chapter 17
Gareth and Jessamine mounted the carriage while Thompton strapped the chair to the back. A few miles down the road, when they’d reached a clearing with no cover for anyone to hide and attack, the buggy came to a halt. The door opened, and Thompton and Sarah entered.
Sarah was the first to speak, “So what did ye learn?”
Gareth leaned toward her. “There is a Mr. and Mrs. Steel over in Ardenshire, in the business district. They are known to make malevolent automatons. We need to make haste to Ardenshire.”
Sarah nodded in agreement, but Thompton shook his head.
“Sarah, we need to remember what our purpose is.” He motioned to Gareth. “We are here to guard and return King Tristan the second, to the throne of the Court of Ansleigh. I know ye be attached to the human-girl child, too, and so am I, but she isna our responsibility.” He motioned toward Jessamine. “I know ye have championed this match, too, but we also know the court will most likely demand an annulment. The fact Lord Gareth be half human is already an impediment to many. Heirs more human than Fae decrease our chances of placing him on the throne and avoiding all out war. Let’s na forget our true purpose. Perhaps we have entangled ourselves in the problems of humans far more than we should have.”
Sarah turned on her husband, her eyes wide with rage. “Are ye suggesting I abandon Tabitha to whoever has taken her? We know it likely be someone working with the Unseelie, so this be a Fae problem and na just a human one.”
Thompton glanced out the window as he had been, staying ever vigilant before speaking. “We dona know the kidnapping is Fae. This happened with automatons, a human creation. This could be unrelated. We need to get King Tristan back to the Fae wood, now!”
Gareth burst into the conversation. “Grandfather’s body is waiting back at the house, the selfish old…” Gareth bit his tongue before he spoke ill of the dead. “He never once did a selfless thing in his life, until Tabitha needed to be rescued. I’ll not turn my back on her when she’s the only family I have left.” Gareth scooted in his seat, searching the faces surrounding him for answers.
Thompton shook his head. “If it be a human wanting a ransom, there’ll likely be a note at Waverly Park now. We both know the greediness in the hearts of humans. Someone has figured out the wedding be about new money coming into the Smyth’s purse. The girl will probably be let go as soon as some human gets his pockets filled.”
Jessamine leaned forward, pointing her finger at Thompton. “You defended my place as Gareth’s wife to the assassin. Now you want him to abandon me?”
Thompton turned to face her. “I’ve nothing against ye personally. I was taking King Tristan’s side over the enemy’s for the purpose of showing me loyalty. But we know from what the assassin said before he died, this marriage’ll be used as one of the leverages the false king works to overthrow the Court of Ansleigh.”
Jessamine pursed her lips, her face turning red as she spoke. “I’ll not abandon Gareth. I’ve made my vow before God and man on that subject. Does that mean nothing to the Fae? Do you not believe in God?”
Sarah answered, “Aye, we do.” She glanced over to her husband. “She be right; she made a vow before God. We are His creations, too, same as man. I’ll not interfere with a vow to God.”
Jessamine gestured to Gareth. “Nor will he abandon the only family he’s ever known to run off with you to a land and a people he’s never even seen. You two do what you please and run back off to fairy tale land if you like.” She gestured to Gareth, “He and I will go after Tabitha.”
Gareth took in his wife’s ferocity. It was as if she understood his position completely without him saying a word. She was so beautiful when she was angry, but there was more he was seeing, something that drew him to her in a way much stronger than physical attraction. He was so engrossed that he nearly missed the fact Sarah was speaking.
“Thompton, how dare ye suggest I walk out on Tabitha? I’d give me own life before I’d allow harm to come to her. She’s as close to bein’ me own as I’ll ever know. I dona care that she na be Fae. We are loyal to the Court of Ansleigh, aye. But that canna outweigh our loyalties to these who have come to live in me heart.”
Sarah patted Gareth’s knee. “Thompton’ll take word to Tinkton and bring back reinforcements. The three of us will go on to Ardenshire for clues on Tabitha’s whereabouts. Then we’ll meet the reinforcements at Waverly Park before we continue further.”
Thompton glanced around at each face then back to his wife. He reached out to touch her, but she pulled away.
“Do na be touching me right now if ye value that hand. I’m still angry.”
Thompton nodded. He placed his hand under Sarah’s chin and tilted her head up. “I know yer sore at me, but I love ye. Be safe. Tabitha be a sweet girl, and I don’t want any harm to come to her. I was only trying to look at the bigger picture. If our king dies in the rescue, then what becomes of the Court of Ansleigh? Far worse than the loss of an old man and a girl will come if the false king be allowed to reign. That’s all.”
He released her chin and started for the exit of the carriage. When he turned about and met eyes with his wife, she nodded. He winked and then grew serious. “It should take me a four-day journey to the Ansleigh court and back. Dona get yourselves into danger until I get back with more guards.”
After a curt nod, he took flight. Sarah leaned out the door of the carriage and shouted after him, “Be safe and I love ye, too. Still mad, but I love ye all the same.”
Gareth looked to Jessamine and then back at Sarah who shook herself as she stood outside the carriage. In a swirl of light and air, she became Thompton.
She shrugged and winked at them, and then said in her husband’s voice, “Ye don’t see many a carriage bein’ driven by a woman. We’ll be in Ardenshire in about an hour.”
Then she climbed into the driver’s seat of the carriage, and they started off.
The carriage rocked with the motion of the cobblestone road. A cool breeze blew through the open window. Gareth glanced over at Jessamine. She’d pulled one of her throwing knives out and was eyeing the space in front of her, practicing the movement of a throw toward some imaginary target. Her movements were quick and smooth. He watched, imagining he could see the calculations of how fast her movements should be and where to aim to hit her target. A million thoughts going on at once inside her very pretty head.
He wondered how long it would take to know how she thought, the way she seemed to know him. He’d never considered what went on in a woman’s mind before. Not even Tabitha’s. Maybe it was this sort of thinking, women as nothing but pretty packages of emotional nothingness, that had put him off on the idea of marriage.
Jessamine turned for just a second and noticed Gareth watching her. She smiled. “It’s been a while since I’ve thrown one. I’m trying to remember what the Cherokee boys used to say to help me with my aim.”
Gareth swallowed, not knowing what to say. But then he did. “Thank you…for taking my side against Thompton.”
She blinked and drew in a breath as she absorbed what he said. “Of course I took your side. Thompton was in the wrong, and you are my husband. I’m with you in this and all other trials that might come up.”
Gareth said nothing, finding it hard to breathe and think in her presence, as usual, so he turned his attention back to looking out the window. She was taking their pronouncement as husband and wife much further than he’d ever planned. If they were to be husband and wife in truth, what would it all entail? He thought of how Thompton and Sarah argued but remained in love and cared for each other. When Tabitha was found and rescued, he’d have to think more on it all. For now, his young aunt’s safety was what he needed to concentrate on.
Armored Hearts
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