The Lady and the Earl (60 page)

Declan
pulled Allana closer to him abroad Colonel.  William Meredith, their unexpected savior, was guiding them and the rest of his men toward his camp.  After the brawl with Lucas,
Declan
and Allana
were
guided back toward the house where they officially met
Meredith
—a man Allana apparently already knew
.  They
learned Connor
,
Lord Tananguard, and
Garret Meredith—the
injured man in the kitchen—
h
ad been rushed back to Meredith’s camp. 

Declan
had
wanted nothing better than to take Allana far away from this entire mess, but William had stopped him because of his injuries.  The man had insisted the two come to
his
camp and have his wife doctor them.  Thus,
Declan
found himself riding aimlessly through the woods toward an unknown destination, clinging to his precious wife for dear life.  He had almost lost her today, and the idea pained him.  He needed her and knew she needed him.  One was
not
whole without the other. 

He could feel her trembling body beneath him and pulled her tighter for comfort.  She clung to his good arm as though afraid of being separated from him again. 

“You a
re safe, my love,”
Declan
whispered before kissing the top of her head.

“I know,”
came
her quiet response.  Her voice sounded empty and distant. 
Declan
wanted to cry out for her to come back from the place in which
she’d
locked herself away.  She hadn’t been the same since
Lucas’s
death. 
Declan
feared for her.  Feared her spirit
was
broken and lost to him.  Was
Lucas’s
ghost haunting her, still fighting to claim her?  How could
Declan
fight that?

“The camp is just on the other side of this rise,” Meredith said.

Declan
sighed with relief.  He was exhausted and knew Allana must be too.  They had been through much in the last twenty-four hours with hardly any sleep. 

They made it to the top of the rise and received their first glimps
e of William Meredith’s camp. 
It was a thriving community rather than a rugged camp like they had suspected.  Friendly faces welcomed the visitors as they entered its vicinity. 
Declan
climbed down from Colonel then helped Allana do the same.  

“Allana!” a
voice cried out.  Both
Declan
and Allana turned to see
Lord
Tananguard limping as he ran toward them.  He pulled her from
Declan
’s
care and hugged her tightly while she sobbed into his shoulder. 
“Oh, my sweet girl.”
  He held her closely as tears slipped down his face. 

“Is Connor well?”
Declan
asked with concern. 

“He i
s
.  William’
s wife
,
Kara
,
d
ressed his wounds
.  H
e i
s sleeping now,” replied
Lord
Tananguard who still clung to his daughter. 

Allana finally broke the embrace to cling to her husband once more. 
Declan
sighed within.  He felt pleased
she’d
returned to him. 

“How is Lilly?”
Allana asked quietly.

Lord
Tananguard grinned broadly.  “
You have a sister
,” he said with pride.  “My Lilly had a baby girl!”

Allana smiled at her father, and, yet again,
Declan
thought he saw a haunted look there.  “Congratulations, Father.” 

“Yes, congratulations,”
Declan
echoed his wife.  He wasn’t concerned with the baby.  He was concerned with his wife.  He needed to get her alone and simply hold her.

“Come.  You must see her,”
Lord
Tananguard said eagerly, all thoughts of Lucas and the past twenty-four hours forgotten to him. 

“Not this one,” Will
iam Meredith interrupted.  “You a
re in need of my wife,” he finished, pointing to
Declan
.

“I’
m fine,”
Declan
argued.

“No, you’
re not.  You
’
re dripping blood all over,” Meredith said point blank.

“But…
.
”
Declan
looked helplessly at Allana, who smiled in reassurance.

“I will be fine.  You need to go with him,” she said to his disappointment.  He wanted her to come too, but her father ushered her in the opposite direction.

*
             
*
             
*

Allana held the tiny baby gingerly.  “She is beautiful, Lilly,” she said softly.

“Thank you,”
came
Lilly’s serene reply.  Allana’s sweet stepmother lay back on her makeshift bed in exhaustion, yet she held an aura of awe and peace as she smiled at her precious babe.

“What will you name her?” Allana asked.

“I think I will name her Greta, after my mother.  Greta Kara Tananguard,” she replied with a tender smile. 
Lord
Tananguard smiled in turn and bent to kiss his beautiful wife.

“That’
s lovely,” Allana said, looking down at the sleeping baby in her arms. “Greta,” she whispered.  Tears wanted to slip from her eyes.  She felt so lost.  All she wanted was to be
wrapped in
Declan
’s
arms, safe like this child was.  Yet, every time she closed her eyes, she saw Lucas staring back with those lifeless eyes.  Would she ever be free of him?

Allana took one last look at her half-sister then handed her back to Lilly.  “Congratulations Lilly.  She really is beautiful.” 

Lilly smiled up at her. 

