The Governor's Daughter (Winds of Change Book 1) (38 page)

Why would Tacy not inform you?”

Cathryn immediately halted. Lord Blankenship drew up a pistol from his coat and whirled around at Tacy. He asked coldly, “Is it true? Why would you not give me that information?”

“She’s lying, my lord. She has only cried about her children.”

Cathryn backed up. She had seen the look before from his son. His temper lost upon his illogical thinking. Tacy saw it well, also.

“Think, my lord. You need me. If you are to make your plan work…to get to the children after you kill her. It all will be yours, but you need me…you need me.”

“You think my money will ever be yours…or Hestershire? If I die and my children, all will be Jake’s. It will never be yours. And Tacy knows Jake is alive!” Cathryn reached in her night robe’s pocket. It was there. She kept it with her always, even when she slept. She held it out to him. He snatched it, quickly reading it over.

“A letter from my brother telling me Jake’s alive. He’s on his way home! You, my lord, have been used,” Cathryn said fiercely. “She has not told you all she knows.”

Cathryn’s breathing quickened; pain once more gripped her. She ignored it. “She wants only the money and will leave you to pay for your crimes. And make no mistake, you will pay!”

His eyes widened with not a sane thought within them. All he had planned, the loss of his son, trying desperately to hold to his heritage, destroyed! His attention was drawn upon the retreating Tacy.

“You knew and said nothing?”

Cathryn cringed back. Time was of the essence. He was on the edge and falling fast. His eyes simmered at Tacy. Cathryn saw all too well his intent. She eased toward the door and bolted when a shot rang out.

Thunder roared. Lightning lit up the sky. She didn’t look back. Her feet hurt, her arms ached. Her stomach cramped greatly. She couldn’t see a clear path. She was soaked, cold, trembling. She felt someone grab hold of her arm and drag her down.

She screamed a futile scream into the deafening storm. Lightning lit up the sky again. In the distance she thought she could make out figures running at her. She could feel a weight being lifted from her. She fought back, not knowing who or what had her. But strong arms refused to let her go.

She heard a scream in the distance, fading rapidly. She heard voices, muffled by the rain. “He ran blindly right off the cliff!”

“Oh, my God! She’s bleeding.” She remembered nothing else.

* * * *

Cathryn was ill. She knew she was sicker than she had ever been. Her mind was too tired to think except for the fear she had felt. Her baby…Jake’s baby! She felt her stomach. She cried out, for she felt nothing.

Frightened and ever so weak, pain racked her body. She was hot, sweating. The whole of her body hurt when she took a breath. She tried to focus her eyes. She could see forms, hear voices, but could make out none.

Bewildered, she closed her eyes. Is this what it is like to be dying? She didn’t want to die, but there was no strength within her to fight off the death that stood within the room.

She wanted Jake. Her heart called out for him. She wanted her father. Faintly somewhere in the remoteness of the dark she heard someone say, “Delirious.”

Faint memories began to surface…running away from Lord Blankenship…the rain beating down upon her…someone picking her up off the ground. She could see his distraught face and the fear in his eyes…Jake!

She had known he was alive! Wasn’t he? Someone carried her up the stairs. Oh, she hurt, so badly. Had she heard a cry?

Dreams haunted her. She was back at Elm Bluff, but she hadn’t wanted to be. She wanted to be with Jake. And Jake wasn’t there.

A cool wetness on her forehead soothed her. Somewhere in the darkness beside the bed, a voice called out to her, calling her back, not letting her let go. Then, like a blinding ray of sunlight, she could see his face, hear his voice clearly.

“I’m here, Cathryn. I’m not leaving. Come back to me.”

Jake touched her cheek. He was unshaven; his eyes looked tired, red, and weary as if he hadn’t slept for days on end. He sat by her. She reached out for him.

Was he real? Was she still dreaming? He took her hand and kissed it over and over. “Jake,” she whispered.

