A Heart in Jeopardy Read Free Page B

We're locked in."
    Leona smiled and dug her hand into her pocket to pull out a ring of keys. "The Norths rent this house from my family."
    "You have the keys!"
    "Every one," Leona said as she walked toward the door.
    "But if you have the keys, why did you climb up vines?"
    She sorted through the keys. "Two reasons. First, the Norths said they had a mad child here. For all I knew, that could have been true. I didn't know what to expect. Better to look through a window first than to open a door when I didn't know what was on the other side. Second, the manor house doors are all deadbolted from the inside. Bring the candle here."
    She took the candlestick and handed the keys to Chrissy to hold. "I was shocked at first to see them using such cheap tallow candles over wax ones. Now I think we should be grateful."
    She dripped tallow over the door hinges, then took the keys back and dripped tallow over one of the keys. She thrust the candle into the child's hands. "Let's hope this works, I didn't like the loud sound this door made when your warder entered. We don't need anything that could call them down upon us."
    She thrust the key in the lock and carefully turned it. The door lock clicked open. She and Chrissy exchanged happy smiles. Carefully she pulled the door open, grimacing at the squeal that sounded, fainter than before, but still evident. She took the candle back from Chrissy and grabbed her hand, leading her out into the dark hall.
    Stealthily they made their way to the back servant's staircase and on down two flights of stairs. At the bottom, a hallway branched off toward the kitchen and another toward the butler's pantry. Leona led her toward the kitchen wing and through to the scullery. In the scullery, there was a door leading outside. On the wall beside the door were two cloaks hanging on wooden pegs along with an apron. Leona set the candlestick down on a worktable. Grabbing one of the cloaks, she wrapped it around the child. It was woefully long. Plus, there was still the problem of her bare feet. Leona grabbed a kitchen knife and attacked the long hem of the cloak, biting her lower lip whenever it ripped loudly. From the piece she removed, she cut strips to wrap around the child's feet, binding the heavy wool in place with apron strings.
    "Ready?" she whispered.
    In the candle light Chrissy's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Ready."
    Leona carefully pulled back the bolt and lifted the latch. She pulled the door open. It groaned loudly. Leona and Chrissy exchanged panicked glances. Leona had not thought to grease this door. Of course, when she lived in the house, the doors never needed greasing. It was something the servants did regularly.
    "Quickly!" she urged the child as they stepped through the door. Together they ran toward the woods. Leona glanced back once to see a figure standing in the open doorway, a branch of candles held high. She grabbed the child's hand and pulled her deep into the forest, now thankful for the moonless night.
    She didn't know if they would be pursued, or if so how quickly, but she would not take any risks with this child's life. They would go by a slightly circuitous route to Rose Cottage. There she would entrust the child to Maria's care while she sent messages to one Nigel Deveraux at Castle Marin in Devon and to Sir Nathan Cruikston, the local magistrate. She would have the Norths apprehended and out of Lion's Gate—and out of her life—before morning.

"Maria!"
    Leona grabbed for the hands that flitted from straightening her blankets to fluffing her pillows. She clasped them between her own, her grip warm but firm. "Maria, please stop fussing." A light smile and rueful shake of her head took the sting out of her words.
    "I'm not fussing. I never fuss." Miss Maria Sprockett ignored the raised eyebrow of her former pupil, now mistress and friend. "It's not fussing when one just tries to make another comfortable and keep her from the ague. You were very foolish last night. I should