Embrace of the Enemy (Winds of Betrayal) (16 page)

“If it makes you feel any better, I was sent with orders from Washington himself to remove you. I can’t promise you to get you back to Virginia at the moment, but I can get you across the Sound,” Giles said as he turned her to face him. “You’re going home. I give you my word, I won’t leave you behind. You still want to go home?”

Tears streamed down her face. “You promise?” she managed between sobs. He nodded. All the emotions she had held within her imploded. The whole of her body shook. He held her and wondered what she had gone through. He felt warmth on his shoulder. He reached up. Her wound had begun to bleed once more.

“We need to try to move,” he said. He helped her to her feet. Her legs gave; she was weakening. He needed to get her help.

Opening the door, he glanced around. No movement. They exited. They had to take it slow, avoiding British activity. Finally emerging at his destination, Hannah stared up startled, for they stood outside of a notorious Tory newspaper. Giles shot her a reassuring smile. He led her to the back and knocked softly. The door opened gingerly. Giles whisked her within.

Without a word, Giles moved Hannah in front of him as he removed the pouch, handing it to his accomplish, Rupert Arnett, lean, elegant. Hannah couldn’t take her eyes off of him. She had made his acquaintance many times at the social events she had attended. She began to tremble again.

“Trust me,” Giles said as he turned back to her. “Rupert, I take it you two have met.”

Even given the circumstances, he nodded politely. “I believe I have knowledge of Miss Corbett. Giles, can we speak? Pray excuse us for a moment.”

“Have a seat,” Giles helped Hannah to sit down. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

* * * *

Rupert waited for his friend in the adjoining room. He glanced back over Giles’ shoulder. Hannah sat with her eyes closed. He opened the pouch and glanced over the contents. “My God, Giles do you know what we have? They look as the whole Burgoyne’s plans.”

“It was the girl, Rupert. She stole them right underneath their own eyes without their knowledge, I take it,” Giles said. “She has taken many a chance. It’s a good thing we’re sending her home.”

“Do you know who she is, Giles?” Rupert asked, confused.

“She is my mission. Benjamin sent me to remove her. I’m certain she’s the one Dr. Corbett’s been adamant about. Benjamin promised him and I promised her,” Giles replied. “I don’t know where you’re going with this.”

The two engrossed within their own conversation didn’t notice Hannah open her eyes. She could sense a problem. She struggled back to her feet.

“From my understanding, she’s been under Colonel Durham’s protection. He’s not one to mess with, I can assure you,” Rupert said. “The British are looking high and low for her, rummaging all of New York for her. They have already spoken to me about it. And how long has it been?”

“She saved my life and wants desperately to get out of New York. She stated as much, and I can see it within her eyes,” Giles stubbornly refused. “I gave my word. I’m not going to abandon her.”

“Listen to reason, Giles,” Rupert shook his head. “The British captured twenty-five patriotic main supporters within the city tonight. They found the plans of burning the harbor. We can’t jeopardize our network we have carefully laid out. After tonight it’ll be all we have. We can’t be caught. Giles, there isn’t an option.”

Giles shook off his friend since childhood. “You do what you must, but I won’t turn her out in the streets. What are we fighting for if we treat our own like this? You didn’t see her. I would be dead now. And then what would we be protecting?”

“We need you, Giles. You’re a vital link.”

“I’ll do both. I know someone just on the outskirts.” The argument was mute. As the two returned to the back room, the door stood slightly ajar and the girl was gone.

* * * *

Hannah walked briskly holding her shoulder. Soon, she felt raindrops begin to fall with a wind swirling around her. Hannah fought against the brewing storm. She had to walk as far away from the newspaper as she could. A realization came to Hannah while she labored on, nothing came above the mission. It couldn’t for it to succeed, which it must. The comprehension that her life meant little now to the network swept through her. She was no longer a viable contact. She could do no more damage to the British.

She took shelter within a doorway. She pulled her good arm around her. The blood had ceased for the most part. The morning light woke her. She didn’t know how long she had slept. She pulled herself up. The rain had stopped. She started to walk again, not knowing where, blindly. She unintentionally bumped into someone. She couldn’t focus her eyes. Her head began to spin. From a distance she heard someone calling her name; she wheeled around toward the sound, red uniforms surrounded her.

“Hannah,” a familiar voice called to her.

Her eyes blinked, but her head spun around. She tried to focus. Uttering as she fell into darkness, “Marcus?”

* * * *

R
upert Arnett sat behind his desk. The aftermath of the raid on Haym Tepper’s shop had left no doubt of the fury of the British. British justice had been swift and carried out without the benefit of the public eye. Rupert understood Tepper now lay within the hull of the
Jersey
. True to his convictions, Tepper betrayed none. Rupert sighed. His heart couldn’t take much more after the last week and he was just beginning navigating this spy network.

With the greatest reluctance,
Giles had left the next morning after news came in that Miss Corbett had been found well away from the newspaper. Giles held resentment toward him about the girl. He had only done what he considered his duty, but in truth he hadn’t realized all, if he had at the time…but it couldn’t be undone.

He read over the morning story. He had to hand it to the British. He was certain they felt confident in their execution of their plan. Taking many from within
New York in one sweep, and one of the main players in Tepper, but if they had any indication of losing Burgoyne’s plans they hadn’t given any indication. He had received news this morning from Giles. The network had conveyed only one word—ecstatic, but he well understood. And the person who had been responsible for such, he had handed back to the British.

Didn’t Benjamin tell him not to trust many? On many occasions he had seen Miss Corbett, smiling, laughing, and flirting. For many, the attention of such a prominent British soldier would have been sought and flaunted, such as Mrs. Loring. Colonel Durham had much in common with General Howe, each having been born to an aristocratic family that held the possession of wealth and power.

