Footprints At Dawn (Book 2)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Rushing into Thomas' cottage, I closed the door behind me, fingers shaking as I turned the key to lock it.

I had managed to escape from Jack's intent stare when he reached down to retrieve his mother's blanket after it had slipped off her legs. The task of covering her lap and tucking the sides under her legs preoccupied him long enough for me to excuse myself from the group, get lost in another group, then duck behind one of the other cottages, safely making my way to Thomas'.

"Matilda!" Nicholas exclaimed as I entered, rushing to me. "What on earth is going on? Rose told us you wanted us in the cottage right away, but she couldn't tell us why."

"There's a man," I said, a little out of breath. "Mrs. Bradshaw's son. "He was... asking questions..."

"Come sit down. Take a deep breath, darling." Taking my arm, he led me over to the dining chair where I sat.

"He said he recognised me from somewhere. Which was strange, because I thought I'd recognised him from somewhere, too."

"From where?"

"I don't know, but he wouldn't let it go. He was asking questions, like my last name, where I was from, how long I was staying in Launceston for."

"It sounds like he was just being polite, darling."

"That's what I thought at first, but it felt more like he was prying information out of me. And he kept staring at me in a really creepy way. He commented on my eyes. I mentioned I had a husband and then he insisted on meeting you to see if he recognised you, too."

"Well, what did he look like?"

"Dark hair, brown eyes, short beard like yours, fifty-ish."

"You don't think..."

"What?"

"Our mystery stalker."

"You think Mrs. Bradshaw's son is our mystery stalker?"

"I don't know, Matilda. You just described someone who sounds exactly like him."

"I've just described someone who sounds exactly like millions of people in the world. I mean, what would be the odds that this guy is our mystery stalker?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out. I need to see his face." He started for the door and I jumped from my seat, reaching out to grab his arm.

"Are you crazy? He'll see you!"

He spun to face me. "So what do we bloody do now, then?"

"He said he was leaving soon. He wanted to get a few hours of travel in before it got dark. We hide in here, and once he's left town, we won't have to worry about him."

He thought for a moment, then said, "But what if he does know it's you? What if he's gone to get Doyle?"

I sighed, looked over at Thomas who was sitting on the edge of his bed watching us, then back at Nicholas. "I think it's time for me to go home."

"Matilda, no-"

"Hear me out. If you take me back to the cottage, I... disappear... you go into town, act like you've never left. Doyle can do another search of the cottage if he wants, but he won't find me. Your father will be safe and sound here, and we can all continue on with our lives and no one will end up hurt because of me."

He pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around me. "I'm not ready to let you go," he breathed into my ear.

"I'm not ready to let you go either, but we both know me being here couldn't last forever. This is what I have to do to keep you both safe."