Her father was in his study, and he rose when she entered, his face drawn with worry and exhaustion.
“Lise.Come, sit.”
She took the chair across from his desk, folding her hands in her lap.
“I want you to know,” her father began, “that what we did — hiding Jonathan, helping him escape — it was the right thing to do.The honorable thing.But it has put this family in a precarious position.Friedrich Albrecht is not a man to forgive such an offense.”
“I know, Papa.”
“The French could return at any time.If we were ever found to have helped Jonathan, if Friedrich provides them with any evidence ...”He didn’t finish the sentence.He didn’t need to.“I don’t believe he has any, beyond having seen the horses here.But it is his word against ours.”
“The French will believe his words, though, over ours, won’t they?”
Her father had no answer.
“Where is Jonathan now?”The question escaped her lips before she could stop it.“I mean, Lord Bowen.”
Her father sighed.“Not far.The preparations to get him to the Elbe could not be done instantly.I’m arranging for transport with one of our farmers.And I’ve sent word ahead to Glückstadt, to a merchant vessel, the captain of which is an old friend.”
“Captain Thomsen,” Lise murmured.“I remember you speaking of him before.”
“Your memory for details never ceases to amaze me, Lise.”
She shrugged.“Glückstadt.I thought he would more easily lose himself in Hamburg.”
“I think they will be waiting for him there.Road blockades might be set up and soldiers thoroughly searching every vessel before it leaves port.”
A tremor of fear danced down her spine, thinking of all the danger that still lay ahead of Jonathan.
“By tomorrow, though, he’ll be well away.”
Lise’s heart stuttered in her chest.Another day, and he was still here.Still close.
“Jacob went to fetch the blacksmith at midnight,” her father continued.“Herr Kröger arrived at one in the morning with his wagon.His lordship stayed hidden by gripping its underside, just in case it was searched.Of course, they couldn’t go far with him like that.”
“Where did Herr Kröger take him?”
“To the Great Oak, as far as the wagon could go, and then Lord Bowen had the woods to hide him as he walked the rest of the way.He assured me he could find the oak by himself.”
The English oak.The old tree where they’d hidden from the French patrol.He was there.Right now.Alone.She almost asked her father for permission to go see him, but held her tongue.
“I know this has been difficult for you, Lise.”Her father’s voice was gentle.“Losing your betrothed, seeing Henrik shot.Once Lord Bowen has gone, your life will go back to normal, I hope.”
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.But losing her betrothed wasn’t contributing in even the smallest part to her monumental distress.
The rest of the morning passed in a blur.She played cribbage with Henrik, who was recovering well despite his injury.Although he’d lost a lot of blood, his pallor was rosier today and his spirits higher.He seemed to think he would be riding back to his detachment any day.She knew that wasn’t the case but didn’t gainsay her brother.
He beat her for the first round, she beat him for the second, and they decided not to do a tie-breaker, as it would undoubtedly involve stressful competition, shouting, and more energy than Henrik could muster.
After helping her mother sort which clothing and linens needed mending, Lise wrote to her second cousin, her father’s cousin’s only daughter.Elsie lived too far away for more than yearly visits, but they tried to write once a month.Lise couldn’t tell her anything about Jonathan, as who knew whether mail might be confiscated and read.But she had much to tell her about Henrik’s injury and her irrevocably broken engagement.
When she took tea in the drawing room, Lise tried to keep her mind on her mother’s discussion of new wool window hangings for the winter.But her thoughts had turned increasingly to the viscount, the longer the day dragged on.Jonathan was there.Alone.Waiting to be smuggled away.
Once again, she wished she’d told him the truth of what was in her heart, in case anything happened to him.
She realized her mother had been speaking, perhaps asking her a question.
“Yes,” Lise murmured, wondering if Jonathan was sleeping or had been given a book or at least some paper and a quill and ink.Poor man.He had lost all of his belongings, including his equipment and writing instruments.Maybe he was going out of his mind with boredom.
