Page 16 of His Unforgettable Bride (Bride Ships: New Voyages #4)
Sixteen
Overlook the deficiencies of others when conversing with them, as they may be the results of ignorance,
and impossible to correct.
G ray sprang out of bed, his heart pounding in his ears. A memory or a dream placed him in the middle of a confrontation. He closed his eyes, recapturing the image—sand, waves, the swing of a gun ramming his temple. Excruciating pain followed. And he recalled nothing more.
Real or a nightmare?
He dropped his face into his hands. If a genuine memory, did the image confirm he was a scoundrel, consorting with men who wielded guns? Heaven, please help him.
Wide awake and with dawn not far away, he lit a lantern and dressed. Thoughts of dancing with Juliet had kept him from falling asleep in the first place. Holding her in his arms was unforgettable. At least, he hoped it was.
He departed the room, then quietly descended the front staircase, starlight shining through the wide window above the door. There was no reason to rouse anyone else at the early hour, and his mind was still on Juliet. Her silken hair had carried a citrus scent, her skin felt breathtakingly soft, and her brilliant eyes were as enchanting as a fairy tale.
And her form…
When his foot touched the foyer floor, an envelope slid underneath the front door. Startled, he paused a moment. What in the name of heaven was going on? And who stood on the other side?
He rushed forward, picked up the paper, and quickly unlocked and opened the door. A cold December breeze rushed inside. He held up his lantern to find a small-built woman starting down the front step.
She paused in the darkness of the early morning hour. A dark hood enveloped the stranger’s hair and much of her face. “Where is Juliet?”
“Juliet?”
“You heard me.”
A warning bell clamored inside him. “Who is asking?”
“An old friend from Victoria.” She pointed at the envelope in his hand. “Give her that and tell her it’s urgent.”
His muscles tensed, wary of the stranger. “What’s your name?”
“You don’t know me.” She clearly had an American accent, so she couldn’t be Willow or Daisy, the friends Juliet had made on the bride ship. Or Willow’s sister Sage. Juliet hadn’t talked about any other friends. But that didn’t mean this woman was lying about the friendship.
Squinting, he peered deeper into the darkness and only spied a cat creeping in the yard. “Are you alone?”
“You don’t see anyone besides me, do you? Come on, fella. I don’t got all night.”
Although he hesitated to involve Juliet, she brimmed with compassion and would offer aid if required, especially for a friend. “Proceed to the rear of the house, and I shall determine if she desires to converse with you.”
The stranger cocked her head and studied him in silence. “You do that.”
Gray watched her stalk away before he shut and locked the door. Then quietly climbed the staircase. The sisters’ doors remained dark and closed—two small blessings. No need to awaken them and deprive the ladies of sleep.
In a few steps, he reached Juliet’s room, where a soft glow came from underneath her not fully-closed door. The inappropriateness of going to her bedchamber jabbed at his chest, yet he ignored the stab. “May I speak with you a moment?” he whispered.
Footsteps pattered before she opened the door a notch more. “What’s wrong?”
The intimacy of Juliet in her bare feet and cream-colored nightgown perked up his pulse. Her hair hung loose, falling over her shoulders and landing near her waistline. Her heart-shaped lips, a perfect cupid’s bow, locked his attention until he raised his gaze to her blue eyes.
“Perhaps nothing.” On the dance floor, she had smiled like an angel one minute, a vixen the next. She had fit perfectly into his arms as they waltzed around the drawing room.
Gray shook his head, regaining control of his wayward thoughts, and handed Juliet the envelope. “This is for you.”
“Me?” Her brow cocked before she reached for his wrist and drew him more fully into the room.
“I am surprised you are awake.”
She collected a shawl from a hook on the wall and tossed the knitted garment over her shoulders. “Why are you passing me a message? If you have something to say, go ahead.”
“The correspondence is not from me. A woman came to the door and wants to speak with you. She waits behind the house, though you need not go to her. If you wish, I shall ask her to leave.”
She drew a sharp breath before cupping her hand over her mouth. Then she unfolded the paper and read the message, her lips silently moving.
A small fire and a lantern combined to light the room, her bedding in disarray. Had memories of dancing also kept her from slumber? Or was his notion nothing but vanity?
A fuzzy memory surfaced inside him—a letter, a room with a blazing fire in the hearth, and sadness. Nothing more. What did it mean? He had no clue and would need to postpone his pondering until later. Juliet required his full attention now.
“Holy Moses,” Juliet whispered.
“What is happening?”
She tightened her shawl over her shoulders and hesitated for a moment. “Her name is Ruby O’Reilly. She swiped something from our old employer, hid it, and it went missing. Wrongly, she blames me.” Squinting, she reread her correspondence before lowering the letter. “I can’t understand all of her scribbles, but I puzzled out the main points.”
He extended his hand. “Let me read it. Perhaps I can make sense of the message.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“It has nothing to do with you.”
Their eyes locked. Then Juliet refolded the paper, tucked the slip down the front of her neckline, and lifted her brow to a challenging degree.
