Gatehaven Page 22

  “Are you still planning to marry me?” she asked.

  “Of course.”

  For the first time since they left Scotland, the earl sounded like the young man she met and fell in love with, and she loved being in his embrace and feeling cherished again.

  “Oh, my lord,” she said tenderly. “I knew you would never betray me.”

  “Never. You must push that thought far from your mind.” He touched her chin gently and pulled it closer to his face.

  Shannon knew he was going to kiss her. She closed her eyes in anticipation.

  Bam.

  Shannon opened her eyes. Someone must have hit the earl over the head from behind. He lay on the floor. Bits of white china were all around him.

  “My love.” Shannon reached out with her arms. “Someone has harmed you.”

  “I did it.” Cally stepped into the light. “I hit him with the china vase.”

  “Why?”

  A cold hardness like metal darts shot from Cally’s dark eyes. “He deserved it.”

  “Deserved it?” Shannon couldn’t believe Cally would say such a thing. “How dreadful.” Shannon squatted down and wiped away a piece of the shattered china that had landed on the earl’s forehead. “You could have killed him.”

  “He planned to kill me.”

  “You are wrong about the earl. He would never do such a thing. But his mother hates me. She banished me from Gatehaven. She will think I did this.”

  “Another reason to leave.” Cally grabbed Shannon’s arm as if to pull her to her feet.

  “But the earl is in need of a physician. We cannot just leave him here.”

  “They will find him soon enough.”

  The muscles around Shannon’s mouth firmed, and her lips turned down. “But I love him.”

  “I loved him, too, once. You will get over him.”

  Shannon glanced toward the door of her room. “I must gather my belongings.”

  “Forget them.” Cally pulled Shannon forward. “Run for the stairs— while we still can!”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  THEY HAD ALMOST reached the down stairwell when Shannon heard rapid footsteps on the wooden floor. She paused. Cally moved ahead of her.

  Shannon looked back. “Someone is coming.”

  “Do not look back,” Cally instructed. “Keep going.”

  Shannon slipped in behind Cally. They headed down the flight of stairs.

  “When we get to the first floor,” Shannon whispered, “be very quiet. People will be running to and fro there. Someone might see us.”

  Cally nodded but didn’t say anything. But when she’d almost reached the bottom of the stairs, Cally stopped and glanced back at Shannon as if to say, what must I do now?

  “There is a door directly across the hall from the landing at the bottom of the stairs.” Shannon pointed to a paneled door that wasn’t completely closed. “See it?”

  “Of course.”

  “If we must, we could hide in there. It’s a small room where linen cloths and bedclothes are kept. I know because the door was open on the day I climbed these stairs the first time.”

  “I do not think we should hide,” Cally replied. “We must leave this place. We should keep going and hurry.”

  Shannon heard footsteps. “In the cloth room,” she insisted, “quickly.”

  Cally didn’t move as soon as Shannon expected. Shannon bumped into the back of her. The footfalls were growing louder.

  “Go on in,” Shannon demanded, “now.”

  Cally opened the door wider than she needed to. Shannon pushed against her back, and Cally went inside. Shannon followed after her and attempted to close the door.

  “Do not close it all the way,” Cally whispered.

  “Why not?” Puzzled, Shannon left the door open a crack, just as she’d found it. “They might hear us in here if we don’t close the door all the way, you know.” Shannon touched Cally’s shoulder and found that she was trembling. “Why, you are shaking! What is wrong?”

  “I cannot—I cannot abide the dark.”

  “We will be all right in here, Cally. Now move against the back wall and squat down,” Shannon whispered. “We are less likely to be seen if someone opens the door.” Shannon took Cally’s quivering hand and half dragged her to the back wall of the small room.

  The footsteps were just outside the door now. Shannon tensed.

  “Put your—put your hands over your mouth,” Cally whispered softly. “That way, if you want to scream, you can’t.”

  Shannon nodded, hoping Cally took her own advice.

