Sam Cortland Lived

Chapter 4

Rome didn't get any sleep that night. The excitement of finally being able to leave this awful family overwhelmed her. She could also admit meeting Sam may have had some small part of it too. She decided to spend the night planning for their trip. Starting off with packing then planning their route. She scoured over all of her maps deciding which would be the safest but fastest. When she was finally satisfied with her route she managed to lie down in bed and rest the last couple of hours before dawn.

When she woke she sent a message down to the kitchen by her most trusted servant, Lucy. Lord Lexington could not know she was planning to leave. He was the only one other than her who knew her affiliation with Rowan Whitethorn. If he knew she planned to finally meet him he would have her locked in the dungeons and she'd never see the sun again. He'd never told her why she couldn't seek him out but the few times she did bring it up she walked away with more than a few bruises. With Lucy readying a carriage and food for the journey she walked to her morning lessons as if it was just another day. She wouldn't be meeting Sam for a few more hours so she had some time to kill. Might as well see some of her tutors for the last time. She got through her lessons and said her goodbyes. With just a few more minutes before she was to meet Sam she decided to stop by her room one more time and to say goodbye to Lucy.

"Oh miss. I didn't hear you come in." Lucy said with a hand to her heart.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. I just wanted to come say goodbye one last time and to make sure everything is ready." Rome replied while pulling Lucy into a hug.

"Everything is in the carriage ready to go, including Rowan." she said with a laugh "And I've secured your exit at the servants gate on the south side of the grounds."

Rome gave her one more hug and said her thanks. With that she walked out of her room hoping never to return.

She was almost to the kitchen where she would sneak out the back door and cross the garden to the stables when Lord Lexington's young messenger boy tapped her shoulder.

"Lord Lexington would like a word with you in his study Lady Rome." he said with a bow and scuttled off down the hall.

Knowing that if she didn't go it would raise alarms she headed to his office. Hopefully Sam was the patient type. She walked in and found him sitting in his chair carefully cutting open letters with his paper knife. Next to him sat a small tea pot and a bowl of powdered sugar.

"You asked to speak to me father." Rome said with a little more fear than she would have liked in her voice.

"The documents are gone." He said his tone rough as he looked up at her.

"That can't be right they are in my room." She said cooling her voice to neutrality. If he sensed she was lying she would never get out of there.

"Liar!" he screamed the word at her as he raised from his chair.

"Father i-if their gone I haven't a single idea what could have happened." She said as she took a step back.

The Lord was walking towards her now. His voice steady as he said "I was surprised to learn you had company last night, especially at such an ill-suited hour. However I was even more surprised to find not only the papers gone this morning but Rowan too. Now why would your beloved dog and a handful of your clothes be gone my dear?"

Rome's mind was swimming with questions. Who had heard them last night? And why would Lucy not tell her the Lord had been in her room.

"My clothes are being washed and Rowan is on a walk in the gardens. As for the papers last I saw they were locked in my desk. And I had no company last night I simply couldn't sleep and must have been talking to myself a little too loudly." She said giving her best confused face and she spouted the lies.