Page 77 of His Wicked Secret
Jonathan was down there,herJonathan, doing everything he could to give her time to escape. She still didn’t know how he’d found her or how he’d gotten to her just in time. The man had the uncanny ability to show up when she needed him most.
Like a man in love…
Her heart stilled. He’d finally told her he loved her on the day they might both die. The selfish bastard. Her nose burned as she fought off her tears again.
Pull yourself together! Falling apart now won’t do anyone any good.
Well, she wasn’t going to let him and Avery get marched off to the gallows that easily. Not if she could find a way to save them. Not even the entire French army was going to stop her from finally getting married.
I am Audrey Sheridan. I do not follow the rules. I shatter them.
She rushed to the window and shoved it open. The curtains billowed as a strong sea breeze pushed into the room. The sounds from the crowds below strangely helped give her focus. She gripped the ledge of the slanted roof. The inn wasn’t connected to the building beside it the way many others were.
There was a loud bang, and the building shook. Had they used a canon on them? No, that would be ridiculous. But the sound was far too loud for mere gunfire.
Soon the sounds outside changed. Was that…laughing? She saw the backs of two armed men leave the alley, heading for the front of the tavern. There was a good chance she could drop down unnoticed now and hide until she could blend into the crowds.
Fortunately, no one outside was looking at her window. The few people she could see were focused on the front door. She climbed out, gripping the windowsill until she was certain she wouldn’t fall.
She eased down from the ledge until she hung by her fingertips, then dropped, landing in a crouch. She popped back up with her fists raised. She crept along the wall of the inn, then froze as she saw the scene unfolding at the front door.
Laughs and jeers spread among both the soldiers and the crowd as Avery and a large woman in a hideous puce-colored dress with far too much lace were dragged out of the—
Wait, that’s Jonathan!
Audrey held her breath, and then she let it out when she saw that he was alive, but dazed. And dressed as a woman. The reasons why were obvious, but it did not make the scene any less bizarre to witness.
Thank heavens they are both alive,she thought as she blended into the back of the crowd. And she would find a way to keep it that way. Yes, she’d made a promise to run and wait for the League at the port, but honestly, Jonathan should know better than to think she’d keep her word in a situation as dire as this. She would do what she had to do.
She followed their progress by tailing them through the crowd, who were also following along, enjoying the show. Audrey checked for the slender blade she’d tucked into her boots as a reassurance, but she wished she had gotten her hands on a pistol instead, just in case she needed something a little more intimidating.
Avery and Jonathan were bound with rope now, their wrists tied in front of them and forced to march behind the soldiers. Audrey tugged on the sleeve of one of the older men and spoke to him in her best French, as boyishly as she could manage.
“Where do you think they are taking them?”
“The cliffs. I expect they’ll try to intimidate them into a confession before taking them to prison…if they even bother. The last time they caught a spy, he was shot on the bluff and shoved into the sea.”
“Which way?” she asked.
The man pointed to a cliff in the distance. “Don’t go there looking for a show, boy. The soldiers have been drinking tonight, and they may try to use you for target practice.”
She thanked him for the warning and said she wouldn’t. She went back into town briefly, then ducked into an alley, turning back around and following the soldiers at a safe distance.
The men marched along a winding path toward the cliffs, taking turns to jerk either Jonathan or Avery forward, causing them to fall before they could stumble back to their feet. It happened to Jonathan more since he still had that dress on. Once they reached the cliffs, Audrey saw to her horror that she couldn’t follow them all the way to the bluff unnoticed. It was far too open. Taking cover behind a small cluster of boulders, she watched and waited, holding her breath. She would have to think of a plan to save them, and by the looks of the soldiers circling the two prisoners, she didn’t have long.
* * *
Godric strodedown the gangplank and hit the docks just as the moon rose above the horizon. The rest of the League followed behind - Ashton, Lucien, Cedric, and Charles. They had said little during their trip across the Channel. They were well armed and ready to take down anyone who stood in their way.
“Where do you think we will find Jonathan?” Godric asked Ashton once they were off the ship. Ashton had ordered his captain to wait for them, and if necessary, be ready to get back out to sea immediately.
“I expect he would be—” Ashton froze and focused on the activity on the docks. Sailors were shouting, and there was a tempo to the crowds that made Godric uneasy. Ashton seemed to share his concern. He went to a man and asked him something Godric couldn’t hear. By the time the League had joined him, his face had gone pale.
“Everyone is talking about English spies. Two men have been arrested and…” He hesitated.
“Say it.” Godric’s heart pounded. He knew this was bad, but he was uncertain as to how bad it could be.
“It seems the locals are divided as to whether they will even live to see trial.”
