ANDREW, ADAM, CHRISTOPHER, Clayton, and Jamie were at the Maddens’ home, while Richard, Stephen, and Michael stayed at the Wade’s with the girls. It was a long wait for a ransom demand and Andrew was about to rip out his hair.
Finally, four hours after the girls were taken, a young boy arrived at Clayton’s home and handed him a note. Christopher pulled him inside by his collar and wouldn’t let him leave. “Where did this come from?”
“I don’t know, sir. A man paid me to bring it here,” the boy said, shaking in fear.
“You don’t remember anything about the man who paid you?” Christopher growled.
“Chris,” Jamie admonished and then turned to the boy and asked a little softer, “What did the man look like, son?”
The boy shrugged. “I don’t know. He had a strange voice… he wasn’t from here.”
“Did he sound southern?” Clayton asked. “Or British?”
The boy shrugged. “I guess.”
“What’s your name?” Jamie asked.
“Jimmy, sir.”
Jamie nodded. “All right, Jimmy. It’s getting dark. We’ll have a groom escort you home.”
Jimmy puffed out his chest. “I’m ten years old, sir. I’m old enough to get myself home.”
Jamie patted his head. “I can see how mature you are. However, it would make me feel better if a groom took you home. There will be no arguments about it.”
Jamie retrieved one of his men. The soldier changed into civilian clothes one of the grooms loaned him. On the way back to the house, Jamie gave him instructions. “Take the boy home and then wait. He may try and meet up with the men again. If he leaves the house, follow him. Then meet us back at Dr. Wade’s.”
Jimmy was waiting with Clayton on the front porch, and Jamie shoved him onto the horse behind the soldier. “Jimmy, this is Robert. He is going to take you home.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Jamie watched them ride away and then followed Christopher back to Clayton’s office. Clayton handed them drinks as they walked inside.
“What does the note say?” Jamie asked.
Clayton opened it and began to read it out loud. “We have Mrs. Whitman and Mrs. Simmonds. You have information and funds we need. Meet me at ten at the Willows in the square and we’ll discuss an exchange.”
“All right, so Adam and Andrew need to go to the square,” Clayton said.
“A distraction, perhaps?” Christopher said.
“How so?” Adam asked.
Jamie sipped his whiskey. “Your cousin approached Gwen on both the platform and the train, and seemed to know a lot about her.”
“Not just Gwen,” Christopher said. “Hannah said that he knew more about her and it rattled her. He asked several questions about Clayton and Emma and said he was disappointed we all weren’t traveling together.”
“Perhaps they were going to try something then if we had been?” Clayton asked.
“So, what you’re saying is that even though Gwen and Liza have been kidnapped, they weren’t the initial targets?” Andrew asked.
“Well, Gwen wasn’t,” Clayton said.
“Hannah and Emma were the original targets, but Hannah and Gwen would have been interchangeable, because it was about getting to Chris and Clayton,” Jamie said.
Adam’s face fell. “Edward took Liza for personal reasons.”
Andrew swore. Jamie tipped his drink towards him. “Andrew, we can find out why when we find them. Let’s not waste time.”
“Elizabeth’s pregnant,” Adam whispered. “Oh, God. What if something happens to her?”
“We’re going to get them, Adam,” Jamie said.
Adam stared at his glass. “She can’t lose another child. It will destroy her.”
“Adam. We will find them,” Christopher said.
“Bloody hell,” he bellowed and threw his glass into the unlit fireplace.
The glass shattered and sprayed onto the surrounding hearth. Jamie squeezed his shoulder.
“Assuming this is a trap, they obviously know who we all are,” Clayton said.
Christopher nodded. “True.”
Jamie rose to his feet. “So, it would be ludicrous for any of you to try to go in there.”
“What other option do we have, Jamie?” Andrew asked.
Jamie shrugged. “I’ll go.”
“No! Jamie, it’s suicide,” Christopher said.
Jamie leaned against the desk and shook his head. “They don’t know who I am.”
Clayton set his drink on the mantel. “But they’ll be expecting someone, so they’ll be on guard.”
“I have an idea,” Jamie said.
“What are you thinking?” Clayton asked.
Jamie laid out his plan and the men walked back to the Wades’ to join the women and fill them in.
* * *
Gwen heard the bolt slide on the door and stood to await the servant while Elizabeth feigned sleep on the bed next to her. The servant carried a tray into the room and Gwen put her finger to her lips. “She’s not feeling well, so I told her to sleep,” Gwen whispered.
The maid nodded. “Yes mum.”
Gwen walked to the tray. “Oh,” she said disappointedly.
