“Matthew, if you’re going to accept my assistance, then things have to be done my way!” Ryan argued as he met with Matt several hours later at the Green Dragon.
Matt scowled blackly at the rebel leader. “But he’s my brother! I want to help!”
“The best way you can help Noah is by staying completely out of it. Once he’s been freed, just who do you think the authorities are going to question? You’ve already told me that they brought up the subject of your marriage to Faith during the arraignment. You have to be able to prove your innocence, so it’s important that you know none of the arrangements.”
Matt looked suitably chastened as he realized he would be the prime suspect.
“Now, do you want us to do it or not?” Ryan demanded curtly. Time was of the essence. If they were to get Noah Kincade out of jail tonight, he had to set his plan in motion soon.
Matt knew Ryan was right, but he found it irritating that he couldn’t help Noah escape. He nodded his agreement. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Nothing; at least, nothing for right now. Once we’ve got him out of jail and safely in hiding, I’ll arrange for a meeting between the two of you. Until then you know nothing, so act like it. Carry on with your usual activities.”
“All right,” he answered grimly as he thought of how long the next few hours were going to seem while he waited for word that Noah was free and safely away.
“Good.” Ryan stood up, anxious to be about his mission.
“If anything happens…you’ll let me know?”
“Nothing’s going to happen,” he told Matt firmly.
“How can you be so sure?”
Ryan’s smile was enigmatic. “Not all those working at the jail are the king’s men.”
With that he was gone, and Matthew was left alone to worry and wait.
“Kincade!”
The voice outside his window was little more than a hoarse whisper, and at first Noah thought he’d imagined it.
“Kincade!” It was slightly louder the second time. Realizing that it was real and not a figment of his imagination, he quickly got up from the cot and peered out into the darkness of the Boston night.
“Who is it?” he called back in hushed tones.
“Never mind who it is, just be ready!”
Noah was puzzled. “Ready for what?”
“We’re getting you out of there!”
Stunned, his emotions in turmoil at the thought of being rescued from jail, he quickly lay back down on the cot and pretended nothing had happened. The thought of being broken out did not sit well with Noah, for he knew he was innocent of the charges against him. He felt that by fleeing, he would be admitting his guilt. Still, Noah realized that if he stayed and was convicted at his trial, he would be just as innocent, but he would also be dead. It didn’t take Noah much time to decide to go along with his rescuers. Whoever they were, they were risking everything to help him, and he was going to do all he could to make sure they didn’t fail.
Noah didn’t know how his liberators managed it, but shortly after he’d been warned, a major ruckus broke out in the street in front of the jail. As the guard on duty went out to attempt to quell the violence, a man he’d never seen before rushed down the hall to his cell and unlocked the door.
“Who are you?” Noah asked as the man pushed the barred door wide and offered him his freedom.
“A friend,” was his only reply.
Allowing his rescuer to take the lead, Noah followed him out the side door of the building to where two horses were tethered, awaiting them. Mounting up, they fled the scene without being noticed. Fearful of drawing unwanted attention to themselves, they passed through the streets of Boston at a measured pace. When his guide reined in behind a shabby two-story wooden building in a poor section of town near the docks, Noah followed suit.
“Come with me,” the man directed.
Noah was quick to comply and within minutes found himself safely ensconced in a small, windowless room on the second floor. As his rescuer lit a candle, bathing their surroundings in a flickering yellow light, Noah eyed the room curiously, noting that the only furniture was a single bed and a small washstand. “What is this place?”
“It’s one of our secure rendezvous points. You’ll be staying here until we can arrange safe passage for you out of Boston.”
Noah nodded in understanding and then asked, “Who are you?” His companion was tall and slim; his clothing, dark and nondescript as it was, revealed little about the man himself. Noah did not know him-in fact, he had never seen him before-and yet he had just risked his life to save him from almost certain death. Noah was humbled and grateful.
“A friend. My name doesn’t matter,” replied the man. “All that matters is that we get you out of here.”
“Where will I be sent? Where will I be safe?”
“Either Philadelphia or New York; it just depends on how hard they look for you.”
“Thank you,” Noah told him solemnly. “I was beginning to think that I had very little hope of ever being free again.”
“Well, it’s not over yet by any means, but with any luck at all, you’ll soon be free. For right now, you just stay in this room. We’ll bring you everything you need.”
