Rachel's Story

Chapter 12

“Just…how did you manage to find me today, Mr. Fairfax?”

Andrew looked at her a little sheepishly. “I should have found you much earlier, and I berate myself for the incident as it is; I fell into one of the oldest ambush traps known to man. Three men were lying in wait for us around a lonely corner yesterday with a fallen tree blocking the road, and just as I brought the carriage to a halt before the obstruction Hargrove hit your head from his perch behind the buggy. To think that the footman is sent along with young women for safety!” he scoffed bitterly, before returning to his narration.

“I was not prepared for such a sudden attack, and was overpowered before I knew what had happened. They had hoped to buy my silence for the kidnapping, but my refusal sealed my fate and they hit me till I fell unconscious as well. I really do not know why they didn’t finish me off then and there; but whatever their reasons, they bound me and brought me into the house as well as you, though I was put in a different room. I suspect Hargrove to be behind this move; he knew that I was suspicious of him at Denbries and might have hoped to grill me later about what I knew. As it was, it took me the rest of the day to recover my consciousness, escape my bonds and finally get out of my prison. Luckily enough I …ahem… happened to have a hairpin in my pocket with which I could pick both my lock and yours when I found you. The fears and remorse which coursed through me on that search – if anything had happened to you…!” he ended feelingly.

Rachel’s heart soared at the evidence of such regard for her safety, though her rational side argued that it was mostly guilt about a blameless person getting into trouble on his behalf. And she felt rather guilty herself now; he must have been as famished as herself, not to mention the beating he had received yesterday. Yet he not only acted with promptitude and poise throughout their unbelievable escape, but also gave up the food to her without keeping even a tiny bit for himself.

Within a few minutes of resuming their walk, Andrew explained that they had been imprisoned in an abandoned lodge which seemed to be some distance away from any civilized habitation, and he could not recognize any landmarks in their hurried escape; but they were not in a particularly barren part of England and there was still hope. In short, he believed that though he did not know where they were now, Rachel should not despair of ultimately reaching some decent shelter if they kept on moving forwards. Suddenly, he turned a beseeching look towards her.

“Your predicament is due to us and therefore, your security is my single consideration now Miss Warren. I know of a perfectly safe place where you could go to stay till the whole situation has resolved itself – but I have a request to make of you. It would be very understandable if you refuse and I and Mira would never hold it against you, but I cannot not ask you either. Miss Warren, if we simply vanish now without a trace the men would search intensely everywhere, but they would also be keeping an eye open at Carillon Hall in case we decide to return there. You see, Mira – my cousin, the one in hiding – is still there. This increases the danger she would be in and, without me around to protect her, I fear for her life. On the other hand, if we appear somewhere publicly for a short while before disappearing, the attention will be shifted from Denbries and my cousin can remain there safely till her danger is removed.

“So the request I have to make is this – we go to Brighton in a hackney from the next village. I’m well-known in Brighton, but Mira is only known by reputation so there would be no chance of your being recognized as an imposter. We need to be there only for a few days (and you will remain out of public sight in any case), before publicly booking a ticket on some outward-bound ship for us as a red herring and instead escaping on foot across country. My idea is that once the searchers hear about your appearance in Brighton, they will conclude that we escaped by sea. In the worst case, their search will be conducted in its periphery and the heat will be lifted from Denbries. I will take you to the village of Headley Down in East Hampshire where my old nurse Miss Trevelyan will harbor you till the threat to your life is past.