The maid frowned. “Is there a problem, mum?”
“Well, I see a lovely bottle of wine here, but my sister cannot stomach it.” Gwen clasped her hands at her chest. “Would it be too much trouble to get a pot of hot tea?”
“Not at all, mum. I’ll return shortly.”
“Thank you.”
The maid curtsied and walked out the door. Gwen heard the bolt close and Elizabeth sat up. “So, what now?”
“Well, we have a bottle of wine.” Gwen picked up the bottle. “A good weapon, I think. And once she brings the tea, that will be a good weapon as well.”
“Are you saying we hit them with a full bottle, or do you intend to drink it first?”
Gwen giggled. “Good question. Might be more fun if we drank it, but perhaps not as effective. We might trip in the midst of our blow, or get confused by two possible targets in front of us.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Does your humor come from your brothers?”
Gwen shook her head. “No, my father is entirely guilty.”
Elizabeth sighed. “It took me years to get used to Adam’s.”
“Why?”
“He’s both dry and sarcastic, and I never knew if he was jesting.” Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “My family is very reserved… Andrew’s really the black sheep of the family with his joking ways.”
“I can see that,” Gwen said. “How did you two meet?”
Elizabeth smiled. “Our family visited England when I was seventeen. One of Mama’s friends thought it would be the perfect place for me to find a husband… not that they told me that. They just said we were going on holiday.”
“How did you feel about that?”
“I was angry. I kept my feelings to myself, though, because I really wanted to see the world, and I thought England would be a good start. We’d been there a week when Mama and I were invited to afternoon tea with one of the ladies of the ton.”
“The ton?” Gwen raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“Who.” Elizabeth pursed her lips. “They are Britain’s high society. I hated every minute of it, but Mama begged me to go with her. She felt it would be important for me to meet these people. So I did. I conversed politely and smiled often, and then it was finally time to go and I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. As we were being escorted to the door, Edward and Adam walked in.”
Gwen raised an eyebrow. “Did you fall in love with Adam on the spot?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “No.”
“Really?” Gwen couldn’t hide her surprise. “Isn’t he a duke?”
Elizabeth shrugged. “He’s the second son of the Duke of Whitman, a little-known branch of the nobility.”
“What about Edward?”
“Well, he was a little more important than Adam, which he told me every time he could corner me somewhere, however, I wasn’t impressed… with either of them. I just wanted everyone to leave me alone, and I think that might be why Adam was so intrigued with me.” Elizabeth pulled out a handkerchief. “And probably why Edward was as well.”
“The fact you didn’t care about titles?”
Elizabeth nodded. “It was funny, because Adam and I became friends. He never tried to corner me the way Edward did, although he was there to rescue me from several uncomfortable situations. Adam and I were able to have long walks and talk together for hours. Apparently, I’m the first woman he’d met who wasn’t looking for a well-titled husband. I just wanted to see the country and delve into the history.” Elizabeth ran her fingers over the threadbare coverlet and glanced at her hands. “When it was time to leave London for the countryside, I found a letter waiting for me at the estate where we were staying. It was from Adam. I was devastated.”
“Why?”
“He’d written me a love letter.” She wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I was certain that the only reason he’d written it was because Edward had already confessed his love for me and Adam was competing for the prize. I was after all, the forbidden fruit.”
“Oh, Elizabeth.” Gwen sat next to her and took her hand. “Did you write back?”
“Once.” Elizabeth bit her lip. “After his fourth letter, I wrote back to him to tell him we were returning home. I didn’t get another letter before we left, and when we returned home, life went back to the way it was. Until…”
“Until?”
“He showed up one day. Less than a year after we returned home. He found me and said he was determined to win my hand.”
“How romantic.”
Elizabeth pulled her handkerchief out again. “It didn’t feel that way at the time.”
“What happened?”
“He seemed to be everywhere I was. I had few close friends, and other than my family, no one had ever claimed to love me so completely before. I didn’t believe him at first.”
“Poor Adam,” Gwen said with a smile.
“No, poor me. I was not prepared for that man and he had no intention of letting me get used to the idea of him. He just pursued me, for close to six months, until I could no longer ignore him. Then his brother showed up.”
Gwen raised an eyebrow. “Was that a bad thing?”
Elizabeth stood and began to pace the small space. “Well, he has a large family, several siblings, but this particular brother arrived with the sole purpose of making certain everyone was aware of how unsuitable I was for Adam. I was from the colonies, after all. I didn’t have a title, and although my parents have been blessed, we certainly don’t have the level of wealth the Whitmans do. His family thought I was trying to trap him into marriage.”
“What did you do?”
