Bittersweet Endeavors (40 page)

“
Farewell
,
Senora
Frederickson.”

Myra
didn’t let her shock impede her movement.  No matter his reason for letting her go, she knew his generosity might only be a temporary reprieve.  Eminen
t danger still lurked within the cellar walls
.  Her hands raised her skirts way beyond decency and she ran as fast as her feet could
travel through
the dark
corridors
that led to the house above. 

She
rounded
the corner to the
upstairs
door when she encountered the hard expanse of a masculine chest.  It reeled her backwards
and nearly toppled
her to the floor.  Her heart felt as though it
rose
into her throat.  She swallowed the scream that desperately needed release
d
, but then s
omeone grabbed her arm and pulled her up
right
. 

“
What has happened
?”

Thank all the saints above
.
Seth
came
!

“I received your message,” he added when she
didn’t say anything
. “
Lucia said you were in danger
but she didn’t have time to explain
.”

“Oh, Seth, I was so frightened.
”
  She wrapped her arms around him and held tightly
.

“Is Lucia all right?  Where is she?”

“
I sent her back
to my
home
and
told her to stay there
until I found you.”
 
Seth pu
shed
her back
to arm’s length
. 
“
What is this about? 
Has Zachary harmed you?”  He looked down the corridor from which she came
,
and after p
ushing her aside,
he started down th
at
direction
w
i
th determined, forceful steps.

“
Nay
!  It wasn’t him,” she cried.  “Please, Seth.  There are too many of them for you to fight.  We have to
leave
.”

H
e looked at her disheveled appearance
.  D
irt still remained on her clothing from her
cramped space when she hid
in the walls
,
and he obviously assumed the worst.  When Seth tri
ed to continue onward, she grabbed his shirt
with both
her
hands
and
set
he
r heels firmly
into the ground and prevented
his departure.

“Tis the truth
, I wasn’t harmed,” she nearly shouted. “Only frightened.”

“If it isn’t Zachary who has you frightened, then who?” he demanded.

“
Men of Zachary’s
,” she said.  “Come, we
must leave
.”

Seth
perused
the dim hall.  “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“
Aye
, now we need to make haste before you’re seen,
”
she said, and Myra took him by the hand and he reluctantly followed her. 
They avoided the
servants
in the upper level of the house,
and
Seth ascended the steps
, following
Myra
to her room. 

“Where’s Frederickson?”

“He has gone
out
.
”

A blond brow
rose
.  “Then that gives you
ample
time to explain what happened
below
…
as well as in here,” he said,
warily, when
he noticed
the room
was in shambles by
Zachary
’s
earlier
outburst
.
 
“
To risk summoning me here, it must have been very
significant
.”

“I didn’t know what to do.”  She turned her back to him and fought the urge to run into his
arms
and seek comfort.  She wanted nothing more.  Her insides churned from the threat
that
she
and Lucia
had
escaped.

“Your sister was in trouble and I didn’t know
if I could help her all alone
. 
As she
is your
family,
and
it’s your
place to help her when in need.
  Tis why I sent for you.
”

“She’s not my sister,
”
he bit out.

“How can you say that, Seth?  She
is
your sister, and if you
’
ll
look past your father’s sniveling, you’d see
that
there’s more love in Lucia’s heart for all of you than any of you know.”

“You know how I feel when it comes to her
.
”

”Say her name, Seth.  Not
she
,
or
her,
or
that maid
,
but Lucia!  Your sister,” she practically shouted.  It enraged her to
know what Lucia endured, and yet he
show
ed
no regard
to her or her wellbeing. 

“Lucia. 
All right
, I said it.”

Myra
’s voice softened, almost in
to
a whisper.  “If only you
’
d
give her a chance, Seth, you
would
see that she can be as much
of
a sister as Margaret, Patience
,
or Polly.  Although she
fear
s
your scorn if she ad
mit
s
it aloud, she cares very much for
all
of you
, Seth.”

He didn’t say anything.  Wandering to the window, he looked out.  “I should
take my
leave before Frederickson returns,” he said, his tone cold.  “If danger is lurking in the cellar, it may be best if you leave this house
as well
.  I’ll escort you to safety,
even back to my home, if you like.”

