position? It would be different if her daughter did not need her so.

And she prayed the captain would not find Jack.

As his men entered the house, Barrow turned to her. “Why don’t you take a seat, madame? In the salon, if you please.”

Evelyn realized it was not a request. She shared a worried glance with Laurent, as Barrow added, “And you, as well, my good fellow. Please take seats and remain there until I tell you otherwise.”

Evelyn inhaled and walked into the salon with Laurent. She sat on the sofa, as he did, and then he took her hand. They exchanged another look but said nothing, listening to the booted steps of the soldiers as they went through every room on the ground floor, then went upstairs.

No more than a quarter of an hour had passed when Barrow appeared on the threshold of the salon, his gaze cool. “My men have found five used beds, not four. So you have had a guest?”

Evelyn stood up.

“Do not deny it, Countess. For we have also found a bloody shirt in the garbage.”

Laurent got to his feet. “The shirt is my cousin’s, Captain. He was in a fight two nights ago and I put him up without the countess’s knowledge. He left this morning, in borrowed clothes, and my wife threw out his shirt.”

Barrow stared. “I will repeat what I told the Countess D’Orsay. Greystone is a traitor. If you are hiding him from us, you will be charged as an accomplice to his treason.”

Laurent turned white.

The captain turned to Evelyn. “Where is he? He could not have escaped, not unless he left before we arrived.”

Evelyn swallowed. “He was not here, Captain.”

He smiled dangerously at her. “I wish to speak with your daughter.”

Evelyn froze, and then her heart thundered. “Absolutely not!” Aimee had met Jack, and she would innocently reveal that he had been in the house!

“I am not asking your permission!” He whirled, striding out.

Evelyn ran after him. “You will not distress my daughter, not any more than she is already distressed!”

He ignored her, hurrying with hard strides through the house and into the kitchen. Evelyn remained at his heels, panting. “Sir, I beg you!” she cried. Aimee would be so frightened!

And Aimee was sitting happily at the center table with Adelaide and Bette, with three small pots of paint, a brush and parchment. She had been painting a brown pony in the midst of pink flowers. As they entered the room, her smile vanished and everyone at the table became silent.

“What is her name?” Barrow demanded coldly.

His back was to her as he faced the table and Aimee; Evelyn walked around him and barred his way. “You will not torment my daughter!”

He stepped past her. “Child, I wish a word with you.”

Tears filled Aimee’s eyes and she looked at her mother. Evelyn rushed to her and swept her into her arms. “Get out,” she screamed. “Get out now!”

Barrow stared, frustrated. “This is inexcusable!” he exploded. “You are an émigré, my lady, and my country has welcomed you with open arms in a time of war and revolution. Now I seek a traitor—a villain who betrays us both! Jack Greystone is your enemy, madam, not just mine!”

Aimee was crying now. Evelyn held her and spat, “Then do your duty and find him—but leave me and my child out of this!”

Barrow trembled with anger. “We will search the stables and the grounds. If he is here, I am arresting you, madam.” With that, he spun on his heel and left.

Holding Aimee, Evelyn collapsed into the closest chair. “It’s all right,” she whispered to her daughter, but she knew it wasn’t true.

She and Aimee were in more danger than before, but not from LeClerc and his fanatics—from the British authorities, because she was Jack’s lover. And even as she now understood fully why he wished to end their relationship, even as she now agreed that it must end, she prayed he had escaped.

* * *

I
T
HAD
TAKEN
AN
HOUR
to calm and distract Aimee, but now she was in her room, practicing her handwriting, with the puppy soundly asleep by her feet. “Darling.” Evelyn smiled brightly. “Can I leave you with Bette? I still have some packing to do. Remember, we are going to town shortly!”

Aimee smiled at her. “So you like my letters?” She showed her the page filled with a carefully scripted alphabet.

“Your handwriting is beautiful,” Evelyn said, meaning it. She suddenly kissed her cheek, hard. Inwardly, she felt nauseous. How dare Captain Barrow think to question her daughter!

Evelyn quickly left the bedchamber, and the moment she was in the hall, her smile vanished and she was ready to collapse. She did not want Aimee involved in these frightening and dangerous war games! But she was Jack’s lover, so she had put her own daughter in terrible danger. It was one thing to endanger herself, another to endanger Aimee.

And Jack remained injured. Was he even now in the tunnels, hiding? Or had he somehow fled the property? And how could he do that, when he was hurt and on foot? At least he had his carbine and dagger with him. His weapons were not in his room.

As she turned toward the stairs, Laurent came hurrying up them. “How is she?” he asked.

“She has forgotten the ugliness of the afternoon. He left a soldier here, Laurent. I can see one outside my bedroom window!” She trembled with outrage. She had been in disbelief when she had seen the soldier earlier, seated outside beneath a tree, his horse hobbled and grazing. Clearly, they meant to watch the house and arrest Jack if he dared return.

He could hang if he were ever arrested. She was sick with even more fear.

Laurent touched her arm. “He left another soldier out back. How will Jack return for us?” He spoke in a rushed whisper. “They are watching this house, hoping to capture him, and if they do, they will arrest us, too!”

Evelyn inhaled. She did not think Barrow’s threats idle ones. Who would take care of Aimee if she were ever arrested? “The British have watched his sisters’ homes and his uncle’s, yet they have failed to catch him. Jack is very clever, when it comes to eluding the authorities.”

Laurent grimaced. “Do you think he will dare come back here? And if he does, we can hardly leave with him now, not with two soldiers outside.”