  The footsteps moved on down the hall. Shannon hoped that meant she or he would soon be far away. The footsteps stopped abruptly.

  What could that mean?

  The footsteps became louder again as if someone was returning to the door. Shannon held her breath and hoped Cally was doing the same. All at once the door flung open. Shannon grabbed Cally around the shoulders, praying she wouldn’t scream.

  A stout woman in a maid’s cap and apron stood in the doorway with the light streaming in from the hall behind her. She pulled a cloth from the stack on the shelf to her left, and the entire stack of folded material fell in a heap on the floor.

  The woman cursed under her breath.

  Shannon held her breath. But Cally stopped shaking. She appeared to relax slightly. Perhaps with the door opened all the way, she didn’t feel as threatened by the closeness of the dark room as she had earlier.

  The maid took longer to find the cloths than Shannon would have expected. During that brief time while the door was open wide, she glanced at her surroundings. A strange bump on the wall about halfway up reminded her of a small hand latch that might be found on a door. It didn’t really look like a door latch. However she was fascinated with the possibility that it might actually be one. Later when the time was right, she intended to investigate that possibility to the fullest.

  The maid finished folding and restacking the cloths. She pressed the remaining cloth to her breast and closed the door all the way. Shannon held her breath, praying she wouldn’t lock it.

  Cally started trembling again—vigorously this time. Her breathing came in gasps.

  Shannon touched her shoulder. “What can I do to help?”

  Cally hesitated. “Nothing. I must close my eyes and try to sleep. That is the only thing that might help.”

  Cally had been so brave—even bold—upstairs when she confronted the earl. Now she seemed to have withdrawn into her inner self—afraid of every dark corner—every shadow.

  Something must have happened that caused Cally to have such a strong reaction to dark places. But this was not the time to question her about it. All Shannon could do now was hope that after a while Cally would stop shaking.

  At last, Cally must have gone to sleep. At least she stopped shaking. Her breathing became less labored. But Shannon was unable to sleep. Each time she felt she might drift off, she heard footfalls again.

  All at once Shannon heard loud voices and the sound of shuffling feet.

  “The earl was injured,” someone shouted. “We need to search the house!”

  Shannon shook Cally gently. “Wake up! We need to get out of here.”

  Cally jerked. “What happened?”

  “They must have found the earl.”

  “What can we do?”

  “Sit there a minute. I want to check on something.”

  Shannon stood. She began to feel around for the bump she saw earlier.

  “Wh—What are you doing?” Cally whispered.

  “Looking for another way out of here.” Shannon found the bump in the darkness. “Maybe I found one.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I will let you know when I know.” She pulled on the bump and heard a slight squeak.

  “What was that sound? What did you find?”

  “A door. The sound came from the door. Give me your hand and follow me.” Shannon reached for Cally’s hand in the darkness.

>   Cally’s hand trembled. “I am not going in. It is dark in there.”

  “It is also dark in here. But if we stay, someone will eventually open the door and find us. But if we go in there, it is possible that nobody will.”

  Shannon tugged on Cally’s hands, but she refused to move. “Come on. We must go.”

  “I cannot.”

  “You must, Cally.”

  “No, you go. I want to sit down and close my eyes again.”

  “Close your eyes, if you want to. But we have to get out of here—now. They could open that door at any moment.”

  Cally hesitated before saying more. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Put your hands on my shoulders. Walk directly behind me. And do not make a sound. I cannot tell how high the door is. So duck just to be safe.”

  Shannon felt Cally’s shaky hands on her shoulders. Carefully, she leaned forward and stepped inside. She hoped they weren’t walking into a trap and took another step.

  “Are you through the door?” Shannon asked.

  “I am not sure.”

  “I do not know how high the ceiling is,” Shannon explained, “but it is time to find out. Stand up straight, and watch your head.”

  Shannon stretched to her full five feet and four inches. She hadn’t bumped her head.

