The Moon and the Stars (33 page)

It was sometime later, when Caroline was curled up next to him, that Wade broached the subject he dreaded. “You were right about Brace. He is in New Orleans.”

“God help me,” she whispered. “I felt certain that
he was here, but I had hoped I was wrong.” She felt sick inside, and bile rose up in her throat. “How did you find out?”

“He was here, just as you said. I am sorry I did not listen to you when you warned me.”

She trembled, burrowing closer to him.

“So it was him that Jonathan saw in the garden.”

“It would seem so.”

“Then we must send Jonathan away so he will be safe. Send him to Nelly and Yance.”

Wade could feel the panic rising in her, and he gathered her close. “It is best for Jonathan to remain here with us. I have good men guarding the grounds, and Brace will not be able to slip past them. I want you to remain in the house and keep Jonathan with you.”

“My first instinct is to run, but I promised myself I would never do that again.” She looked into his eyes. “I know you will keep us safe. It's just that Brace is a destroyer of lives. He destroys without feeling guilty about it.”

“Caroline,” he breathed her name into her hair. “I could not go on without you.”

She drew back and stared at him—was he admitting he loved her?

“I have never heard you say that before.”

“I guard what belongs to me. You and Jonathan are mine.”

She closed her eyes, knowing that was as close to a declaration of love as he had ever made.

“Our son and I are very fortunate to be under your protection.”

He felt her relax against him, and he knew she was drifting off to sleep. Had he done enough to protect her? For the first time doubt nagged at his mind. Caroline knew the danger, he reassured himself. If she stayed within the safe boundaries he had made for her, Brace could not get to her.

He shifted his weight, but she did not move. Could there possibly be anything he had overlooked? He pressed his lips against her cheek and heard her steady breathing. Life was just so damned good now—but there was always the threat of Brace hanging over them.

He had men searching the town and many of the outlying areas, looking for the man. So far, there was no clue to where he was staying. But he was nearby and he was a determined killer.

Brace would have to surface sooner or later, and when he did, Wade would be waiting for him.

Brace had searched for days to find a deserted place where he could lure Caroline to him. He was anxious to get his hands on her, so much so, he had considered storming the house and taking his chances. But reason returned when he discovered the house in the swamps; it was perfect for his needs. It was far enough away from everything that he would draw no attention to himself. The house was in pitiful condition, damp and dark. The cane-bottom chairs were wobbly, and the bed sagged in the middle; the blankets he had thrown on the mattress were already musty and dank.

But the derelict house suited his purpose just fine; nothing would dampen his spirits now. Caroline was as good as in his hands.

He smiled as he mounted the horse he had acquired from the livery stable. He would find Renault's weakness and use it against him.

 

It was late afternoon when Brace rode past the Renault estate, gauging the number of men on guard there. If he hadn't stirred things up by almost getting caught, Renault would not have brought in so many men. One of them was clipping the hedges at the side of the house, and another was just standing under the shade of a tree, keeping vigil. They were all fools if they thought they could stop him.

One of the guards looked his way, and Brace waved as if he were out for a leisurely ride. The man waved back. No suspicion there.

He had decided that there was no way he could enter the estate at the front. And he had very little doubt that there would be even more men watching the back of the house.

He had to talk to the boy he had spoken with. He had no notion how the boy figured into the lives of Renault and Caroline, but he had to find a way to draw the child's attention. He needed an ally on the inside. He didn't know much about kids, but he figured they could be bribed easier than an adult.

A plan was forming in his mind. He would hide behind the back wall until either Caroline or the boy came along. He certainly wasn't foolish enough to tangle with Renault: he couldn't beat him unless he outsmarted him in some way. But the day would soon come when he would have his revenge on the bounty hunter, one way or another.

He heard someone coming down the path, and he ducked behind the wall, listening carefully. The footfalls were light, so it had to be the boy.

He edged himself halfway up the wall and called out, “Lad, come over here. I want to talk to you.”

Jonathan went to Brace without hesitation. “Sir, what are you doing on our wall? Why don't you come to the front of the house if you want to see us?”

“I found this lying in that field over there,” Brace said, holding out a gray and yellow striped ball. “I thought it might be yours.”

“No. My ball is red.”

“What's your name?”

The boy took a bite of an apple before he answered. “I'm Jonathan Renault. What's your name?”

The hated name of Renault twisted in Brace's gut, but he managed to smile. “My name is a secret. Can you keep a secret, Jonathan?”

“I can if I want to.” He took another bite of his apple.

“Do you know Caroline?”

“Sure I do. She's my mommy.”

Brace was taken aback. He had been asking questions around New Orleans about Renault, and no one mentioned that he had a son. “Are you sure she's your mother?”

“Of course. I guess I ought to know who my mommy is. And Wade is my father.” He had finished his apple and threw the core toward the pond, missing it by inches. “What's your secret?”

“I know someone who lives in your house—someone who is a good friend of mine.”

“You know me. You saw me before, but I don't think we are friends.”

“I know Caroline.”

The child frowned, sensing that something wasn't quite right. “No, you don't. She would have told me if she knew you.”

“But she does. You see, we have been friends for a long time. I'm from far away where she once lived. I came here because I want to surprise her.”

The child swung onto a low-hanging branch so he could be even with the man. “Why would you want to do that?”

“Don't you think that your mommy likes surprises?”

Jonathan thought about that. “I guess so. I guess everyone does.”

“Why don't you come with me, and we'll ride into town, and you can buy her a little gift. You'd like that, wouldn't you?”

“You mean I could ride on a horse with you?”

“That's exactly what I mean. Just climb up here, and I'll lift you over the wall. You'll have to hurry.”

At that moment Frank called out to the boy. “Jonathan. Where are you hiding? You're wanted in the house.”

