Windswept (41 page)

Jacob’s face turned to granite. “Leave us be, you sorry bastards!” he called out his cell. Then he pushed the brim of Nora’s bonnet away from her face. His hands met at her nape and he pulled her close. Their lips touched for a brief kiss through the bars before he pulled away. “Now go,” he said, “and do what I say. Don’t come back. Promise me.”

She would have promised him anything, but could not speak this vow. She sniffled back sobs, picked up the basket and said, “I’ve brought you something to eat.” At least it was something she could do for him.

He took the basket from her, tipped it sideways and crushed the handle so it would fit through the bars. When he raised the cloth and looked inside, he grinned at her. “A feast fit for a king,” he said. “It’s no wonder I love you, Nora.”

The heavy pine door at the end of the hall creaked on its hinges and a loud voice called, “Let’s go, kissin’ cousin.” The guard’s head appeared around the door frame. “Visitin’ time’s over.”

Panic wrapped icy fingers around Nora’s heart and she held the bars. “I don’t want to leave you. What if…”

Jacob blinked hard once. “It’ll be all right, love. Go on. Go!”

She whirled away from him and ran past the other cells, blocking the insults and lewd snickers that followed her out. When she’d left, Jacob sat on the edge of his cot and put his head in his hands. He kicked the basket to the other side of his cell where a skinny rat popped out of a crumbling hole in the wall to see what temptations lay under the brightly checkered cloth.

Blood pounded in Nora’s ears as she ran up Whitehead Street toward Southard. She could hear her own heartbeat thundering each time her shoes hit the brick sidewalk. She had to help Jacob. Picturing him in that awful cell was too much to bear. She’d talk to her father. She’d find out how those horrible bank notes got into a barrel in Jacob’s warehouse. She’d track down the real owner of the lantern in the cave. She’d uncover who ran the mule line the night the
Marguerite Gray
wrecked on the reefs. She’d…

“Miss Nora! Miss Nora, you’re back!”

She stopped short at the sound of the familiar voice. Spinning around, she stared down into the smiling face of Felix Obalu. “Oh, Felix, it’s you,” she said, trying to regain enough composure not to look crazed out of her mind.

“Sure it’s me,” he said, grinning from ear to ear. “I heard you got back last night.” He stepped even with her and forced her to walk a steadier pace toward Southard Street. “I heard you were with Captain J on the
Dover Cloud
. Fact is, the whole town knew about it. The judge went runnin’ around every day askin’ folks where the captain had gone and when he’d be back. He was actin’ nervous as a bare-skinned boy in a beehive.”

Felix knitted his brows and nodded wisely. “I told him to stop his frettin’…that the captain’d see you got back just fine and with an explanation that would satisfy God Himself.”

Nora smiled at him. “Good for you, Felix. You were exactly right.”

Shrugging off the compliment, Felix said, “I was just comin’ to your place to see you. I brought the cow by this morning, but it was just ol’ Lulu who came out of the house.”

Nora struggled to keep her mind on Felix’s chatter. “I’m sorry I missed you. I enjoy seeing how you’re progressing with the milking.”

He squared his shoulders. “I’m as good as ol’ Abraham, now. Can pump a pint in twenty seconds flat.”

She looked down at him. “Very impressive.”

“Can’t spell ‘milk’ though,” he said. “It’s kind of hard to admit this, but I sort of missed that schoolin’ while you were gone. I tried to keep it goin’ for a few days, but you know how kids are.”

An honest smile came to Nora’s lips. “Yes, I was beginning to understand them a little.”

“Anyway, I was thinkin’. If you want to start up again, I guess it would be okay. Not more than the two hours a day though. Gotta tend to business, you know.”

She nodded. “I understand completely. You have a lot going on in this town.”

“Sure do. Now with Captain J in the hoosegow, I gotta take over the goat rentin’ business.” His face expressed the seriousness of a fully grown man, and he looked up at Nora with eyes dark as chestnuts. “I ‘spose the captain will get out of this mess okay, don’t you think so, Miss Nora? No disrespect to your father, but no one’d ever convince me Captain J did something unlawful.”