“I will,” he promised as the man started from the room.
“Graves will arrange for you to visit with your brother as soon as possible, but the authorities will no doubt suspect him first, so it may be a while.”
The man’s mention of Ryan Graves confirmed Noah’s suspicion that Matthew and the rebels were the ones behind his rescue. “Will you tell Graves that I’m very grateful for his help?”
“You helped us. We’re just returning the support.” He put Noah more at ease. “You know, our country could use more men like you…”
“Your country?”
The man smiled. “We’ll be free of this British tyranny one day. The calls for revolution and independence are growing. In fact, if sanctions are brought to bear on Boston over the tea episode, I suspect the break may happen much sooner than we all think.” He paused, studying Noah with fathomless dark eyes that seemed to be assessing his worth. “Give it some thought. You’re young, and you’ve got a cool head on you. We Americans need all the help we can get. Think about it.” He glanced about the room. “I’ve got to go now. Someone else will check back with you later tonight to make sure you’re all right and to bring you a change of clothing. Just stay in here and be quiet, and everything will work out fine.”
“Thanks.”
They clasped hands, and then his rescuer departed, leaving Noah alone with his thoughts.
“Americans…” Noah frowned as he said the word softly to himself, and he remembered the first time he’d heard the term used. It had been at Winthrop’s ball. That night he had had a different opinion of the rebels, but now…
Shrugging out of his coat, Noah tossed it aside and moved to the bed. He stretched out upon it and was pleased to find that its comfort was a vast improvement over the hard cot he’d had in his cell. Folding his arms beneath his head, he stared up at the ceiling. His thoughts were confused as he realized that he was now a hunted man. Noah knew he would never be able to return to England and could no longer plan on restoring his wealth and position. A month ago that possibility would have devastated him, but now, to his surprise, the pain was less than he’d expected.
As Noah pondered the bleakness of his future, CC crept into his thoughts. His heart ached as he remembered her, warm and willing, in his arms. How perfect they had been together! He had hoped to win his freedom in court and then face her with the truth of his feelings, but now he knew any chance of ever being with her was lost. Despite CC’s involvement with the rebels, she was still her father’s daughter. Even if she had meant it when she’d told him she loved him, Noah knew it would be impossible to ask her to marry him now, for he had nothing to offer her-no home, no security, no future. From this point on, his life would be only danger and intrigue, and who knew how or when it would all end? His only hope was to trust in Graves to get him safely out of town. Beyond that…well, he decided wearily, he would deal with it later.
Closing his eyes, Noah sought sleep. Rest had been elusive in the miserable confines of the jail cell, and he knew he was going to have to be fresh and ready to move whenever they came for him. As he finally drifted off, his last waking thought was of CC and of how sorry he was that he had never had the chance to tell her that he loved her.
CC was wildly angry as she paced her room. It was dark, and still her father had not come to speak with her or allowed her to leave her room! She was growing distraught over the thought that Kincade might have already been released from jail, and she was desperate to let Ryan know about his possible treachery.
A sharp rap at her bedroom door broke through her thoughts, and she hurried to open it, hoping it was her father coming to tell her she could come out. To CC’s dismay, she found only Anna standing in the hall with a dinner tray.
“Your father told me to bring this to you. He also said to tell you that he’s not quite ready to speak with you yet, and he wants you to stay in your room until tomorrow.” Anna explained her presence as she faced her mistress. Though she had seldom seen Miss CC in such a high temper, it was easy to tell that she was still angry, for her green eyes were sparkling with an inner fire, and her cheeks were flushed in agitation.
“What?” CC couldn’t believe it, and she planted her hands on her hips defiantly. “You can’t be serious, Anna.”
Anna gave her a sympathetic look as she moved past her into the room to place the tray on the bedside table. “I wish I was making it all up, Miss CC, but I’m not. Your father was still furious with you when he told me to bring your dinner up to you on this tray. What in the world did you do to make him so angry?”
“It’s a long story, Anna…” she snapped in irritation, “and one I’d rather not discuss.”
The maid nodded in deference to her wishes. “Can I get you anything else tonight? Would you like me to have a bath sent up?”
At the remembrance of Anna’s first comment about CC’s father, a plan had begun to form in CC’s mind. She refused the offer of a bath. “No, not tonight. By the way…are you sure my father said that he didn’t want to speak with me until tomorrow?”
