Seacrets (31 page)

“Maura, lass, ya are talkin’ crazy, now.
“Danny loves ya more than his own life. I’m swearin’ it to ya.” Aiden was certain he spoke for his brother on this score.

Maura reached out and grabbed Aiden by his cravat, and twisted her fingers tightly around the fabric.
“You listen ta me Aiden Hargendon, Ya will naught tell Daniel any of this.

Are ya hearin’ me, now? I’ll not live if I know he knows of this. I’m not ta be knowin’ the outcome of this assault on me for a while and that means I’m not knowin’ whether I am with child or not. How will I know who’s child I’d be carryin’? Oh no Aiden, I’ll not have Daniel guessin’ for the rest of his life if the life I carry is his or that
depraved rapist. You must promise me this!” Her eyes were wild and searching when she looked into Aiden’s eyes. “Well go on, now, promise me!” Maura pleaded with Aiden for his promise…and his silence.

“Alright, I promise.” Aiden reluctantly agreed.

Maura collapsed into Aiden’s chest. “Thank you, thank you, my friend.” Maura began to weep again, but this time it was from relief.

“But only until we find out the outcome of your assault, as you said.
Sooner or later Danny must be informed of this abomination of you.”

Maura sniffled deep then wiped her nose on the torn sleeve of her gown.
“We must dispose of the body. “Aiden, will you help me?” Maura begged her unwitting accomplice.

Aiden did not like this. He still felt the best thing to do was to bring in the constable and to let everyone know what a scoundrel Kilern had been. That Maura was an innocent in all of this and he was a letch that deserved to die for his crimes against her.
Grudgingly he assisted Maura in disposing of the body. They waited until dark and took Kilern’s body down to the docks. Aiden secured a rowboat from the Arabella. They placed Kilern in the boat, wrapped in an old mast and rigging. To secure him and assure he would sink to the bottom of the ocean, they affixed several very large, heavy stones to his body, then tossed his body overboard.

The last sight Maura will ever remember will be Kilern’s lifeless eyes staring at her as he descended into the black abyss of the night ocean.

             
Now
, she thought,
’tis complete. I am a murderess
,
a person with a secret  I shall have ta keep for the rest of my life.
Maura looked at Aiden as he rowed them back to shore and thought,
and I’ve dragged
this
poor soul down with me. God forgive me my secrets and sins.

Aiden helped Maura to get out of the boat by lending her his outstretched hand. Maura stood on shore staring out over the moonlit ocean. If a crime
were not being covered up, it would have been a perfect lover’s moon. Aiden’s voice broke her dream state, jolting her back to the reality, she had just committed murder and her life would never be the same…that there would never be another lover’s moon for her. Her life of innocence was dead. The very fate her dear father tried to protect her from had come to pass.

“C’mon now Maura, let’s get ya back ta Hargendon so everyone can stop worryin’ ‘bout ya.” Aiden said as he pull
ed her from the water’s edge.

“No Aiden. I canna face anyone yet. Take me back ta the guesthouse where I can be alone with my thoughts and try
to make sense of this. Look at me. I’m a mess. I’m needin’ ta wash this blood and stench off me. Everyone will ask how I got all this blood onta me and why my dress is torn ta shreds.” Maura pleaded with Aiden. “Please, I’m beggin’ ya, Aiden, do naught make me go through this nightmare again. We’ll talk again in the mornin’.”

Aiden agreed to give her a night’s reprieve, but reinforced with her she needs to know this was not her fault and Daniel and the family will take care of her in this matter.

He quietly delivered Maura to the guesthouse through the back road. Once he was sure she was safely inside and the doors were locked, he made his way back to the main house where he kept his promise of silence. The second he had entered his bedchamber, Quinn lit the bedside candle.   “Where have ya been husband and is there any news of Maura’s whereabouts?”

“No, Quinn, nothing new to report.” He lied. He did not know how long he was going to be able to keep the secret.

