The Duke's Forgotten Wife

Chapter Fifteen

London docks

"You have the letters hidden on you?" Amanda asked her son once Reardon sent word for her to dress in a gown to leave for the bank.

"Yes," Jamie told her. "But I still don't think this is a good idea, Mother. I don't want to leave you alone with him."

"We've gone over this, Jamie," Amanda said. "It's the only way for your father to know what's happened to us and to know who to search for. Please do as I ask. Once your father knows who has me he will come and rescue me."

"Alright," Jamie replied still reluctant to leave his mother in that man's hands. When he closed his eyes, he still saw him plunging the knife in Captain Stallings back and the Captain's surprised pained look.

A few minutes later, they heard the key in the lock and the cabin door open.

"Come," the man told her. Amanda followed him to find Reardon waiting for her on deck.

"Let's go," Reardon told her and tried to take her arm. Amanda avoided his grasp.

"Not yet," she told Reardon. "I don't trust you this time to let Jamie and I go so before we go to the bank I want to know Jamie is safe and out of your hands. I want him to come with us and I want him taken to his father's residence. Devlyn is still on St. Kitts and only his servants will be there. Once I see him safe inside his father's house then we go on to the bank."

"If you don't come with me now I will send a man to whip Jamie and let you watch," Reardon warned her.

"You're going to kill us anyway," Amanda said. "If I leave with you now I will let them know once we are at the bank that you are forcing me to withdraw the money. I have nothing to lose but you have a lot of money to lose if you don't agree, Bradley. Are you willing to lose it? I want my son safe and I give you my word that I will let you take the money without causing any problems at the bank. I, by the way, keep my word. The choice is yours."

Amanda held her breath as Reardon thought over what she said and prayed he would agree to it. If he had Jamie whipped she didn't know if she would be able to hold out to assure her son would be let go.

"We take the boy with us now and to the Duke's house after we leave the bank with the money," Reardon countered.

"No, my son goes to Devlyn's house first then you and I go to the bank," Amanda said as she folded her arms across her chest. "I can't trust you after you lied to me that we would be released in France."

She waited again as he thought it over holding her breath as her heart raced.

"All right," he told her and had a man bring Jamie up on deck. As they waited he told her, "you'd better not cross me Amanda or I'll hunt the boy down again and kill him. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes," she replied. "You'll get your money once I know Jamie is safe."

When Jamie came on deck, Amanda took his hand and they followed Reardon to the waiting coach. Amanda gave Devlyn's address in Mayfair to the driver. When the three of them were inside the coach it pulled away from the dock and their destination Devlyn's house, she breathed deeply for the first time since confronting Reardon.

She and Jamie sat in silence while the coach traveled from the docks through the streets of London watching Reardon. Amanda prayed all the way, until they arrived at Devlyn's residence that she would at least see Jamie freed.

"Take him to the door and knock. Once he's inside you return right away to the coach or I shoot him," Reardon informed her and pulled a gun from the pocket of his coat to let her know he meant what he said after the coach pulled up in front of Devlyn's house and stopped.