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“What? Me? I’m innocent!” George’s voice edged an octave higher. “I just arrived yesterday. Is this the way you soldiers treat a fellow Englishman?”
Samuel leaned into the man’s meaty face and grumbled. “All I know is that you are staying in the home of a man who’s just kidnapped two young women. A man who this very night assaulted soldiers in His Majesty’s Army and fled the city. I’m not about to take any chances.”
Two of the soldiers took the terrified man by the arms and struggled to get him out the door as he dug in his heels and tried in vain to yank free from their grip.
“Guard him until I get back,” Samuel ordered.
“Aye, Captain. Where are you going now?” Donaldson asked.
Samuel mounted his horse once again. “There’s one more place for me to try.”
He headed there in haste.
Thomas peered up at the sky through the canopy of branches. Thank goodness for the moonlight. Without it, their two-mile journey would have been impossible.
He exhaled and shook his arms at his sides. How could he think clearly when his emotions were pulled so tight? Every barking dog, every snapping twig, zapped his raw nerves and made his muscles cramp. No doubt the soldiers were on their trail. And if they weren’t already, they would be soon.
Thomas walked in front of Eliza and Kitty to be sure the path was even and that no hidden attacker lay in waiting. He peered over his shoulder as the desire to provide and protect consumed him. His companions huddled together, both for warmth and comfort, he supposed. Thomas’s stomach rolled and he gazed once again at the sky. What could he have done differently to save them from such a fate? Why hadn’t God intervened?
He couldn’t dwell on the thought. God worked in wisdom—even though Thomas didn’t always see it.
The three of them trudged on. Behind him, Eliza’s gentle voice drifted around him like bird-song as she consoled her sister. He fought the urge to slow his step and walk beside her. That would be too familiar a gesture, and walking in front allowed him to keep a more protective position. She spoke again, whispering something to Kitty and Kitty whispered back.
Thomas strained to hear Eliza’s hushed answer. “I’m sure we will be home before too long. Mr. Watson knows what he’s doing.”
The trust in her voice made his confidence wobble. He had no idea what he was doing. The faith and bravery that nestled inside that petite woman astounded him. She didn’t even know him and here she was, placing their lives in his hands. A woman of such courage was a rare commodity.
As they passed into a clearing, his cousin’s moonlit cabin came into view. A mixture of relief and added dread kneaded his already weary muscles. He approached the dwelling, scanning the area around him, cautious of any onlookers. Urgency poured into his gut and he waved at the girls to stay close to him.
He pounded on the door just as he had at the Campbell’s. He didn’t worry about waking the children as he might have at any other time. They would no doubt be up and running for their safety in a matter of minutes, just as the three of them were doing now.
Peering into the window, Thomas cupped his hand over his mouth as he spoke into the glass. “Daniel! It’s me, Thomas! Let us in!”
A candle flickered through the house and the door swung open.
“Thomas!” Daniel said, sleep glazing his eyes. The nightcap on his head tilted, revealing mussed hair. His gaze absorbed Thomas and the two wet and shivering girls behind him. “What’s happened?”
Before Thomas could answer, Daniel moved to the side and waved at the three of them to enter. They crowded into the small cabin as he shut the large door and locked it.
“Before you say anything Thomas, let me wake Clara and dress. It looks as if the three of you could use some care.”
Daniel put the lantern on a rough-hewn table in the center of the cabin and entered the room where his wife slept.
Thomas turned to Eliza, who continued to shelter Kitty. “Daniel is my cousin. He’ll be able to help us, and the two of you can get out of those wet clothes before we leave again.”
Eliza gave no expression when she nodded. What must she be thinking?
Daniel reentered, dressed in a shirt and breeches, followed in close order by his wife Clara. The telltale roundness in her middle caused her to hobble as she walked.
Clara’s dainty eyebrows rose at the sight of the midnight guests and she went to work straight away, keeping one hand on her belly.
“Daniel, start some water to boil, please.”
Daniel grunted in agreement and went to the fire.
“I’m sorry to wake you, Clara,” Thomas said.
She grinned. “This babe was keeping me up as it is, kicking and tumbling. You have nothing to worry over.”