Elizabeth dabbed at her eyes. “I told Adam to go home and never come back.”
“Did he?”
“His brother dragged him to the docks and I spent the morning on my bed sobbing, because I’d finally realized just how much I loved him. I was devastated that he was leaving me and angry with myself for not letting him know how I truly felt, and then angry with him for leaving. Christine tried to help, but I was inconsolable.” Elizabeth sighed. “My family had been in and out of my room all day. I wouldn’t eat or drink anything and they went from consolation to bargaining to anger. I wouldn’t budge. I just couldn’t. I missed him too much. Late that afternoon, I heard my door open and a hot cross bun was put on the pillow next to me. I turned to tell my family to leave me alone and there was Adam. Standing next to the bed with roses and looking just as miserable as I felt.”
Tears started to fall down Gwen’s face.
“He told me that when he and his brother got to the dock, he realized why I’d sent him away and apologized for letting me. He told his brother exactly where to go and hired a cab to bring him back to me. He vowed that we would never be separated again and we haven’t. Not even to sort out his affairs at home. He asked a trusted friend to take care of his estates and we were married.”
“What about his family now? Do they accept you?”
“It’s somewhat divided. His older brother does not and subsequently, neither does his wife. He has managed to turn one brother and one sister against me, but his mother and the other two came for the wedding, and I’ve grown quite close to them.”
Gwen wiped her tears with the back of her hand. “It’s so romantic, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth smiled slightly and then took a deep breath. “You know, Gwen, you’re right. It is. I haven’t told that story for years.”
“You should, Elizabeth. It’s a wonderful story.”
Elizabeth started to sob.
“What’s amiss?” Gwen asked and put her arm around her.
“Oh, Gwen, I have treated my husband shamefully over the past few years.”
“How so?”
Elizabeth buried her face in her hands. “I have withheld myself from him, railing at him in pain and frustration over the loss of our children. I have never once thought about the loss he may have suffered, and yet he continues to pursue me with a love that is all encompassing. I have been the worst kind of shrew.”
“Or a grieving mother,” Gwen pointed out.
“But that’s all I’ve been. I haven’t taken the time to be thankful for the blessings in my life. I have been so selfish. And now, we’re stuck in this room and our husbands are walking into a trap, and I didn’t tell him I loved him today. He told me three times how much he loved me and I smiled, but said nothing. Nothing, Gwen!”
Gwen pulled her further into a hug and stroked her back. “Well then, let’s make certain we get out of this safely and you can tell him as many times as you like.”
Elizabeth chuckled sadly. “Where does your infernal joy come from?”
Gwen laughed. “Probably from Quincy. He has always told me not to borrow trouble.”
Elizabeth pulled away from Gwen and blew her nose.
Gwen bit her lip. “Let’s put a plan in place to hit our captors and knock them out. Then we’ll escape.”
“If we do, Gwendolyn, we don’t know what’s at the bottom of those stairs. There could be several men we need to get past,” Elizabeth countered.
“Yes, I know.” Gwen sighed. “But we have to try something! We can’t let our husbands walk into a trap.”
“What makes you think they will?”
Gwen raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
Elizabeth sat on the bed. “Well, your brother and Clayton have been doing this for a while, and I have a feeling they’re putting their own plan in place. Perhaps we should wait this out a bit longer.”
Gwen sat next to her. “How much longer?”
“Let’s wait until midnight. By then, the majority of the house should be asleep and probably only awake in shifts. If nothing has happened, then we’ll go with your idea,” Elizabeth suggested.
“All right. You might have a point. In the meantime, let’s eat something, I’m starving.”
“Your husband is rubbing off on you,” Elizabeth quipped and Gwen giggled.
The girls made plates and thanked the maid when she brought the tea. They sat down to enjoy what turned out to be a nicely prepared chicken.
* * *
Back at the Wades’, the group was gathered in the parlor and Sophie seethed at her husband. Andrew winced at the anger pouring off her and the fact that she was displaying so much emotion in front of an audience.
Sophie paced the floor. “You are not going in there.”
Jamie smiled. “Baby, it’s going to be fine.”
“No. You are not going,”
“I have to go,” Jamie argued. “They know everyone else.”
Sophie blinked back tears and Jamie drew her into his arms. “Ten-Cow, nothing’s going to happen. You’ve taught me a flawless southern accent, which Clayton has approved of, I might add, and no one will know I’m there for subterfuge.”
“I just got you back!”
Jamie rubbed her back. “And you’ll get me back again. I’ll only be gone for a few hours.”
Sophie pulled away from him. “You can’t go alone.”
Jamie pulled away slightly. “If I take someone with me, will you feel better?”
