He nodded. “Three days, and not a moment longer.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Tabitha reached thecottage just as the sun descended in the horizon. The long ride made her dreary, but her conversation with Lord Hawthorne made her emotionally weak. She kept reminding herself that he would only see her as a maid. Nothing more. It didn’t matter if she was the bastard child of a nobleman, or if she perhaps had extended family with titles, she was too far beneath his station to live inhisworld.
She climbed out of the carriage and hurried into the house before the driver could bring in Diana’s trunks. As Tabitha removed her bonnet, the stairs creaked, and she swung in that direction. Sally crept down the steps, her eyes wide with fear.
“It’s just me,” Tabitha assured her. “But go back up to your room before the coachman, Mr. Coggins, sees you.”
Nodding, Sally quickly retreated.
Tabitha hurried to the front door and held it open for Mr. Coggins. She wondered how she could keep him from seeing Sally. Because it was too late in the evening for him to travel back to the estate, the man must stay at the cottage.
Without speaking to her, the coachman carried the trunks and set them on the floor. Obviously, he was one of Lord Hollingsworth’s loyal servants because every time Coggins looked her way, he wore that same judgmental scowl as the rest of the servants wore.
“Thank you, Mr. Coggins. If you will excuse me, I shall prepare us something to eat in the kitchen.”
“I thank you for your offer, Miss Tabitha, but I will not be staying to take the meal with you. I have a brother that lives not far from here, and I would rather visit with him this evening.”
She didn’t want to show him how happy that made her, so she tried to hold in her exhilaration. Nodding, she said, “As you wish. Have a safe journey to your brother’s place.”
He turned and left without replying, but that was all right with Tabitha. The quicker he was gone, the better. She followed him outside, and stayed until he climbed on top of the carriage, then steered the horses back up the road.
“Is he gone?” Sally whispered as she peeked out around the door.
Tabitha smiled at the other woman. “Yes, thank goodness. I worried he would not leave until morning. I would have been watching him nonstop then to make certain he didn’t find you here.”
Relief swept over Sally’s expression and she smiled. Moving away from the door, she walked outside toward Tabitha. The reed-thin girl was probably eighteen or nineteen, but because of her thinness, Tabitha thought she looked much younger. Today her pale face actually held a little more color, and her blonde hair looked more yellow in the shadows.
“I would not have liked him here, either,” Sally said. “These past couple of days, I have enjoyed coming out in the yard and partaking of this warm weather. It pleases me to smell the fresh country air and walk through the paths decorated by lovely flowers. After Lord Elliot’s last beating, I feared I might not get through it alive.”
When Sally stepped in front of Tabitha, she patted her friend’s arm. “I would not have let him touch you one more time. Neither would Lady Hollingsworth.”
Tears welled in Sally’s eyes as she smoothed her hand over her brown dress, still sporting the rips that had happened during her last beating. Tabitha was thankful the other woman’s face was not as bruised as before, and the cut on Sally’s bottom lip was nearly healed.
“Seeing how you turned out,” Sally said, “makes my will strong. Because you have endured, so shall I.”
“And you will.” Tabitha smiled. “Nobody should be put through the torture that we have. And God might strike me down for saying this, but I’m vastly relieved Lord Elliot has met his Maker. I assure you, God will not be merciful.”
“I pray you are right. There were many times while he hit me when I wished I could… could…” She sobbed and brought her hand to her mouth.
Tabitha moved closer and put her arm around Sally. “You were not the only person feeling that way. I’m sure many of his servants wanted him dead.”
“I’m truly grateful for all that you and Lady Hollingsworth have done. It’s just very unfortunate that Lord Elliot had to die on the same night she rescued me. I hope the magistrate does not know she was there.”
“I will do everything in my power to keep Lady Hollingsworth safe.” Tabitha folded her arms across her chest. “What people don’t seem to understand is that Lord Elliot deserved his fate. In fact, I think he should have gotten worse. I would have enjoyed driving a knife into his chest one last time.”
In the stillness of the night, a noise was heard in the shadowy hedge other than the rustle through the leaves. It almost sounded like… a gasp!
Tabitha swung toward the hedge and fixed her stare on the dark shadows. “Did you hear that, Sally?”
“Hear what?”
“It sounded like…” She stepped closer as her heartbeat frantically pounded against her ribs.
“Like what?” Sally asked, her voice softer than before.
“I pray I’m wrong, but it sounded like someone is hiding in the hedges.”