  “Stay exactly where you are, Cally. I am going to go back and close that door.”

  “Please do not leave me here in the dark alone,” Cally protested.

  “I will only be gone a minute.”

  Shannon felt around in the darkness in hopes of finding a wall of some kind. She took a step. A board squeaked. She reached out and felt something hard. Her fingers explored rough stones, placed side by side along the right wall. Shannon inched to the door and finally found the open space they must have walked through earlier. She reached out for the door and found it. However, finding the bump, if there was one, on her side of the door might not be easy in total darkness. She couldn’t pull the door closed all the way without something to hold on to, and there didn’t appear to be a knob of any kind on their side of the door.

  No matter.

  She would leave it open a crack, and they would move on.

  “I think I found something.” Cally’s voice sounded stronger somehow. “A railing. Yes, I feel a railing.”

  “Are there steps going down?” Shannon asked.

  “Give me a moment, and I will see.” Cally grew silent. “Yes, there are steps going down—one, two. Two steps and then a hallway.”

  “What a miracle,” Shannon said. “My father would say that the Lord is leading us home. I am beginning to believe it.”

  “This time,” Cally said, “you put your hands on my shoulders, Shannon.”

  “Does this mean that you are not afraid of the dark anymore?”

  “It means that I am about to escape from Gatehaven with my eyes wide open.”

  The hall ended at yet another strange door. They didn’t hear anything. Still, Shannon wondered if they should open it. Or what they might find if they did.

  Shannon moved ahead of Cally and pressed her shoulder against the door. It opened, and a weak light filled the crack between the door and the door’s frame. Best of all, she heard no squeak or any other sound.

  “I have my eyes closed again,” Cally whispered. “What do you see?”

  “I thought you said you were keeping them open. No matter. Anyway, I see light.”

  “Light,” Cally said aloud.

  “Shush,” Shannon warned. “We must speak in whispers.”

  Shannon went through the door and found herself in a long hall. Lighted candles on wooden stands were attached to the walls at intervals. She looked to her left and to her right but didn’t see anybody.

  “Come on out,” Shannon said. “I think I know where we are.”

  “Then tell me. Where are we?”

  “In the hall that leads to the door. Take your shoes off, and follow me. If I am correct, we should soon be out of Gatehaven forever.”

  They removed their shoes and tiptoed to the very end of the hall where the door was located. A candle on a stand was nailed over the door as if to light their way.

  Shannon reached for the latch. The door wouldn’t budge. “It is locked,” Shannon said. “The door is locked.”

  “What can we do?”

  “Find the key.” Shannon got down on her hands and knees and felt around on the floor. “Since a key is hidden on the other side of the door, perhaps there is one on this side, too.”

  Noises came from the up stairway. “Come on,” someone shouted. “Maybe they are below stairs.”

  Shannon heard footsteps, a lot of them, on the stairway nearby. Frantic, she searched for the key in earnest but was unable to find it.

  Maybe we should go back and hide where we were earlier again.

  Cally put something hard and cold in her hand. “Is this the key?” she whispered.

  “Yes. It must be. Thank you.” Shannon put the key in the lock and turned the latch. The door opened without so much as a tiny squeak. “Come on, and hurry.”

  They raced out. Cool fresh air welcomed them.

  “You go on,” Shannon instructed. “I must lock the door.”

  “I will wait for you,” Cally said. “But for you, I would still be locked inside.”

  Shannon locked the door. As soon as she put the key under the mat, she heard voices—perhaps as close as the other side of the solid wooden door.

  She started running.

  Shannon and Cally raced to the shadows of the trees and kept running. Shannon was panting by the time she decided it would be all right to stop. Still panting, she found a log and sat down on it. Cally sat down beside her.

  “Why are you so afraid of the dark?” Shannon blurted out without thinking.

  Cally didn’t reply.

  In hindsight, Shannon knew she shouldn’t have been so blunt. “Never mind,” she said. “I had no right to ask.”

