Page 106 of The Smuggler’s Escape

Jackson gave a howl of rage and flung himself after Noelle. She dropped the canvas sack, leapt into the brush and made straight for Snowflake. Jackson, as she had hoped, dithered between herself and his mount.

He chose his mount, because the lazy horse hadn’t gone far before coming to a halt and dropping its head again. Noelle clutched the knife and her skirts in one hand and the packet of silk in the other. Snowflake had wandered too far into the field ahead. Noelle ran and ran. Hoof beats pounded in pursuit, and Snowflake whinnied and sidled away in fright. Noelle ran on. Her breath came in ragged gasps. Her chest was about to burst.

She slipped, her legs went out from under her, and she sprawled on the mud. The knife flew one way and the packet the other. Hoof beats thundered closer, and a shot sang through the night, followed by another, and a third. Hooves pounded the earth as she rolled into a terrified huddle, arms clasping her head, eyes squeezed shut, waiting to die.

Silence.

A thud. Footsteps. Noelle’s last breath came out in a sob.

“Noelle.”

Richard? Firm hands lifted her from the mud. Strong arms pulled her close.

She subsided, one second, two—then tore herself away.

~ ~ ~

“What?” Richard reached for Noelle. “You’re safe. Jackson’s dead.”

She put up her hands and backed away. “You’re the man sent by the Home Office, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but—”

She crouched to retrieve her knife. “That’s why you asked me to marry you, so you would have a valid reason to follow me about. To see if I really was a spy.”

“No.” He swallowed. The moment of truth had come. She would despise him now. “Yes, to some extent, but not to harm you. To protect you! I love you, Noelle.”

“Why should I believe that?” she shot back. “You seduced me and then left Sussex. You paid me off like a whore.” She brandished the knife, still poised to flee. “Why would you suddenly want to marry me years later?”

Nonplussed, he said, “Wait. Paid you off? I never paid you anything.”

“You put one hundred and fifty pounds in the bank for me,” she snapped. “If that wasn’t payment, what was it?”

He sagged then closed his eyes in disgust. “My father must have done it in my name.”

She lowered the knife a fraction. “Your father?”

“He didn’t want me to marry you, because he bore your father a grudge.” He paused. “Noelle, sweetheart, please believe me. I didn’t leave on purpose. My father drugged me and took me to his yacht. He arranged for me to work as a spy in Amsterdam.”

She withdrew the knife a little more. “Why didn’t you come right back?”

“I couldn’t. For one thing, I was now in government service. I couldn’t simply refuse, nor could I reveal anything about my assignment—to you, to my mother, to anyone.”

After a pause, she said, “You wrote to your mother. You ignored me.”

“It would have looked suspicious if I hadn’t written to her.” He steeled himself for rejection. “But there was a far more important reason. My father swore that if I attempted to contact you in any way, he would have you murdered.” He’d meant to keep his shame from her at all costs, but now it all came tumbling out. “Under the guise of an unfortunate accident, I assume. He was a ruthless man. He killed my favorite dog to punish me. He even killed his mistress when another man took her. He would have had no scruples about putting you out of the way. I was terrified for you.”

She said nothing, and he swallowed again. He knelt before her, heedless of the mud, head bowed. “My sweet, my darling Noelle, I was forced to leave, but I stayed away for love of you.”