Beyond the Cliffs of Kerry (28 page)

Nan
rocked back and forth on the ground, tapping her leg with a leaf. Jean Michel took a rabbit's foot on a rawhide string out of his shirt and pulled it over his head. Very gently he ran the charm up and down the girl's arm, and like magic she began to stroke the fur and make cooing sounds. He hung it down the back of his shirt, and when he turned around
Nan
climbed onto his back without a struggle to play with the rabbit’s foot.

The thunder continued to roll, and the wind picked up. It was difficult navigating in the mud with a toddler on her back and holding slippery little hands, but Darcy forged on. When they reached the clearing by the fort, they waited in the brush for instructions from Jean Michel. He told them they must not all run to the gate at the same time. They would take turns, each adult escorting several children to the fort as discreetly as possible.

He turned to Darcy and said apologetically, "You will be the first to scale the hill. I'm sorry, but I must remain behind to protect the others."

"What's so terrible about going first?" she asked.

"You may draw friendly fire. Our soldiers will not recognize you in the dark, and they may believe that you are the enemy.

Darcy swallowed hard. It had never occurred to her that she may be killed by her own people.

Jean Michel continued, "Once you gain entrance to the fort, go to the battery and scan the clearing for danger. When it is safe for us to proceed wave a torch."

Darcy's heart was pounding furiously. She squatted down and looked at Adrianna's five year-old boy and asked, "Are you a strong little man?"

When he nodded, she said, "I want you to hang onto me with all your might as I run up that hill. Don't worry. Momma will be coming later. I promise to keep you safe."

His eyes reflected complete faith in her. She squeezed the chubby hand of the little girl on her back and looked at Jean Michel. He scanned the clearing and said, "Now!"

Darcy grabbed the boy to her breast and dashed into the clearing. It was extremely difficult to scale the hill carrying one child on her back and another in her arms, but she could not hesitate a moment.

Madly, she scrambled up the slippery grass, her lungs exploding, and her heart slamming against her chest. Suddenly, the toddler on her back fell to the ground with a cry. Before she could make another sound, Darcy had her tucked under her arm, and she began to run again. Breathless and terrified, she looked up at the sentries.
 
No one had seen her in the darkness. She bolted toward the fort and arrived at the gate screaming, "It's Darcy McBride! Open the gate! I have children here!"

The surprised guard opened up, and after telling the soldiers to hold their fire, Darcy grabbed a torch, ran up to the south battery and leaned over the wall. She searched the clearing for danger and waved the torch from side to side.

Adrianna burst into the clearing, holding her infant, followed by two of the older children. They sprinted up the hill, across the clearing and into the fort completely undetected.

Darcy looked around once again for danger and waved her torch for Jean Michel to proceed. He bolted up the hill with
Nan
and two others. Suddenly, there was the report of a rifle, and she looked for Jean Michel in the darkness. She could hear him yelling to the other children to continue running to the fort, and finally she saw him pull himself to his feet, tucking
Nan
under one arm.

More shots rang out as he stumbled toward the gate. Darcy dashed down to help pull in the first two children. They were shaken but unharmed, and Jean Michel staggered in dropping
Nan
into Adrianna's arms. She was sobbing from fear and joy as she covered her children with kisses.

Too weak to stand any longer, Jean Michel dropped onto his hands and knees, and Darcy bent down holding his arm. His hair had come out of the leather thong and hung in loose strands around his face.

Bright, red blood was soaking through the shoulder of his shirt, and he mumbled, "I'm dizzy."

He was taken to the surgery where several women tried to stop the bleeding. Darcy stood by the bed, watching Jean Michel's expressionless face. He lay with his eyes closed and winced only once when they tried to find the bullet.

"It looks like it went in one side and out the other," said a plump, gray-haired woman with a kind face. “That's good. You'll heal quickly." She patted his hand and said, "I'll just finish with this bandage and let you rest."

When she was done, the nurse tidied up the area and moved on to another patient. Jean Michel lay on the bed, motionless and white. Satisfied that he was asleep, Darcy turned to leave the surgery. The minute she stepped away from the bed he whispered, "Where are you going?" and he opened his eyes. "You know that you are responsible for this, don't you? You and your foolish notions."

Darcy blanched. She knew that he was right. It was an utterly impetuous, foolhardy undertaking to move children under fire, and Jean Michel had paid the price. She hung her head.

"As punishment you must stay by my side," he murmured.

Darcy looked at him. "You don't hate me?"

"No, Miss McBride. Quite the contrary," and he closed his eyes.

Darcy stayed by his side well into the night. Jean Michel did not wake up once as she dozed in a chair beside him. Sometime in the middle of the night, a guard woke her and said that Colonel Lawrence would like to speak with her.

Darcy dreaded seeing Nathan. She knew what he would say, and her anxiety increased the closer she got to his office. The parade ground was filled with people sleeping on packs or curled up on the ground as she walked into Nathan's office.

