would be dead. These were surface scratches, certainly not even life-threatening. The gravity of Jonathon’s situation left no room for injuries such as this.
“Deidre,” Jonathon whispered, his voice strangled with emotion.
Randy looked at him, uncomprehending. Nothing was making sense. He pieced together what he was seeing with Jonathon’s words, and slowly comprehension dawned.
“Good God,” he breathed.
“She was here and … ” Jonathon could not continue. He closed his eyes and brushed his hands across his eyes as if blocking out the scene. “I had to — she threatened Emily and our child. I tried to talk sense into her, but I think she is crazed. Randy, I had to, do you understand?”
“You lay with her?” Randy demanded.
“She threatened to harm, no to kill, Emily and the baby, Randy. I talked to her, tried to reason with her, but she was like one possessed. One minute laughing and gay, the next menacing. She was like someone I did not know. No, she was like the darkest side of Deidre that one could imagine. Yes, I did lie with her. I am ashamed — ashamed that I could not fight her. Ashamed that I cannot be with my wife to protect her! And the worst thing is, even though I succumbed to her, there is no guarantee that Emily is safe. Emily must never know, Randy. I must leave this place and be far away where she can never see these marks that shame me.”
Randy’s mind raced with the consequences of this news. How could all of the precautions they took to hide Jonathon from the British be undone by one scheming woman? Anger rose like bile within him and he stood and paced the room. Kicking one of the saddlebags, he swore an oath and continued back and forth across the room.
“We must move you immediately. Gates is not far behind me, and he is in a carriage. Are you strong enough to be moved?” Randy asked.
“I am far stronger now than when you first brought me here. Yes, I can be moved, but Randy no one else can know what happened,” Jonathon said.
“Gates has been tending your wounds, man. He will certainly see that witch’s marks,” Randy said.
“Of course, you are right, and Gates is my trusted friend. But please, we must keep any knowledge of this from Andrew.”
Randy nodded. Andrew adored his sister, and learning what Deidre had done, and was threatening to do, could lead him to murder. No, they would find another reason to justify Jonathon’s move. He looked over at his friend who stared off in the distance, anger simmering just below the surface. He would heal, and this anger might even spur that on. Randy did not envy Deidre when Jonathon fully recovered.
“We must get a message to David. I worry about Emily’s safety in the manor with that woman. We will send Andrew with two messages, one explaining my relocation to Emily, and one warning David of the peril she is in now,” Jonathon said. “But how do we explain this danger to him without revealing what occurred?”
Randy thought about that for a while, but neither man could construct an excuse for Deidre’s threat to Emily.
“We will have to inform him as to what occurred here,” Jonathon admitted. He slumped against the pillow, exhausted and overwhelmed.
Chapter 4
Spring brought the war ever closer to Virginia, and the
Destiny
was busy sailing up and down the coast delivering messages, personnel and munitions. Loaded down with cannon, she looked vastly different from her days as a merchant ship and conveyer of Emily from London to Virginia two years earlier. Under the competent leadership of Robert Gates, the
Destiny
continued fighting for the patriot cause that was Jonathon’s vision.
John Murray, Lord Dunmore, governor of Virginia had fled to a navy ship off the coast of Virginia several months earlier, but from there Dunmore continued raids against plantations and forays into towns. Most of the Loyalists had followed his example, fleeing to British ships as violence on land escalated. British troops
“Deidre,” Jonathon whispered, his voice strangled with emotion.
Randy looked at him, uncomprehending. Nothing was making sense. He pieced together what he was seeing with Jonathon’s words, and slowly comprehension dawned.
“Good God,” he breathed.
“She was here and … ” Jonathon could not continue. He closed his eyes and brushed his hands across his eyes as if blocking out the scene. “I had to — she threatened Emily and our child. I tried to talk sense into her, but I think she is crazed. Randy, I had to, do you understand?”
“You lay with her?” Randy demanded.
“She threatened to harm, no to kill, Emily and the baby, Randy. I talked to her, tried to reason with her, but she was like one possessed. One minute laughing and gay, the next menacing. She was like someone I did not know. No, she was like the darkest side of Deidre that one could imagine. Yes, I did lie with her. I am ashamed — ashamed that I could not fight her. Ashamed that I cannot be with my wife to protect her! And the worst thing is, even though I succumbed to her, there is no guarantee that Emily is safe. Emily must never know, Randy. I must leave this place and be far away where she can never see these marks that shame me.”
Randy’s mind raced with the consequences of this news. How could all of the precautions they took to hide Jonathon from the British be undone by one scheming woman? Anger rose like bile within him and he stood and paced the room. Kicking one of the saddlebags, he swore an oath and continued back and forth across the room.
“We must move you immediately. Gates is not far behind me, and he is in a carriage. Are you strong enough to be moved?” Randy asked.
“I am far stronger now than when you first brought me here. Yes, I can be moved, but Randy no one else can know what happened,” Jonathon said.
“Gates has been tending your wounds, man. He will certainly see that witch’s marks,” Randy said.
“Of course, you are right, and Gates is my trusted friend. But please, we must keep any knowledge of this from Andrew.”
Randy nodded. Andrew adored his sister, and learning what Deidre had done, and was threatening to do, could lead him to murder. No, they would find another reason to justify Jonathon’s move. He looked over at his friend who stared off in the distance, anger simmering just below the surface. He would heal, and this anger might even spur that on. Randy did not envy Deidre when Jonathon fully recovered.
“We must get a message to David. I worry about Emily’s safety in the manor with that woman. We will send Andrew with two messages, one explaining my relocation to Emily, and one warning David of the peril she is in now,” Jonathon said. “But how do we explain this danger to him without revealing what occurred?”
Randy thought about that for a while, but neither man could construct an excuse for Deidre’s threat to Emily.
“We will have to inform him as to what occurred here,” Jonathon admitted. He slumped against the pillow, exhausted and overwhelmed.
Chapter 4
Spring brought the war ever closer to Virginia, and the
Destiny
was busy sailing up and down the coast delivering messages, personnel and munitions. Loaded down with cannon, she looked vastly different from her days as a merchant ship and conveyer of Emily from London to Virginia two years earlier. Under the competent leadership of Robert Gates, the
Destiny
continued fighting for the patriot cause that was Jonathon’s vision.
John Murray, Lord Dunmore, governor of Virginia had fled to a navy ship off the coast of Virginia several months earlier, but from there Dunmore continued raids against plantations and forays into towns. Most of the Loyalists had followed his example, fleeing to British ships as violence on land escalated. British troops
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