Shattered Dreams (17 page)

With
more questions than answers, Harry pushed it all to one side for
now and turned his attention to what was going on in front of
him.

“
I have Cragdale’s direction, and details of the Board of
Trustees,” Joseph announced, and nodded to a pile of books and
parchment beside the front door. “The registers are there, along
with everything else we need.”

“
Good,” Harry growled. “I am looking forward to taking a look
through them.”

Tilly
glanced up at him, and shivered at the ruthlessness evident in that
husky growl. To her astonishment, he then glanced down at her with
a smile that was completely contradictory to the anger that had
been visible to everyone moments earlier.

“
We won’t be long. Then we will get you out of here, and take
you back to the Rectory where you will be nice and warm,” he
assured her in a voice that was as gentle as a warm summer’s
breeze.

It was
all she could do to nod without bursting into tears, and couldn’t
help but wonder what had happened over the course of the last week
to bring about such a change in him.

After
all, she had appeared at his house looking for a job. There was no
job. He had given her money to reimburse her for her wasted ticket,
and sent her on her way again. He had been considerably more
generous than many people would have been. Most people wouldn’t
have given her money, or their time, and would have simply sent her
on her way again without an explanation.

Harry
was different though. His generosity had gone far beyond giving her
some money. He had also followed her to the poor house to get her
out, and was so caring toward her that she was slightly flummoxed
to know why he was being so generous.

She
studied the tall, commanding men who had informed everyone that
they worked for His Majesty’s government, and wondered just what
they were up to.

Was her
fake letter the reason they were there?

“
What’s going on?” she whispered, and nodded to the wardens on
the floor.

In spite
of her questions, it was a relief to see them thus. Now that she
was free from their threat, she felt her old self start to
resurface and, for the first time since she had taken her seat on a
carriage that had left Cambley Hamden a week and a half ago, she
started to relax.

“
I will explain later,” he whispered.

She
shivered again as the warmth of his breath brushed the delicate
curve of her ear, but she found that her head tipped toward his
intimately before she even realised she had done it.

Was it
her imagination, or had he just brushed a gentle kiss across her
temple. A fierce blush immediately coloured her cheeks, but she
daren’t look at him.

If he
had just kissed her, what was she supposed to say? Thank
you?

When
words failed her, she nodded and kept her gaze on the handful of
men who appeared to be in complete control of the fifteen or so
wardens.

While
she gazed around the hall in stunned disbelief, Harry took the
opportunity to study her a little more closely. She was frozen;
that much was obvious. In addition to that though, there were dark
shadows beneath her eyes that warned him she hadn’t slept at all
well while she had been here. Obviously the conditions were so
harsh that she had struggled to rest properly in spite of the
exhaustion the enforced hard work brought with it, and that made
him incredibly angry.

However,
in spite of the hardships she had endured, she was just as
stunningly beautiful as he remembered.

When he
did finally turn his attention back to what Marcus and Joseph were
doing, he found it impossible to ignore just how wonderful it was
to have her beside him. The shocking effect this young woman had on
him in such a short space of time would have unnerved him, if it
had been anyone other than Tilly. Something about her called to a
hidden yearning deep within him that he had never previously
realised existed. Had it lain dormant; waiting for the day that she
entered his life? It certainly felt like he had been waiting his
entire life for her.

He had
foolishly let her go once. Now that he had her back, he was damned
well going to keep her right by his side where he could make sure
she was alright; now and forevermore. All he had to do was convince
her to stay; not at Tooting Mallow; the place was really nothing
more than the arse end of Hell; but somewhere else. Like his newly
acquired home in Cumbria.

Tilly
heaved a sigh of relief when Harry turned his attention away from
her. She was painfully aware that his gaze had searched every inch
of her, and she wondered what he was looking at. She knew that she
must look a fright but, given her circumstances, what had he
expected?

She
struggled desperately not to poke at her hair and check that her
face was clean. She felt frozen, yet hot and bothered at the same
time. What had he been looking for? What did he see?

I wish I had a mirror
, she thought,
and glanced around the cold stone walls of the huge fortress that
were no help whatsoever.

She had
yet to understand who Harry and his friends were, but it was
evident from the way that the men had gathered lists, collected
keys from the wardens, and were currently directing the residents
to look after certain parts of the main building, that they were
all used to working with stern authority, and having people do
exactly as they wanted.

With
nothing else to do, she turned her attention to Harry. He was tall,
strong, and had an air of command about him that immediately made
her want to agree to whatever he suggested. He was logical,
thoughtful, and cared about people. Her heart began to beat just a
little faster as she studied the fine layer of stubble on his jaw,
and she felt a yearning for him that she had never felt for anyone
before, settle deep inside her.

Whoever
he was; wherever he had come from; whatever he was doing there, she
was incredibly grateful for it; and him, for his help in getting
her out of there. Without him, she knew that she would have been
doomed to a life of desolate servitude with no hope of
escape.

She
slowly became aware that someone was staring at her. Her gaze
scanned the people in the hallway until she met the rather baleful
glare of Mrs Taylor. It was vaguely satisfying to be able to give
the draconian warden one, brief, dismissive look before she turned
her attention somewhere else. She didn’t bother to look at the
woman again. If she never saw her again, Tilly would be a happy
person.

While
Marcus turned his attention to selecting residents to look after
specific areas of the main building, Harry turned his attention to
Tilly, Suzanna and Zack.

“
Right, let’s get you out of here,” Harry murmured
gently.