The guard escorted her in and waited. Nathan did not look up right away, continuing to write. When looked up at last, his face hardened. He dismissed the guard and stood up.

Walking around his desk, he said, "Do you know what I do to subordinates when they act against my direct orders?"

Darcy said nothing, looking at the floor.

"I sentence them to hang. That's what I do. Now as I recall, you managed to avoid that sentence once already. You must lead a charmed life, because you will avoid hanging again," he said.

"But you will not avoid this," and with the back of his hand, he struck Darcy.

Lawrence
's jeweled ring cut her lip, and she was knocked back several steps. She put her hand to her face but said nothing, only looked at the floor. She remembered the horrors of the beating from Liam too well, and she was not about to encourage Nathan.

"You'll have one more," and he slapped her across the other cheek. "That is for being impudent in my office yesterday."

He pulled down his jacket and straightened his cuffs, as blood trickled down Darcy's lip. "Now leave me."

Darcy staggered from his office, wondering how she ever could have cared for this hard ruthless man. The siege had brought out a savage side in him, which she had not previously encountered, and she would never trust him again.

She returned to the surgery and after cleaning her lip, sank back down into the chair by Jean Michel to fulfill his request that she stay by his side. In spite of all that had happened, Darcy was so exhausted that she fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.

The wound started giving Jean Michel pain and roused him. When he opened his eyes, Darcy was back, and he raised his head to look at her. The candlelight was dim in the surgery, but he could see that she had unpinned her hair, and her dark tresses tumbled down over her shoulders and breasts.

He felt as if he were a voyeur watching this beautiful woman while she slept, but he could not help drinking in every detail of her loveliness. She sighed and turned her head and Jean Michel's eyes narrowed. He saw the gash across her lip and knew immediately that she had been to see
Lawrence
.

His jaw tightened. He had never liked Nathan, and he detested him even more for adding to this woman’s misery. As his affection for Darcy grew, his hatred for
Lawrence
deepened. It was too painful for Jean Michel to watch Darcy anymore, and he turned his head to the other side of the bed to try to get some sleep.

When he awoke later that morning, a shy, young nurse with nervous hands was changing his blood-soaked bandage. Darcy sat on the corner of the bed and presented a bowl of broth to him.

"Now sit up. It's time you gain back your strength."

"I fear I cannot sit up," he teased.

"Don't push me." Darcy warned. "You are perfectly capable of sitting up."

"It's far too painful. You'll have to feed me."

She frowned. "You take advantage of me, Lupe'," and she put a spoonful of soup into his mouth. Suddenly there was the crack of gunfire and Darcy jumped, spilling broth all over him. Jean Michel winced.

Darcy dabbed his shirt with a towel apologizing profusely.

"No, I'm all right," he said chuckling.

There was cannon blast next, and it shook the room. Everyone anticipated new casualties. The surgery became a busy place once more.

Darcy helped Jean Michel into a clean shirt. As she straightened it around him, he reached up suddenly and stroked her injured lip. She turned away to hide the pain on her face. It had been years since anyone had shown her compassion, and it seemed to cut her like a knife.

She left the surgery after that, vowing to stay away from him.
Why did he affect her this way? His very presence unnerved her. She must not allow him to get close to her. She had lost too much already; she was not about to lose her heart.

The day dragged on endlessly, and the surgery filled with injured soldiers. Darcy cleaned and dressed countless wounds, her apron spattered with blood and mucus as she moved from patient to patient.

She looked at Jean Michel several times, and each time he appeared to be sleeping. At one point she grew concerned and sent a nurse to see if he needed help. The woman returned reporting he was resting peacefully.

The gunfire slowed but did not stop entirely that evening and when the last patient was settled in, Darcy went to find Shenanigan. Since the beginning of the attack, she had not seen the dog, and she was worried.

Spattered with blood from head to toe, she went to her room to clean up, and the minute she entered the room Shenanigan crawled out from under the bed, his tail wagging. She laughed and bent down to hug him. "There's my brave hero!" she cooed, as he licked her face.

After washing up and changing her dress, she decided to get some air in the parade ground. The assault had stopped, and the air was clear and quiet. She glanced in the surgery, only a few candles were lit, one of which was by Jean Michel's bed. He spied her as she walked by and motioned to her.

Reluctantly, Darcy went in to his bed. She told herself she would not let her guard down this time. He ran his eyes over her face and hair as if he were memorizing everything then said, "I want you to know that I was teasing you when I said you were responsible for my injury. There was nothing you could have done to stop those gunshots."

Darcy nodded and mumbled her thanks. She hoped this would be the extent of their conversation, but he continued, “Adrianna was here to see me today. I gave her the rabbit's foot for
Nan
. I hope it brings her luck."

There was a long pause as Jean Michel searched her face then he asked, "It's been a long time since anyone's been kind to you, hasn't it?"

The conversation was taking a personal turn, and she stood up asking, "May I get anything else for you tonight?"