I wiped away the hot tears running down my cheeks, then turned back to the hunter. “Do you agree to the terms of my surrender?” I raised my wrists, offering them in submission. He gave me a considering look for a moment, then lowered his bow.
“Deal,” he agreed in his gruff voice. He returned his arrow to the quiver, then presented a strap of rope to bind my hands. I held them steady for him to do so, and then he turned to Elias. “You too, I can’t risk you trying anything.” Elias remained stationary for a moment, but I gave him a pleading look. He then succumbed and offered up his wrists to be bound. “Follow me. I have a horse and wagon waiting on the edge of the forest.”
Elias and I walked in front with Mr. Colburn following close behind. The night air seemed so much colder now than it had been before. Not a word passed between the three of us as we approached the wooden wagon and black steed. More tears collected along my lashes, but I wouldn’t let them fall. I had to be strong, for Elias, and for myself. This was all for him, and I meant what I said...
I regretted none of it.
Somewhere deep inside, I knew that my effort to escape had always been fruitless. I should have accepted that truth from the start. Then at least I could have avoided all this heartache. Things would have been easier if I just married Theodore from the beginning, but that hadn’t been an option in my mind. However, no matter how many times I tried, or how far I was willing to go, I was always fated to be led back to the life I was fleeing. The same wouldn’t be true for Elias. He could clear his name, convict his family, and start over. He just couldn’t start over with me, and I feared he may never forgive me for that.
Bear trotted beside me with a three-footed hobble. I bit my lip to stop it from quivering as I realized I may never see his furry black face again, either. Bear, Elias, and I climbed into the back of the wagon where Mr. Colburn attached our restraints to the rails. He mounted his steed just as the sun crested over the trees. Then he snatched up the reigns, and gave them a quick flick.
We hadn’t been far from the capital, which only made it sting worse when Elias and I realized how close we had come. A bustle of people were already flowing amongst the streets when we pulled to a stop in front of the courthouse gates. Many of them drew their attention to us and gave skeptical looks at the sight of our restraints. I pretended not to notice them and kept my eyes trained on Elias who was looking at the ground.
“It’s going to be alright.” I tried to sound brave, but it didn’t come out as confident as I hoped. “This is all for the best.”
He looked up from the ground as Mr. Colburn dismounted. “It’s not what’s best for you.” His gentle hazel eyes held mine for only a moment before flicking to Mr. Colburn, who had climbed into the wagon.
“Your free ride ends here, kid.” He drew a dagger from his boot and snapped through the rope binding Elias with a single slice. “Time to go.” He stepped off the cart, signaling for Elias to follow.
“Here.” I wiggled my head and neck so the satchel could slide off my shoulder. “You’ll need this.”
Elias rubbed his wrists, then reached for the bag. As he bent down to pick up the concealed files, he leaned in close to my ear and whispered, “I meant what I said. I’m not giving up on you.”
My ear tingled from his breath, and I longed for him to stay. But just as quickly, he pulled away and hopped out of the wagon. Bear leapt out behind him, looking slightly saddened that I didn’t follow. My heart shattered into irreparable fractals as the wagon pulled away from the courthouse, and I watched Elias disappear through the gates.
chapter twenty-two
Pulling in front of the Lockly estate felt like a scene from my nightmares. This place that had once been my home, now only reminded me of the life it had bred me to live. I took a deep steadying breath, trying to prepare myself for the verbal lashing to come. Heavens only knew what kind of gossip had reached my parents at this point, and so I could be certain that any number of accusations would be directed at me. As we pulled up to the front entrance, a slurry of servants came rushing out with relieved expressions.
“Oh, Aurelia! You’re alright!” one of the chamber maids cried out as she ran down the steps.
“We’ve been worried sick about you, child!” Dorinda, the head of the kitchen, called out behind her.
I gave a small smile to them all. I was genuinely happy to see them, but the fear of my parents was too strong to enjoy the moment. As the rest of the servants piled out of the house, they formed a circle around the wagon I remained strapped to. Many of the older ladies were scolding Mr. Colburn for tying me up to the railing like a piece of cattle. The man mutely ignored the women’s berating as he calmly removed my ties. He kept a tight grip on my arm, then led me toward the house, which, in turn, earned him more heated stares from the staff. It wasn’t until two very stern faces stepped out of the door that all the squabbling hushed.
In front of the door stood my dear, horrid parents, each looking more cross than the other. Mr. Colburn stopped at the foot of the steps to address them with his steel glare, never lessening his grip on my arm. Father took a few steps down to the man’s level, then reached into his jacket, producing a large pouch of coins.
“Thank you for your services, Mr. Colburn.” He placed the pouch into the man’s free hand. “You’ll find your total fee inside, courtesy of Lord Dugal. I also included a small bonus of my own as a token of gratitude. We appreciate your time and efforts, and I hope we shall not require them again anytime soon.” He passed me a quick glare from the corner of his eye, but I ignored it. If he was going to ignore my presence, then I would ignore him, too.
“Thank you, sir.” Mr. Colburn finally released my arm, then tipped his hat to Father. “Good luck with that one, she’s got fire.”
I turned my head back to the hunter in surprise. He had already started back for his wagon, but I couldn’t help but notice the subtle hint of respect in his voice. Maybe I had been able to be heard after all. It certainly would be the first time a man had taken me seriously—aside from Elias, of course—however, this was sure to be the last time. No sooner than Mr. Colburn had remounted his horse, Father snatched me by the ear and dragged me painfully through the front doors.
I tried not to react too strongly from the unexpected pull, but his tight pinch forced a few whimpers out of me. He finally released me once we made it into the parlor, half-pushing me into a seat. He and Mother both stood over me, storming rage enveloping their eyes. I sank back into the plush arm chair, feeling small beneath their presence. This wasn’t going to be pleasant.
“What in the realms were you thinking, young lady?!” Father boomed. He crossed his arms firmly as he glared down on me. “Do you have any idea the shame you cast upon this family’s name? The trouble you’ve caused for our business? The worry you put your betrothed through?” His face reddened as he spoke. I began to wonder if he would burst a blood vessel.
“You nearly ruined your chance to find a husband!” Mother joined in. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to convince Theodore not to back out of the marriage? If we hadn’t spent the whole morning persuading him, we would all be ruined by now!”
My attention piqued at her words. “This morning?” I asked suddenly, completely ignoring the rest of their questions. Father fumed at my interjection, but Mother beat him to it.
“Yes, young lady, this morning.” Mother leaned forward onto the arms of my chair, pressing closer to me. “We got word late last night that you were caught hiding in Lord Oberon’s son’s room! In his bed, of all places! Do you even comprehend how much of a scandal that would cause if word passed farther than our families!?” She smacked her hands on the chair arms to emphasize her point, then stepped away, running her hands over her hair with tense fingers.
“Mother, I—”
“Don’t even try to explain yourself,” Father growled. “We already know everything. That Elias fellow has been plotting to sneak you over the border, hasn’t he? According to his parents, it’s not the first time he’s been caught red-handed, either.” My eyes widened as I realized where this was going. I opened my mouth to protest, but Father wasn’t done. “His family just left an hour ago to go report him. That rat will probably be in prison by this afternoon. I had half a mind to turn you in as well, but you have your own duties to uphold.”
My stomach grew queasy as he spoke.Elias would be fine, right?He made it to the courthouse first, so they wouldn’t be able to get him arrested, would they? My thoughts spun into a tangled web of apprehension until I had spaced out from my parents entirely. I probably wouldn’t have caught anything else they said if Mother’s words hadn’t shocked me out of my own head.