He blinked, not anticipating her hiding place. The odds of him hunting for the scrap stood at one and an infinite number. Unsure what to do with his hands, he stuffed them into his trouser pockets. “I insist on accompanying you.”
“All right, but you can’t listen to our conversation.” She looked at the floor. “All of this, in a sense, is tied to my past, and I’d be ashamed if you ever knew the truth.”
“I shall not judge you.”
“You might.”
He sighed. “I accept your terms, though you shall remain in my eyesight.”
“So be it.”
Their discussion had the faint ring of a negotiated business deal, but their agreement was more than a transaction. Juliet’s safety and welfare were potentially at stake.
He waited in the hallway as she changed, and then they tiptoed down the back staircase, across the kitchen floor, and outside through the back door. He held his lantern up to find Ruby leaning against the trunk of a barren oak tree, as a sliver of light brightened the eastern horizon.
“I’ll talk to you there.” Juliet started across the grass, pointing toward the tearoom.
“Who’s the fella?” Ruby straightened, and her stare remained brazen. “Your guard?”
“Never mind him.” With the shawl slipping off her shoulders, she advanced toward her foe on determined steps. “He’s no one.”
No one? The knot in Gray’s stomach tightened to a painful degree. He did not want to be a no one to Juliet.
He had been trying so hard to keep his growing feelings for her at bay, but at her easy dismissal, all those feelings rushed in to swamp him—desire, protection, and need. They swirled inside, hard and fast and strong.
How could he deny that she was becoming important in his life? The simple truth was, he could not.
* * *
Juliet’s pulse pumped at full force. Had Ruby remained in Everly since they last saw each other? More importantly, was she about to seek revenge since Juliet hadn’t located the money or the jewels?
Juliet paused near the teahouse and spun to face Ruby. “First of all, I don’t have what you seek. Your letter mentioned your vengeance. Whatever it is, spit it out.”
They locked gazes, and the tension grew heavy enough to pour into a pitcher. Finally, Ruby spoke again. “I ain’t hair-brained. The jewels got to be somewhere.”
“True, but they’re not here.”
“Iff’n you tell me where the Queen’s brooch is, I’ll leave you be.”
Juliet released an exasperated sigh. “Just go away, Ruby. Please.”
“Can’t.” Ruby’s voice dropped to a menacing tone. “Fact is, if you don’t hand over the jewels, then next time I’ll be coming with my man. And he ain’t happy with you.”
From the fresh bruises on Ruby’s face, he clearly wasn’t happy with Ruby, either.
“He said to tell you he knows those ladies you’re working for are rich, and he won’t mind raising trouble for them.”
Juliet winced. This was precisely what she’d dreaded—bringing danger to the sisters. “Please don’t harm them. They’ve not wronged you.”
Truthfully, neither had Juliet.
“Don’t matter. I’m gonna have a young?un in the spring and need that money now more than ever.”
Was it true? Ruby’s cape hid her belly. Juliet wasn’t so na?ve to think a woman had to be married to find herself with child, but it undoubtedly helped. “I’m not offering to steal for you, but can I help you another way?”
Ruby stepped a pace closer, fire in her eyes. “You’ll be helping me by fetching the money or the jewels. That’s all I need from the likes of you. And don’t go warning anyone or running to the constable. It’ll only make matters worse.”
“Worse? What could be worse?”
Ruby rapped her knuckles against the tearoom’s wall. “Such a shame if this joint burnt until crispy.”
Juliet gasped, and chills raced up her spine. She tightened her shawl to her neck. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Watch me.”
“Are you mad?”
“According to some folks, I suppose.”
She could try to reason with Ruby, but her gut told her not to bother. Little by little, her strength seeped away, and she wrapped her arms around her shivering body. Tears threatened, but she fought to hold them back. “Leave.”
Juliet turned toward the house, unable to look at Ruby a moment longer. Or to even breathe the same air.
“Next time I come, have it or else…” Ruby’s hiss followed her.
Juliet didn’t look back, only picked up her pace. A scrawny tabby cat sauntered through the yard, drawing closer until Gray stepped toward Juliet. The animal fled.
Had Ruby run off as well? Please, let it be so.
The first pastel shades of dawn had inched over the horizon, daylight ready to devour the darkness. Why couldn’t the same scenario occur inside her? All she wanted was a better life.
Gray reached her, the brightening sky capturing his worried face. “What is happening?”
He guided her toward the back door, but instead of entering the house, she sat on the hard stone step, hoping the cool air would chill her feverish thoughts. What a disaster. It was like being homeless again after her grandfather died, not knowing what to do next. How would she solve her impossible problem this time?
Gray lowered himself to the spot beside her. “Are you sure you don’t want to go inside where it is warmer?”
“Not yet.” She couldn’t return to her beautiful, shiny bedroom. She’d sit on the step and sort through her king-sized worry instead. There had to be a solution, didn’t there?
“Shall we discuss what just transpired?”
“I’d rather forget it forever, forget her forever.”
“How may I assist you?” Warmth radiated off his body.
