Isaac stood still, his shirt half buttoned, eyes darting between her and the door.
“Quick.” She pushed him between his shoulders. “Hide!”
He gave a curt nod and strode to the window, throwing it open. He grimaced when he looked down, but slung his leg over the sill and eased himself out. The door flew open and Josephine raised a hand to her eyes as bright light filled the room. Her father stormed in, nostrils flared. His eyes widened when he took in her rumpled appearance.
“Josephine Montclair, what have you done?” He ground out the words, the lantern in his hand trembling as his gaze flew around the room. His eyes narrowed when they settled on the open window. He took a step that way and her heart skipped a beat as she imagined Isaac hanging from the sill.
“It’s not what it looks like.”
A strangled laugh escaped him. “It couldn’t be clearer than day, sweetheart.” He pointed toward the boots on the floor, the tangled sheets.
A cold flush washed over her as her gaze dropped to the damning evidence. He strode to the window and flung the curtains open. She held her breath. Released it when all he found was empty space. But that moment of relief shattered when he turned, his face hard as stone. Before she could react, he crossed the room, his hand shooting out to seize her wrist with an iron grip.
“We’re leaving. Now.”
“Papa, no!” She dug her feet in but he yanked her from the room. She stumbled, struggling to keep up as he dragged her down the stairs, each step a jarring reminder of how little control she had. Her chest heaved with frantic breaths, and she tugged at her arm, trying to break free.
“Samantha, tell him I can stay! Please!” The words tumbled out in a rush, desperation flooding every syllable.
Her friend followed close behind them, lips drawn tight and hands clenched into fists. Josephine’s heart sank as she realized Samantha was as powerless as she was. Just as they reached for the door, a figure stepped into their path, blocking the exit. Christian stood tall, his expression unreadable, but a steely resolve glinted in his eye. He didn’t move as they came to a sudden halt in front of him.
“Governor Montclair, surely there’s no need to rush out in the middle of the night. We’ve plenty of room. Why don’t you stay and enjoy pleasant accommodations before your voyage?”
Her father raised his free hand to jab a finger in Christian’s face. “I hardly call allowing my daughter to share a room with a manpleasant accommodations.” Spittle flew from his mouth as his voice rose to a shout.
Christian lifted his hands, meeting Samantha’s troubled gaze. “I understand your concerns, but I assure you, this is a house of propriety. Your daughter is welcome here as long as she likes. Perhaps it would be good for her to stay for a time, to settle her mind after everything that happened.”
“Don’t presume to tell me what’s best for my daughter.” Her father’s eyes burned with fury. “My ship is waiting. And my daughter is getting married as soon as we get back.”
Married?
Josephine’s heart lurched to a stop. She tried to pull her arm free, but his grip only tightened. “No.” The word came out ragged,defeated.
“Do not think about pleading your case. You lost that right the moment you stowed away on that lieutenant’s ship.”
“I won’t. I can’t.” She took short desperate gasps as the room around her began to spin.
“You will.” Her father’s grip tightened, his face a mask of unyielding authority as he dragged her outside and down the steps. “You’ll learn to become obedient, Josephine, if it’s the last thing you do. I will not have you disrespecting my decisions any longer.”
They reached the carriage, and without a word, her father yanked the door open, the sound of metal scraping against the wood echoing in the night.
“Governor!” Isaac’s shout rang out over the courtyard as he limped around the corner. “A word, please.”
Her father spun, color rising in his cheeks. “How dare you show your face to me? Don’t think for a moment I’m unaware of what’s happened between you and my daughter.”
Isaac slid to a stop. “All the more reason to let me speak.”
Josephine tried to pull away, but her father shoved her inside with a rough hand on her back. “Not another word, Lieutenant. I’ve heard enough already. I apologize for the trouble she caused. It won’t happen again. Her soon-to-be husband will keep her in line, I’m sure of it.”
Isaac lifted his hand as if to argue, but her father’s voice lowered in warning. “Stay out of it. This is none of your business anymore.”
Josephine leaned forward, Isaac’s name upon her lips. But if she called for him, her father’s fury would only deepen. So, she clamped her mouth shut and locked eyes with him as he stood there, his face a mask of raw frustration and helplessness. There was no hiding the anguish in his eyes, but there was also something else, something terrifying.
Resignation.
The moment stretched between them, suffocating in its weight—as if every unspoken word, every unspent promise, had been shattered by the finality of her father’s declaration. His shoulders dropped in a silent acknowledgment that, for all their efforts, this was the end. There would be no rescue. There would be no stolen moments or whispered promises. There would be no more anything.
It was over.
