He took her hand, and his dark eyes reached out to her, comforting her and infusing her with confidence. “We’ll make it, Isabella. Trust me.”
Struck by the irony of his words, she attempted a smile. Just days ago, it would have made her physically ill to consider trusting anyone, and now, she trusted this man implicitly. For if nothing else, he would see her safely home, or die trying.
With a deep breath, she grasped his hand, and they walked to the back door. After a quick perusal of the surroundings from the window, he opened the door and motioned her to follow him. Shrouded in darkness, they ran for the stable.
Merrick wasted no time saddling the horse. Instead he swung up on its bare back and reached down to pull Isabella up. He pulled his pistol from his breeches and handed it to her. “I assume you can shoot.”
Not bothering to answer, she grasped the handle and held it tightly against her.
He urged the horse forward and they rode out of the stable and directly into the thick forest behind the house. There was little in the way of moonlight to guide them as they forged blindly ahead.
With each passing minute, she was convinced someone would leap out of the trees, but the woods remained eerily silent. The cold seeped into her bones, and she clamped her mouth shut to prevent her teeth from chattering.
The few miles into town stretched into an eternity. Hours passed it seemed, and yet they hadn’t yet breached the outskirts. Her nerves were a jumbled mass of jam, and her anxiety increased as more time elapsed.
When a rabbit ran across their path and disappeared into the brush, she nearly fell from the horse. Merrick’s arm tightened around her, and he whispered in her ear, “Careful. I wouldn’t want the gun to go off and do me permanent injury.”
His teasing lessened her tension, and she relaxed against him, careful to maintain a tight grip on the pistol. When the forest opened up suddenly and the shadow of a cottage loomed ahead, she leaned forward eagerly. They had made it.
Merrick pulled the horse to a stop a short distance from the cottage and slid off. He held his arms up to her, and she went without hesitation, though a thousand questions burned in her mind.
Before she could voice any of them, he tied the horse to a nearby tree and took her hand. As they walked away from the house, he said in a low voice, “I think it best if we walk the rest of the way. A horse will gain us larger notice, and we need to melt into the shadows.”
Of course he would have a solid reason for leaving their horse, and they wouldn’t be able to take it on the ship anyway. She tried to temper her eagerness and slow her pace. She was in danger of dragging him behind her in her haste to get to the tavern and one step closer to the ship.
They hurried between houses, careful to keep in the shadows and out of plain sight. When they neared the tavern, their pace became more cautious. They gave the tavern and the well lit interior a wide birth and circled back from the north.
Merrick paused a distance from the back and watched for a long period of time. Evidently satisfied that no one was about, he urged Isabella out of the trees and toward the back alley. He hunkered down between the building and the large wooden box used for refuse and motioned for Isabella to do the same.
As she crouched down beside him, he wrapped his arm around her in an effort to keep her warm. His constant attention to her needs was far more warming than his actual embrace.
It could be hours yet before the captain summoned them, but she prayed he would do so before dawn. The cover of darkness gave her a sense of security that would be absent in the light of day.
“I’m going to take a look in the tavern and see who is about,” Merrick said after awhile.
He was likely as antsy as she was and determined not to be caught unaware. After a quick look in all directions, he stood and peered into the broken window. He tensed and her heart plummeted.
He slid back down the wall to sit beside her. “I have to go in there.”
“What do you mean you need to go in?” she demanded in a harsh whisper. “You can’t be seen.”
“Kirk is there, and I need to apprise him of our suspicions. He’s likely searching for us and may have news for us as well.”
A pulse beat at her temple. “How will you go in unnoticed?”
He blew out his breath. “I’ll go in search of the stable boy that took our horses when we first arrived and have him deliver a message for Kirk to meet us out here.”
“I don’t like it,” she said resolutely. “Shouldn’t we just wait for the captain?” She tried to swallow back the panic that threatened to choke her. For them to have come this far and risk exposure now was insanity.
“I have to do this, Isabella.” He stared directly into her eyes. “It is my duty to keep England safe against outside threats. If I keep what information we have to myself, I go against every thing I stand for.”
Her face grew hot then she felt shame. Her irritation was senseless. Of course he had other obligations besides her. Just as she was loyal to Leaudor, he was just as fiercely loyal to England, and she should not expect her needs to be placed above the safety of an entire nation.
“Be careful,” she whispered as her way of acknowledging his statement.
“You have the pistol. Don’t hesitate to use it,” he said. Then he slipped away down the alley.
She hunched down and prayed that no one would find her. Prayed that Merrick would make it back alive. Prayed that the captain would show up. Prayed she would be in Leaudor soon.
