Rapture in His Arms (34 page)

“Aye, he’ll be found. He can’t run forever.” Donovan placed his arms around her and held her close against him.

Jillian was quiet for a few moments, then she grew rigid. “We must stop at Tyler’s on the way home. I’m going to bring Benjamin to Cameron’s Hundred with us, so Tyler won’t take him away with him. I don’t know what I’d do if he came to any harm.”

“Jillian, the child is safe. Tyler would be a fool to return home, knowin’ that the authorities are searchin’ for him.”

She shook her head in denial. “Nay, Donovan. I won’t rest easy until Benjamin is safely with us. We have to bring him home. Reading Dorcas’s diary has shown me what Tyler is capable of doing.”

Donovan realized that Jillian was determined to get the boy. He decided to stop at Addison’s for Benjamin if getting the lad would make her happy. There was no need to fear that Tyler might be there. He was probably long gone by now, skulking through the woods. “If that’s what ye want to do,” he said and kissed the top of her head.

“Aye, it is. Thank you so much. I shall feel so much better when I know that Benjamin is with us at Cameron’s Hundred. This is something which Dorcas would want me to do. I think she wants me to care for Benjamin.”

“All right, Jillian. Ye have convinced me.”

~ ~ ~

When at last they arrived at Tyler’s home, Donovan waited in the parlor while Jillian went upstairs with Polly, the old slave who was Benjamin’s nurse. “Benjie’s been nappin’,” Polly told her. “I checked on him almost an hour past. He should be wakin’ up now.”

“Do you know where his traveling bag is?” Jillian asked. “I’m taking him to Cameron’s Hundred.”

“Oh, ma’am, Mr. Addison will be sore distressed.” Polly stopped in her tracks on the stairs, and her face collapsed in fear. “There’s no tellin’ what harm he will do if he returns home and finds the boy gone.”

Jillian reassuringly patted her shoulder. “Just get his bag, Polly. My husband and I will deal with Tyler.”

“If you say so, Mrs. Shay, but Mr. Addison can be powerful mean when he’s upset.”

Jillian walked into Benjamin’s room while Polly went in search of the boy’s traveling bag. The drapes had been closed, and it took some seconds before Jillian’s eyes adjusted to the dim light. In the bed against the wall, she could see Benjamin’s little form huddled under the covers. She walked to the window and pulled open the draperies. Instantly the room was bathed in the gloomy daylight. Jillian walked over to the bed and sat down upon it. Gently, she nudged Benjamin’s arm. “Benjamin, ’tis Auntie Jillian. Wake up, dear… . I’ve come to take you home with me.”

It took some seconds for the child to come awake, but when he did, he sat up and rubbed his eyes with his little fists. “Are we leaving now, Auntie?” he asked and yawned.

“Aye, just as soon as we get you dressed and packed.”

“Is my father coming with us?” he warily asked her.

“Nay, Benjamin.”

The child’s face brightened at this news and he bounded from the bed. “Can I take my kitty with me?”

“Aye, anything you want.” Jillian stood up and went to the chest of drawers to begin packing Benjamin’s clothes. As she pulled out a shirt for Benjamin to wear, she suddenly felt the back of her neck prickle. Benjamin had been facing her, but now the child’s gaze ricocheted past her.

“Papa,” Benjamin said with wide eyes and moved to cling to Jillian’s skirts.

Turning around, Jillian saw Tyler. Apparently, he had been standing behind the door and watching them. In his hand he carried a hunting knife. Its pointed blade gleamed maliciously in the dim light. He smiled wickedly. “I knew you would come for Dorcas’s brat.”

Fear pumped through Jillian and she made an attempt to scream, but Tyler was faster than her vocal chords. In an instant, he was beside her and had fastened his large hand over her mouth. “Scream and I’ll kill the boy!” he hissed at her.

She knew he meant what he said. Jillian feared that Tyler was capable of anything, even murdering his own son. She nodded that she wouldn’t scream, knowing she had no alternative. Benjamin’s little arms tightened around her waist and the child whimpered in terror.

“Good,” he whispered, apparently satisfied that she wouldn’t disobey him. With one arm, he hoisted up Benjamin and with the other nudged Jillian with the knife’s steel point to move out of the room. “Take the back staircase and be quick about it,” he cautioned her. “And, be quiet, you little brat,” he admonished Benjamin who continued whimpering like a small puppy.