“Yes, darling, I’m home. I’m not leaving again,” he answered. She could barely keep her eyes open, but he was home.

“I’m not dreaming?” she uttered.

“No, it’s not a dream.” His voice cracked. “I’m not a ghost. Come back to me, Cathryn. Don’t let go.”

“I won’t,” she promised. She closed her eyes and fell back to sleep.

* * * *

Cathryn woke. The curtains were open and she could see out her window. The sun was rising over the ocean’s horizon in the distance, illuminating a reflection of a brilliant orange-red tinge upon the clouds. It took but a moment to realize where she was.

She tried to sit up. Her chest hurt and her gown was soaked. Her breasts were engorged. Her hands reached for her stomach, but there was no babe.

Her whole body shook with comprehension, but someone took her hand.

“Cathryn.”

She turned toward the sound and smiled. It hadn’t been a dream. Jake was home. He had shaven and dressed. His hair was longer and he was thinner, but he was here with her.

“Tacy,” she said, trying to sit up. “She—”

“We know,” he said in a calm, gentle voice. “It is all over. Everything. I’m home. I’m not leaving.”

“Sumner wrote me. He told me you were alive. I told everyone,” she uttered faintly.

“I know. Her Grace sends her love and the twins are well looked after. They want to see you, but at the moment, I believe you need time to heal. You’ve been through so much.”

“Oh, Jake. The baby—” she sobbed.

“Don’t. Give me time to explain, my love. You have been so ill,” he said. He let go of her hand and eased up.

“I’ll be but a moment.”

Cathryn tried to prop herself up. With every smidgen of energy she had, she took the pillow and placed it behind her. The whole of her body ached, but her eyes widened when she heard a sound.

Was it a cry, a small irritated cry? Was she hearing things?

Jake walked into the room with a small bundle in his arms.

He lay the crying infant beside her. He pushed back the blanket ever so gently. “I believe she has your cry.”

Tears fell unheeded when she beheld the babe—a beautiful baby with a head full of dark hair. “A girl?”

He nodded. “A beautiful one at that.”

She looked up at Jake. “I don’t remember.”

He smiled. “You have been sick for over a week, my darling. It’s well you don’t. I don’t want you to worry about a thing. Mother is taking care of Jalyn well. You need only to recover.”

“Jalyn? You named her.”

“It’s what I’ve been calling her. Your brother told me how he came to call you Jalyn. If you had heard her when she was born, you would quite understand why I call her such.” He reached back down and picked up his daughter. “You do not need to expend too much energy. Rest now with the knowledge I will be here when you wake.”

* * * *

Cathryn’s body had begun to heal, but her sleep was filled with disturbing dreams. Her conscience gnawed at her soul with the somber realization of all that Tacy had done. Tacy, who she had trusted implicitly, had betrayed her. It cut her deeply.

“She must have come close several times to her objective, but you mustn’t hold yourself responsible for her betrayal. It wasn’t you she hated. She hated her life…herself. Tacy wanted to be someone she wasn’t. She wanted money and power,” Jake said. “Despite what she tried, she didn’t succeed. It’s over. Give it time and it will fade, at least, perhaps, to a resigned acceptance.”

She turned over in the bed. He wasn’t there. Where could he be? Fear gripped her once more. That too would take time to overcome. The fear Jake was gone, that Lord Blankenship had returned, her children…But they were irrational fears.

Thinking for a moment, she knew well where her husband was. He, who was her strength, had in his own suffered greatly and only with the greatest reluctance told her of his plight.

“Leckie and I had gathered the information needed. Our mission was complete. We were returning to Savannah when an American militia unit intercepted us. I was able to hold them off while Leckie escaped with the intelligence, but I was shot through the shoulder.

“I thought it a mortal wound. I feared I would never see you again, but the patriots didn’t leave me to die. Then your brother appeared. He brought with him a military doctor he held faith in. Sumner saw me through my injury, Cathryn. He didn’t ask me any questions about my mission, because he had to know well I was on one. He only made me promise to return to you, which was easily given. But it all took time. Time to recover. Time to find a British scouting dispatch. Time for a ship to be going to England.

