Abandoned Memories (39 page)

Stowy nestled deeper against her chest. Running fingers through his soft fur, she thanked God for the stray cat who’d wandered into her life aboard the
New Hope
. Even back then, God had known she would need a comforting companion. Lifting her skirts, she dipped her toe in the bubbling foam of a wave, smiling when it tickled her skin. Wind pulled hair from her pins and tossed it behind her, and she drew a deep breath, filling her lungs with the salty, fresh smell. She’d grown to love Brazil, its creamy-sanded shores, emerald waters, verdant, steamy jungles, and high, lofty mountains. There was a wildness, a purity, that lured her heart away from the pretension and conventions of society. She could be happy here.

If only James would love her.

And if they could conquer these beasts.

But neither of those things was likely. Hence the reason for her walk. If they didn’t find a way to restrain the fallen angelic monsters, things would get worse—far worse, according to James. If they
did
defeat them by the grace and wisdom of God, James would still not love her. And she couldn’t live with that. At least not side by side with him in the same town, eating meals together, seeing him every day.

Either way, she would have to leave this beautiful place. Go back to a land where she was wanted for murder and had no way to support herself. But this time, God would be with her, though she supposed He’d always been. But this time, she would call upon Him, rely on Him, trust Him.

A shadow emerged from the sea like a mermaid coming ashore. Water dripped off his hat and coat as he headed toward her. The visions no longer startled her. In fact, whirling around, she hurried in the opposite direction, ignoring the man she recognized from her past, ignoring the lurid suggestions bubbling from his lips like the foam atop the waves. Laughter bellowed from down shore where a flickering fire and a bawdy ruckus told her the pirates were already deep in their cups celebrating their impending wealth.

The colonists still circled their own fire, partaking of their meager meal of roasted fish, coconuts, and mango mandioca pudding. Off to the side, James sat on a rock. Hayden held a lantern while he finished interpreting the book. As if that would do any good. Angeline quickly chastised herself for her lack of faith. She’d felt the love and power of God the past few days, she truly had. But she couldn’t imagine what He expected any of them to do against such evil.

Oh, Lord, protect us all. Protect James
.

“Come now, Angel, make ole Neal happy like you used to.” Still dripping from the sea, the heinous man leapt in front of her.

Ignoring him, Angeline walked the other way. She wasn’t ready to join the others. In fact, she must—no, she desperately
needed to
—put as much distance between her and James for the remainder of her time in Brazil.

Another shadow leapt out at her.

Not bothering to lift her gaze, she brushed past it. Sweet saints, was she to have no peace at all tonight?

“Now, that ain’t very friendly.” The voice halted her.

Dodd
. She slowly turned to see his predatory smile gleaming in the moonlight. “I thought you were a vision.” She lowered her shoulders. “But now I see you are only a nightmare.”

“Ah…” He laid his hat over his chest. “The lady pains me greatly.”

Stowy perked and stared at the man. “What is it you want?” She continued walking.

“Did you miss me while I was unconscious?” He slid beside her.

“No.”

“Yet, I distinctly remember you caring for me, sitting by my side and washing my face.” He caressed his own cheek and moaned in delight. “I can still feel your loving touch.”

Angeline longed to slap the moan from his lips. “I suppose I might have.” In fact, she could only remember one time she’d done so, and that was when she and Hayden had spoken about…she snapped her gaze back to Dodd’s.

He grinned. “I see you remember.” Jumping in front of her, he faced her and walked backward as she proceeded, skimming her with lurid eyes.

Swinging hair over her shoulder, Angeline stiffened her jaw. “What do you want?”

“It’s simple, really. You see, I’m about to be a very wealthy man. Much wealthier than the good doctor.”

“I care not for your financial standing.” Stopping before she bumped into him, she stared out to sea, wishing more than anything for the kraken to emerge from the foamy waters and drag her down to the depths.

He grabbed her arm. “Hmm. I don’t think you do. In fact, you’re becoming quite the bore, Angeline. Playing the righteous prude does not become you.” He released her and slid fingers up to her neck. “I much preferred the harlot.”

Stowy hissed at him.

Frowning, he backed away.

