Page 86 of The Curious Life of the Unfortunate Duchess
Chapter 28
Darkness had fallen into a cloak of blackness when Elizabeth chanced upon a town. It was unfamiliar to her and there was not a soul in sight when she stopped the horse at a trough for water.
“You rest, girl,” she told the beast. She stroked the soft mane of the horse and the animal neighed slightly before sticking her snout into the trough. They had been travelling for hours, into the fading twilight but Elizabeth still had not a clue where she had gone. Her body ached terribly, with the cuts on her arms and legs caked in blood, and certainly touched with dirt and possibly infection.
She needed care for her injuries, water for herself, and food but not until she was convinced she was out of harm’s way, that Cooper and Mark had not learned of her whereabouts. It was the reason she had waited to stop until night fell, even though the horse had protested at the incessant forward movement. Elizabeth considered herself lucky that the mare had continued to go, despite her exhaustion.
Elizabeth stood on the main street of the darkened town, hoping once more to take hold of her bearings but she was more confused than ever. On her journey, she had seen several people but she dared not stop, the sense that she was much too close to her kidnappers weighing heavily on her mind. She entertained the idea that she was unreasonably suspicious, that certainly Mark and Cooper did not have allies so far and so vast but she did not wish to risk ending up captured by either man again.
I, too, must rest,she realized, looking up the road for a place to sleep if only for a short while. It took her but a minute to find a small alley between shops and hidden from the view of the street. Elizabeth was certain she had traveled far enough from the highwaymen but she did not wish to be found asleep by anyone and caught unaware. She vowed to find help in the light of day but until then, rest was imperative.
Elizabeth reasoned that Cooper must have collected the ransom already and that he and Mark would be on their way far from Britain with their ill-gotten gains. It filled her with anger and sadness that Leonard had parted with his money, that she had been unable to return to Brookside before the drop was set but Elizabeth also knew that Leonard and her father would be relieved that she had returned to them, no matter the cost. Perhaps, God willing, there was still time to capture the men before they boarded a ship or stagecoach.
Elizabeth curled her filthy skirts around her as she sank onto the ground, resting her tangled dark hair against the wall of a shop. Her lids drooped instantly although her heart still pounded from all she had endured.
The worst is over now,she told herself comfortingly.In the morning, someone will lead you home. Rest and you will find peace in the morning.
Yet as slumber embraced her, Elizabeth could not supress the feeling that the worst was yet to come.
* * *
The chatter of young voices woke Elizabeth. She blinked several times, her eyes gritty and burning. The sensation that she had only been asleep for minutes did not make for a restful feeling but the weak light of morning streamed through the alleyway and she found herself staring at two children. She judged that they were siblings, their resemblance uncannily similar. They eyed her with youthful curiosity, undoubtedly believing her to be without a home.
“Good morning,” Elizabeth tried to call out to them but her words were cracked. She was much too parched to speak.
“Is she ill?” the small girl with large, brown eyes demanded. “We should not approach her lest she be catching!”
Elizabeth could see that both children had seen their own illnesses as they both were small and skinny.
“Please,” Elizabeth attempted again, ambling to her feet. She managed to stand without much incident although the fatigue in her bones was almost unbearable. They stepped closer, their interest overriding their good sense but abruptly they both stopped, their eyes widening with shock.
“She is injured!” a boy yelled, pointing at Elizabeth’s cracked skin. “We must fetch Mama!”
Elizabeth sank against the wall again and watched as they scampered off to find their parents. It was the best outcome she could have asked for in the circumstances. Explaining herself to children would only be futile. She needed adult assistance.
It felt like an hour passed although Elizabeth was sure it was only minutes before a woman appeared, blocking the light of the alleyway with a chubby, angry stance.
“What is the meaning of this? Off with you now,” a sour-faced woman snapped as she appeared in the alleyway. “This is not a town for transients!”
Elizabeth shook her head and pushed her body away from the building. It was her hope that the woman might see some semblance of fine dress despite her ragged appearance. Elizabeth had no doubt that she looked a fright but without water, regaling her tale would be difficult. It was the little girl who saw what Elizabeth was attempting to display.
“I do not think she is a transient, Mama. Look at the lace of her gown.”
The older woman’s eyes narrowed and she tentatively stepped toward Elizabeth, a broom firmly in hand as though she intended to use it as a weapon.
“It is your horse by the tailor’s shop?” Mama demanded and Elizabeth nodded, swallowing quickly to lubricate her throat as best as she could.
“Yes, madam. I have been kidnapped by highwaymen,” Elizabeth managed to gasp. “Please, can you tell me in which town I stand? Which duchy?”
“Kidnapped?” she did not appear entirely convinced but she did lower the broom slightly against her side. “Who are you?”
Elizabeth licked her chapped lips but before she could answer, Mama turned to her brood.
“Fetch some blankets and water. Bring them to the shop. See if Dr. Mallory is home.”
Tears of gratefulness filled Elizabeth’s eyes and she hobbled toward the robust woman.
“You aren’t catching now, are you?” she asked suspiciously and Elizabeth shook her head vehemently.
