Chapter 9 #3
In response, Sean hugged her closer to his side. She looked up at him, her pupils dilated, her face starkly white. She trembled and turned her face to his chest and buried it there.
His heart constricted, but he held her even more tightly. He realized that, somehow, he’d put both arms around her.
“Sir,” a soldier shouted, sounding dangerously close. “They must have gone to land farther down. There’s no sign of any horse, any man, not here.”
“And you, Sir Captain? What do you think?” The officer spoke tersely.
“I think it was clever to send half of your men north toward Limerick. There hasn’t been a single sign that they have passed this way,” Devlin said. “That wedding dress should have left a few tatters.”
Sean met Elle’s eyes. Devlin must have found the pieces of her train and hidden them or directed the soldiers’ attention elsewhere.
“I think you are right, Captain O’Neill.
I think they have gone north to Limerick and we are on a false trail.
If they had come this way, there should have been some sign.
There hasn’t been one broken branch, one hoofprint, one piece of your stepsister’s dress. And, you remain remarkably calm, sir.”
“I told you once—and I do not like repeating myself—my brother is no danger to anyone and the charges against him are erroneous.” O’Neill flashed a cool smile. “I have seen my share of false testimony while serving Great Britain, Captain.”
“If you are right, then the sooner we apprehend your brother, the sooner we can clear his name. Move out!”
The soldiers and Devlin rode their horses to the far bank, turning back the way they had come. As they disappeared into the woods, Devlin did not look back, not even once.
“He saw us,” Elle whispered.
Sean became impossibly aware of the woman he held in his arms. Unbelievably, every inch of him that was male came to life, urgent and insistent, clamoring for attention, for relief.
He released her, stepping away. To compose himself, he went to the black stallion and stroked him.
“Yes. He led them away…from us.” And Devlin would now know that he was heading for the port at Cobh, as it was a major harbor.
The younger brother in him almost wanted to chase after Devlin and ask for his help. But he was a man now, not a boy, and his brother had too much to lose.
The raging need had settled. Sean looked at Elle, who had sat down in the dirt. “They’re gone.… They won’t return today.”
She nodded, clearly not able to speak. She did not look as relieved as she should be. She removed her white kidskin shoes, which were terribly dirty and torn.
“It was close…but we made it.” He wished he could remember how to smile because he wanted to comfort her now. “Elle…They want me, not you.” He could not think about Peg and Michael now. He did not dare.
She shed her stockings, as well. “That’s just it! That was Brawley, Sean. I spoke with him—he’s the captain—earlier today. His orders are to apprehend you, and he has full discretion as to how to proceed.”
Sean quickly lowered his gaze. He understood. Brawley had permission to bring him back dead or alive.
Elle looked at her bare feet. “Devlin was trying to convince him that you are innocent—so was I. But I know the man just a bit. He is every inch a soldier. Devlin can attempt to persuade him until he can no longer speak, and it will not matter. We may have bought an extra day. But Brawley is going to do everything he has to in order to apprehend you.”
He was disbelieving. “You tried to plead…bargain…with a British officer?”
She nodded. “I had no choice.”
He knelt and took her by the shoulders. “I don’t want you ever…near a redcoat…do you hear?” He almost shook her, fear and fury blinding him.
“I was trying to find out what he knew. I was trying to help!” she cried. “You’re so afraid—I can see it in your eyes. It’s the only thing I can see,” she added in distress. “I’ve never seen you afraid this way.”
“I’m afraid…for you!” he cried before he could stop himself.
She started, turning pale. “What?”
He closed his eyes, trembling. “We need to move.… We’ll go east. There’s more forest…that will be to our advantage.” He met her wide gaze. “It will take longer…to get to Cork.”
Elle hugged herself. “I don’t want you to worry about me,” she said slowly. “Sean, it’s your life that is in jeopardy, not mine.”
Her words pained him sharply. Later, when they were in a safer place, in the flat in Cork, he would tell her that he planned to send her home. He did not want to engender an argument now. “We had better go,” he said.
She hesitated, then slowly, painfully, stood.
He saw immediately. “What happened to your feet?” But he knew. His own feet, unused to walking, hurt terribly, but he had willed himself to ignore it days ago. He was a man, however; she was not.
“You try walking in brand-new shoes—through a river, I might add,” she said, biting her lower lip.
He took her arm. “Sit down.”
She obeyed, her gaze moving to his face.
