Page 32 of Jaxon (Gentlemen of War #4)
Amelia
Jack took me by the hand and led me through the great room, whisking me past the dining room and kitchen until we reached his personal study. “How is Mrs. Gentry handling the injuries?” he inquired as we hurried along.
“She is attending to Jesse now,” I said. “The wound was not as severe as Henri’s.” I had initially dashed upstairs behind her to lend her a hand, but since sutures were unnecessary, she sent me off to check on Daisy and Anna once more.
The poor girls had not budged from the couch since the whole ordeal began. After the men entered the house without Jack, I went looking for him, spotting him outside, deep in conversation with Zachary.
Crossing the threshold of the study, I tried to steady the staggering upheaval of my pounding heart. “Wh—what is happening, Jack?” I stammered. “Why are people getting hurt?”
He didn’t answer as he warily closed the door behind us. The first scent that reached my nose was that of timeworn leather and dust but, the further I stepped inside, the more I smelled something more earthy… like Jack.
There was only one bookshelf with volumes and tomes of various widths lining two of the four shelves, a handcrafted clock with carved miniature animals, a portrait of a young boy in a stiff suit, and in the center, a beautiful dark mahogany desk with only one chair facing it. The chair, however, offered finely carved inlay and a wonderfully upholstered red leather seat.
My cheeks flushed as the intimacy of the room enveloped me. Though we had stood alone in the stable, the horses’ snorts and shuffles somehow convinced me were amongst others.
Here, in this space, we teetered on the edge of scandal—utterly alone—and because of the whirlwind of recent events, it felt as though our time in the stable was ages ago, yet only one hour past when Jack’s lips found mine. My eyes darted to them now, a silent plea to an encore as the intoxicating memory surfaced.
But Jack would not kiss me again.
My heart hammered beneath my ribs. He made it abundantly clear in the stable that he had blundered—a mistake that he genuinely regretted. The seriousness etched into his expression now sealed it.
“Jack speak to me. Are you well?” I hesitantly questioned. Of course, he was not well, two of his friends were attacked. What a ridiculous thing to ask. “I—I mean, I know things are not well, but I am worried for you.”
He led me forward and offered the sole chair for me to sit in, but I could not. I circled around and faced him directly.
“You can tell me anything,” I encouraged. “Please?”
He released my hand and a profound emptiness lingered in its place as he pushed the hair from his eyes, tucking the long strands behind his ears. This made it so much easier to see his eyes… those beautiful blue eyes. He sighed, pinching the top part of his nose as if he had the beginnings of a megrim. “I wish to tell you the whole truth of my situation.”
“Whole truth?” There is more? My heart beat faster.
“But I fear it will take longer than time allows.”
I kept still not wanting to interrupt.
“The shortened tale is that, during the war, I worked for Britain’s Alien Office, the spy network during the years of 1812-1814. I uncovered a deep-rooted traitor organization with ties to members of the ton .”
My eyes widened with this news.
“I had not gotten far with this information when I had been apprehended and tortured.”
My eyes fell to his wrists where he distractedly rubbed them. For the first time, I noticed faint marks around them. How had I not seen them before? Instantly my heart ached for him. He had been through a ghastly ordeal.
“I do not know how I came to be released, but I woke up in the home of Claude and Henri Dupont and…” he shared a long look. “Without any memory of who I was.”
“No memory?” I gasped and covered my mouth with my free hand. “That’s dreadful.”
“It was all I knew until Zachary found me at Waterloo and my memory began to surface. Upon my return to England, my mind was suddenly flooded with my family—father, mother, brother, and sisters—my childhood at Eton, my years at Oxford, my friends, society… it all came back, but what also returned was the dangerous knowledge I carried with me. I had recognized some of the faces at a soiree as the ones who had held me captive.” Jack began to pace in the tight space as he spoke. “I knew that a man had searched for me in France, but did not know he came to Hartley House, our family estate, until a groom was injured in the altercation.” He stopped and looked at me again, but he was no longer within my reach. “The night before the Byrne ball, someone broke into our home in Mayfair. That was when I realized I needed to disappear. My friends, Lord Zachary, Hunter Matthews—Lord Devon, and Lord Lucas Walsh have been secretly doing their part on my behalf in London after my father banished me.”