Sophie bit her lip. “Ten.”
Jamie frowned. “Ten what?”
“Ten men. You can go with ten men,” she said.
He smiled. “I can’t go in there with ten men, but would three work?”
“Five.”
“Two.”
“James,” she said exasperated.
“Sophie,” he mimicked.
“Fine, three.” Sophie jabbed a finger into Jamie’s chest. “But I want to approve your uniforms.”
Andrew raised an eyebrow at Christopher, who grinned.
“And guns. You’ll all carry guns.” Sophie held up two fingers. “Two each.”
“Of course, sweetheart.”
“Don’t!” she warned and smacked his chest.
Jamie laughed. “Sorry, baby.”
“You’re going to make it up to me later, because I won’t be able to sleep.” Sophie sighed. “Now, I’m going to check on our child. You know, the one upstairs who absolutely, positively shouldn’t grow up without a father.”
“Oh! Right, that one.” He smiled down at her. “I thought perhaps you were talking about my other one.”
She stuck her tongue out at him and then went upstairs.
“What was that?” Christopher asked.
Jamie laughed. “I was using the tone she hates.”
“Ah,” Christopher said. “That must be a universal tone for all men.”
“Gwen hates it as well,” Andrew said.
“We all hate it,” Emma retorted.
Daniel cleared his throat and gave a curt nod. “Sir, Robert has arrived.”
Jamie nodded. “Send him in.”
Robert entered the room and removed his hat. “The boy left again and led me to a run-down group of housing on the south side of the city.”
Robert proceeded to give exact directions, and then Jamie offered him food and drink before he went back to camp. Sophie returned to the parlor and settled herself next to Jamie on the settee.
“Now that Robert has given us the information, we need to get down to business. I’d like my wife home before midnight,” Andrew said.
“I’m going to take three men with me and we’ll get them,” Jamie said.
“I’ll go with you,” Stephen said.
“You will not,” Christine said with a gasp.
“They won’t know me, sweetheart,” he argued. “Jamie needs as much support as he can get.”
Christine shook her head. “It’s dangerous.”
“Not if we’re backing each other up,” Stephen argued.
Unlike Sophie, Christine closed up and walked out of the room. Stephen followed.
“We really should go, Andrew,” Adam said.
“Except you have to meet your cousin at the square,” Jamie pointed out.
Adam let out a breath of frustration.
“I have an idea,” Sophie said.
“Okay,” Jamie said.
“Play drunk.”
“Say again?” Christopher said.
“Well, if you all pretend you’ve been drinking, you’ll be seen as fellow soldiers who are not a threat. We’ll stink you up, rip a few holes in the uniforms, and go from there.”
“That could work,” Clayton said.
Sophie nodded. “We could distract them, and then perhaps Andrew and Adam could show up after their meeting.”
“We’ll also be close behind and out of sight,” Christopher said.
“I wish I wasn’t pregnant,” Emma said. “I’d make a good whore, don’t you think, Clayton?”
Clayton pinched the bridge of his nose. “Emma.”
“What? At one time, you thought I was a prostitute. Don’t you remember that, sweetheart? It was so funneee!”
Clayton scowled. “Emma, I did not!”
“The guys could be patronizing me and trying to find a place to use my services,” Emma said.
“Stop it, Emma.”
“I could do it,” Sophie piped in.
“No way,” Jamie said.
“Why not? I’ve got the Cleveland,” she said.
“Technically, you have Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and all surrounding areas, Soph,” Emma quipped.
Andrew frowned. “Something to do with Ohio?”
Sophie giggled. “It’s code, Andrew. Sister stuff.”
“No,” Jamie said.
“Baby, come on. Who better than me? I act, I sing, I just don’t dance,” she said with a smile. “You’ll keep me safe.”
“So will we,” Clayton piped in.
“You better,” Emma said.
“Stop it! All of you. You’re speaking as though it’s been decided,” Jamie said.
“Baby,” Sophie said quietly. “You and Clayton taught me and Emma to shoot—perhaps not as well as Hannah does, but I can hit a target. You also taught the three of us to defend ourselves physically. I’ll be fine. We’ll take Samson with us, and I’ll escape if it gets too dangerous.”
Jamie started to pace and ran his hands through his hair.
“Lamie…”
Sophie held her hand up to Emma and put her finger to her lips.
Jamie continued to pace. “Samson must be within a yard of you at all times.”
Sophie smiled. “I promise. Okay, come on sisters. Help me find something to whore up, while I work on the uniforms.”
She led Hannah and Emma upstairs and asked Jamie to send Christine and Nona when they returned.