“Yes, Miss CC.”
“Well then, since I won’t be interrupted tonight, I think I’ll just eat and go on to bed.”
“All right.”
“Thanks for the dinner, Anna.”
“Oh, you’re welcome. I just hope everything calms down soon. I’ve never seen you and your father mad at each other before.”
“It doesn’t happen often,” CC assured her, managing a cool smile, “and it will probably all be over by tomorrow.”
“I hope so. Well, good night.”
“Good night, Anna.”
When the servant had gone from the room, CC locked the door behind her. Completely ignoring the meal, she rummaged through her armoire and pulled out her disguise. If her father was definitely not going to come up to see her tonight, there was no reason why she couldn’t sneak out of the house to give Ryan the news and then make it back without being missed. She undressed quickly and pulled on her boy’s clothes. After blowing out her lamp, CC opened the window and climbed out onto the welcoming branches of the tree. In short order, she was on the ground racing toward the Green Dragon in hopes of finding Ryan.
It was over an hour later that a totally frustrated CC stood in the stables of the inn. She had gone first to the inn, then to Ryan’s house, and then back to the inn again, and all without success. No one had seen or heard from him since earlier in the afternoon. She tried desperately to figure out where else Graves might have gone. It occurred to her then that he might be meeting with some of the other rebel groups at the old house near the wharf. The ramshackle two-story was one of their most safe and secret meeting places. Realizing that it was her last hope, she started off as quickly as she could toward the waterfront.
The sound of violent pounding on the front door was not unexpected, but Faith, Matthew, and Ruth still exchanged nervous glances across the dinner table.
“Wait here, and don’t say a word,” Matt told them in quiet tones as he stood up and calmly went out into the hall to answer. “Who is it?” he asked through the closed, locked door.
“It’s Constable Jeremy Roberts!” Came the reply. “Open up!”
“Of course.” Matt gave every appearance of being completely at ease as he unlocked the portal and opened it. He was surprised to find that the law officer had several armed regulars with him. “It’s good to see you again, Constable. Is there a problem?” Matt nodded toward the soldiers.
“I think you know what the problem is, Kincade,” Roberts charged nervously.
“It’s Lord Kincade, Constable Roberts,” Matthew instructed haughtily, drawing himself up with dignity, “and I have no idea what it is you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about your brother’s escape.”
“Noah? You say he’s escaped?” He truly sounded shocked by the revelation.
“Indeed he has, Lord Kincade, and I think you just might know something about it,” the constable declared, eyeing him suspiciously.
“Please, Constable Roberts…won’t you come inside. I’m sure we can discuss this in a more civilized manner that way.” Matt held the door wide to admit the officer.
“All right,” Roberts grumbled. He was disappointed with Kincade’s reaction and very distressed by the fact that he’d invited them inside. “My men will search the house and grounds while we talk.”
“This is highly irregular,” Matt protested indignantly.
“Your brother’s an accused murderer, and his jailbreak was highly irregular, m’lord,” he responded brusquely.
“I had nothing to do with it.”
“We’ll just see about that, now won’t we?” he sneered at the English nobleman. “Men, check the house. Don’t miss anything. I’ll be with His Lordship in the parlor.”
The soldiers quickly moved indoors and began to search the small home. They left no piece of furniture unturned and no item untouched in their zealousness to find the escaped prisoner.
Faith and Ruth grew nervous at the sight of the soldiers, and they hurried into the parlor to stay with Matthew.
“Faith and Ruth, this is Constable Roberts. Constable, this is my wife, Faith, and her mother, Ruth.”
“Ladies,” he greeted them shortly before turning his full attention to Matthew. “Now, Lord Kincade, I’d like the answers to some questions.” He regarded Matt doubtfully.
“By all means, what can I do for you?”
“I want to know where your brother is.”
“I wish I could help you, but I assure you I have no idea where Noah is. In fact, this is the first I’d heard that Noah had escaped. How did it happen?”
“Never mind.” Roberts dismissed his question. “Tell me, when was the last time you saw your brother?”
“I went to his arraignment earlier today.”
“Did you have the occasion to speak with him then?”
“No. It was not permitted,” Matt informed him.
“And you haven’t had any communication with him or from him since?”
“No, sir. I haven’t heard a thing,” he answered honestly.
“How about you ladies?”
Faith and Ruth both paled at his charge.
