A Fateful Wind (22 page)

She lifted her face to gaze at him, gently pushing back his hair from his forehead. “Don’t. Please don’t try and make this whole sorry mess disappear. Things will never be the same for us. This can never be resolved until I confess.”

Jack wrapped his arms around her strongly, not wishing to release her from his grasp. “I have so much I wish to tell you,” he began, unsure as to whether he should divulge to her Lady Emmeline’s secrets given her frail disposition. “There are so many things you don’t know.” He lifted her away from him, forcing her eyes to meet his. “Jenna, look at me.”

She looked into his face, her eyes wet with tears “Nothing I can say will absolve your guilt. You may always feel guilty for what you have done. But if you had not fought back, there may be a possibility it would have been your body lying there, robbed of life on that dark night. Edwin was my cousin, but he had many enemies. Aspects of his personality were not only criminal, but showed little regard for the feelings or safety of others. I am sure Lady Emmeline divulged to you the correspondence she found concerning Edwin’s involvement in the mining tragedy.”

“I knew already. I heard him talking with the mine captain.”

“And yet you feel guilty for killing a man in self defense who so casually let a large number of men die in the most horrific of circumstances? Look, I am not trying to make light of what you did, but he tried to rape you as he raped countless others. He could have killed you. Do not be a martyr and suffer any more for what this man did to you. If you die, Jenna, I die. I already thought I lost you once. Please, don’t let me lose you again.” His voice cracked as he shook with emotion. “I love you, Jenna. I love you.”

“Love doesn’t mean anything to me anymore. You don’t love me. You think you may, but you don’t. If you loved me, you would never have left. You would never have disbelieved my father’s illness.” She turned from him, releasing herself from his arms. “I’m sorry. I know you mean well and perhaps you care for me, but it is not enough to absolve me from what I have done.”

Jack sat down in the small chair, cradling his head in his hands. “Jenna….Jenna…you must believe me. It was foolish of me to rush off like that, to choose to think you wanted to end things. Your sister seemed so flippant in telling me. I should have talked to you first, asked you, before I wrote that awful letter to you. Please, you must forgive me.”

He was beside her once more, holding her frail shoulders firmly so that her deadened eyes looked squarely at him. “Please, believe me when I tell you I love you and cannot live without you.”

Jenna felt the pain of emotion in her throat as she gazed into Jack’s face. “It’s no use,” she said. “You’re wasting your time.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Lady Emmeline sat in the small room, holding the ticket to Australia in her hands.

“Did she leave anything else?” she asked, choking back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her once again.

“No,” the nun answered. “I am terribly sorry, Lady Penrose. I thought you knew. She made it seem as though she were to meet Billy, that her escape from here was all planned. I had no idea you were both oblivious of her leaving.”

“What time did she leave yesterday?” Jack asked anxiously.

“Before day break,” the nun replied, a fearful look on her face.

“And she left no indication of where she was going?” Sir Jack paced the room, agitated and confused.

“Only that she was to meet Billy.”

Jack stalked across the room like a caged animal. “If she wasn’t planning on using the ticket, then she is planning on turning herself in, which means she will be trying to get back to Cornwall.”

Emmeline stifled a sob, the realization of what her niece intended to do, to face, just too unbearable to think about.

“We must go quickly, try and find her before, heaven forbid, she does something stupid,” Jack said urgently.

As the coach slipped into the vicinity of Penrose Manor, Jack knocked on the roof for the driver to stop. “I think I will walk from here,” he said, turning to Emmeline. “There are some places I would like to look at first, places she may be at.”

Emmeline nodded. She took his hand in hers and pressed it to her cheek. “We must find her. Please, Jack. Please find her.”

* * * *

Jack stalked through the village and down into the quarry, the tragedy of entering the convent only to find Jenna gone, leaving him in a confused daze. He felt certain after he left she would have thought through things, understood what he tried to tell her, how he wanted to live the rest of his life with her. But given her condition, the lack of food and sleep, he cursed himself for not realizing she was in no condition to make any sensible decisions.

He moved through the quarry, searching around him for signs of her. As he reached the doorway of the small shed, his heart rose in his throat, catching his breath with the hopeful anticipation that she may be seeking refuge inside. As he entered, his hopefulness dissipated as quickly as the summer sun. The shed stood empty. No sign of her being there. The only indication of her presence being the memories the smell of the old shed arose in him. Dejectedly, he seated himself on the wooden bench and cradled his head in his hands, the combination of hopelessness, anger, fear and sorrow culminating in a shudder of tears he could not stop. He sat, fingers entwined in his hair, and allowed the deluge of emotion to engulf him.

It seemed like hours passed before he felt enough strength to get up and continue looking, but a shroud of negativity he never felt before swept over him. Certainly, by now, she would be in the possession of the constabulary. He felt so angry himself for leaving, drowning his sorrows in London instead of standing his ground and staying here. Guilt over his actions overwhelmed him.
Why, if I had been here none of this would have happened
, he thought miserably, trying to think of another place to find her.

