Chapter 12
The forest, while Fontus searches for Dee
How long they traveled from Normanton House Dee could not tell with so little light.
“I’m surprised you made no attempt to hide your destination. Now if I get a message out, I can tell my rescuers where to come.”
“Shut up.” Barbeau gathered the reins in one hand and struck her with the back of the other before resuming full control of the horses. “Time is too short to send messages, so what you know doesn’t matter,” he snarled.
Her cheek smarted, and her jaw ached. Nonetheless, Dee hid her smile. He was on edge. She set her mind to figuring out more ways to get him to lose control. If he lost control, he would be careless, and might present her an opportunity to attack.
The curricle turned into a lane nearly obscured by surrounding brush.
The dirt track was so narrow tree branches scraped the sides of the open carriage, forcing Dee to move closer to Barbeau.
The horses slowed.
Barbeau cursed the pair and whipped them. Instead of moving faster the steeds halted completely.
Muttering more curses, he leapt to the ground, came around the carriage, and offered his hand. “We’ll walk from here.”
Should I fight? A struggle here will delay him.
“Don’t,” Barbeau warned.
“Don’t what?” She blinked all wide-eyed innocence.
“Don’t resist.” He reached up, dragging her from her perch.
He left her for a moment to force the horses and curricle into too small a space between the trees.
Should I run? No. Mother needs me.
He made no attempt to hide the vehicle more and returned to her side before she could change her mind.
“I instructed my compatriots to do what they will with your mother if I do not arrive when expected.”
She swiveled her head but saw nothing other than darkness and even darker tree trunks.
“Where is our destination?”
“You’ll know soon enough.” He grabbed her arm and shoved her forward along the track.” Get moving.”
She was forced to lift her skirts and run to avoid falling on her face. Once she steadied, she kept the rapid pace, eager to put others, even his own men, between her and Barbeau.
How many henchmen did he have? Surely not more than one or two. The more people he involved, the less secure his plans. One of his so-called compatriots might already have betrayed him.
She heard the sound of running water, and Barbeau dragged her to a stop.
He studied the forest to the south.
“Ah, there.”
She was pushed into motion once more. Unable to see where she stepped, she entered the trees with caution. Barbeau followed.
Eventually the trees thinned to reveal a very small clearing and hovel.
She could see no windows or openings, just the wooden door.
Beyond the hut she heard the rush of a river. Darkness prevented her from seeing the water. She peered in the direction of the sound.
“Yes, there is a river, as deep as this night is dark and very fast,” her captor uttered. “I don’t recommend it as a means of escape. Of course, you could choose to drown instead of marrying me and saving your mother. I will still make a profit.”
She let him think she was desperate enough to consider suicide. She’d actually been contemplating murder. She was a strong swimmer and willing to take her chances. But was Barbeau?
Arriving at the door, he knocked in a complicated pattern.
The door opened. “’Bout time ye came back. We was startin’ t’ worry.”
“Your job is to follow orders. Leave the worry to me.” Barbeau chastised. Then he bowed to Dee and extended his arm.
“Ladies first,” He mocked.
Dee crossed the dirt lintel.
Remaining outside, Barbeau closed the door behind her.
Inside, Dee discovered an iron stove in the center of the structure.
Walking further within and finally able to see by the glow of the fire in the stove’s grate, she noted two men.
The one who opened the door was thin and possessed of dirty red whiskers.
The other was massive. His head was bald, and his nose was crooked.
He stood guard over her mother. Mother sat on the dirt floor, bound and gagged in a back corner farthest from the heat.
“Mmph.” Lady Aitken made to rise.
“Sit down, yer Ladyship.” Baldy ordered, shoving Mother’s shoulder to add emphasis.
“Unhand her,” Dee ordered and rushed to hug her mother. “Mother! Are you well? Are you hurt?”
Lady Aitken cast an accusatory glare at her daughter.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Dee removed the gag and released the knots that bound Mother. “Water,” she ordered to the air.
Whiskers leapt to comply and left the hut. He hadn’t questioned if he should take orders from her. Nor had Baldy done more than sneer at his partner’s eagerness to please.
He returned in a trice with a tin cup, which he offered to Mother
As Mother took her first sip, Barbeau entered the hut.
“Go get the preacher,” he ordered Whiskers. To Baldy he said, “Go down to the dock and signal our friends. Their passengers are ready to leave.”
The henchmen left.
Dee didn’t like having the men in different places. Of course, they might be easier to take down, one at a time. Not knowing how much time she had, she bent low and whispered to her mother. Under cover of their skirts, she slipped Mother one of her two pistols.
“Stop that whispering,” Barbeau shouted. “Sit over there.” He pointed Dee to a large rock on the opposite side of the stove.