He felt his cheeks warm but he ignored the way she was regarding him—with absolute faith and trust. He wished he had never known her as a young child, that he had never been the recipient of that look so many times before.
He knelt and looked at one foot, becoming grim when he saw the blisters.
She was hurt, and it was up to him to manage it. He looked up.
“I can walk,” she said stubbornly.
He became aware of cradling her foot in his hand and he placed it on the ground. “You are riding…until we stop for the night,” he said. “I’ll use the train for bandages.”
IT WAS ALMOST TWILIGHT when Devlin strode into the front hall of Adare. Captain Brawley accompanied him, his men outside. Instantly Cliff and Tyrell appeared, followed by Rex, the earl, the countess and Peter Sinclair. The latter was ashen and wide-eyed.
Devlin met Cliff’s eyes. Cliff smiled slightly at him.
He knew that Cliff had ridden like hell through the woods for Limerick, and not to prepare his ship to sail at dawn, as apparently he’d taken care of that last night. He had left a false trail for the soldiers, and from the satisfied look in his eyes, the bait had been taken.
“Have you found them?” the earl asked Brawley, carefully avoiding looking at Devlin.
“I’m afraid not. It looks as if they have ridden for Limerick. I will await word from the men I sent north earlier,” Brawley said.
The earl nodded. “I appreciate your efforts on my behalf, Thomas,” he said. “I am desperate to find my son.”
Brawley hesitated. “I know you are, my lord. Let us all hope that there is a satisfactory conclusion to this crisis.” He bowed and walked out.
The earl turned to young Sinclair. “Peter, would you care to join me and your father for another drink? There is nothing more to be gleaned from this night.”
Sinclair turned a bewildered gaze on Devlin. “The rogue is your brother, Sir Captain! Is this truly what you think, that he has gone to Limerick? And what of Eleanor? Everyone swears she is in no danger from him, but I am not convinced!”
“My brother is innocent of the charges against him,” Devlin said, clasping the younger man’s shoulder.
“He is charged with murder, sir, murder and treason!” Sinclair cried.
“Sean is a gentleman, not a cutthroat. And he is a patriot.”
“An Irish Patriot, perhaps?”
“We are a part of the Union,” Devlin said in his most commanding manner. “He is as much a patriot as you. Eleanor is his stepsister—he would never hurt her. To the contrary, he would give his life for her.”
Sinclair finally nodded, remaining distraught. “I will never understand why she went with him.”
The earl went over to Sinclair. “Eleanor has always been impetuous and rash, I’m afraid.
Let us try not to worry. Sean will keep her safe and by the morrow, I am certain they will both be found.
Your worries shall be laid to rest when you are able to speak with her, and we, of course, will begin to proceed to clear Sean’s name and record of these terrible charges. ”
Sinclair stared, then shook his head and muttered, “Excuse me. I think I am going outside. I need to think.”
When he was gone, Rex said tersely, “One of us needs to be with him. He could and should be a useful ally, if Sean is apprehended.”
“You are right,” the earl said. “Tyrell, go appease young Sinclair. Convince him Sean has been falsely tried, falsely convicted and falsely imprisoned. And when you have done that, try to convince him that Eleanor acted out of folly and love for a dear brother.” He was grim.
Tyrell nodded tersely and strode after Sinclair.
“What happened?” the earl asked Devlin.
“They’ve gone south, to Cork. They were but four miles from here, on the other side of the river. However, I made sure they left no trail and Brawley believes they have gone north to Limerick.”
The earl nodded and turned to Cliff. “Can you sail at dawn?”
“I can have The Fair Lady in Cobh in two days at the worst,” Cliff said, his eyes hard. “But what about Eleanor?”
A brief silence fell and glances were exchanged. The countess stepped into their midst, but she looked only at the earl. “She is a grown woman now, and she has never stopped loving Sean.”
“And what if we cannot overturn his convictions? What if there is no amnesty? He is an outlaw, Mary, and he will have to leave the country. What if he is caught and she is with him? What if she is charged with conspiracy to commit treason?”
Mary was pale. “If he wants her with him, we will never convince her to abandon him,” she said. “Darling, I know you are angry with Sean. But I know my son. He has fallen in love with her, Edward. There is no other explanation for his behavior.”
“Right now, I am not sure I care how he feels about Eleanor,” the earl said abruptly. “Sinclair is a suitable match—he is titled and wealthy and he is not an outlaw, placing her very life in danger.”
Mary had stiffened. “So even knowing how Eleanor has loved my son her entire life, you would be set against them?”