A Stranger at Castonbury(67)

Catalina sat back down next to her and put her arm around Alicia’s trembling shoulders. ‘All will be well, I am sure. Lady Phaedra knew I was coming to Buxton today, and when I do not make it back to Castonbury she will know something is amiss and will tell Jamie. He will make that bastardo Webster sorry he was ever born.’

Alicia nodded again. ‘You—you do love him, don’t you?’

‘Yes,’ Catalina whispered. ‘I do love him.’ And she realised those were the truest words she had ever spoken. She loved Jamie more than anything, and she always would. No matter what had happened in Spain, who he had worked for, how long they had been separated, he was her beautiful, kind, strong Jamie. She had been a fool to think she could ever go away from him again. The past was gone. They had both done what they had to do in times of desperation, but now they were through it.

Or so she had hoped.

‘I am sure that is one reason Webster hates Lord Hatherton so much,’ Alicia said.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Webster wanted you in Spain. Once, when they were foxed, he bragged to Colonel Chambers he would have you, and when the colonel laughed at him he was furious. But even Webster could see how you and Lord Hatherton looked at each other. It was just one more thing Hatherton had—family, money, position, women—that Webster could never hope for.’

‘And he took his revenge once he thought Jamie was gone,’ Catalina whispered.

‘Yes. Once he was gone and could no longer fight—and beat—Webster. Webster is a coward. He would never confront someone he hated directly. But now—now Hatherton is back.’

‘Webster is surely done for.’

‘I only hope we get out of here to see it.’ Alicia sat back against the wall and stared into the flickering flame of the candle. ‘I loved Colonel Chambers too.’

‘Did you?’ Catalina said. She could see the truth of it in the sadness in Alicia’s eyes, and she suddenly felt something she had never thought she would for the woman—sympathy.

‘Yes. Not as you love Hatherton, perhaps, but in my own way. He was so kind to me, and for a while I wasn’t lonely any longer.’ Alicia hugged her knees closer. ‘But I know he is truly gone for ever and I will never have another chance with him. Not as you have now with Hatherton.’

Catalina turned Alicia’s words over in her mind. She and Jamie did have another chance, a miraculous chance to find each other again. She had been so foolish ever to push that away, even for good reasons. Love was a gift given to so few. She and Jamie had found it again, and she wouldn’t let it go twice.

But before she could tell him that, before they could begin the rest of their lives afresh, she had to get out of this prison....

She studied their provisions. It wasn’t much. A few charred sticks in the fireplace, the wooden shelves that appeared solidly bolted to the walls, the blankets. But there were also some pottery jugs lined up on the highest shelf. She turned to examine the bolted door.

‘If Webster came back, he would have to come through that door, right?’ Catalina said. ‘There are no windows.’

‘I suppose so,’ Alicia said listlessly.

‘Then maybe I have an idea.’

Alicia peered up at her warily. ‘What sort of idea? I’m not so sure...’

‘Oh, come, Alicia! Surely anything is better than just sitting here waiting,’ Catalina exclaimed. ‘Help me reach those jugs up there, and then we can bind one of the blankets over the doorway.’

‘Oh!’ A spark lit Alicia’s eyes as she sat up and turned to the door. ‘Yes, I see.’

‘There are two of us, and hopefully when he returns Webster will be alone, and leave that traitorous footman behind,’ Catalina said as they attached the blanket on either side of the door in a sort of rope. ‘If we can trap him as he comes in, we’ll have a second to hit him over the head with the jugs. Then we can lock him in and run for help.’

And if it did not work—at least they had tried. Catalina wasn’t ever going to stop trying to get back to Jamie. She had to tell him she was wrong, that she loved him and that was all that mattered. All that had ever mattered.

Once they were done with their task, they crouched to either side of the door and waited. It seemed like hours but was probably not very long at all when Catalina heard the metallic grind of a bar being lifted from outside the door. The door swung back and a man in a rough grey coat stalked into the room.