Gatehaven Read online

  “I do try to keep the commandments and do the other things God’s requires, but I never thought—”

  “You should, and you should also read the Book of Ephesians chapter six and verse eleven.”

  “Forgive me, I cannot recall that particular verse.”

  “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

  “My friend, Miss Aimee, said her father gave her that very scripture in a note he gave her just before she left Scotland.”

  “Miss Aimee must have a wise father. He must have been washed in the blood of the Lamb—Jesus Christ.”

  “Yes,” Ian said. “Yes, he was. And Miss Aimee asked me how a human would ever be able to put on such a garment. I couldn’t say. It would be invisible, wouldn’t it?”

  The vicar nodded. “To the eye, yes, but perhaps not to the soul and spirit. It takes faith to put on the whole armor of God because you cannot see or touch it in the physical sense.”

  “Then how can it be done?”

  “I cannot say for sure. I can only tell you what I do.”

  “Please tell me, then. Pastor Petit used almost those exact words back in Luss when he explained how to bind evil spirits in the name of Jesus.”

  “Another wise man indeed, Mr. Colquhoun, and a dear friend of mine.” The vicar cleared his throat. “I put on the whole Armor of God in the order it is given in the Bible,” the vicar said. “I think it is important to do things in the proper order.”

  “Of course.”

  “Then let us begin.” He cleared his throat again. “First, I touch my waist and say in prayer that I am putting on the belt of truth. I touch my chest and say that I am putting on the breastplate of righteousness. I look down at my feet and say that I am putting on the shoes that will allow me to deliver the gospel of peace. I imagine that I am holding a shield and that I am taking the Shield of Faith. I touch my head with both hands and say that I am putting on the Helmet of Salvation. I imagine holding a sword in my right hand—which is the Word of God—and I pray for the Lord’s help for myself and for all God’s people. Touching one’s body is not mentioned with these verses, but it helps keep my mind on God and makes me feel safe.”

  “How often do you do that—put on the armor of God?”

  “I try to do it every morning and especially at night before I go to sleep. But should I forget, I do it when I remember.” He chucked softly. “Remember that I forgot.”

  Ian found himself scrambling for words as well as scripture verses. He’d never heard a preacher with such strength of purpose—such boldness. Where had he learned these skills? Whatever it was, Ian wanted it, too.

  “You must share this teaching with Miss Aimee and others.”

  “Yes, Pastor, I will.”

  “I have no doubt that you will.” The vicar paused before going on.

  “Have you ever heard of a pastor by the name of Jonathan Edwards, Mr. Colquhoun?”

  “I have not. But you mentioned the man in one of your letters to my pastor.”

  “Yes, indeed I did. We can all learn much from men like Jonathan Edwards, and I will be telling you more about him in the days and weeks to come. When you return to Scotland, you must share what you have learned with your pastor there. I did not tell him all I wanted to tell in the letters I sent. It will be up to you to inform him of what I dared not say, and since I don’t smell smoke anymore, I think it’s safe to go up to my room. I have much to do on the morrow.”

  The vicar had given Ian a lot to think about. In fact, he thought on what they had discussed all the way back to Leon’s house. But thinking upon those thoughts and acting upon them were not the same.

  Shannon was napping on the settee in the parlor when Ian arrived. He wanted to share with her everything the vicar had told him. Instead, he would read the letter that mentioned Jonathan Edwards. If only he could recall which letter he must read. At last, he found it. Ian sat quietly in a chair in the parlor while she napped, and read the letter once again.

  Dear Pastor Petit,

  Praise the Lord. What a pleasure it is to hear from a man who loves the Lord as I do. You asked how I know so much. But in my personal opinion, humans know little about the God of the Bible. We all have much to learn. Certainly I do. What I know, I learned from scripture reading. As you must know, the Bible is the best teacher of all.

  Nevertheless, there are so many things I would love to share with you. If only you could come to England so we could have a long visit.