“Oh no, your father would never allow it.” 
Myra
didn’t want him to leave
,
especially since
it was the last time she’d see him before his departure to England
.  “
I’ll remain here for now.  The men below frightened me, but they didn’t harm me. 
I think they are here on business with
Zachary.  I’m
sorry I needlessly bothered you,
”
she said,
and hoped
she
relieve
d
his worry. 
She knew it
wasn’t wise to have Seth distracted with worry prior to
his quest
in retrieving
Mary.
  He’d need all his faculties intact.

“Guests
?
” he asked. “
W
ho dwell in
the
cellar?  Odd accommodations Frederickson provides his
callers
,” Seth quipped.
 
Seth touched her cheek in a soft caress.  His eyes glistened gently in the warm hue of the candlelight.  “Truly,
Myra
, are you all right?”

She nodded but
her insides still trembled
with fear.
  The longer she looked at the kindness
with
in his eyes, the more
she
wanted
to be held by him
.  “I’m fine,
Seth.”  She
put on her bravest smile
and led him to her door.

“I need t
o know you’ll be all right.  Did
these
guests
touch you,
Myra
?  Harm you in anyway?   When your maid
—
” He rolled his eyes when
she
gave him a stern look.
“When
Lucia
met
me down the lane, she said you were in
grave
danger.”

“
I was in no
danger,” she lied.

“I don’t like this,
Myra
.  You know as well as I, there’s something amiss here. 
If he has strangers lurking about
, especially hidden beneath his home,
they
could be associated with
Frederickson’s illegal trading.”

“So you’ve heard the rumors as well?”

“I don’t think there are many who haven’t.  It’s well confirmed by the supplies he’s been selling, for they haven’t arrived
on a
ny
ship
by
way of a reputable company.”

“Those men, in the cellar,” she finally admitted. “They were pirates, Seth. 
All of them, f
ull-fledged
p
irates!”
she said, and her eyes widened. 
She grabbed Seth’s arm to prevent him from quitting the room.
“
Nay
, you cannot go back down there.”

“I cannot let you stay here,” he said incredulously.  “In only a short few hours, I’ll set sail
for
England,” he reminded. “I’ll not leave you here with them. 
Tis
bad enough
that I’
m forced to leave
you with Fred
erickson,
”
he spat out.

“Lucia and I
shall
devise a plan and leave tonight
or on the morrow
.”  She reached for his face and cr
adled his cheek in her palm. “I
’ll be all right.”

“
Perhaps I can talk to my father and convince him to allow you to stay there.
”

“Oh, Seth,
he’ll never welcome me into your home.
”

“Consider it,
Myra
.
If you cannot come up with another way, then go there.
Despite how he feels about you,
I am hard pressed to believe he’ll
decline
protection
for
his future grandchild
.
  But I cannot leave Jamestown in good conscience knowing you are in danger.
”

“
Tis fine
,” she assured him.  “
I am no danger.  Once Lucia returns, we shall leave first thing in the morning.  If we cannot find safety elsewhere out of Jamestown, then perhaps I will
chance going to your father
’s home
.”

“As much as it pains me to say it, tis best you use your station to persuade him.
  If he believes he’ll receive personal favour from The King
by
aid
ing
you, it’s doubtful he’
ll
refuse.
”

Myra nodded her agreement.  “Do not
fret, Seth.  I will be safe.” 
Myra heard the sound of horses neighing outside and she stiffened. “
You really must go, Seth,”
Myra
pressed. “
That may be Zachary
return
ing
. 
I fear what he’ll do to both of us if you are found
here.”

“If not for the dangers of the sea
and your present condition of being with child
, I’d take you with me,” he said. “But after the
event
of my last departure, and the storms of late bein
g so fierce, tis not safe
.”

Seth looked into her eyes
and her heart began to race
. 
The love she saw there made her believe that
it was possible that all the injustices in her life were going to be made right.
She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around
him
. 
T
hat
brief
moment of safety
with
in his arms needed to satisfy
her for many months
until
he returned
home.