“I wi
ll leave you three alone now.  You look as though you could use a good night’s rest.”  With those words, Allana kissed her stepmother on the forehead, squeezed her father’s hand, and left the tent.  She looked for
Declan
,
but could not find him.  She
found a quiet corner of the camp where she curled up next to a tree and wept.  She wept from the pain she felt
in her heart
, pain cause by Lucas.  She needed Declan, needed his warmth and his love.  Where was he?

“
Dear Allana, how are you faring?
” a
kind voice asked, breaking through her turmoil.  It was William Meredith.

Allana wiped violently at her tears.  “I
a
m fine, thank you,” she lied. 

“Still trying to be so strong like the young girl who came to my rescue all of those years ago.”  He smiled endearingly at her. 

She laughed lightly then burst into tears. 
He sat down beside her, pulling out a handkerchief and handing it to her.  She sniffled.  “Thank you.”

“You
a
re welcome,”
came
his response.  They sat in silence for a few moments as she dabbed at her eyes.  Then he began to speak.  “
I
don’t
know if you ever knew this, but my brother was shot saving my life
,” he began.

Allana stared at him in horror.  “
Oh William, I never knew. 
I’
m
so
sorry.”

“Thank you,”
came
his quiet response.  “
You were so strong for me that night.  You brought my wife to me, and you helped with Joseph’s care.  I have never known a child so
fearless.”

“I was scared to death that night, William,” she admitted.

“As was I, my dear.”  He smiled sadly and continued
his story.  “When Joseph was still coherent, before we made it to your home, h
e made me promise to take care of his family.
  Of course
I told him the promise was foolish because he was going to live, but he made me make it nonetheless.
  He had a beautiful wife whom he met on his travels through Spain, and together they had two beautiful children
,
Josephine
and
Garret
.

“After my brother died,
I sent money to Sophia and her children
each month.  After all, my business was part Joseph’s, and what money I sent them was rightfully theirs.  I did much to support them.  I purchased their home and put it in Sophia’s name.  I made certain they wanted for nothing,
yet
I knew
no amount of money I sent could make up for the loss of a husband and father. 

“
Then, about two years after my brother
d
ied, Sophia came down with the fever and was lost to us.  Garret came here to live afterward, but Josephine chose to stay in London and work even though she had no need to.  I would have sent her all the money she needed, but she insisted she didn’t need me or my help. 

“
Ah, young Josephine.
 
A stubborn one, she was
.  Still is, but back then she was different.  She was a free spirit, perfect in every way. 
Kind, loving, gentle, beautiful…a very good woman.
”
  His face looked sad and troubled.

“What happened to her?”
Allana asked.

“
He
broke her, killing
her
spirit.  She has
not
been the same since him,” he replied quietly.  “She loved him with all her heart, and he crushed that love.  She seemed lost without him. 
S
he grew sick, losing the will to live.  Then she had
his
child, and things changed.  She put
all of her love and happiness into that child, but even that little boy hasn’t
been able to give back all that
’
s been taken from her.  I catch her crying at night for the love she has lost, and it angers me beyond anything. 
H
er whole life
was
ahead of her, but
Lucas Hoffman
destroyed it.”

“I…I’
m sorry,” Allana said sympathetically. 

“Allana, do not let him do the same to you,” William said with passion.  “You hold his de
ath on your shoulders.  You didn’
t pull the trigger.”

“But I would have if
—
”

“Even s
o, the choice was clear. 
Hoffman had to be stopped.”

Allana swallowed hard as more tears began to form.

“My dear, it is always sad when a life is taken, but do not let
Lucas’s
death or the acts he performed in life take yours.”  He paused, waiting for her to absorb those words.  “Love can bring you peace if you let it.  It has me.  My wife is my lifeline.  She was there when my brother died.  She was there to nurse me out of my turmoil of guilt.  You have a man who loves you, and I suggest you go to him and let the love you share wipe away your pain.” 

Allana stared at him in wonder, fresh tears in her eyes. 
William Meredith was a wise man. 
She leaned up and kissed his cheek.  “Thank you,” she said quietly.  “Thank you for telling me those things.”  He gave her a fatherly hug that she returned tearfully. 

A voice cleared
, breaking the embrace between Allana and William. 
It was Kara.

“My apologies for interrupting your conversation, but I must see to you now, Allana,” Kara said.

“Oh, I am well, Kara.  Surely there are others who need you more than I,” Allana protested. 
Her injuries were minor.  They were bruises, a cut lip, and another small cut upon her back—nothing
she couldn’t
take care of on her own.  She
didn’t
need a healer. 
She needed to
find Declan.  She needed to
be with him, to feel his love and
tell him how much she loved him
in return
.

Kara sighed, but nodded.  “There is a basin of water in the hut you and your husband will share tonight. 
I will prepare a salve for the bruises and cuts and leave it outside the entrance.”