snuck into the garden to help Mrs. Mason,” Mrs. Lacey said at once.
We ran past her to the front door, then out to the porch and down the steps. In the yard, we ran toward the garden.
The men had Bess between them, pulling her down the steps of the terrace. Hannah knocked me behind a bush with her hip, and charged toward the men with her poker raised. Looking around the bush, I saw Hannah swipe at one of the men, while another slipped past her swinging arm and struck her a fierce blow to the face. Hannah fell backward, striking hard against the ground.
Bess saw me, and shook her head. “He has Edith.”
One of the men slapped Bess’s cheek. “Shut up, you!”
Her words stalled me. Luther had my sister? No, he could not. Gideon Reid and Levi Martin were protecting her. It was not possible, unless … unless they had been killed.
I was about to jump out at the men, but Bess jerked the men forward, toward the gate that led to the road. “Find Loutaire! Bring them to the place all of gold.”
“Quit your screeching,” the same man said to Bess. She allowed them to toss her into a black carriage. I ran around the bush toward Hannah. She was still upon the ground, unconscious. There was swelling on her cheek. Running to the open window that led into the book room, my heart sank. It was in shambles. Hopping over books on the floor, I unlocked the door and threw it open, calling out for Jeffrey. Jeffrey, the two footmen, and Mrs. Lacey followed me into the garden.
“Go for the doctor,” I told one of the footmen, for I had a terrible feeling that Hannah’s wound would not be the only injury this night.
Running toward the street was when I saw my sister. She had two horses saddled and waiting.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
“Saving Bess. Are you coming or not?”
CHAPTER 8
JACK
I t was nearing eleven that night when our group made our way toward where Freddy had hidden the artifact. He had positioned William, Abe, Sam, and Leo at different points leaving only me and Dudley riding with him to the exact location.
When he turned onto Queen Street, I knew where he had put the artifact. Martha and Guinevere had lived in a little house on Queen Street earlier this year. It was there that Bess had saved Martha’s life.
“How long have you served the Holy Order?” I asked Freddy as we dismounted from our horses.
“Five years,” Freddy said, and I halted on the street to stare up at him.
Five years? Since before the war. He had been betraying us for that long. It was no wonder that my father knew our every step with Freddy telling him anything that he would wish to know. I knew that I should have felt more anger, but the truth was that I had always thought there was something off about Frederick Nolan. He and I never agreed, and deep inside I always knew that he was not with us. He did not have the makings of a Phantom.
Freddy unlocked the door to the house with a brass key as Dudley held a lantern for him to see. “Are you certain this place is abandoned, Freddy?”
“Yes, for I hold the only key, and the lock has not been removed,” Freddy said as he swung open the door and then took the lantern from Dudley. “Wait here. I will be but a few moments.”
Freddy left me and Dudley standing guard on the front steps to the house.
Staring at the dark houses that surrounded the street, I balanced my boots on the edge of the top step. My balance was good, but when I balanced on one boot it seemed that I was making Dudley nervous.
“Will you cease? You’ll slip and break your neck, and then your wife will blame me.”
“Why would she place blame upon you?” I asked as I kept balancing on that top ledge.
Dudley’s voice mimicked my wife, though in an exaggerated way. “ Dudley , she says, watch over Jack for me , she says. Be sure that no harm comes to him , she says.”
Laughing, I balanced on the toes of one boot. “When did she say this?”
“Just before we left Savannah. Got my
We ran past her to the front door, then out to the porch and down the steps. In the yard, we ran toward the garden.
The men had Bess between them, pulling her down the steps of the terrace. Hannah knocked me behind a bush with her hip, and charged toward the men with her poker raised. Looking around the bush, I saw Hannah swipe at one of the men, while another slipped past her swinging arm and struck her a fierce blow to the face. Hannah fell backward, striking hard against the ground.
Bess saw me, and shook her head. “He has Edith.”
One of the men slapped Bess’s cheek. “Shut up, you!”
Her words stalled me. Luther had my sister? No, he could not. Gideon Reid and Levi Martin were protecting her. It was not possible, unless … unless they had been killed.
I was about to jump out at the men, but Bess jerked the men forward, toward the gate that led to the road. “Find Loutaire! Bring them to the place all of gold.”
“Quit your screeching,” the same man said to Bess. She allowed them to toss her into a black carriage. I ran around the bush toward Hannah. She was still upon the ground, unconscious. There was swelling on her cheek. Running to the open window that led into the book room, my heart sank. It was in shambles. Hopping over books on the floor, I unlocked the door and threw it open, calling out for Jeffrey. Jeffrey, the two footmen, and Mrs. Lacey followed me into the garden.
“Go for the doctor,” I told one of the footmen, for I had a terrible feeling that Hannah’s wound would not be the only injury this night.
Running toward the street was when I saw my sister. She had two horses saddled and waiting.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
“Saving Bess. Are you coming or not?”
CHAPTER 8
JACK
I t was nearing eleven that night when our group made our way toward where Freddy had hidden the artifact. He had positioned William, Abe, Sam, and Leo at different points leaving only me and Dudley riding with him to the exact location.
When he turned onto Queen Street, I knew where he had put the artifact. Martha and Guinevere had lived in a little house on Queen Street earlier this year. It was there that Bess had saved Martha’s life.
“How long have you served the Holy Order?” I asked Freddy as we dismounted from our horses.
“Five years,” Freddy said, and I halted on the street to stare up at him.
Five years? Since before the war. He had been betraying us for that long. It was no wonder that my father knew our every step with Freddy telling him anything that he would wish to know. I knew that I should have felt more anger, but the truth was that I had always thought there was something off about Frederick Nolan. He and I never agreed, and deep inside I always knew that he was not with us. He did not have the makings of a Phantom.
Freddy unlocked the door to the house with a brass key as Dudley held a lantern for him to see. “Are you certain this place is abandoned, Freddy?”
“Yes, for I hold the only key, and the lock has not been removed,” Freddy said as he swung open the door and then took the lantern from Dudley. “Wait here. I will be but a few moments.”
Freddy left me and Dudley standing guard on the front steps to the house.
Staring at the dark houses that surrounded the street, I balanced my boots on the edge of the top step. My balance was good, but when I balanced on one boot it seemed that I was making Dudley nervous.
“Will you cease? You’ll slip and break your neck, and then your wife will blame me.”
“Why would she place blame upon you?” I asked as I kept balancing on that top ledge.
Dudley’s voice mimicked my wife, though in an exaggerated way. “ Dudley , she says, watch over Jack for me , she says. Be sure that no harm comes to him , she says.”
Laughing, I balanced on the toes of one boot. “When did she say this?”
“Just before we left Savannah. Got my
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