The eerie stillness of twilight bathed Penrose House as he walked wearily back along the long, winding driveway. Finally, admitting defeat, he ended his search. His visit to the graveyard, the village chapel and to the now defunct Penrose Mines had all been in vain.

Lady Emmeline waited by the door as he approached. The hopeful anticipation on her face faded. “Nothing?” she asked sadly, the candle in her hand flickering as he closed the door, shutting away the dark night and the chill of the evening air enclosing them.

“Nothing,” he replied.

“Tomorrow we will continue. If she was to hand herself over to the authorities, she would be making her way to Bodmin, would she not?”

“Yes, I suppose you are right. Then we must search the way down there, all along the country lanes and the surrounding moorland.”

Jack didn't find any solace or sleep that night. Finally, he arose as dawn began to emerge from the darkness. Making his way down to the stables, he made plans for his carriage to be drawn up.
Best to get an early start
, he thought, trying to conjure up some amount of enthusiasm. He didn’t have to wait long. The candle in Lady Emmeline’s window was already lit, indicating she was out of bed and ready to begin another day of searching. They both toyed with the food on their breakfast plates, too nervous to even take the smallest of bites. Only the chatty banter of Charlie provided a small reprieve.

“I don’t understand why I can’t be going wiv ya,” Charlie said, stuffing down a large piece of fried bread as he spoke.

“Because we have business to attend to, Charlie,” Jack said, the lack of sleep combined with the worry making him very short tempered.

“But think of the fun you can have, all the exploring. Maybe you can burn off some of that energy.” Lady Emmeline smiled.

Jack managed a small laugh, chiding himself for being so short with the boy. Charlie had become an integral part of his life. He couldn’t imagine not spending a day without the small boy’s congenial company. He was a source of amusement to both Jack and Emmeline. All the staff of the Penrose household took to him immediately, especially Cook who was forever whipping up various sweet treats for the young boy. It had been many years since Penrose Manor had a child to liven up its cold, dark and dreary walls. Charles was doing more than enough to make up for lost time.

“Well, I suppose I will just have to make the best out of being left all alone once again,” Charles sighed with a dramatic flair.

“Oh, now,” Lady Emmeline laughed. “We’ll be back long before sundown and you have more than enough to amuse yourself with.”

“I suppose I could hunt for pirate treasure. You may return to find I have unearthed the most bountiful treasure ever!”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Jenna hid behind the bushes, her breath caught in her throat as the large stagecoach trundled by. She waited until it grew smaller in the distance before she glanced around to make sure no one saw her, and ran quickly to the coverage of the outlaying forest. On the horizon, she could make out the spire of the village chapel, emerging shyly from behind the shadow of the surrounding oak trees. The peak of Sharptor, bathed in the morning sun, came closer and closer into focus. Tiredly, she walked faster into the camouflage of the wooded glen and seated herself under a tree, exhaustion overwhelming her.

She had been so convinced of her next step when she hastily left the convent, convinced to turn herself over to the constable regardless of Lady Emmeline and Sir Jack’s plans for her. Jack’s sudden appearance and confessions of love took her by surprise. The sudden anger she felt toward him for not believing her father’s illness now dissipated. After he left, she thought back over his words and the passionate way she felt when she saw him again. She imagined the blunt way Tamzin would have delivered the news to him. She should have known better than to have sent Tamzin, knowing full well her abhorrence of the upper class aristocracy. She felt foolish for treating him so unkindly. Now that she was approaching the village, apprehension and dread over what she intended to do filled her.

On the carriage ride back across the Tamar and toward Bodmin Moor, she replayed over and over again in her mind Lord Edwin’s brutal attack, the crazed look in his eyes as he lurched angrily at her, determined to get his fill of her and then discard her brutally. Would he have killed her? She knew the answer was yes. He would have raped her, of that she felt sure. And his treatment of her would have been harsh and unforgiving. His grip around her neck would have tightened as he moved himself inside of her and, when he finished, the grip would have grown even tighter still, strangling the breath from her ravaged body. And now she was about to hang for his perversions?

Jenna braced herself with a steely resolve. She would not suffer for his crimes. By night, the visions of the wounded and the sounds of the screams of anguish from the dying men at Penrose Mines pierced her dreams, intercepted by the lurid face of Lord Edwin breathing down upon her. And she was to feel the rough hewn rope of death around her neck for him? She would rather take her own life than hang in public as retribution for defending herself against the perverted and lascivious Lord Edwin Penrose.

The anger she now felt at having disregarded Lady Emmeline’s and Jack’s concern for her spurred her forward, back toward the village. She knew she would be foolish to go straight to Penrose House. Lady Emmeline may have banished any idea of helping her. She needed to find Jack first. With any luck, he would not have left again. Hopefully, he would still love her and want to help her. If he did, she knew just where she would find him.