“Your father banished you?” My mind raced back to that night, and I recalled some of the heightened whispers through the room but knew nothing of their specifics.
He smiled partially and I thought my heart would burst. Jack had this way about him that I had never felt in the presence of any other gentleman.
“I deliberately made a fool of myself at the Byrne ball in case I was being watched. If I played up my memory loss more publicly, I hoped they might leave me be.”
I returned his smile, then it quickly faded. “But it didn’t suffice, and your enemies have found you here?” I asked.
He nodded. “Which is why I was so anxious for you to leave. I didn’t want you to get caught up in the fray.”
I was touched by his chivalry and protection; but if I had known all this before they had come, I doubt I would have left knowing his life was in danger. My heart blossomed at the thought of his friends and how they cared so much about him that they came themselves. Surely between all these strong men we would be safe. Wouldn’t we?
“I need to meet with the others to devise a plan. There is a root cellar in the lodge. It’s stocked with mostly spirits, but it will be an adequate place for you and the other women to take shelter.”
“Surely, I can be of some other help, Jack. You could teach me how to reload, I am a quick learner.”
“Amelia,” he took the steps to bring him next to me, cradling my cheek as I leaned into it. “I wish for nothing more than to know you are safe.”
He stared at me and the pull between us was so palpable, I could practically touch it. I watched as his eyes flickered to my lips, then his jaw flexed, appearing taut and firm. “Please.” He brushed my cheek. “Take the women to the cellar, keep them calm.” He exhaled and I felt his warm breath on my face. “I need you to be safe.”
Without pause, he pivoted and strode toward the study door. I understood his need to depart, but I also knew I could no longer keep my truth from him. My heart thundered in my chest like never before. “I’m not betrothed!” I blurted out. I had wanted to tell him this in the stable, but Diggs came in before I could.
A heavy silence hung in the air following my outburst. Jack slowly circled back around, his head slightly inclined. “You are not affianced?”
I swallowed hard, struggling to decipher his expression. Did anger flicker in his eyes? Disappointment? Pain?
I shook my head, and the words spilled out in a rush. “I only invented that story because I needed you to see how urgently I had to be somewhere else, but I didn’t want you to know it was for an academic lecture at Chipping Campden. I never meant to deceive you. I feared you might think I was—”
And suddenly his lips were on mine.
The movement was so quick and unexpected that it pulled the breath from my chest and forced me back against the wall. One of Jack’s hands braced against the surface beside my face, steadying him, while the other cupped my neck. My entire body felt faint while his kisses deliciously balanced the fine line of raw desire and soft tenderness.
I now knew why my romance novels described a kiss as something to be feared, something to be tamed, and something to be cherished.
Jack’s hand left my neck and caressed my shoulder, gliding down my arm, brushing my hand, before settling on my waist, holding me gently yet firmly as his lips generously explored. They grazed my neck, lingered beneath my ear, and glided along my jaw, before returning hungrily back to my mouth.
When he broke away, the enchantment ended far too soon.
“Please do as I ask tonight,” he pleaded, barely a breath away, as he grabbed both of my hands and kissed them. “Please?”
I could only nod my acquiescence and try to force my legs to move. He led me out of the study and back to the great room where, apparently, everyone was waiting for us. A broad smile covered Lord Zachary’s face, and I could not help but bring my fingers to my lips. Surely, they were swollen and my cheeks flushed from those most exhilarating minutes in the study.
Jack did not seem to notice the stares and led me to the closest available chair.
Taking a steady breath, he stood before us. “I need you all to be calm when I convey to you what is happening. Please no hysterics, shouts and… no swooning, if it can be helped.” He observed us slowly, carefully. We waited with a stillness equal to unconsciousness, all except Mr. Duncan, Jesse, and Henri who remained upstairs.
“I am being hunted by a man who wishes to silence me because of some knowledge that I learned during the war.”
