“Yes. Of course. We will take the room.” Silas signed the ledger and then dipped into his pocketbook to pay the man.
The innkeeper brandished their room key. “I’ll show you the way, sir.”
Silas turned to take Mercy’s arm, quelling the impulse to rush past the man and up the stairs to the door that barred Blankenship and young Grace from the rest of the world. If that was his impulse he knew it must be amplified for her.
They both followed the proprietor up the narrow staircase, moving in single file as that was all the tight space would allow.
He took them first to their room, stopping before the door and unlocking it for them. “This is your chamber for the night.”
Silas glanced at Mercy. Her eyes went wide as they traveled the room and fell upon the single bed that dominated the small space.
He swallowed thickly. Of course they would not be sharing that bed. No matter how much he would like to spend the night in the same bed with Mercy. No matter how desperately he craved that very thing.
If all went as planned, they would be extricating her sister from the room next door, from the bed next door, and the two ladies could have this bed in this room for the night. Whilst Silas took the room next door. Of course that would be after he gave Amos Blankenship the solidly sound thrashing he so deserved and tossed him to the streets. That bastard could sleep outside with the horses for all he cared.
“Thank you very much,” he told the innkeeper, wishing the man would take himself off. Silas imagined the upcoming scene would be a bit of a spectacle, and he did not wish to have the innkeeper present as a witness.
The man still lingered, nodding most genially. “Let me know if I can be of any other service to you during your stay. Would you care for any refreshments? Dinner? I can have one of the lasses bring up a tray for you both.”
“Ah.” Silas looked at Mercy questioningly, and then answered for them, “If we need anything I will just come down myself to request it. Thank you.”
He knew without being told that Mercy wanted nothing more than to be rid of the man so that she could go rescue her sister next door.
With a cursory bow to each of them, the innkeeper at long last took his leave, shutting the door behind him.
Silas and Mercy faced each other. For all the hard riding today and searching every inn on the road north, neither one had discussed what to specifically do in this moment.
Neither one knew exactly what they were going to find on the other side of that door, but Silas assumed her imagination was overflowing with worst-case scenarios.
She took a breath and blinked eyes that had suddenly gone bright with emotion, and gave a single hard nod as though preparing to march into battle. “Let us do this then.”
He nodded and proceeded to open the door of their room, holding it wide for her. She hurried ahead into the corridor and took the few steps necessary to reach the door next to their room. Mercy knocked briskly upon it.
There was a slight stirring on the other side of the door. No one answered, however. Mercy knocked again. More sounds emanated from the other side. Mercy cut him a quick glance and then knocked a third time, this time more insistent and louder yet.
A voice at last carried from inside the room, a shrill, trembling thread on the air. “Go away, Amos! Leave me alone. You are not stepping foot inside this room. Be gone from here!”
Mercy lifted wide eyes to Silas, her expression full of bewilderment. Her gaze shot back to the door. “Gracie!” She slapped her palm against the door for emphasis, leaning closer to the panel of wood. “It’s me! Your sister! Open the door!”
There was a strangled sob from the other side of the door, and suddenly it was open, flung wide, and Grace was there, her face a pale smudge. The usual pink of her cheeks was nowhere in evidence, and she looked far younger than her seventeen years.
“Oh, Mercy!” The girl lunged forward and flung herself into her sister’s arms. Sobs burst from her lips amid an angry spill of words. “I am so sorry! So dreadfully sorry! You were right. You were right about everything. Please forgive me for being such a brat. I just want to go home! Please! Take me home!”
Mercy wrapped her arms around her sister and held her close as her slight body shuddered with tears. “You’re safe now, Gracie. Everything will be fine now. We will go home.”
Grace hiccupped through her sobs as she lifted her tear-streaked face to gaze at her older sister. “He said we were going to be married. He said we were traveling north, to Gretna Green, and we would be married there. He . . . promised.” This last word faded in a choked breath.
“We assumed as much. That’s why we’re here. We followed you. Thankfully our hunch was correct. We are so lucky we found you.” Mercy plucked a strand of hair back from where it stuck to her sister’s wet cheek.
Grace shook her head vehemently. “No. You don’t understand. He was lying to me. As soon as we checked into the room, he was upon me like a beast.”
A rare surge of rage took hold of Silas. “What did he do to you? Are you hurt?” He looked her up and down, assessing for injury.
Grace darted a tremulous glance his way. Her cheeks burned fire as she answered him. “I am unharmed. I struck him in the head with a vase . . . and pushed him out of the room, throwing his things with him. I locked him out.”
“Clever girl.” He nodded approvingly even as he knew this story could have ended terribly different. It could have ended simply . . . terribly.
His gaze met Mercy’s and he knew she was thinking the same thing. She was thinking how very lucky her sister was that no worse fate had befallen her.
“Where is he now?” he asked.
Grace shrugged. “I assume he left. I have not heard from him in hours, and the last time he was pounding on the door he called me a brat and said I could find my own way home.”
Bastard.
“The wretch,” Mercy growled. “Hopefully some highwaymen will come upon him and make short work of him.”
“T-thank you for coming after me,” Grace whispered, resting her head on her sister’s shoulder and looking every bit the young girl she was. “I did not think anyone would come. I was so wretched to you.” Her gaze flitted to Silas. “To you both.”
“Of course, I would come after you. I’ll always come for you when you need me, Gracie.”
“Even when I’m a wretched little beast to you.”
“Especially then. That’s when you need me the most.”
Silas stood there for some moments, uncertain what to do as the two sisters moved to sit on the bed. “Are you ladies hungry? Shall I fetch us some food?”
Mercy looked up from where she stroked her sister’s hair. “That would be much appreciated, Mr. Masters.”
“Mister?” Grace lifted her head and looked between the both of them. “Don’t cling to formality on my account. I am obviously aware that the two of you are more than friends.”
Hot color flooded Mercy’s cheeks.
More than friends.
“Grace,” she softly chastised.
“What?” Grace blinked wide eyes. “Just because I made the mistake of choosing the wrong man, doesn’t mean you have done the same thing.” Grace settled eyes on him that suddenly possessed all the maturity and wisdom of someone twice her age. “Clearly you’ve chosen well, Mercy.”