As she walked through the quarry she felt a surge of relief. She could make out the hidden roof of the small shed and tears began to drench her cheeks as she ran toward the comfort and familiarity of the place that gave her such joy. Rushing into the calming darkness of the building, she seated herself on the bench, smoothing her hands over the initials she so despondently carved into the wood after Jack left. Excitement suddenly filled her. She longed to run to the manor house, to allow Jack to engulf her in his strong and steady gaze, allow him to take her away from all of this back to America with him as his wife like he promised. If only she wasn’t too late.

Exhaustion swept over her as she outstretched herself on the small bench. It felt good to be near home. It felt good to be near Jack once again. The lack of sleep she felt over the last few weeks overwhelmed her. The pounding in her temple and burgeoning tightness in her chest made her feel very uncomfortable. Before she knew it, she fell into a deep sleep, the vision of Jack’s eyes lulling her into the first pleasant dream she had in weeks.

* * * *

Lady Emmeline and Sir Jack apprehensively entered the formal foyer of the constabulary office in Bodmin. The journey from Penrose House did not turn up any indication of Jenna and, as they surveyed the corridor leading to the attached Bodmin Gaol, they only hoped they were not too late.

“To think that Jenna may already be seated in one of those cold, dark cells is heart wrenching,” Emmeline whispered to Jack.

“I sincerely hope she isn’t,” he whispered back. He stopped talking as the chief constable emerged from behind his desk.

“Ah, constable.” Emmeline walked over to where the policeman stood, outstretching his hand. “Any news of my husband’s enquiry?”

“I was going to send note to you today,” he said, a concerned look on his face. “Will you have a seat?” He beckoned her over to a low white bench placed in front of an oak desk.

Emmeline felt her stomach drop at the formality of it all. So it was true. They were too late. Jenna already turned herself over. With a dry throat, she seated herself next to Jack, who fidgeted uncomfortably with the hem of his jacket. The chief constable cleared his throat and reached into his drawer, retrieving a pile of papers.

“My lady,” he began, his forehead creasing as he strained to read the papers. “There has been a breakthrough in this case, but I am sorry to tell you the consequences of our findings do not bode well for Penrose Manor.”

Emmeline tried in earnest to halt her shaking hands as she nodded to the constable to continue.

“Papers were found at the site of your husband’s death. Papers which allude to an orchestral role he played in the very unfortunate disaster at Penrose Mines.”

“What do you mean, an orchestral role?” Emmeline asked, feeling a sudden relief her plan worked and shifted the blame onto a disgruntled worker.

“I did not want to tell of you of this, my lady, but your husband…” The constable’s voice trailed off as he struggled to find the right words. “Your husband had been well advised of the fragile state of Penrose Mines, advice it would seem he did not follow. The papers we found indicated he postponed necessary work that ultimately led to the caving in of the mine shaft.”

Emmeline shuddered, secretly rather impressed with her acting skills. “And you think that…” She let her voice trail off sadly.

“That his ineptitude was discovered and he was set upon by either relatives or members of the surviving miners.”

“That would make sense, I suppose.” Emmeline bent her head, a feeling of relief sweeping over her. “I didn't know of my husband’s involvement in the mining disaster.”

The constable nodded. “Well, we thought we found out the basis for your husband’s murder until something else came to our attention.”

Emmeline felt Jack stiffen beside her. “And that was?” she questioned, clenching her fists in anguish beneath the table.

“There has been a spate of highway robbers around these parts recently.”

Sir Jack exhaled sharply. “Highway robbers?”

“And vagabonds. From Launceston down to Truro there has been a marked increase in highway robbery, petty crimes and unfortunately murder. I fear it a sad sign of the times.”

“And you think that is to blame for my husband’s death?” Emmeline spoke.

“It seems the most probable and most likely,” the constable concurred. “However, we have yet to catch any of these culprits. Until we do, this perception is only a surmise.”

“Indeed.” Emmeline nodded. “Thank you for your time constable and you will continue to keep me informed.”

“Very well, my lady.”

“Well, what do you think?” Emmeline climbed into the coach, her mind reeling from the meeting with the constable.

“I would say they haven’t a clue what on earth they’re doing.” Jack chuckled, but suddenly became serious. “All we can do is find Jenna before she takes matters into her own hands.”

“At least we have more time to try and locate her whereabouts. I’m just so frightened, Jack, so terribly frightened.”

“I know. To think about where she might be, what she might be thinking, what she may be doing. To think I could have, should have, made her leave with me.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” Emmeline soothed, reaching over and grasping his shaking hands between hers. “We will make this right. I have to make this right. I made a promise to my brother I would protect Jenna. I may have failed miserably up to this point, but I won’t fail on my promise now.”