Evelyn suddenly realized why she was feeling so ill. Once, she had been afraid to leave her home in Paris, where she had been watched and guarded by the people and the gendarmerie. Suddenly it felt like déjà vu. She was a prisoner in her own home, afraid to leave, and incapable of doing so.

“If he does come back, we cannot simply walk outside, climb into our carriage and leave.” She took a deep breath, aware of being both highly alert and exhausted at the very same time. “I do not think Jack has left the tunnels. Not in his condition.”

“What do you wish to do, madame?”

She realized she did not know. “We must wait a bit and see if Jack is still here. If he is, he will probably slip into the house after dark. If he doesn’t do so tonight, it means he is gone. In which case, we should travel to London without him.”

“It is a three-day trip—if we can change horses, which we cannot. And I am not up to the task of driving us for three entire days.”

“I know you are not.” Should they simply remain at Roselynd? Should they go to her uncle and plead with him for his hospitality and help? Jack did not think her safe at Faraday Hall. “If I leave you behind, I can afford tickets for Aimee and myself to take a coach.” Oh, how she wished she did not have to make such frightening decisions now.

“That is what you should do,” Laurent said unhappily. “We will be fine here.”

Evelyn’s head suddenly ached. She rubbed her temple. “I would send for you when I can.”

“Madame—why don’t you lie down?” Laurent said. “You are exhausted. After a nap, we can finish this discussion. Besides, you will be better able to think after you rest.”

He was right. She hugged him impulsively. “I am so sorry I have endangered you.” She turned and went into her bedchamber, closing her door. She walked right over to the window, and stared at the soldier outside. It pleased her to realize he was sleeping under the elm tree where he sat. It made her feel savagely satisfied—as if, somehow, she had won a small victory.

Her head hurt more now. Had the British authorities become her enemy now, too? Oh, it was a horrible thought. She lay down on the bed, not even taking off her shoes. Then she pulled up the throw at the foot of the bed. And she fell instantly asleep.

Jack’s voice awoke her, as did his hand on her shoulder as he gently shook her. “Evelyn. Wake up.”

She blinked and saw him sitting by her side, a single taper lit. Otherwise, her chamber was in darkness—it was evening now.

She sat bolt upright, throwing her arms around him. “Are you all right?”

He held her for a moment, before releasing her. “I am fine.” He tilted up her chin and stared at her. “So you have met Captain Barrow.” His tone was hard, but not as hard as his eyes.

She recoiled. “He knows you have been here. It isn’t safe for you to be here now.”

“I am not staying.” He stood up. She instantly saw he had his pistol and knife, as she had thought. “He is now watching your home.”

She slipped to her feet, alarmed by his set, determined and closed expression. “Were you hiding in the tunnels?”

“Yes. What did he say to you, Evelyn, exactly?”

She inhaled. “He told me that if I was hiding you here, then I am an accomplice to your crimes.”

Jack nodded, his gray eyes flashing. “Go on.”

She hesitated. “He has threatened to arrest me.”

“I am not surprised. And?”

She felt tears arising. She fought them. “He wished to question Aimee. She would have told him that you were here. Obviously I would not let him speak to her, and he left. However, I believe he will be back.”

“Welcome to my world, Evelyn.” His tone was thick with disgust and anger.

She hugged herself. “I am worried.”

“You should be worried—there is no habeas corpus now, and you could be thrown in prison, without ever being charged.”

She gasped. “Are you trying to frighten me?”

“You need to know the facts. I am leaving, Evelyn. I intend to elude those two guards and make it to my ship. Once there, I can elude anyone. Meanwhile, I want you to go to Trevelyan. Tell him I am financing your trip to London. He can advance you the tickets, and I will repay him within the week. Take the next coach—there should be one departing Fowey tomorrow afternoon.”

“Julianne?”

“I will send her a letter, and I will call on her and Dom as soon as I can. However, you may explain everything to Paget—and I do mean everything.”

She hated the idea of simply showing up on Julianne’s doorstep, begging for her charity.

He knew. He said softly, “My sister is an angel of mercy. She will love taking you in. I know you think it an imposition, and that you are being terribly bold—when you do not have a rude, self-serving bone in your body. Evelyn, it is what is best for you and what is best for Aimee. Promise me you will go to Julianne.”

He was so right—she hated being so bold—but it was best for Aimee.

Evelyn met his gaze, which remained frighteningly hard. How had her love for Jack come down to this moment?

“I am sorry I have put you and your daughter in so much danger,” he said harshly. “I regret being so selfish.”

Tears finally filled her eyes. “I have no regrets! I love you!”

He flinched. “You would hardly say such a thing if Aimee had been questioned by Barrow, or if you were now separated from your daughter and in a cold prison cell.”

“I did not realize it would come to this.”

“No good could have come of our association.” He was final. Then, he said, “I have something for you.”

Her heart cracked. “Will I see you when you are in London?”

His expression hardened. “No.” He reached into his pocket and produced a very small cloth bundle, which fit into her palm as he placed it there.

She looked at it briefly, confused. Tears wet her cheeks as she opened the cloth. Evelyn gasped when she saw her sapphires there.

She glanced up at Jack, stunned. He had retrieved the jewels stolen by Whyte. What did the gesture mean?

“I could not let him get away with the theft,” he said flatly.

Pain stabbed through her now. The gesture meant that he cared. “This is goodbye, isn’t it?”

“This is goodbye,” Jack Greystone said.