Read Whispers of a Legend, Part One-Shadows of the Past Page 18

  ANOTHER NIGHT FALLS by Jerri Hines

  Book Three, Tides of Charleston Series- Whiskey Creek Press

   

   

  Sumner Meador walked in a world of wealth and privilege as part of Charles Town’s elite, but that was years ago. Now he fights in the Southern backwoods driven by the passion he holds for the Patriot cause, shadowed by his past. Reeling from a devastating defeat at the hands of the British, Sumner seeks haven at his farm, only to find an interloper—an unwelcome and unwanted distraction. He has no time for the young woman or the complications she brings with her, but soon discovers he has no option but to give aid to the stubborn, courageous beauty whether she wants it or not.

   

  A widower, Sumner has been haunted by the death of his wife and is consumed with a desire for revenge. Jane Kilmer has been violently thrust into the midst of the civil war ensuing in the backwoods. Hiding from one of the most dangerous vigilantes, Jane trusts no one. Suddenly, she has no choice but to put her life in Sumner’s hands. Both desire revenge, but neither wants what happens—to fall completely, undeniably in love with each other—so much so, that both are willing to die for the other. And they might have to.

   

   

  Excerpt

   

  Jane Kilmer stood by the window, looking out over the moonlit landscape. The full moon hung low upon this hot night. Not a breeze to ease the sweltering heat to give her sleep. Shadows from the weeping willow hung over the path that led to the house. She broke her gaze thankful she wasn’t prone to being scared. Her brother, Troy, would have laughed at her if she fended fear.

  “Ain’t nothin’ I can think of that would scare you, Jane,” he taunted her as children. In that he hadn’t known her well enough for she did have fear. She had faced her fear several times over the last few months of her life. Now she had nothing left to fear.

  Could death become an acquaintance, she wondered? For she had seen it many times, too many times in her twenty years. Jane caught herself. She didn’t want to wonder anything. She wanted only to exist, not to think or to feel. They said that time healed everything. What did anyone know of time?

  She daubed the perspiration from her body with a wet handkerchief. Even with the translucent gown she wore the heat seemed oppressive. She looked down upon the gown. She found it within the wardrobe upon her arrival. She had known of Beltcher and knew he had had no wife. Even at the time she thought it strange to have found such.

  The nightgown wasn’t the only clothes she found within trunks in the back bedroom, garments made of the finest material and felt luxurious to the touch. The thought crossed her mind that the woman who owned these had a man to impress or perhaps it had been the man who wanted to impress the lady with these gifts?

  The clothing she supposed mattered little. While she hid from the world, she had no fear of anyone seeing her in such a nightgown. Only at night did she dare wear such whether anyone saw or not.

  She walked away from the window and turned into the room. The house was quaint, not large, but sufficient, especially for her needs. She had made the necessary adjustments needed for the time she had spent for well over three months. The garden that Beltcher had laid she tended. In time she produced enough food for her needs. The horse she boarded in the barn and let graze in the pasture. She had only to decide upon her course for the winter. Soon she would have to make a decision about her fate for this comfort wouldn’t last a winter.

  Suddenly, her senses alerted to a danger. She raced back to the window with her heart pounding. She heard the horse long before she saw it. In the next moment, a figure of the horse silhouetted the night and loomed in the shadows of the path up to the house. Where had she left her pistol? In the bedroom? Why had she let her guard down after all this time?

  To her horror, the horse didn’t ride up to the front of the house but headed round for the stables. Was there was only one horse? Jane saw only a single rider. Could they have only sent one? She swallowed. Quickly he would learn of her existence with the inevitable discovery of the horse. She hadn’t long.

  She ran to the bedroom and took the pistol which lay upon the table. She looked upon the clothes she had worn during the day. She had no time to change. She eased out the window. She would only have one chance. The intruder wouldn’t have time to unsaddle his horse upon finding that one lived within the deserted house.

  She knew the countryside well enough if she had access to a horse. Where she would go she didn’t know, but she would live another day. She stepped quietly across the yard and slid through the open stable door into the darkness. Her eyes couldn’t make out a figure, but she saw well the saddled horse. The animal heard her and sidled away, snorting. Where was the intruder?

  Her horse nudged the door to his stall, calling attention to her. She frowned dropping the pistol to her side. The horse quieted when she stilled herself. She glanced around to the side. He had to be within. She slowly turned her glance in the darkness. A noise behind startled her. She held her musket out and turned quickly, but he was to her side.

  Hitting her upon her arm, the pistol fell harmlessly behind the horse. The impact sent her reeling. Oh Mother of all! What would she do now? She crawled to her knees. Regaining her footing, she ran, but to no avail the quicker feet had her within his grasp within moments. She struggled with every bit of energy in her. She tried to claw at him, but he held tight her hands. Then she kicked at him. She knew where it would hurt.

  Surprised at her assault, her assailant cried out, “Good Gawd, woman!”

  In the same breath he let go. She ran out the barn and looked frantically around, searching for an escape, but he lunged at her and she fell against the hard ground, a hard rock. Her head hurt. She tried to stand, but lost balance. Her eyes wouldn’t focus. Though within her vision she saw a face whose eyes showed concern, handsome eyes. She knew nothing else as darkness descended upon her.