Angeline lifted her chin. “The harlot is gone, sir. I am a new creature. I have been cleansed and forgiven by God.”

His shoulders shook as laughter barreled from his mouth. “Well, I’ll tell you what, then,
Clarissa
. Just for old times’ sake and since I like you, I really do, I’ll not tell a soul that you are a murderer as well as a prostitute if you give me just one night. Just one night with dear old Dodd. Is that too much to ask for?”

She felt Stowy tense in her arms, nails springing from his paws. Perhaps she should release him and allow him to gouge Dodd’s eyes out. But that wouldn’t be pleasing to God. “Are you so desperate and so pathetic a man that you have to threaten to ruin a woman’s life for one night’s pleasure?”

“Desperate, aye,” he said. “Pathetic…well, why don’t you let me show you just how pathetic I am?”

Angeline was suddenly glad she had skipped supper. “I wouldn’t spend the night with you if you could make me queen of England.”

Dodd’s face fell. His eyes narrowed and the lines at the corners of his mouth became spears.

“You are too late, Dodd. James already knows.” She wouldn’t tell him just what he knew. “So you have no power over me.”

“Whether that is true or not, you forget one thing, my dear.” He slid fingers down his thick sideburns. “I am a lawman, bound by duty to bring murderers to justice. And if you don’t give me what I want, that’s just what I intend to do, bring you home and make you stand trial for murder.”

HAPTER
34

T
hank you all for meeting this late.” James circled the fire and tossed another log into the flames. Sparks leapt into the air, disappearing into the darkness where the moon seemed to absorb them in its advance across the sky. Snores rumbled over the thunder of waves from both pirate and colonist alike, ensuring James all but the six of them were asleep. For what he had to say was not for prying ears. Nor for the faint of heart.

“We have no choice.” Blake’s tone grew solemn. “We must do something.”

Hayden led Magnolia to sit on a log. “Are you sure about this fourth beast?” He scratched the stubble on his chin. “I haven’t seen many visions lately. None, in fact, last week.”

“
I
have.” Holding his side, Blake eased to sit beside his wife. “And my nightmares have increased.”

Eliza glanced at Magnolia. “We saw many visions while on board the
Espoliar
. Aside from the rats, they were our constant companions.”

Magnolia squeezed her husband’s hand. “If Eliza hadn’t been there, I would have gone mad.”

“If we hadn’t been together, we both would have,” Eliza said.

“And you, James?” Blake asked. “Have you been spared these torturous apparitions now that your fear of blood is gone?”

James stared into the fire, wishing to God that were true, but lately he’d been seeing his father everywhere…chopping wood in the distance, walking down shore, dashing through the jungle. But every time James rushed to confront him, he disappeared. If only he could speak to him, tell him how sorry he was. Just once. “It was God who took my fear from me, and no, I have not been spared.”

All eyes turned to Angeline as she lowered to a stump and adjusted her skirts around her feet. “I’ve seen many,” she finally said. “Too many.”

James scrubbed his face, battling the irresistible pull to look at her, not wanting to see the pain on her face that he heard in her voice, not wanting to see the sorrow and anger in her eyes every time she looked his way.

Wind sent the flames sputtering and brought a welcome chill to the sweat on the back of his neck.

Hayden snapped hair from his face. “So, what are we to do about this beast, Doc? I assume that’s why you asked us to forego our sleep.”

“Yes. I finished interpreting the book.” Drawing a deep breath, James sat and leaned forward on his knees. “From what I have learned, I believe it is possible to send the freed beasts back to their chains and keep the fourth one from being released. The Hebrew text speaks over and over of the six.” God help him. He had studied and prayed and studied and prayed, asking for wisdom to interpret the words correctly. If he was wrong—even in a verb tense or the meaning of a single word—it could mean their doom.

“The six?” Eliza fingered a locket around her neck, her voice tainted with the skepticism she so often tried to hide.

James stared at the sand by his boot and wondered how to continue, how to share what sounded like complete lunacy, but what he knew in his gut was the truth. Picking up the book, he opened it to where he’d placed a leaf as marker and began to read from his translation. “ ‘The six are known to the six, yet not known. Called from afar. A destiny from above. And only through them can evil be chained.’ ”

He glanced at his friends. All eyes were upon him, sparkling in the firelight. Some were narrowed in confusion, others wide beneath arched brows, while others shifted to stare at the dance of flames.

