Page 5 of My Gentleman Spy
“I said London. Not quite Park Lane, but at least west of Covent Garden. I have a particular talent for pickingaccents.”
Hattie shivered. The wind blowing through her wet clothes was mostly to blame, but something else stirred within her. With theBlade of Orionnow out of sight, the gravity of her situation hit hard. She put a trembling hand to her chest. Her situation wasperilous.
She was over a thousand miles from home, with no possessions and no money. Her parents and fiancé were bound for Sierra Leone, oblivious to the fact that she was no longer on board the ship. And yet here she was, standing with a stranger, discussing the intricacies of herprovenance.
“Oh, dear god, what have I done?” shemuttered.
Will stepped forward and after placing a gentle, but firm hand on her shoulder posed the obviousquestion.
“May I ask you something?” hesaid.
This man had just risked his life to swim out into the harbor and rescue her. Of course, he hadquestions.
“Yes?”
"I won't attempt to judge; I just need to know if what just happened out there in the harbor was an accident or if you intended to jump from theship.”
Hattie winced. Lying was not something which came naturally toher.
“I jumped,” shereplied.
“I thought so. I was watching you before you fell and it didn't look from where I sat that it was an accident. Your movements seemed quite deliberate in the minute or so before you went over the side. So, may I now ask why youjumped?”
She met his gaze. His grey eyes held a kindness which beckoned to her. Made her want to reveal her deepest inner thoughts to him. Only to him. A man whose name she didn't even know made her want to share all the secrets and dreams she kept hidden from theworld.
And what was the truth? That Harriet Imogen Margaret Wright who had been a dutiful, obedient daughter all her life had suddenly been possessed of the overwhelming need to seize her own future. That she had taken a literal leap into theunknown.
A small spark in the back recesses of her mind gave her pause. She could sense that beneath his veneer of kindness, he hid a strength of will. If he chose to wield that will against her, it could easily overpower herown.
Having only just been saved from a possible watery grave, she was in no mood to tempt fate twice. Yet his question demanded ananswer.
What then was she to tellhim?
“My name is Sarah Wilson,” shereplied.
The real Sarah Wilson, her maid was still on board the ship. But since her maid had eagerly signed up to become part of the mission to Africa, there was little chance she would be suddenly appearing on anyone's doorstep to poke holes in Hattie'sstory.
“I was engaged to be married. My fiancé told me we were going on a trip to Spain, and it was only when we got to Gibraltar that he told me we were headed to Africa. I tried to reason with him, but he became unkind,” sheadded.
Shut up Hattie. Don’t make the lie any bigger than it needs tobe.
“I see. And that is why you jumpedoverboard?”
She nodded. Keeping her mouth shut was the best thing she could do right now. Lies were hard enough if you had been granted time to come up with a convincing one. Making things up as she went along made the task nigh onimpossible.
He remained silent for a moment. Hattie could almost hear his brain processing her words. He turned away, and with his hands clasped behind him, he looked out into the harbor in the direction of where theBlade of Orionhadgone.
A chill of recollection slid down her spine. The memory of watching her father standing looking out the window of his study the moment before he suddenly announced her engagement to the Reverend Peter Brown crashed through her mind. At this moment, she wished she could be back home in England and in her father's study. Anywhere buthere.
The stranger turned and faced her. She pushed the image of her father from hermind.
There was a kindness in the stranger’s countenance which she had not seen in her father for a long time. Unlike her father, she sensed this was a man she could reason with to have her voice heard. A man she couldtrust.
“Do you know anyone in Gibraltar?” heasked.
Hattie shook her head. She knew few people outside of London, let aloneEngland.
“William Saunders at your service Miss Wilson,” he said, adding a gracefulbow.
