Page 68 of The Ones Left Behind
“I should go, too. It would be easier than trying to draw a map. And you will not be able to follow a map in the dark,” Kitty said in a low voice to Philip, but Matthias heard.
“No. You have put yourself in enough danger.” Matthias never wanted Kitty to leave his sight again. Even as he looked at her now, he wanted to find Henry and tear him apart, limb by limb, for what Kitty had gone through in the name of helping the fugitive.
Kitty ignored him and turned to Philip. “I also have a chance of reasoning with him. If he realizes we are there with a means of escape, he might come on his own.”
“Perhaps I should go as far as I can,” Matthias wondered aloud, “so I will be available.”
“No.” The answer came simultaneously from a multitude of voices.
“Supposing he demands to see me?” he objected.
“Then he can leave his perch. You would be a sitting hen if he has determined you are his next victim.” Philip’s calm reasoning brooked no argument.
“And what about Kitty? He could make her his target!”
Why was Philip not objecting?
“She is right, Matthias,” he said softly. “I will do my best to keep her from harm, but we do not have time to delay and I might not have another choice.”
“I am hardly in a position to argue, am I?” Matthias spat in response.
“Trust us to do what is right,” Waverley said before he and Philip left the room with their wives, having agreed to meet back there in three hours.
“It is not you I do not trust,” Matthias grumbled, eyeing the brandy decanter which was unfortunately across the room. He groaned and threw his head back, alone with his thoughts.
“What can I do to help? Are you in pain?”
“I thought you had left with the others.”
“No,” she said, and came to kneel before him.
“Just being here helps,” he said, reaching up to push a loose lock of hair from her face. Then he took her hands in his and tenderly kissed each of her cuts, one by one. “I do not want you to go. I could not bear to lose you again.”
She smiled apologetically. “If there were a better way, I would not. But there were moments I was able to see the real him. I do not think he will react well to strangers.”
“They are not complete strangers,” he pointed out weakly.
She did not voice a reply, only looked up at him with those golden eyes that had haunted his dreams. He lifted his hands to cradle her face and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
“Promise me you will never do something like that again. When I came back and no one knew where you were…” He swallowed hard, unable to finish the thought.
“Henry must be dealt with; then we will attend to you and I.”
“I love you, Kitty. I will not lose this chance to say words I should have said long ago. I never want you to doubt the strength of my affections again.”
She smiled at him, a tear rolling down her cheek as her chin quivered. He smoothed it away with his thumb.
“All we can do now is look forward to the future. It is hard not to look back with regret, but we both know there is no guarantee of tomorrow.”
She leaned forward into his arms and hugged him tightly. “I never thought I would be able to do this again.”
“Oh, Kitty, my love. I will never let you go.”
“Just try to be rid of me now,” she said, with a teasing grin which he quickly replaced with another, deeper kiss.
* * *
Kitty had not troubledto attempt sleep. Between the mixture of nervousness and anticipation and trying to reassure Matthias, sleep would have eluded her if she had tried.