“Come ta bed then, ya can resume ya search for Maura in the Mornin’.”

Quinn dowsed the candle with her breath and moved in close to her husband, pressing herself up against his backside.

Aiden lay there in the dark, clutching his wife’s hand to his bare chest. His eyes were staring into the night sky, unable to settle himself.

§

Maura stared out into the same night sky. The French doors were open, allowing the warm summer night’s breeze to envelop her. She was submerged up to her chin in a tub of steaming water, as hot as she could stand, without scalding herself. She had scrubbed and scrubbed until she thought she would peel the skin from her body. She wished she could somehow step out of her skin and into a fresh new form. But she knew that was not to be.

She was frozen, despite the fact she was sitting in a tub of hot water. Maura clutched her knees to her chest and sobbed
, rocking back and forth wishing she could somehow awaken from this hellish nightmare. She thought long and hard about what she must do to make things right in her life again. She would have to give up a lot, but she had already given up so much of herself for a so-called better life. She decided right there and then, to return home to Ireland. Yes, it was the only answer that seemed to make any real sense to her. If her Father were still alive he would surely take her in and she could make up a tale about marrying Thomas Turlington and that he had died at sea, when they had set sail to come back across. This way if she were with child she would have her virtue intact and would not ruin her father’s good name.

She was disgusted with herself. “Look at me. I’m gettin’ awful good at comin’ up with one lie after another.” She began to cry again and then just as suddenly she stopped.

“Pull ya self together, Maura!” She chided herself for her weakness. “Y’ave got a long way ta go.” And with that last thought, she let herself slide beneath the water, as if she were baptizing herself into her new way of life…
A life of secrets and lies.

Ӝ

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Aiden, wake up, wake up!” Quinn frantically shook her husband awake.

“What, what’s the matter with ya, woman?” Aiden was
still groggy from his near sleepless night.

“Your mother is downstairs and she is frantic!” Quinn exclaimed.

Aiden jumped up out of bed and quickly doffed his trousers, completely forgetting about his shirt or boots. He hit the staircase two steps at a time until he met with his mother who was pacing in the main foyer, inside the front door.

“Mother, what’s all the fuss about?” Still rubbing at his eyes trying to get them to unglue themselves.
He shouted for Quinn to bring him a pitcher of water and a towel.

“Your brother is missing from the house, that’s what all the fuss is about!”

Aiden splashed cold water on his face, quickly wiped his face with a fresh flannel and chugged a cup of black coffee, while trying to calm his mother. “Ok, Ok. Slow down and tell me how long he has been gone. Well I know that he has been gone since about the time that Mallory showed up, late yesterday afternoon.” Mary wracked her brain for accuracy.

“Whoa, whoa, mother. What do ya mean since Mallory showed up. Why was she at the house?” He questioned
.

“Well, apparently Frederick, the mail carrier, had told her about the events of the evening before and she came by to see how Daniel was doing.”

Aiden’s mind stopped on that one sentence. He was thinking Frederick seemed to be in a lot of common places. But what could he have to do with the current chain of events?

“Anyway, when I took Mallory upstairs to visit with Daniel, that’s when I discovered was missing. I looked over the entire property. Believe me he’s gone. Oh and Aiden, Demon is gone, as well.”

“Well ya know he’s gone in search of Maura.” Replied Aiden.

“I had better go after him.” Aiden donned his boots and shirt and took off on his horse. But before he di
d, he went to check on Maura. He hated keeping this secret from his family, but by tonight it will all be over and out in the open. This he promised himself.
No more secrets.

Aiden entered the guesthouse. There was an eerie silence. All the windows were closed. It was too hot of a day for the windows to be closed.
He called out Maura’s name. There was no answer. He felt his heart drop. “Oh my God.” He thought, she’s run away, or worse. She’s done something to herself.” Aiden searched the entire guesthouse, but Maura was nowhere to be found. The house was as if someone had been there for a visit, tidied up a bit and departed. Everything in it’s place.