Her
stomach flipped as she lifted her gaze to his. For a moment, time
hung suspended between them. The hall they stood in, and the people
in it, seemed to fade into the background as a wealth of unspoken
emotion swept between them. She saw lingering anger but,
contrastingly, also calm reassurance in his steady gaze, and almost
wept at the gentleness of his hold when he swept her high into his
arms again. It was something she had never thought to feel in her
entire life, and something that she wanted to experience time and
again.

Harry
stared down into the small glint of hope that lingered within the
depths of her beautiful green eyes and made himself a promise that
he would do whatever it took to make sure that she was looked
after, the way someone as beautiful, gentle, and innocent as Tilly
should be.

The wave
of protectiveness that swept through shook him a little with its
ferocity. However, given how much she had haunted his every waking
moment, he began to suspect that it wasn’t the harshness of her
recent ordeal that brought about his determination to look after
her. It was the woman herself who seemed to call out to him. His
desperate need to answer that call was something he knew would
change him, and his entire life, forever but, if he was completely
honest, he wasn’t altogether sure that he minded all that
much.

“
Suzanna, Zack, you two come with us,” Harry called and turned
around to watch Joseph slide the bolts back on the front
door.

“
I will stay and help out here,” Barnaby declared as he walked
Suzanna and Zack to the door. He smiled at the young boy. “Go get
yourself some good food, and try not to worry. The worst is over
now, young man.”

Tilly
glanced at Suzanna, who had yet to stop crying. Her heart went out
to her. She fully sympathised with Suzanna’s emotions, and battled
to keep her own tears at bay as Harry ushered everyone out of the
building and into fresh air and freedom.

“
Sorry,” she mumbled, when her stomach growled
hungrily.

Harry
grinned at her but remained silent.

Once
again, her stomach churned noisily. She tried to hide it behind an
uncomfortable cough, but knew she hadn’t succeeded when Zack
giggled.

“
Come on, I need some food too,” Harry declared firmly. “This
carriage here is ours.”

Tilly
stepped out into the brilliant sunshine, and tipped her head back
to absorb the warmth of the wonderful new day. In spite of her best
efforts, a single stray tear still escaped, but she didn’t let it
bother her. Nothing could mar the precious moment of realisation
that she was free from that awful prison – at last.

She
slowly became aware that Harry’s gaze was on her again. He looked a
little worried, so she gave him a watery smile of assurance that
made him smile in return.

Harry
felt his throat close at the sight of the sheer joy on her face. It
warmed his heart to know that she as free, and was never going to
have to go back and, for a moment, he had to focus a little too
intently on helping everyone climb aboard before he made a complete
fool of himself.

“
Do you still have the coins I gave you?” Harry asked and
watched as Tilly removed them from her pocket and held them out to
him. “You don’t need them now, but keep them. I am not asking
because I want them back, I just didn’t know if they had taken them
off you for some reason.”

“
They didn’t know I had them,” Tilly replied wryly. “As soon
as I arrived I was swept straight through the main hall and into a
room. I didn’t get the chance to stop and talk to anyone. So I kept
them on me. The only thing that Mrs Taylor didn’t do was search me
personally, although I rather suspect that my belongings were
rifled through.” She gasped and turned to stare at him in horror.
“My things,” she whispered in dismay.

“
Do you really need them? Are they valuable?”

Tilly
stared at him and nodded. “I have left a couple of my mother’s
things in my room. They are all I have left of her,” she whispered
in a voice that was so distraught that Harry felt his heart flip,
and he knew that he couldn’t ignore her silent plea.

“
Wait here a minute. I will ask Barnaby to make sure they are
collected for you,” Harry said, then turned to Zack and Suzanna.
“Do you two have things from your family still in there
too?”

Unsurprisingly, they nodded.

Harry
accompanied his thumps on the poor house door with a loud whistle.
Unbeknown to everyone, it was the Star Elite’s usual method of
gaining entry to somewhere that was heavily guarded. Barnaby
appeared in the doorway moments later and nodded when Harry
whispered his request into his ear.

“
He will bring them with him later,” he assured Tilly, Zack
and Suzanna, when he resumed his seat on the carriage.

To
everyone’s utter relief, he then clicked the horse into a walk that
took them all away from the building that had haunted everyone
aboard.

CHAPTER
TEN

“
Thank you,” Tilly said softly once the carriage had turned
out of the long driveway.

It felt
like a lifetime ago that she had walked through those tall, stone
pillars, which marked the last vestige of hope for many, and the
long, downward spiral of hopelessness for all of the residents. If
only she had known then what she knew now she would have turned
away and lived under a bush. Anything was better than what she had
been through.

The busy
street was a little more familiar than it had been a week ago, but
she still didn’t feel as though she belonged there. As Harry guided
the coach through the other carriages, Tilly found herself leaning
toward him, as though silently seeking his protection from the
cacophony and threat of other people.

Harry’s
heart went out to her, and he instinctively swept one comforting
arm around her as he turned the carriage down the main
street.

“
It’s alright, sweetheart,” he assured her.

“
I know, I just don’t like it,” she sighed with a
frown.

“
The chaos will soon be behind us,” he said, although didn’t
know which chaos he meant; the chaos in the main street, or that
within the walls of the poor house.

It was
all Tilly could do to nod, but she wasn’t sure whether Harry had
seen her because he was staring rigidly at someone who stood beside
the front door of one of the taverns.