Page 2 of Earl of Excess
Matthew, open your eyes. You are wasting valuable time. You must do something. Save yourself,Lucas’s voice prodded him. Lucas Pemberton would know what to do. His friend was resourceful and rarely panicked.
Have a care, Matt! You pledged a blood oath to always be part of our foursome, I will not lose you. Come home to us. You simply cannot give up. I will not accept it. Wake up!Evan Clarendon’s voice chided him—goadinghim to move, just like he did that day in the woods when they had taken a blood oath. Evan had used a small pocketknife to prick their hands. The four of them had rubbed the blood together and swore to be there for each other. God, he missed his friends. He tried to groan but even to his own ears, it was barely audible.I have to try harder.
Right! Come on, Matt. There is more we need to do together. Stay focused. You will get through this. We are waiting for you,Christopher Anglesey’s voice pleaded in his ear.You can do this, Matt.
If he ever made it out of this Hell, he would tell everyone he held dear how much they meant to him.
Muffled footsteps and a soft whimper to the left of him pulled him from the vision.Please, God, let someone be here.
“Help,” he moaned, but his voice sounded more like a whisper. Would his plea bring help or danger? Matthew decided he had to try.I am so thirsty.
He heard panting. Surely, he would not perish by being eaten by a wild animal.
An alligator does not pant. Calm yourself.
“Dandie, the groan came from this direction.” It was a woman’s voice.
A woman? What would a woman be doing on this godforsaken battlefield?
“Come here, girl.”
The thud of a body being dropped sounded behind him.
“No, it wasn’t him. This one is dead. Yet I know I heard someone. We must be quick; find him before the men with boats come back.” The woman’s voice was low, almost a whisper. She seemed to talk to someone... her dog? A soft bark answered.
A man’s moan sounded. He realized it was his.
“Here! Dandie, do you hear that?”
Another body gave a soft thud as it fell back to the ground. Footsteps approached his head.
“Dandie, here.” Her voice was close. Matthew heard a small dog move in his direction before feeling its wet nose sniff his face.
“Help...” he moaned again.
He felt pulling, then sheer pain shot through him. His moan became a scream.
“Shh! Sir, we are trying to help. You are under other men, and I must pull you free. This may hurt, but please stay as silent as you can,” the soft female voice said.
“Who? Who?” he said, struggling to talk.
“My name is Bethany. My dog’s name is Dandie. I hate to rush; however, I am afraid fighting will resume. From what I have witnessed, we will need to leave quickly. Please try your best to help me with what strength you can muster. We must hurry,” she pleaded. “Lead the way, girl,” she encouraged her pet.
Matthew was unsure of who “they” were—the British or the Americans. He nodded, or at least thought he did. A few minutes later, he was out from under the body. He heard it thump, taking the space he had once filled.
“Cannot see,” he whispered hoarsely, frightened but grateful to live.
“I think you can walk. You have your legs, which is a miracle. I hate to ask this of you, but you need to help me get you out of here,” Bethany whispered. Her voice broke. “Be glad you cannot see,” she added. “I will never unsee this horror.”
She tugged on his arms, pulling him up, and pain ripped through his side. His head throbbed and he felt dizzy, forcing him to lean into her smaller, soft body. Her pace was quick, and soon he heard the shrubs rustling. Matthew could hear, and he could smell. He wondered at his ability to differentiate the surrounding sounds.
The soft smell of honeysuckle and water helped clear his senses. He heard the soft ripples of water. They had to be on the riverside of the plantation. He tried to visualize the layout.
Leaning him against a tree, Bethany propped his limp body up to assess their situation.
“My boat is small, but I think I can get you in it with us.”
“You and... your dog.” His voice croaked the words. He was parched.