Dee complied.
From her seat, she watched Barbeau pace. He occasionally thrust his hands through his hair and muttered unintelligibly to himself.
Long, silent moments passed with Barbeau pacing from one end of the small building to the other.
He paused once and stamped his foot. “Where are they? Those fools should be back by now.”
Dee had no idea what the problem might be, but now was the time to act. She nodded at her mother.
Mother gave a nod of her own and rose.
Barbeau turned to pace back in their direction at the same moment. “What are you doing? Sit down.” He grabbed Dee by the hair.
Dee could not restrain a wince and a small whimper.
“How dare you hurt my daughter.” Lady Aitken lifted her pistol and fired.
The shot caught Barbeau high on his left shoulder. The force of the impact compelled him to release Dee, stumble backward, and fall.
Dee leapt on him. She bashed his skull with the butt end of the pistol she’d kept.
Barbeau went limp.
Lady Aitken ran to hug her daughter
“Oh Mother, did I kill him?”
“I don’t think so,” a wry voice said from the doorway.
“Fontus!” She rushed to him. He folded her in his arms and kissed her.
Robin and their compatriot squeezed past the couple.
“I am glad to see you, Robin Somerville,” Lady Aitken said.
On the floor, Barbeau groaned.
Neither Dee nor Fontus noticed, too wrapped in each other and their kisses.
“Lady Aitken, please hand me those lines.” He indicated the bonds that had once held her captive.
“Of course.” She handed the ropes over with a grin.
“Thank you. While I take care of our injured friend, perhaps you could recall your daughter and her husband to our present circumstances.”
“Husband?”
“Ah, forget I mentioned that. I am sworn to secrecy and spoke carelessly.”
She laughed. “Not wise for a highwayman.”
“How did you know?”
“It isn’t difficult to learn the truth if one watches when you are gone and when the Captain rides.”
“I have retired.” He knelt beside the fallen man.
“Bien. Nonetheless, I regret I shall not have an encounter with Captain Moonlight to tell to my grandchildren.” Lady Aitken crossed the room, leaving Robin to deal with Barbeau.
Robin rolled the villain onto his belly.
“Owww.”
“It is your own fault for attempting to abduct women more than capable of defeating you on their own.” He secured Barbeau’s wrists behind his back. Then performed a similar action at the man’s feet.
On the other side of the room, Lady Aitken tapped Fontus’s shoulder.
“Ahem, Monsieur, unhand my daughter.”
Fontus lifted his head, gifting his mother-in-law with a beatific smile. “It’s all right. We are married.”
Lady Aitken attempted to repress a smile. “So, you say. However, I’ve not seen the marriage lines nor heard my daughter say she is wed to you.”
Dee looked at her mother then rested her head on her husband’s chest. “We are wed, Mother. Truly, Fontus has every right…”
“Perhaps,” the lady replied. “However, for a husband, he neglects you shamefully. Are you certain you wish to be married to him? Louis could probably persuade the pope….”
Dee gazed up at Fontus.
His heart in his throat, he stared back.
“Do you wish to remain my husband?” Her expression and tone gave no clue as to her own desires.
“With all my heart, forever and always.”
“There, Mother. You see he wants to be my husband.”
“And what of you, daughter? What of your wishes?”
“Yes, my love, do you wish to remain my wife?” Fontus asked.
She saw fear in his eyes and could not bear to tease him.
“With all my heart, my love. I will be your wife forever and always.”
He kissed her.
Her mother shook her head and turned back to Robin.
“These two will be of no help,” she muttered.
“Then you must assist me, Madame, please.” He gestured to a sack at his side.
“How?”
“Hold Barbeau upright while I dress him in my Captain Moonlight’s garb.”
Lady Aitken smiled. “You are very clever, Sir Robin. If everyone believes him to be Captain Moonlight, no one will believe a word he says about abducting me or my daughter.”
“I have retired my pistols for more law-abiding activities.”
“C’est dommage. I would so enjoy a kiss from the mysterious Moonlight.”
He grinned at her. “Alas, my kisses are promised elsewhere.”
“Ah, it was not meant to be. Let us get this canaille on his feet, and arrange for the homeward journey.”
They dressed Barbeau in Captain Moonlight’s cloak, gloves, mask and hat.
“It is good that you and our prisoner are of similar builds,” Lady Aitken remarked.
“Indeed,” Robin agreed. “Now he is properly attired, I can take care of Barbeau, if you will recall your daughter and her husband to reality.”
“Certainment.”
“Then I bid you adieu, madame.”
“You will not return to Normanton House with us?”
“I think it best if everyone believes I was otherwise occupied all night. I shall see you in the morning.”