They’d reached the sidewalk to her house. Nora stopped before going in and laid a hand on Felix’s shoulder. “No one would convince me either, Felix, and yes, I think he’ll get out of this just fine.”

“Good. So when will we see you over at ol’ McTaggart’s place?”

Surprisingly, the boy had made Nora feel better. Felix believed in Jacob, and so did she, and so did a lot of other people. Nora would have faith in him and do what she could to speed his release from jail. She smiled down at Felix’s expectant face. “Tomorrow morning, bright and early,” she said. “And be ready to work hard. We’ve got a lot to make up.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and ran off toward town.

Determination making her heart lighter, Nora opened the gate to her walkway and stepped inside. She was half way to the porch when the front door of the house flew open and Theo stormed out. Her heart took an involuntary plunge toward her stomach.

Theo raced down the steps and took her arm. “Thank heavens, Nora. You’re all right.”

She was too tired to fight his attention, so she didn’t resist his hold. “Of course, Theo. I’ve been for a walk, that’s all.”

He shook his index finger at her. “You’ll pardon me for saying this, Nora, but you take walks at the oddest hours. I really must advise you to resist this tendency to wander about before the sun has fully risen.”

Now Theo was trying to tell her how to run her life! “It’s not as if I prowl around in the middle of the night like an alley cat, Theo. You’re making too much of it.”

His cheeks colored. “I didn’t mean…” He stopped on the porch before going in and prevented Nora from entering as well. Turning her toward him, he enclosed her in a sort of embrace, his hands resting tentatively on her back. “I am only concerned for your welfare, Nora. And only because I care for you.”

She attempted a smile. “Well, thank you, Theo. That’s kind, but you don’t need to worry about me.”

“You don’t understand,” he said. “I mean
really care
for you.”

Her mouth dropped open. She closed it quickly to prevent the escape of a nervous giggle that had begun to build inside. “Theo, you’re not suggesting…”

His answer was a lowering of his head. Nora was too startled to react before his lips just brushed hers. “Theo, stop!” she said, backing away from him.

His hands fell away, and he knitted them together in front of his body. “Forgive me, Nora. The time was not appropriate for a display of my affections.”

“No, Theo, it wasn’t.”

“But we must talk soon. I cannot hold back the flood of emotion I’m feeling now that you’re home. I’m working with the judge this morning on the Proctor case. Perhaps tonight after dinner you will sit on the veranda with me.”

Had the world gone completely mad? Even knowing Theo was ignorant of her true feelings for Jacob, Nora couldn’t abide the appalling notion that the Benedict Arnold who was working to prove Jacob guilty was actually trying to express his affection for her. She certainly didn’t need this complication in her life. What was even more ludicrous was that her father was spending the majority of his time avoiding her, and now she would be doing the same to Theo. There were going to be a lot of closed doors in the Seabrook house.

She sighed and headed for the entrance. “Yes, Theo we’ll talk soon.”
And when we do, you won’t like what I have to say.

Will Turpin leaned a shoulder against the bars of Jacob’s cell and tried to appear relaxed. His posture didn’t fool his long time friend however. Jacob knew that inside, Willy’s nerves were stretched as tight as the fibers of a mooring line. And for good reason. No one would want to answer the questions Jacob was about to pose.

“So, Will,” he said, “how’s the news on the outside? Tell me of the gossip and predictions for my future.”

Willy tried a grunt of nonchalance. “It’s only been a few days since they brought you in, Jacob. No one knows what to make of the judge’s charges yet.”

Jacob approached the bars and stared at his friend. “Nice try, Will, but I know that’s not so. Tell me the truth. What do you hear about my chances?”

A shadow crossed Will’s face and he looked away just long enough for Jacob to be certain the news was not good. “I wish I could tell you, Captain, that every wrecker in Key West was ready to stand firm in your defense.”

Jacob scoffed at the notion. “I’d know you were lying to me if you did.”

“True enough, but for the life of me, I never suspected the depth of jealousy among our own, Jacob. It seems your plight has brought out the worst of the lyin’ blokes, and they’ve come down on you pretty hard.”

“Who do you mean?”