“Tyler, you can’t mean to hurt us, especially not Benjamin. He’s your son,” Jillian reminded him.

“He’s a coward, just like his mother,” sneered Tyler.

“You killed her, didn’t you?”

“Aye, I did.”

“Dorcas never harmed you.”

“Just her being alive harmed me,” Tyler shot back. “Because of her existence, I couldn’t marry you. But now she’s gone, and you shall be mine at last, Jillian.”

“Nay, I won’t. I think you’re a despicable human being.”

“I don’t care what you think. Come on.” He nudged her along with the knife. “I haven’t got all day.”

Jillian followed Tyler’s orders and went down the back stairs. If only she could cry out for Donovan, but Donovan was at the front of the house. By the time he could reach them, Tyler might have stabbed both of them. She didn’t trust Tyler. He had the look of a desperate man. Somehow she must get free of Tyler, but she couldn’t risk harm to Benjamin.

They made it down the back staircase and went into the yard. Tyler hurried them along, the blade a reminder that Jillian must do as Tyler wanted. As they neared the barn, Jillian noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye, and she froze in her steps because Tyler saw it, too.

She heard Donovan’s voice before she actually saw him. He was brandishing a sword. “Addison, let Jillian and the boy go!” Tyler swung to face Donovan. Benjamin’s legs dangled in midair.

“I don’t want the brat anyway!” he shouted at Donovan who had moved closer to them. “Here, Shay, you take him!” Tyler lifted up the child and hurled him at Donovan, who luckily was close enough to grab the screaming boy. But Donovan was forced to drop his sword or risk not catching Benjamin. Donovan clutched the frightened child to his chest just as Tyler reached for Jillian and placed her in front of him. He pointed the knife to her throat. “I haven’t come this far to be denied what I want. All I’ve ever wanted was Jillian, and I intend to have her.”

Donovan placed Benjamin on his feet, and the child scampered away to Polly who stood on the back porch. “Ye won’t get away, Addison!” Donovan shouted.

“Aye, I’ll use Jillian as a hostage. The governor’s men, if they find me, will not attack me as long as I hold the wife of Donovan Shay, the grandson of the Duke of Rockfield. Such a fancy pedigree for a mongrel like yourself, Shay! If only I hadn’t been spotted cutting your bridle. Things would have been so simple if your horse had thrown you. Jillian would have turned to me in her grief, and we would have married, as we should have done years ago if it had not been for Edwin Cameron.”

Tyler moved backwards, taking Jillian with him toward the barn where his black stallion waited for his master. “But I intend to rectify that mistake by taking Jillian with me. I wouldn’t be forced to kidnap her now if you had died in the prison like I planned. But, no, once again my plans were foiled. And then I had to accompany Jillian to Jamestown so I could make certain the deed was completed, and what happens but we run into Bacon’s troops? Jillian would have forgotten all about you in time. But because of this great love she has for you, she risked her life at Bacon’s hands to free you from prison. What a grand waste!” Tyler cried and moved nearer to the barn door.

Jillian realized the precariousness of her situation. As long as Tyler held a knife to her throat, Donovan was at a disadvantage and couldn’t attack Tyler. She needed to gain Donovan some time, to give him some leverage against Tyler. And the only thing she could think of was to pretend to swoon. Before Tyler had gone another foot, Jillian went limp in his arms. Tyler realized immediately that he couldn’t do anything but lift her into his arms, but he was in a quandary as to what to do about the knife. For a few seconds, Tyler was confused, but Donovan wasn’t. Tyler had decided to lay Jillian upon the ground and bolt for the barn and his horse. However, Donovan had gained the time he needed.

Sprinting forward, Donovan reared upward, and with his right leg he knocked the knife from Tyler’s hand. The knife went flying to the ground, and Donovan was able to land a harsh blow to Tyler’s face. Tyler fell, helpless under the assault, but Donovan couldn’t control himself. Like a man gone mad, he continued to pummel Tyler’s face until it was a bloody mess. He would have willingly and gladly continued his assault upon Tyler Addison if he hadn’t heard Jillian shouting at him to stop, pulling at his shoulder to make him cease. His red haze of anger dissipated, and finally he understood what she said to him. “Leave him be, Donovan! If you kill him, you might hang for it!”