A knock upon his door frame within his office disturbed his train of thought. His young apprentice, Dave, appeared, “Excuse me, Mr. Arnett. There’s a lady, a Mrs. Millbury. She’s requesting to see you and only you. She said it was urgent.”

“Never refuse a woman. Eh, Dave, my boy, send her in,” Rupert laughed as he motioned with hand to hurry.

Rupert stood upon the woman’s entrance. She wore mourning, but the black accented her blonde ringlets edging out from her bonnet. Her blue eyes reddened from obvious crying. He motioned for her to sit and offered her his handkerchief, “Please have a seat, Mrs…. Pray excuse me, I’ve forgotten your name.”

“Susanna Millbury. You may know of my grandfather, Alexander Clay,” she said simply, but plainly. She had his attention. He walked around and shut the door tightly.

He breathed in deeply, hoping not to give any indication his concern. He shrugged, “I believe I do. What can I help you with, Mrs. Millbury? You are in mourning?”

“My dear grandmother passed away not long hence,” she stared straight at him.

“Of course, I’d like to extend my sympathies. I have heard what a wonderful woman she was. I’m sure she’ll be missed,” he said, able to breathe freely once more. “What can I help you with this day?”

“Mr. Arnett, I wish to dispense with formalities. I can quite assure you I have no desire to be here, but I’m fulfilling a promise,” she said nervously. For the first time he noticed a package she held in her hands. “My cousin, Hannah Corbett, the one you have so hatefully plastered over your paper requested me to do so.”

With a somber look, Rupert said, “I’m sure Miss Corbett has been through a lot the last few weeks. You must be proud to have such a brave cousin who helped expose a Patriot spy network.”

She shot him a hard look. “I’m not certain she feels that way, Mr. Arnett.”

“Have you seen your cousin? I understand she’s been ill?” he asked, as innocently as he could.

Susanna hesitated. “In honesty, Mr. Arnett, I tried to talk my cousin out of this. To give this information to another, but she made me steadfastly promise to deliver it to you personally. For some reason, she seemed to think it would be better served with you.”

“Have you read it?” he asked, watching close her expression.

“No, I have no desire to either. I’m under no illusions about the contents
, though, Mr. Arnett,” she said. She handed him over the package. “I know it pertains to my family’s business practices. I only hope it destroys them all.”

“I’ll see what I can do, Mrs. Millbury. Of course, I can’t promise anything,” he said as he began to glance through the package. Susanna stood to leave. He walked back around to open the door for her. “Now that we have become acquainted, I hope to see you again soon.”

She didn’t respond and left without another word. He watched her leave through the front door and went back to the package. He shook his head. My God, there was enough within to see Clay himself within the
Jersey,
not for treason, but for cheating the British. But that’s not what it was intended to do. No, he realized her intent. And he would make sure the goal was accomplished.

* * * *

Marcus stared out his window. He glanced back over his shoulder. He had her back within his bed, but not in the manner he wished. She lay quietly, refusing to let him touch her, hold her, comfort her. Andre’s plan had worked to perfection, until  Hannah had realized the deception. A moment of panic ensued within him until the next morning finding her wounded, walking the streets. When he picked her up, she muttered of going home to Virginia. There would be no going back now.

The capture of the Patriots within the house had been a stroke of good fortune. Andre had immediately released that the information had come from Hannah with two fold benefit: cutting her off from the network that would believe she betrayed, and allowing Marcus to openly return to
England with her without suspicion upon her. The problem lay with Hannah accepting her fate.

He walked back over to the bed. Her eyes closed, but he realized she only feigned sleep to avoid him. The time had come to address the issues. The doctor said her wound had healed sufficiently. He sat upon the bed. He
reached over and caressed her cheek.

“Don’t touch me,” she uttered under her breath. She tried to sit up and squirm out of his reach. “Where’s Susanna?”

“I sent her home,” he said gently. “She can return when we have settled our differences, Hannah. We have to talk.”

“We have nothing to talk
about,” she cried. Anger flared in her eyes.

He grabbed her and pulled her
up to his face, holding her in such a manner she had no option but to listen to him.

“I told you before. It was you who didn’t listen to me. I couldn’t live as such. I’m a Patriot and love my country. That is who I am and can be no other. You tricked me and used me. I don’t understand why I’m not
on the
Jersey
as it was promised to me.”

He didn’t give
in to her, countering, “You are a fool, then. Didn’t you understand I offered you a way out? Did I even question you on any of your activities? Don’t you know I knew? I kept telling you. I was only withdrawing you from the situation. You’re an idiot.”

“A way out you found acceptable, not me. That was the problem. You told me once I was over my head. Well, you were right. Does that make you happy? You were right. I’m only here because I have to be. Do you know what it’s like to be trapped?” She tried to pull back, but being stronger he wouldn’t let go. She pushed at him and tried to wrench herself free.

“Hannah, don’t you think I know that? There’s no going back now. Your network will believe you betrayed them. They lost many, Hannah. Where would you go now? Our relationship has become common knowledge.” He paused. This was not the direction he wanted the conversation. He wanted only to heal the hurt she had suffered. He gazed into her eyes. “After all I have done, have I not proved I love you.”

A sudden calming emerged from her. Silence ensued, but she didn’t take her eyes from his. She shook her head. “I told you, Marcus, I had only a moment. That’s all it could be.”

“I offered you all I have to give.”

“I gave you all I had to give, Marcus. Can you understand?
Do you have any idea how I would feel when you went to your wife and family? It’s easy for me to pretend she doesn’t exist, but she does. I could never be happy with such knowledge. We’re from two different worlds.”

“I love you, Hannah.
” He reached over and cupped her face in his hands.