“Oh, no. We haven’t spoken with or seen Noah since all of this happened,” Faith replied quickly.
They were interrupted as the soldiers returned from their search.
“Did you find anything?” Roberts asked.
“No, sir. Not a thing.”
“You checked everywhere? The attic…the cellar…”
“Yes, sir. There’s nothing. There’s no indication at all that anyone’s been here.”
“All right.” Roberts turned back to Matthew. He had thought that the brother would be hiding out here, and it irritated him to find that he wasn’t. “Don’t think this is the end of it, Lord Kincade.”
Matthew’s expression was regal with disdain. “It most certainly is the end of it, sir. I know nothing of my brother’s escape. I was not a party to it, and I do not know where he is. I believe your search has been completed, and I would appreciate it if you would leave my home now.”
Roberts and his cohorts glared futilely at Matthew, but he ignored them as he moved into the hall and opened the door for them.
“Good night, gentlemen,” he said curtly. He shut the door with firm finality behind them and then breathed a huge sigh of relief that they were gone.
As Edward Demorest sat in his study trying to enjoy his usual after-dinner liqueur, his mood was somber. He had dined alone this evening, and he hadn’t enjoyed it. He admitted reluctantly to himself now that he had missed CC’s company all evening-not that he wasn’t still angry with her, for he was. Her behavior today had been totally outrageous and quite unbecoming of a woman of her position in society. But he wasn’t used to being so completely alone, and he decided to make his peace with her tonight rather than wait until morning. Pleased that he’d convinced himself to make the move now, he set his snifter aside and strode from the room.
“CC.” He knocked softly at her chamber door. “CC, I’d like to speak with you.”
There was no answer to his knock, and he frowned slightly. He knew Anna had told him that she was planning on retiring early, but he’d never known her to be a very sound sleeper. Knocking a little louder, he called out to her again.
“CC. I’d like to speak with you. Please open the door.”
He paused, awaiting her response, but silence was all that greeted him.
“CC?” Edward called her name. “CC, is something wrong?”
There was still no answer, and he began to grow worried. Anxiously, he tried the doorknob, and he was distressed to find the door locked.
“Mr. Demorest? Is there something the matter?” Anna stood at the bottom of the staircase as she called up to him.
“Yes. It’s CC. She’d not answering… Perhaps she’s taken ill. Quick, bring me the extra set of keys.”
“Yes, sir.”
Within moments Anna was beside him with the set of master keys. Edward quickly sorted through them, located the one for CC’s room, and hurriedly unlocked the door. Pushing it open, he strode forth into the darkened bedroom.
“CC? CC, my dear, if you’re ill…Anna, quickly, light a lamp for me,” he ordered.
Edward started in the direction of his daughter’s bed, fully expecting to find CC there. As Anna lit the lamp, bathing the room in a golden glow, he was astounded to discover the bed empty and CC nowhere to be found.
“By God! She’s not even here!” He wasn’t sure if he was more astonished or furious. “Anna!” Edward rounded on the servant as he spied the untouched dinner tray on the table near the bed. “What do you know about this?”
“Nothing, sir!” she answered quickly, defensively.
“The truth, Anna! I want the truth!” he bellowed as he realized how completely his daughter had defied him.
“That is the truth, sir!” she cried, fearful of losing her job. “I brought up the dinner tray as you told me to, and I offered to have a bath sent up. Miss CC said that she didn’t want a bath, and that she was going to go on to bed early tonight since you weren’t going to speak with her until tomorrow.”
“I see.” Edward’s eyes narrowed as he looked about the room, noting her hastily discarded clothing and the open window. “You didn’t see her or talk to her after that?”
“No, sir.”
He knew then how she’d made her escape, and he became even more upset.
“Mr. Demorest, sir, do you suppose she’s all right?”
“Don’t worry about it, Anna. You go back downstairs and take care of your own duties. I’m going to wait here for my daughter’s return.” He stalked to the window and glanced out.
“Yes, sir.” Anna scurried from the room, feeling sorry for CC when she got back.
Edward crossed the room to close and lock the door before blowing out the lamp. Settling down in the chair beside the bed, he folded his arms across his chest and sat back to wait. If CC thought she’d witnessed the full potency of his anger over her visit to Kincade at the jail, she was wrong, he vowed silently as he contemplated a suitable punishment for such an unruly, wayward young female.