Chapter Four
May 1896
“Serenity,” a deep voice murmured, very close to her ear. “Wake up, angel. We’ve arrived.”
She blinked, totally disoriented as she stared at the ceiling of a small train compartment. Turning her head, she found Luke gazing down at her from the bench across the aisle. He looked even more exhausted than he had before, if such a thing was possible.
Embarrassed by her previous emotional display, she scrambled to a sitting position, running her hands over her wrinkled skirt. “Are we there?” she asked, her voice scratchy and small from crying.
“Yes, we need to get off the train.” He stood and stretched wearily.
She got to her feet and followed him out of the compartment and onto the train platform. The first thing she noticed was the scent of the sea, crisp and salty, so different from the stagnant smell of the Thames. Her eyes widened at the sight of the chalky white cliffs in the distance, and Dover Castle rising up behind them.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed.
He smiled and took her hand, leading her through the crowd. “I haven’t been here for quite some time myself. Those cliffs take my breath away every time I see them.”
She nodded wordlessly, stumbling along beside him, trying to take everything in at once. She’d never thought to get out of London, and no matter what the future held, she’d be a fool not to enjoy this little gift of travel she’d been given, no matter how it had come about.
Luke led her inside the station, speaking to someone about hiring a conveyance to take them to the docks while she pressed her face to the glass, still mesmerized by this place, which was so different from anything she’d known in her limited experience. The varied accents of people from all over the world harmonized beautifully around her.
Before she knew it, they were in a coach on their way to the docks, and the masts of towering ships rose around her like some strange forest. She continued to trail along behind Luke as they went from ship to ship, questioning whether Winters had booked passage.
As the afternoon turned into evening, Luke grew more irritable and tense with each negative response. At last, he turned to her, his blue eyes shadowed with dark circles, and sighed. “I fear we’re too late. TheAnna Katherineset sail for Calais an hour before we arrived. They must have been on it.”
She stared up at him, wishing there was something she could do for him. “What do you want to do next?” she asked simply. Having started this quest with him, she was willing to do whatever it took to see it through.
“There’s not another ship out until morning,” he said, sounding as though he thought all of this was somehow his fault. “By then, they’ll have such a head start on us that we’ll never catch them.” He scrubbed his face with his hands as though fighting to stay awake. “Damnit! I can’t just chase him across Europe indefinitely. I have too many responsibilities back home.”
She said nothing, waiting for him to come to the inevitable conclusion by himself, her heart aching for him.
“I’ll hire someone to track him down,” he said at last. “I need to return to London.”
“I’m sure you’ll find her,” she said soothingly. “And I really don’t think he’ll hurt her. She seems to be the only person in the world he truly cares about.”
He nodded abruptly. “I’ll find an inn for the night. I’m exhausted, and I’m sure you are, too. Then we’ll book passage back to London in the morning.”
“All right,” she said softly, a myriad of emotions churning within her. Now that their chase had come to such an abrupt halt, the uncertainty of her future loomed before her, impossible to ignore. What would she do once they returned to London? Much as she wanted to, she couldn’t accept his offer of the cottage on his estate.
“Don’t worry,” he murmured, cupping her cheek with one warm palm. “Everything will be all right. We’ll get you sorted.”
A tentative smile wobbled on her lips. She had an earl on her side now; he’d made that clear. Perhaps she should swallow her pride and take the help he’d offered.