Magnolia scrunched her nose. “What does it mean, ‘known…yet not known’? And who are these six?”

James drew a deep breath, hesitated, then decided he might as well just say it. “I believe
we
are the six.”

Hayden chuckled. Eliza slipped her locket within her bodice and folded her hands together. James didn’t look at Angeline, but he could feel her eyes on him.

“What makes you say that?” Blake asked, lines forming on his forehead.

A howl echoed from the jungle, deep and malevolent, setting James’s nerves on end. As if they weren’t already tight enough. “I’ve prayed and prayed about this. I know this sounds absurd, preposterous even. But hear me out. When we all came aboard the
New Hope
eight months ago, we were complete strangers to one another, correct?”

Blake nodded. Eliza shared a glance with Magnolia while Angeline lifted her gaze to Hayden, who was oddly staring at James. James shifted uncomfortably on his seat, hoping that the reason for Hayden’s interest was not that he had known James from before. Closing the book, he set it down on the sand and continued. “Yet, somehow our lives are connected.” He faced Eliza. “I saw your husband commit a horrible act on the battlefield.” She swallowed and gave a slight nod. “An act that affected Blake greatly and changed his life.” Releasing a sigh, the colonel swung an arm around his wife and drew her near.

“That’s three of us who affected each other’s lives before we even knew one another.” James turned to Magnolia. “You told me that you knew Eliza before you boarded the
New Hope
.”

“Yes”—she smiled at her friend—“we met at a party at Eliza’s aunt and uncle’s hotel.”

“You introduced me to Stanton…” Eliza’s voice trailed off, her eyes growing wide. “I would have never married him…”

Magnolia winced.

“I would never have run away from home, been disowned by my family.” Eliza lowered her chin, and Blake brought her hand to his lips. She looked at him in horror. “Who knows, maybe Stanton would never have murdered your brother.”

Blake eased a curl from her face. “What’s done is done, love. It doesn’t matter now.”

Hayden’s gaze shot to his wife. “And you were engaged to my father.”

“I need no reminder of that huge mistake.” Magnolia stuffed hair into her bun.

“But don’t you see?” James stood, his blood pumping fast. “That links Hayden to Magnolia and Magnolia to Eliza and Blake to Eliza and me to Blake and Eliza.” He dared a glance at Angeline. “But what I cannot determine is how you are connected in all this.”

“I’m not.” Angeline swept pointed eyes his way. “You of all people should know that a woman like me could never be used to defeat evil.” Her sharp tone sliced through James’s heart. Yet even as she said the words, her gaze brushed over Hayden before returning to the fire.

Withdrawing his arm from Magnolia, Hayden picked up a chip of wood and began fingering it. Seconds passed as another gust of wind kicked sparks from the fire into the night. “Angeline and I have only recently discovered a prior connection,” Hayden finally said. “I swindled the man who murdered her father. Inadvertently causing her father’s death, in fact.” He tossed the wood in the fire as everyone stared at him in disbelief, eyes shifting from him to Angeline.

But she refused to look at any of them, her eyes downcast, her arms looped around her waist, her hair sparkling in red and gold like the fire itself.

“I didn’t know what had transpired after I tricked the man.” Hayden’s tone weighed heavy with remorse. “I simply left town with my pockets full.”

Angeline finally raised her gaze to Hayden’s. The moisture covering her eyes threatened to undo James and send him dashing to her side. “You couldn’t have known.” She smiled and glanced over the group. “Hayden and I have made our peace.”

Shoving down yet another burst of admiration for the lady, James tore his gaze away and instead focused on his growing excitement as the pieces of the puzzle were coming together. Yet at the same time, sorrow also consumed him at the horrible way each of his dear friends had affected the other ones. All except him. Aside from seeing Eliza’s husband kill Blake’s brother, James had no direct connection with any of them. Perhaps it was
he
who wasn’t part of the six.

“Before you go thinking you are innocent, Doc…” Hayden shifted his boots in the sand. “You and I crossed paths once.”