  “Yes, you have the right to ask, you do. You earned it. And sometime soon I will tell you everything you want to know. But for now, I want to just sit here and get to know what it is like to be truly free again.”

  She must have been a prisoner on the fourth floor, Shannon thought. Maybe they also locked her in a dark room.

  But she didn’t actually share any of those thoughts verbally.

  The first glow of morning would soon be rising in the east, and if they hoped to reach the vicar’s cottage before daybreak, they would need to start out again.

  “Soon those at Gatehaven will stop looking for us inside,” Shannon explained. “They will search for us on the grounds around the mansion and beyond. I have a childhood friend by the name of Ian Colquhoun who is staying at a vicar’s cottage nearby. I have never visited the cottage. I know it will be difficult to find in the dark. But we have to try.” Shannon stood. “If you have rested enough, I guess we should go now.”

  “Yes,” Cally said. “Your friend sounds like the perfect one to help us.”

  “Then let us set out for the vicar’s cottage at once.

  At dawn, Ian set out for Gatehaven with the vicar’s dog at his heels. He didn’t know what happened at the dinner party in the main dining room on the previous night or whether Shannon was in even more danger. However, he knew the Frenchman attended that dinner, and that alone put her in peril. He hoped to persuade Shannon to change her mind and meet with her brother in the hope that Peter could convince her to leave Gatehaven this very day, if possible.

  Buster barked and ran ahead. The dog seemed especially frisky. Perhaps the cool morning air contributed to the animal’s sense of excitement. Ian would have to run to catch up with him.

  “Slow down, boy,” Ian urged. “The morning is young, and we are not in great haste.”

  Buster raced on, circled Ian a few times, and ran ahead again.

  Ian laughed, glad that the vicar’s dog seemed to enjoy their outing. But his thoughts kept returning to Shannon. He se
nsed that she might be in greater danger than ever before.

  Ian sat down on a log while Buster dug a hole in the damp ground. It must have rained during the night, making the soil ripe for exploration. He shook his head. Buster sure did like digging for bones.

  Ian thought of the bone Buster had found in those very woods—a human bone, according to the physician. He got up and moved toward the animal. Maybe he should check to see what Buster found so interesting.

  Ian leaned forward. He saw something white in the hole but couldn’t tell what it was.

  “Find yourself another bone, boy?”

  More soil was pushed aside. Ian thought he saw two bones—if that was what they were.

  “Stand back, boy. And let me have a try.”

  The dog growled, showing his fangs.

  Ian kept a leather choker around the dog’s neck now when they went walking in the woods. He pulled out a coil of rope attached to his belt and unwound it. A small hook was fashioned at one end. He held the coil of rope in his right hand. Quickly, he put it behind him and moved slowly toward Buster.

  The dog’s lips still curved in a snarl. Ian thought the animal looked as if he was ready to pounce at any moment—especially if his precious bone was threatened. Ian carried a bit of dried meat in the pouch he’d slung over her shoulder. He removed the meat and offered it to the dog.

  “Here, boy. I have something for you.”

  Ian crept closer, forcing his voice to sound as soft and non-threatening as possible. This time, he didn’t want Buster to jump for the meat, nor did he want to throw it near the dog. Buster would eat the meat from his hand or not at all.

  He knelt down. The meat lay temptingly across his open palm. Ian inched closer.

  “Want it, boy?” His voice sounded softer still. “Well, if you do, you are going to have to eat it out of my hand.”

  The animal’s ears perked up, and he wagged his tail. He barked and leaped toward him playfully.

  Normally, Ian would have petted the animal’s head, but his right hand was occupied with the rope. “Good boy.”

  While Buster gobbled a bite of the meat, Ian’s fingers found the hook at the end of the rope. He slowly brought his right hand around and fastened the hook to the leather collar around the animal’s throat. It was done so slowly and carefully, Buster didn’t appear to notice that he was captured.