Aiden set out toward the docks. “I’ll bet my last crown she’s tryin’ ta board passage back to Ireland.” With a quick dig of his heels, into the sides of his horse and he was off and running.
“Har!” He shouted.

§

Daniel’s complete focus was on finding Maura. His pain was secondary.

He had been down to the docks, but found no solid leads to her whereabouts. He had given her description to everyone he knew.

Godsey had been visiting his favorite waterfront haunt, when Daniel wandered in half dead from pain and exhaustion. “Sir, what the devil are ya doin’ down here?” Godsey cried out. I’ve been in every tavern up and down the waterfront inquirin’ about Maura and keepin’ an eye scare for any lout tryin’ ta hide her in plain site, if ya know what I mean, sir?” Godsey helped Daniel over to a table in the back of the tavern. “Here sir, sit a while.” He tried to console his Captain. “Maura is a tough gel sir, she’ll keep herself alive no matter the cost. Ya love each other too much. Y’ave come too far, now, for anythin’ too awful bad to occur.”

“Yes Godsey she
is
tough, but whoever this scoundrel is that has taken her for a second time is going ta be even more dangerous. He’s lost her ta me once and he’s not goin’ ta want ta be found. He’ll keep her underground hidden somewhere, until he thinks that no one is lookin’ for her any longer.”

Daniel looked up in the direction of the front entryway and spotted his brother, Aiden. Godsey called out to him. “Master Aiden! Over here, man!”

Aiden pushed through the crowds of regular nightly revelers, and made his way to his brother’s table. “Daniel, thank God I’ve caught up ta ya, man. Everyone is goin’ crazy lookin’ for ya!” He motioned for the barmaid to come over. “Ales all around and be lively!”

“Look Danny I’ve got news of Maura. ’
Tis not good, brother.”

Daniel braced himself for the worst. “Well out with it, man, is she dead!”

Aiden had never witnessed his brother to be in such a panic. He had always been the strong one. “No, Daniel. She is not dead. She’s run away.” Aiden rubbed his brow with the seat of his hand.

“What
, run away? From what? From who?” Daniel was totally confused. His head was pounding and his shoulder was on fire.

“Look it’s partially my fault. I should not have promised to hide her at the guesthouse until morning. I should have made her whereabouts know immediately.”

“What the devil are ya babblin’ about, man?” Daniel’s patience was all but gone. “Look brother, tell me what the bloody hell has gone on over the last 24 hours, I’m out o’ my mind with worry, over her!”

Aiden laid out the whole tale, right there. How he
suddenly
and
conveniently
came upon this country ordinary with the help of the mail delivery person, Frederick. He continued to tell Daniel about Kilern, the rape, the murder, and the cover up.

Godsey was dumbfounded. “I always knew Kilern was a little off, so ta speak, but this is beyond what I thought even he was capable of.” Godsey recalled Kilern’s temperament. “He was always makin’ snide remarks of how he was sick o’ workin’ the
ocean and he had harbored a jealously towards ya Cap’n. I think he always fancied himself the Cap’n, ‘cause o’ sailin’ with ya pa, an all, for so many years.”

“So it was Kilern who shot me in the back?” Daniel asked his brother.

“I’m not sure, Daniel.” Aiden rubbed at the full day’s growth on his chin as he pondered their next move. “Frederick’s name keeps coming up. When I ran into him, on a desolate stretch of road, mind you, where there were no estates or cottages to receive mail, he conveniently knew right where to steer me so I would find Maura.” Aiden continued with his summation. “Did he already know she was being held there and was he trying to save her? I do not know. But what I
do
know is when mother came to my home this morning, she said she had discovered you were
gone
when
Mallory
showed up to
see
how you were doing and that she had found out what had happened to you when
Freddy
,
the mail carrier had told her what had happened the night before. How would
Freddy
have known all about what had happened the night before when there hadn’t been a
mail
delivery
since the
day
before that?”