It was obvious that Willy would rather bite off his own tongue than give Jacob the sorry news. “Clarence Dearborn is one. And Davy McGinnis. Both those lyin’ bastards went to Judge Seabrook and told him they’d had suspicions all along that you’d been riggin’ false lights. I called them out on it at Teague’s last night and told them they were lower than snakes’ bellies.”

Despite learning the true nature of some of Key West’s wreckers, Jacob managed to smile at his mate. “You’re a good friend, Will, but don’t get yourself in any brawls over this. I need you to keep looking for answers, not end up in the infirmary with McGinnis’ knuckle prints on your cheekbone.”

Willy bristled and stood straight. “It’d take a lot more than Davy’s punch to lay me low. I’ll keep lookin, Jacob, you can count on it. I’m not forgettin’ the other turncoats in town, but my search centers around that weasel, Moony Swain.”

Jacob nodded. “The seas have been calm of late with no wrecks called out. That means no mule lines are running either. Makes me wonder where Moony’s hiding out these days.”

“He’s around, down at Jimmy’s and workin’ a few hours at the salt ponds. I suspect he’s layin’ low and lettin’ the evidence against you build.”

Jacob turned away, not wanting to see Will’s eyes when he asked the next question. “And about that evidence…it is building isn’t it, Will? Even here in the jail, the night guard’s been talking of getting the gallows ready.”

Will pounded his fist on the bars, rattling the cell door. Startled at his friend’s vehemence, Jacob spun back around to face him.

“There’ll be no hangin’ Jacob,” Will said. “You have my word on it. If it comes to that, me and the boys will get you out of here and away from Key West. Far away. I promise you, no matter what it takes, your feet won’t swing over this island soil.”

The fire of determination burned in Will’s eyes, and Jacob knew he meant it. “It won’t come to that,” he said, choking back a bitter acid that rose to his mouth from an empty stomach. “Keep looking, Will. We’ll fight this in court. We can win.”

“I’ll keep lookin’, Captain,” he said, “but you remember what I told you.”

He started to leave, but Jacob stopped him. “Will, what of Nora? Have you seen her?”

“Every day, Jacob. She comes over after her school is out and talks to me. Begs me to talk some sense into you and let her come back to see you.”

“Don’t let her do it, Will. I don’t want her in here.”

“I know, but that poor little gal’s heart is breakin’. I see tears in her eyes though she tries to hide them. It’s hard on a woman when her man’s in trouble. She wants to help.”

“There’s nothing she can do. She’s in the middle of this thing between her father and me, and she’ll only get hurt. Nora’s strong, Will. Tell her I said to keep being strong and I’ll see her one day soon when this mess is over.”

“I’ll tell her, but it’d mean more comin’ from you.”

Jacob shook his head. “Not yet.”

After Will had gone, Jacob crouched in a corner of the cell and contemplated his conversation with his best friend. He hoped Will wouldn’t have to make good on his threats. He couldn’t live with himself if even one of his men’s blood spilled because of him. But that’s exactly where this all would end up if the law of Key West tried to hang Jacob Proctor. Jacob knew Will, understood his unwavering sense of loyalty well enough to be sure of that. “God help us,” Jacob said.

Then he thought of Nora, and his heart went heavy in his chest. Sweet Nora. He should have known that even if he weren’t Sophie Proctor’s son, he had no right to the gentle, pure spirit that was Nora’s. He had to face the terrible probability that he would never see her again, never hold her in his arms, never kiss her, caress her. It was easier to accept the black emptiness of a hangman’s hood than to consider losing Nora.

Jacob crossed his arms over his knees and lowered his brow to rest on them. Seeing nothing but the cold, moldy bricks of the jail floor, he closed his eyes and pictured Nora’s face while the minutes ticked slowly toward the end of another day.

Chapter Twenty-six

Every man in Nora’s life was either breaking her heart or in some other way conspiring against her. Theo had been doggedly pursuing her for days trying to get her alone to hear his declarations of love. Apparently blatant avoidance wasn’t working with the thick-headed attorney, and she would have to explain her position with unquestioning frankness even he would understand.