  Did I mention that before I became the vicar here in the village of Fairs I spent time in the colonies? At that time, I heard a sermon given by an elderly clergyman who studied under a man named Jonathan Edwards. Perhaps you have heard of Mr. Edwards. He is not widely known among my peers in the English church. Some would not like what he has to say. Others might consider listening to such a man an outrage. Therefore, you must take care not to repeat the contents of this letter to anyone but your most trusted friends.

  In some of my future letters, I will try to tell some of the things the preacher said in his sermon. You will be amazed.

  Respectfully,

  Mr. Steen signed the letter with an unreadable script—perhaps to keep others from knowing his identity if the letter was lost. Ian put away the letter, and while Shannon continued to sleep, he studied the book on the meanings of words.

  All at once he heard a knock at the door. McGregor served as the Frenchman’s butler as well as his driver, but he was away from the house at the moment. Cook was probably out back in the kitchen house.

  Ian got up and opened the door. The physician who cared for Shannon on the previous day stood on the stoop.

  “Good day, doctor,” Ian said. “It is good to see you again. I stopped by your cottage earlier today. You were not home.”

  “Yes, Mr. Colquhoun, my wife told me.”

  “Monsieur Gabeau is not here. But please, do come in.”

  The physician nodded. “And how is Miss Aimee?”

  “She is sleeping at the moment, but feeling much better, I think.” Ian motioned toward the settee. “I will wake her, and you can judge for yourself. Then I will fetch Cook, and she will assist you. But first, I left an object in your home when I stopped by. Did you have a chance to look at it?”

  “Not yet. My wife had wrapped a cloth around it, and I brought it with me. But I haven’t had time to examine it yet.” He smiled. “Now I must take another look at the young woman to see how she is doing.”

  Ian woke Shannon. Then he found Cook and sent her to the parlor to assist the physician when he examined Shannon. He’d wanted to discuss the bone with the doctor at length. Maybe he would get the chance later on.

  The physician wrapped a clean cloth around Shannon’s ankle. Cook sat in a chair beside her. The doctor spoke to Shannon in whispers. Ian strained to hear but couldn’t.

  “See, Miss Aimee,” the older woman said in a loud voice. “Did I not tell you that your leg was not broken?”

  “Yes, ma’am, you did.”

  “I know your leg still ails you,” the doctor said. “But it is much improved.”

  “Perhaps Miss Aimee and her chaperone would like a quiet moment together.” Ian turned to the physician. “Come into the small dining room with me, sir. Let us give the ladies the time they need.”

  “Yes.” The doctor nodded. “That is a fine idea.”

  Ian led the way to the small dining room. The doctor followed him in, and Ian shut the door.

  Ian poured cups of warm tea into two white china cups, and the two men sat down at the table. The doctor’s wife had assured Ian that Lela and the boy were safe. Regardless, Ian wanted to inquire as to their well being before mentioning the bone.

  “Tell me about Lela and the boy.” Ian leaned forward in his chair. “I am eager to hear.”

  “As my wife told you, they are on their way to Ireland. Cook could lose her job when the Monsieur learns they are gone. And of course, I will never be invited to
this estate again.”

  “As I mentioned, Monsieur Gabeau is gone for the day. It could be several days before he discovers they are gone.”

  The doctor nodded. “That is my hope.”

  “Is there anything you can do to protect the cook when that grim outcome comes to pass?”

  “Many in the village know everything, and they will gladly hide Cook in their homes, if that becomes necessary.”

  “Thank you.” Ian paused before continuing. “There is something else I would like to discuss with you. It’s about the object I left at your house. It’s a—it’s a bone.”

  “A bone? Really. I didn’t know. What kind of bone would you say that it is?”

  “I am hoping you can tell me.”

  “You mean this?” The physician pulled a wrapped package from his black leather bag and opened it. His eyes appeared to increase in size. He stood and went to the window with the bone in both hands. He turned the object this way and that, studying it from every angle.