“Leckie had reported he did not think I could have survived the wound, which without your brother I wouldn’t have. Moreover, the report of my return got lost. I had no idea that you still considered me dead when I returned. People stared at me as if I was a ghost. Furthermore, I discovered from your brother you were with child. It is strange that we had better communication through enemy sources than our own.”

But he had survived. She had survived. She swung her feet off her bed. It hurt to walk, but each time it eased somewhat. Walking slowly down the hall, she knew well where her husband was.

Quietly, she opened the door. The wet nurse lay on a cot in the far corner, sleeping. Jake sat rocking his precious daughter. She still had trouble believing that Jake had come in time to save her once more…all due to her cousin Reggie.

When he arrived back in England, Jake had reported to headquarters. Immediately, he dispatched letters to Longwood, the London townhouse, and Mount Gevlyn. Eversleigh straightaway sent for Jake, telling him all that had happened and the impending arrests.

The first to be detained was Reggie Cavanaugh. His character shone through quickly, offering up any information to lessen his punishment. Then panic ensued with the mention of Tacy’s involvement.

Jake said he had been terrified at the admission with the realization that he had sent the letter to tell of his return. Tacy would have known and would have reacted, putting her in grave danger. Moreover, Lord Blankenship was nowhere to be found.

Jake along with the duke left London without delay, exchanging horses only once along their journey. He said he had never prayed so hard.

The storm did little to ebb his determination to get to Mount Gevlyn. On their arrival, they immediately knew something was not right. No one greeted them. The house sat in darkness. Dashing into his home, Jake saw a light at the guest house.

Running through the hard rain, he saw Lord Blankenship had her within his grasp. Eversleigh grabbed hold of Blankenship who broke away. Stumbling, he ran blindly right off the cliffs to his death. Jake swept her into his arms, but immediately saw blood oozing through her skirt.

Cathryn had little memory of all that had happened, having only Jake’s account of the events to fill in the missing pieces of the night.

“In all my life, I have never panicked, my love. I have always been able to handle any situation. I was unable to contain my fright with you bleeding,” Jake confessed. “I was as a lost child. His Grace dispatched his man to the village for anyone that could help.

“Blankenship had shot and killed His Grace’s footmen and Nicholson. Tacy at least showed mercy to drug most of the rest of the house. His Grace feels it was Tacy who in all probability killed the nanny, Fanny. They found her body in one of the sea caverns. Thank goodness, Mother, Julia, and the rest of the staff were fine after awakening.” His voice faltered. He paused before he continued.

“You…you were screaming in pain. I didn’t know what to do. All I could do was hold your hand. Almost immediately upon the appearance of the midwife, Jalyn was born. She cried, so loudly, as if she was angry to have had to make her appearance in that manner. They handed her to me and told me to leave the room. You were still bleeding so. The doctor finally arrived. Someone found a wet nurse, for Jalyn decided she was hungry and couldn’t be calmed or, at least, not by me.

“I thought the worst over when the doctor said the bleeding had stopped. But the look on his face told me different. You had other injuries…your head, and then you developed a fever. I had thought I lost you more than once.”

But he hadn’t lost her. They had found each other again…no more obstacles…no more barriers. They had each other forever.

She smiled at the sight before her. Jake rose and placed Jalyn back into the bassinet, sleeping soundly. Cathryn walked over and stared down at their gift. His arm went around her. She couldn’t remember being as happy as at that moment. In the morning sunlight, she stood with the man she loved more than life itself.

There was still much to contend with. There would yet be a battle about the twins in the future. His Grace had his mind set upon raising them at Longwood and Cathryn was as determined to raise them at Mount Gevlyn.

Her thoughts also worried about her brother who still faced uncertainty with the war. Jake said that His Majesty’s Army had been preparing to invade Charles Town, having already laid siege to the city.