Page 68 of The Ambiguous Enigma of the Hunted Lady
“Go away, Kenneth.” she answered. She could not bear to see him, for she knew she would destroy him no matter what she chose.
“I mean to help, what can I bring you?”
Damn him for being so good!
“I do not wish to see you, Kenneth.” she stood firmly. If she saw his poor face, ignorant to all the wider troubles, it would break her heart.
She could hear Mrs. Redford ushering him away from the door, and this brought her a brief reprieve from her sorrow. She had always enjoyed the company of the older, jolly housekeeper. It was as if she never had anything poorly to say about anyone or anything, and she had always treated Leah with gentle kindness.
“Miss Benson, dear?” the sweet old voice came through the locked door. “What seems to be the matter?”
“It is nothing I cannot handle on my own, Mrs. Redford.” Leah answered, wiping a tear from one of her eyes.
“You ring if you need anything, dear, anything at all.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Redford, you are very kind.”
Leah heard her footsteps descend the staircase and fall out of earshot. Her gaze fell to the window a final time, and she saw the last plumes of orange light fading into purple majesty above the hills and trees.
I will have to wait for total darkness, Leah formulated her plan.And when the house is asleep, I will steal away from this place.
Her line of sight followed the long road stretching down from the manor home, and winding into the thin trees. She followed it until it vanished into the blurring greens and browns of the landscape.
It's a long walk to the London road.
Leah let out a deep breath, running her hands over her rib cage. While mostly healed, she knew the strenuous hike off of the Worthington estate would test the limits of her endurance.
From the road I'll find a coach or a wagon that will take me. A hay or beef cart would nearly always let you hop aboard for a mile or so. Only if you knew what to say, that is.
I'll take the long way 'round, avoid the boroughs around the South Gate. Make straight for the river docks. Don't stop for anybody.
She imagined the wharf, running along the piers and thinking about which ships would be in their slips.
Then it's just downriver to the sea and onto Australia.
Leah lingered in the window, watching the birds fly by like she had from her sickbed. She watched the sun set to completion and waited for the darkness to settle into every corner.
It's time to leave. It must be tonight.
Chapter 18
Nash was in a terrific mood. After confirming with the good Doctor Fowler that Leah was once and for all, dead, he had gone on his merry way to meet Riphook.
“You're sure of it then?” Riphook picked a roasted duck apart with his gnarled hand while popping grapes into his mouth with the other.
“Yeah boss.” Nash said, holding his hands behind his back as properly as he could. Someone had once told him to always stand as if he were a gentleman, even if he weren't. It just might get you places, they had said.
“The old doc came through, eh?” Riphook let his face fall towards his plate. Dropping the grapes, he used both hands to pry apart the perfectly-cooked duck. “I'm surprised. Didn't think he had it in him.”
“Well you said he would, boss” Nash played along. “so of course, you were right.”
“How'd he do it?”
“Poison, I suppose.”
“Bah! Of course, he did.” Riphook shoved a chunk of meat into his mouth and chewed obnoxiously. “That's that then.”
“That's that, boss.”