  “I cannot say what it is until I have had time to examine it further. Where did you get this bone, Mr. Colquhoun?”

  “The vicar’s dog dug it up in the woods not far from Gatehaven.”

  “Is that so?” The physician paused and looked down at the bone again. “I suggest you do a little digging of your own. See if you can find more of these bones. And if by chance you do, I should be most interested to see them. I would like to keep this bone. I want to study it in my laboratory.”

  “Keep it with my blessing. Though I know that at the moment you cannot tell exactly what kind of bone this is with any certainty. Can you tell me what kind of animal it came from?”

  “The human kind, I believe.”

  “What?”

  “I think the bone in question is not an animal bone at all. I cannot tell for sure until I have studied it more, but it might be the remains of a human being.”

  Ian was thinking about the bone and what the physician had said when they returned to the parlor. The cook went out to prepare supper, leaving Shannon in the room with the two men.

  The physician stood before her, leaning forward. “I think you should return to Gatehaven as soon as possible, young lady. Will you let me drive you there in my carriage?”

  Shannon shook her head.

  The doctor might not have known why Shannon refused to take his advice, but her non-verbal response was clear enough to Ian. She didn’t want to return to Gatehaven because the earl wasn’t there and Miss Foster was.

  The physician sent Shannon a stern look. “Monsieur Gabeau’s cook has many duties here, Miss Aimee. She must cook and clean for the Monsieur and his other guests and care for your needs besides; therefore, she cannot be a proper chaperone for you. But your chaperone, Miss Foster, has only one task to perform, and that is caring for you.”

  “I would rather stay here until the earl returns, sir.”

  The physician shook his head. “I disagree.”

  “So do I,” Ian put in.

  Shannon might be safer in Gatehaven with a witch as a chaperone than spend time in the presence of the earl or Monsieur Gabeau.

  It took a while, but Shannon finally agreed to return to Gatehaven. The physician drove her back in his carriage. Ian rode along.

  Even before the carriage stopped in front of the mansion, it was clear that the conference was still going on. Carriages were parked along the road, and fine horses were hitched to wooden posts.

  The physician turned to Ian as if Shannon was invisible. “Perhaps we should not go inside through the main entrance. We might bother those taking part in the meeting. Is there a back entrance?”

  “Yes.” Ian started off. “Behind the mansion. Follow me.”

  Ian led the way to the back of the house, hoping nobody noticed when he removed the key from under the mat. Shannon was able to walk a little, but she said that her ankle hurt when she did.

  “Let me carry her to her room on the second floor.” Ian scooped Shannon up into his arms. “It will be easier that way.”

  “Put me down, Ian. I can walk.”

  “Your ankle is weak, Miss Aimee,” the physician warned. “If you turned it again, it could break. For the sake of your health, we simply cannot take the chance that you might cause your leg injury to become more serious than it already is.”

  “Very well, if you insist.”

  They managed to get Shannon to her room on the second floor without being seen. Ian wanted to stay after the doctor left and visit with Shannon. But it wouldn’t be proper for him to do so. Still, he planned to wait in the hallway outside her door until Miss Foster returned.

  Ian was standing guard in the hallway outside her bedroom when he noticed that her door wasn’t closed all the way. He reached out to shut it.

  “Leave the door open a crack,” Shannon whispered from inside the bedroom, “so that we can talk.”

  “Aye. What would you like to talk about?”

  “Anything.”

  Ian thought of the teachings the vicar had given him at the inn. He wasn’t certain whether or not he told her that the vicar returned. He would tell her now. He would also tell her what the vicar said about the Armor of God and what Pastor Petit said about binding Satan during prayer time. Somehow he knew that these were things Shannon needed to know in a hurry.

  After he’d explained the teachings, Ian wanted to say that her brother was staying at an inn in Fairs and that the earl was every bit as bad as Miss Foster and the Frenchman. But she would not like hearing anything about Peter or anything negative about the earl.