The boy's face crumpled into disappointment. “I can't go with you right now.” He hopped down from the branch. “I guess Mommy wants me.”

“I'll be here the same time tomorrow, if you decide you want to go with me into town. Remember, tell no one about our visit—let this just be our little secret.”

Jonathan nodded. “I won't tell anyone. I gotta go now.”

Brace smiled to himself. He had found Renault's weakness.

It was the boy.

As it happened, it was over a week before Jonathan again made his way to the back wall. In that time, Brace
had been there waiting every day, ever vigilant for a chance to draw the boy to him, his temper mounting. He had been forced to hide like a coward when the guards patrolling the grounds came his way. His anger was almost more then he could swallow, and he was beginning to lose all reason. He had even considered making a run for the house and shooting anyone who got in his way. It really didn't matter what happened to him. All he could think about was seeing Caroline dead.

He could hardly believe his good fortune: The boy was coming down the path in his direction. He took a deep breath and tried to smile.

“Boy . . . Jonathan, over here,” he said as quietly as he could so he would not be overheard by the guards.

Jonathan casually walked toward him. “Are you here again, mister?”

“Of course I am,” Brace bit out. “I told you I would be, didn't I?”

“I forgot all about you.”

Brace's anger shot up—he didn't like anyone to forget about him. But he could not show his anger until he had the child in his grasp. “Do you still want to come with me to get your mommy a surprise?”

Jonathan glanced back toward the house and then to the man. “I'd like to, but my father might not like it.”

Brace reached into his coat pocket. “Just put this letter on the bench, and come back here so I can lift you over. Your mommy will be so surprised by what I have in mind.”

Jonathan took the letter and turned it over in his hand. “What's this for?”

The boy was beginning to annoy him. “Do you
have to question everything I say?” Then realizing his anger had startled the boy, he softened his tone. “This is for your mommy.”

Jonathan blinked at the man's harsh tone, but he carried the letter to the bench, propping it against the back. “Can I still ride on the horse? Can I guide it?”

“Yes. You can ride in front.”

Jonathan held his arms up, and Brace lifted him over the wall. Once he had the boy in his grasp, he kept a hand on his arm, half dragging him forward as he walked away.

“You're walking too fast. I can't keep up with you.”

“Keep your mouth shut and quit whining.”

Jonathan halted, knowing something was wrong. “You aren't going to buy my mommy a gift.”

“What a smart boy you are.” Brace's heart rate accelerated. The moment the boy had come with him, he had won this game between himself and Caroline. He knew her—she would do almost anything to get the boy back. “You are my gift to me,” he told the now frightened boy.

Caroline was waiting for Jonathan on the veranda. Since she had discovered that Brace had been lurking about, she insisted that they read on the veranda in sight of the guards.

She heard the tall case clock chime two times. It wasn't like Jonathan to be late—he was always so excited about reading another chapter. Uneasiness settled over her as she entered the house. First she went into the kitchen, where she found Mary bent over a copper kettle with a polishing rag in her hand.

“Have you seen Jonathan?”

“No. Not since lunch. He was supposed to be with you, wasn't he?”

Caroline could not keep the worry out of her voice. “He's not. Where do you suppose—”

Mary paled, setting the kettle aside. “I'll just search the upstairs. He may have gone to his bedroom.”

With growing concern, Caroline nodded. “I will search the downstairs.”

When Mary returned a short time later and shook her head, Caroline's concern deepened. “He's not in the house. If you will speak to the guards out front, I'll go into the garden and look for him,” Caroline said, running for the back door. She was still running when she reached the path that led to the place where she and Jonathan had first met. Perhaps he had misunderstood her instructions and was waiting for her there.

As she approached the bench, her heart stopped when she saw the letter. She snatched it up, already knowing whom it was from. Ripping it open with trembling fingers, she read:

Caroline, if you are the one to read this, I have Jonathan. If you want him back alive, you must follow the map I drew on the back of this page—come alone or I will kill the boy. You know me well enough to realize I do not make idle threats. You also know that if I give you my word, I will keep it. If you come to me, I will let the boy go. But if you tell Renault, and he shows up, they will both die. Come as quickly as you can and come alone. I am most impatient to see you again.

She clamped her hand over her mouth. Brace had Jonathan! She suppressed a sob. The child must be so frightened—she had to get to him as soon as possible. She turned the letter over and memorized the directions. There was no time to lose—if Brace said he would kill Jonathan, he would do it. She heard a guard coming in her direction, and she hurried toward the house. There was one thing she needed before she left.

“Good day, Mrs. Renault. Mary said you were looking for Jonathan,” Frank said.

She shook her head and stared at the ground so Frank would not see how upset she was. “It's all right. I know where he is.”

“Good. That little scamp keeps us all busy.”

“If you will excuse me,” she said, hurrying toward the back steps that took her to the bedroom.

“Wait, Mrs. Renault, you dropped—”

She didn't hear him; she was already halfway up the stairs. Frank glanced down at the paper and saw the map sketched on the back. With a worried frown he turned it over and read what was written there. In the next moment he was running toward the front of the house, where he found Louis hitching the horses to the carriage so he could take Mary into town for her weekly shopping.

“Louis, get me to town and don't spare the horses—I have to see Mr. Renault!”

Caroline found the derringer on the dresser where Wade had left it. She checked the chamber and saw that it was loaded before she dropped it into her
pocket. With quickened steps, she ran down the back stairs and made her way to the stable.

She had wanted Wade's gelding because it would be the fastest of all the horses, but his stall was empty. Wade must have ridden the horse into town. She grabbed a bridle from a hook and went to the next stall, where a frisky gray mare tossed her head. She quickly slipped the bridle over its head and, not bothering with a saddle, hauled herself onto the mare's back.