You could hear everyone’s breathing accelerate, but no other sound surfaced. I stole a glance over at Daisy, her arms locked with Anna’s, and Ennis loomed over them in a protective stance. Good man.
We certainly had no idea what we were in for when I changed course from Bridport to Chipping Campden School. The accident, now seven days later, seemed so long ago.
I studied Jack as he detailed the threat’s harsh reality. Despite all that had unfolded since that fateful day of our arrival, I would do it all again if it meant meeting him. His unshakable strength, his kindness, his rare admiration for a woman’s intelligent mind and not her purse.
Truth be told, he had no idea I came with a dowry, but was I leaping ahead? Just because he kissed me… well, more than once, and delightfully so… it did not mean he intended on marrying me. A rush of heat flooded my cheeks the moment his eyes locked with mine. No smile, just those piercing eyes lighting up like oil on a lamp wick. I could lose myself in those endless blue depths of mystery every day for the rest of my life if he would allow it.
The information that Jack shared with the group was significantly abbreviated from what he told me and, even then, he confessed he did not share its entirety. He explained to the staff the possibility of men approaching the house and that he could not force us but wished that the women remain in the cellar for the night. “We will make the accommodations as comfortable as possible,” he assured.
Over the next hour, the men moved blankets, pillows, and chairs to the root cellar. Though it was below ground, thankfully it was only a tad colder than the rest of the house, but not altogether dreadful.
Each time Jack passed by me, he managed to touch my hand. I loved that he did this even if it was surreptitiously done. While I would have wanted nothing more than to be in his arms, I would give anything to keep him safe.
Watching the men fortify our situation, I began to woolgather again. Everything about this moment felt unreal.
Jack. Me. Together—part dream.
The threat. The fear—part nightmare.
It was as if I was living one of the fairytales of my childhood. The romance, and now, some unknown enemy was about to storm the castle. Truly an archaic thought. Something that you might read in a newsprint about America and Mexico and their wild adventures, or from the ancient Germanic territories, or even the battlefields where Napoleon strove to conquer all in his path. But not here… not in the sleepy woods of England where civilized men and women lived out their simple lives.
My mind began to wonder over who might be involved in such a traitorous act against the crown. Was I in the same social circle as they? Had I danced with such a man? Could it have been any of my recent suitors? I swallowed hard over my dry throat as I took the steps down to the cellar with a basket of bread, cheese, and biscuits.
Daisy and Anna were already down there. Jesse rested in Henri’s room where he was recovering from his gunshot wound, and where the Frenchman, sadly, had yet to awaken. Mrs. Gentry had attended them once more before she joined us below. I doubt she ever commissioned such a task when she became the housekeeper for The Unburdened.
It took a lot to convince Cook to leave her kitchen, but she finally relented, and Ennis was tasked to keep watch between Mr. Duncan, Henri, and Jesse while Mr. Gentry guarded the cellar door.
When Mr. Duncan learned of the situation, he insisted on holding a gun himself. After all, he had many years of experience as a marksman while driving a coach, feeling dutybound to protect his travelers. However, his strength had not fully returned despite his good intentions.
Mrs. Gentry arrived behind me with a tablecloth in her hands. I nearly chuckled at how peculiar that seemed. “Set that basket over here, dear,” she said as she spread out the cloth to cover the one sole table in the room. With all the bedding, the space was tight, but truly I had nothing to complain about. It was the men who were in for a restless, uncomfortable night. Yet, I knew even with the basic comforts, sleep would evade me, knowing Jack was being hunted.
When his response to my confession came in the form of a kiss… and not just any kiss… hope bloomed in my chest. Could there possibly be a future for us?
But we must first survive tonight.
I set the basket down and Mrs. Gentry reached for my hands. “You do know that you are safe under Mr. Jack’s care, do you not?”
I smiled tightly. “It is not me I am worried for.”
She patted my cheek tenderly. “Mr. Jack and his friends fought in the war, they are well-trained and prepared for whatever may come.”
I pursed my lips. I had not shed a tear over the events until now, but felt the stinging sensation surface with her words. Portions of the war had found us here and, while her words were meant to soothe, my heart ached for the man I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
Would God grant me that one wish and spare him?