Donovan stopped, his fists in midair, and gazed down at Tyler’s bloody face. Tyler wasn’t moving, and Donovan believed the man might be unconscious. In his entire life, he had never attacked another human being in such a manner. And though he knew Tyler was a loathsome human being, he didn’t want to suffer imprisonment or death because of the man. Slowly, Donovan rose to his feet, feeling Jillian’s hands lifting him up.

“We’re going home, Donovan,” she told him in a quivering voice. “We shall take Benjamin and go home. Tyler is too beaten to harm us. The governor’s men shall deal with him soon. Leave him be, just leave him to his fate.”

“Aye, aye, we’ll go home.”

They started to move toward the house when suddenly Polly screamed. Both turned as one, and they saw Tyler pitch the knife at Donovan’s back. Jillian, seeing that Tyler had aimed directly for Donovan, pulled away from her husband and attempted to block the knife’s path. The knife missed Donovan, but Tyler’s aim found its mark by hitting Jillian in the shoulder.

She fell to the ground in a heap. Donovan’s knees buckled from beneath him. He knelt beside her and cradled her in his arms. He was so distraught that he didn’t realize Tyler had made it onto Lucifer’s back and was riding past them until musket fire rang out. “Stop in the name of the king!” shouted a voice nearby.

Donovan looked through his blur of tears and noticed that Tyler was surrounded by Berkeley’s men. Then he saw his grandfather atop Goldenrod come galloping into the yard. Grayson stopped beside them and lowered himself from the horse. His concern was immediately apparent when he noticed Jillian’s pale face and closed eyes. Blood gushed from her shoulder and stained her cloak. “Oh, my boy, my boy,” he whispered to Donovan.

Donovan barely heard his grandfather’s voice. Instead he lifted his wife in his arms and carried her into the house.

Donovan paced the floor at Cameron’s Hundred while the doctor from Jamestown was in Jillian’s room. “Calm down, lad,” urged Grayson. “Jillian is doing fine, now that she’s under her own roof. You know the wound only grazed her shoulder. You’re worse than a mother hen.”

“I know,” Donovan admitted and stopped pacing. “But she’s carrying a child, my child. I can’t help but worry about her.” At that second, Benjamin came running into the house, carrying his cat in his arms. He sat on the chair next to Grayson, and Grayson affectionately patted his head. Donovan smiled down at Benjamin. “Has Kitty drunk her milk?” he asked him.

Benjamin nodded. “All of it. The kittens are getting so big.”

Donovan knelt beside the boy and patted his hand. “Benjamin, tell me something, will ye?” At the boy’s nod, Donovan continued, “Do ye think ye will be happy here with us? We love ye and want to be your mother and father.”

“Can Kitty and the kittens stay, too?”

“Aye, lad, they can stay.”

Benjamin grinned. “Aye, I like it here with you and Auntie Jillian. Kitty likes it, too.”

“Well, then if Kitty likes it, I think we shall all be quite happy.” Donovan grinned at the boy. At that second, he noticed the doctor coming down the stairs. Donovan quickly joined him. “How is my wife?”

“Fine, Mr. Shay,” the doctor advised with a confident nod. “She has regained her strength from the slight loss of blood and will do fine. You mustn’t worry, sir.”

“And the baby?”

“The child shall be well and healthy, mark my words,”

Donovan heaved a relieved sigh and bade the doctor farewell. Then he bounded up the stairs and entered the bedroom where Jillian lay on the bed. He sat beside her, and she smiled. “The doctor has assured me that ye are well, and the baby will be healthy.”

“I know.” She smiled back at him. “I was never in any danger, Donovan.”

“Maybe not, but Tyler Addison shall pay for his crimes.”

“I hope he does, but I need to know if you’re going to be here when our baby is born.” Jillian bit down upon her lower lip, and tears misted her eyes.

“Certainly, I’ll be here, Jillian. Why wouldn’t I be?”

She clutched the coverlet between her fingers. “Because—because you didn’t believe nothing happened between Tyler and me. Because you love Sabrina Layton—”