She sidled closer to him. “I’m unsure anybody can.” Silence gathered for a minute or two as she mustered her courage. “She’s still accusing me of taking jewelry she stole. In particular, there was a brooch that once belonged to the Queen. Her man wants it and is threatening her over it. So now she’s threatening me…and said next time she comes back, I need to have the jewels or the money they’re worth. If not, she intends to steal from the sisters. She even threatened to burn down the tearoom.”
Gray pinched the bridge of his nose. “You have to tell the local constable.”
“Ruby warned me not to. But…” Juliet sighed. “You know how I feel about the law. Besides, the constable would probably take her word over mine.”
“You do not know that.”
In her gut, she did. Juliet loved that Gray believed in her innocence. But her association with Ruby left behind a dirtiness, something Juliet had tried to banish since her pickpocketing days. “I’m afraid you think less of me now, although you may not realize it yet.”
“Absolutely not.” Gray reached for her hand and clasped it firmly.
Warmth spread through her insides. From their first touch, he had awakened something inside her. It was almost an invitation to be vulnerable. And oddly, she nearly wanted to comply.
“If I am Alex Gray Sherwood, I am a criminal. Will you change your opinion of me after my identity is revealed or confirmed?”
“Of course not.”
“Exactly, and you have not done anything wrong, Juliet.”
The warm sting of tears hit the backs of her eyes, and she blinked them aside. But she had done a million things wrong in the past.
The stray cat returned and crept closer until it rubbed against Juliet’s shins. Then leaped into her lap. Its rotting rubbish scent twitched Juliet’s nose. Still, she petted the animal’s mangy fur, a patch missing on her hindquarters. Was the cat unkempt because nobody had cared enough to shelter her?
Between not enough sleep—due to Gray waltzing through her thoughts after their dance—and the confrontation with Ruby, fatigue swept over her. She released another weary sigh. “I feel stuck. I try to improve myself but can’t get a good footing.”
“Until my amnesia abates, I am stuck as well, trapped between the past and present. Maybe I shall dwell there forever.”
Now that he mentioned his dilemma, Juliet realized she had wedged herself into a similar slot—between long ago and the future. “I’m sorry.”
He raised her hand and kissed her knuckles.
Hard to miss tingles climbed her arm. Calm down . Everyone knew gentlemen kissed the back of ladies’ hands regularly. The intimacy probably meant nothing to him, yet it meant nearly everything to her.
“And I am sorry Ruby is trying to draw you into her troubles.”
“ Trouble happens to be my old friend.” She absently rubbed the cat that now purred. “After my grandfather died, his landlord shooed me away. I slept in an alley at first, then in someone’s cellar, though the owners didn’t notice for months. In time, I moved to a church.”
“A wise decision, was it not?”
“You’d think so, with the Bible preaching to help the downtrodden, but they forbade me from staying there.”
Gray winced, then cupped her hand in both of his. The tenderness was like a healing ointment to her scarred soul. He was thoughtful, caring, and perhaps the type of man she could fully bare her soul to.
“Always I scrounged for food. Then one day, I stole an apple from an old merchant’s full cart. In my mind, he had plenty to spare. Like most folks, he paid me no mind and didn’t notice.”
“You had to eat.” His tone was matter of fact, not judging in the least.
“I told myself that same thing. Soon I met a girl who introduced me to a Mr. Lanker, who offered shelter and safety.”
Gray stiffened. “In exchange for what?”
“Pickpocketing. I had a knack for nicking things, big and little—everything from food to jewelry. The night that ended my career, I’d chosen an elderly lady as my mark, and for a good reason. Her flashy necklace sparkled like a million stars at midnight. I could almost hear Mr. Lanker praising me after I handed him the goods.”
Juliet’s muscles tensed as she pictured the incident. A dusting of midsummer moonlight. Guests moving like cattle toward the street after a night of dancing. A kindly woman smelling like apple blossoms. “I pretended to fall and cry, and the gentle lady bent to assist me. It was sweet of her, really.”
“Indeed.”
“I snagged her emerald in two seconds flat. As I dodged the crowd, a fistfight broke out. One man’s right hook sent his opponent hurling against my shoulder, knocking me into a constable.”
“Then what happened?”
The lawman hauled me to the orphanage. I attempted to run away twice, but I was caught, beaten, and broken both times.”
Gray hugged her shoulders as the door behind them creaked open, and they sprang to their feet, the cat jumping down.
Cy stuck his head outside, his hair still unruly from slumber. Stocking-footed, he held a magazine under his arm. “You two better get inside. Tabitha is up for the day.”
Gray nodded at Cy. “Thank you for the warning.”
Once alone again, Gray reached for Juliet’s shoulder and squeezed. “You are not alone, Juliet. We shall solve this problem together.”
She hadn’t intended to confess so much, not for a minute. But he was a good listener. Somehow, he offered reassurance and safety, exactly what she needed most.
“I shall distract Tabitha while you slip up the back staircase.” Gray opened the door and headed inside.
She tarried outside a moment longer. Her hands had grown cold and stiff, so she stuffed them in her skirt pockets. As her fingers brushed Ruby’s note, her heart sprinted. She’d shoved the tattered paper inside after changing out of her nightgown.
What she touched was more than a scrap of paper.
She possessed evidence.