Annette Blair - Scandalous Brides

He'd been mad to entrust Nessa's safety to someone like Collette, he realized now. The woman had been more bitter than most when he'd broken off their brief relationship upon discovering she was married. He should have known she'd jump at the chance to revenge herself upon him. Had his experience and knowledge of women deserted him, or had it always been but a figment of his imagination? He rather suspected it had.

Which meant he might not understand Nessa as well as he believed, either. Certainly, he'd done little to make her life better. First he'd denied her the very thing she wanted —the freedom to live her life her own way. Wasn't that the same thing he'd always demanded for himself? Why shouldn't she have the same chance? And now he'd put her in terrible, perhaps deadly, danger.

A cold finger of horror touched him. Not only Nessa, but their unborn child, as well. Her desperate flight to the coast, now without his protection, might well cause her to miscarry —in which case he would never forgive himself. For a moment he struggled uselessly against his bonds, out of sheer frustration, then lay back, exhausted. No, he must conserve his strength against the chance of escape. In the morning someone would come to feed him, surely. Then, perhaps, he could contrive—

A soft rustling, resolving into distinctly human footsteps interrupted his thoughts. The steps were light. Collette? Might he still have a chance of persuading her to free him? He lay perfectly still and waited.

“Jack?” came a soft whisper. No! It couldn't be! Then, distinctly in English, “Jack, are you in here?” It was Nessa.

Hope and terror simultaneously reared up within him. How could she risk herself like this? How could Parker allow it? He'd explicitly told the man—

“Jack?” came Nessa's voice again, closer this time.

“Here,” he called softly. “Nessa, I'm in here.”

She gave a gasp that sounded suspiciously like a sob, and hurried toward the sound of his voice. He heard her fumbling with the door of the stall, then opening it, only to trip over his outstretched legs and fall right on top of him with a soft “oomph.”

She felt wonderful.

“Oh, Jack! I was afraid I'd never find you!” She gave him a quick hug, then scrambled off of him. “I've been —but there's no time for that now. I must get you untied, then let Parker know, so he can—”

“Parker?” Jack whispered sharply. “He actually brought you back here? He's dismissed.” Nessa laid her fingers across his lips. Even amid the danger and his fury at Parker, he had to fight the temptation to kiss them.

“I gave him no choice,” she said. “But no more talk now, please! If all goes well, we'll have plenty of time later. Goodness, but these knots are tight!” She'd been tugging at the rope about his wrists as she spoke. “There, I think I… yes! It's undone. Can you manage the one at your ankles? We haven't much time.”

His hands now free, he clasped her quickly to him for a brief, hard kiss. “You'll both have a lot of explaining to do, my dear. But yes, I'll untie the rest. Be careful!”

Returning his kiss just as fiercely, she left as quietly as she'd come. Jack made quick work of the double knot securing his ankles, then staggered to his feet, stamping to get the blood flowing again and biting his lip against the pins and needles. After a minute or two, he could walk normally. He left the stall, then paused. The big barn door was to the left, but he was certain Nessa had gone to the right. Which way was he to go?

Suddenly pandemonium broke loose outside the barn door— wild squeals, and shouting. Pigs! Parker had released the pigs! Chuckling, Jack headed in the opposite direction and found a small opening at the back of the barn. Parker and Nessa reached it just as he did.

“That should keep them busy for a few minutes, my lord, and with luck we'll be long gone before they think to check on the prisoner. Can you walk?”

“I can run, if need be. Let's go!” He grabbed Nessa by the hand and they raced through the yard behind the barn, trusting to the commotion on the other side to drown their footsteps. Reaching the fence at the edge of the yard, Jack easily lifted Nessa over it, before vaulting it himself.

A moment later, they were safe under the cover of the trees. “Do you need to rest before we go on?” he asked Nessa then.

“Not yet, though I'm not sure I can run much further. Once we return to where we left Simmons, we can all rest for a bit.”

They continued on at a brisk walk, Jack supporting Nessa over the rougher patches of ground. As they went, she and Parker explained what they'd done.

“Her ladyship thought to release the pigs, my lord, after I told her the story of the time you used that ruse.”

“And you mustn't be angry at Parker,” Nessa chimed in. “I flatly refused to go on without you, so short of knocking me on the head and carrying me over his shoulder or leaving me behind, he had no choice. I can be most stubborn.”

Jack gave her a squeeze. “Don't I know it! I suppose it was unfair to expect Parker to have more success in changing your mind than I ever have. And I must say I'm most grateful to you both! But it'll be a challenge still to get to the coast on foot. It must be all of a hundred miles.”

He noticed then that Nessa was leading him off to the left. “These will help then, I imagine.” There, tied to trees, were four saddled horses. “Parker and I agreed that it doesn't count as theft, as we did leave them the carriage and four in exchange.”

“Whatever ill-advised risks you've taken, this has been a most efficient rescue,” Jack exclaimed with a laugh. “Now we can put some distance behind us before we find a place to hole up for the day.”

Leading the horses, they soon reached the abandoned barn where Simmons waited. She'd clearly not slept, but seemed quite eager to continue the journey nonetheless —though she exclaimed at the impropriety of having to ride astride.

“Oh, buck up, Simmons,” said Nessa cheerfully. “No one will ever know. Think of it as a chance to do something wild and adventurous.”

“I've had enough of adventure for one lifetime,” she muttered, but allowed Parker to lift her onto the smaller mare.

Now they were able to make better time, especially as the trees thinned. Soon they reached a narrow road leading roughly northwest. Spurring the horses to greater speed, they cantered under the light of the setting moon and had put more than fifteen additional miles behind them before dawn.

As the sun crept above the horizon, they dismounted and tied the horses in a small copse about half a mile from a tiny village. They must have food if they were to continue, so Jack decided to risk a brief foray. To his relief, news of Napoleon's march appeared not to have reached this out-of-the-way place yet, and he was able to buy ample provisions to keep them going for the next day or two, as well as a few blankets.

After a frugal breakfast, they all settled down to sleep in the copse, exhausted after more than twenty-four hours of wakefulness, exertion and danger. Nessa snuggled against Jack, her head on his shoulder, and was asleep in moments. He stayed awake for a few more minutes, smiling down at his wife's sweetly slumbering face. Despite the miles and dangers they still faced, Jack felt sure that he must be the luckiest man alive.

~ ~ ~

NESSA WATCHED the French coast recede with profound thankfulness. The past week had been the most harrowing she'd ever experienced, with several near misses and severe frights along their journey. Upon reaching the coast, they'd had to wait two more agonizing days before they could bribe their way onto a packet bound for England. The weather was still uncertain, but the real danger was behind them now.