  Shannon and Peter had never been close, and it would displease her to learn that her brother followed her to England. If Ian voiced his concerns about the earl, she could slam the door in his face and lock it from the inside.

  All at once, he heard footsteps.

  “I must go,” he whispered through the partly opened door. “Someone is coming.”

  Ian hurried into the vacant room across the hall from Shannon’s but left the door open a crack. Peering out, she saw Miss Foster amble down the hall toward her room.

  He couldn’t be found on the second floor. He would be expelled from Gatehaven forever. And who would look after Shannon until Peter could take over?

  Shannon didn’t even know Peter was in England.

  Miss Foster went into her room next to Shannon’s and shut the door. Ian had no reason to assume she suspected a thing. He slipped down the stairs and out into the night.

  The long walk back to Leon’s estate would be lonely without Buster nipping at his heels. As Ian strode back down the country road toward the Frenchman’s estate, he thought about the danger Shannon was in and all that had happened since he left Scotland. He and Peter needed to put their heads together and come up with a plan to rescue Shannon. If they waited until the earl returned, it might be too late.

  It was time to pray.

  Ian had almost reached the Frenchman’s estate when a carriage pulled up beside him. The door nearest to Ian opened.

  “Get in, Mr. Colquhoun.”

  Ian tensed. It was far from a request; more of a command. He started to ignore it and keep walking. However, this was not the time to ruffle feathers. Monsieur Gabeau was going to be angry enough when he finally realized that Lela, the boy, and perhaps his cook had left him for good. With a deep sense of reluctance, he climbed into the carriage beside Gabeau.

  “What were you doing out there after dark?” Leon demanded.

  “I believe I mentioned, Monsieur, that I enjoy a brisk walk in the night air.”

  Leon sniffed with more than a hint of sarcasm. “Foolishness.”

  Leon wasn’t taken in by Ian’s flimsy explanation. The young man was up to something, and he intended to find out what. The supper served at the conference that evening wasn’t to his liking, and he intended to have Cook fix him a cup of tea and a nice bowl of chicken soup. But when he arrived at his house, the only person he saw was McGregor, his butler/carriage driver.

&nb
sp; “Where is Miss Aimee?” the Frenchman shouted to his servant.

  “She was not here in the parlor when I arrived, Monsieur, nor is she now.”

  “That is obvious! Are there no thoughts in your head?” Gabeau glared at McGregor for a moment. “Where is she?”

  “It is rather late,” Ian put in. “Perhaps she turned in for the night.”

  “I suppose Cook is with her,” Leon said.

  “No, Monsieur. She might have been earlier, but when I arrived she was preparing to go home.”

  “Go home?” Leon’s muscles tightened, and his heart became a hard lump in the middle of this chest. “She knows not to go home when I hired her to do a task for me.”

  “Cook was ill, sir,” McGregor said. “Sick to her stomach, she said.”

  “Well,” Leon continued. “Don’t just stand there. Go get her. And if she is too sick to come back tonight, bring that daughter of hers.”

  “Yes, Monsieur.” McGregor sent Ian a cold glance and went out the front door.

  “I think I will go up to my room now, Monsieur, if that is agreeable to you,” Ian said. “It’s been a long day. I am tired.”

  “No wonder with all that walking. But won’t you stay and have supper with me before you go up, Mr. Colquhoun?”

  “Thank you for the kind invitation, but I have no desire for food at the moment. Just sleep. Perhaps I am a little under the weather as well.”

  Leon sniffed. “Be gone with you, then. And let us hope that you will be more sociable on the morrow.” n

  Ian was amused by Leon’s distress but he tried not to show it. He could only imagine what was going to happen downstairs when the Frenchman learned that Cook, Lela, and the boy had left his estate for good.

  Ian lit the lamp as soon as he came in his room. After undressing and climbing into bed, he put on the whole Armor of God for the very first time. He’d been reading the book on the meaning of words for about half an hour when he heard a commotion going on downstairs. Shouting and loud voices filled the air, and what sounded like lamps or dishes crashing to the floor.