Without a conscious thought of what she was doing, she leaped from her hiding place and started running straight toward the shed. She had enough sense not to yell because if she ever got out of this alive, she didn’t want her voice recognized.
The Raider appeared out of the shadows surrounding the shed. “Jessica,” he gasped.
“It’s a trap. You’re surrounded by gunpowder.”
He didn’t waste a second but grabbed her hand and started running. All around them could be heard the hiss of gunpowder as it burned its way to the hidden crates of the explosive.
They were almost to the forest
edge when he slammed her to the ground and threw his body over hers.
The sound of the explosions was deafening, blocking out all thoughts as she buried herself under the Raider’s big body.
The explosions seemed to be still going on in her head when the Raider leaped off her, grabbed her hand and pulled her into the forest. She followed him with difficulty, stumbling over roots and rocks, obviously not able to see as well in the dark as he could.
He half pushed, half pulled her down a steep bank, dragging her under the roots of a tree. He held her head against his chest and she listened to his heart beating wildly. Above them came the tramping of feet and then shouting. The Raider held her to him.
Something was wet on her hands and although she couldn’t move to see, she knew it was blood. “You’re hurt,” she whispered.
In answer, he kissed her very hard. There was thankfulness in that kiss.
The soldiers had gone by. “I have to get you home. They’ll be looking for a woman. Get into your nightclothes as soon as you can. Oh God, Jess, you shouldn’t have done it. Pitman will suspect you. Come on.”
He gave her no time to reply but pulled her along the edge of the stream. They traveled quickly, under branches, through thorny bushes, up a hill and then down again, through the water for a while. They did not take a direct path to her house. “They’ll have dogs out,” he whispered once but said no more. She tried to see where he was hurt, but it was too dark.
At the Taggert house he stopped long enough to take the cloak from her. “They’ll search for this. Go.” She turned but he caught her arm. “Thank you, Jessica” He didn’t kiss her as she wanted him to before he disappeared into the darkness.
Eleanor was waiting for her. “Jess, oh Jess, what have you done now?” she asked, looking at her sister’s wild appearance.
“I’ll tell you tomorrow. I’ve been in bed all evening. We know nothing. Help me undress.”
“There’s blood all over your arms. Jess, what happened?”
“It’s his blood,” Jess said, grabbing a cloth as Eleanor put the nightgown over her sister’s head. “He was hurt protecting me.”
A loud knock sounded at the door. “I was home,” Jess repeated. “Wait a minute,” she bellowed toward the door.
She was rubbing her head and yawning by the time she got to the door. “Who is it?” One by one, the children were coming into the room.
“Open up in the name of the king.”
Jess opened the door and eight soldiers burst inside, John Pitman behind them.
“Where were you tonight?” Pitman demanded, glaring at Jessica.
“Sleeping until I was so rudely awakened,” she said, her eyes red. “What’s happened?”
“Search the place,” Pitman commanded. “Bring anything suspicious to me. And especially look for a black cloak.”
“I’m afraid my wardrobe doesn’t include a black cloak,” Jess said. “Could you please tell me what this is about?”
He gave her a look of contempt. “Gunpowder was blown up tonight and it would have taken that Raider with it, but some woman helped him escape.”
“And you think I did it? After the way the man has treated me? I’d think I’d be the last woman you’d suspect.”
“These are all the clothes in the house, sir,” a soldier said, tossing a pile of children’s and the two women’s clothing on the table.
Pitman stared at Eleanor and the children looking bewildered, then at Jessica sitting in a chair and yawning as if she were very bored by all the commotion and couldn’t wait to get back to bed. He asked a soldier for his bayonet, then, smiling at Jessica, he cut the garments into shreds.