a stranger at the door

The fates conspired to bring a stranger to her doorstep on that dark, stormy night… but what would he mean for Nell’s future?

Nell was WARY of the STRANGER but she felt a strange AFFINITY with him

It was a squally night, when sensible folk curled up by their firesides or huddled in their beds, and Nell had long since shut all doors and windows of the Bird In Hand on the North wind’s wrath. Normally, she liked the quiet woodland position of the sprawling thatched inn, but tonight, she was uneasy. Some said the devil walked abroad in a storm. Tonight, she could almost believe it. So she was surprised when someone began to pound on the inn’s main door.

Dragging across the bolts, Nell yanked it open wide.

A stranger stood on her doorstep, shoulders hunched against the rain. The swinging lantern above the lintel provided light but still she raised her candle, shielding it from the storm as she asked, “Can I help you?”

“You must be Nolly.” His voice was husky, like smoky fire. “Jack sent me. He said you’d have a room.”

Nell’s heart had leapt into her mouth at the mention of her brother. The man peered hopefully past her to the darkened hall within.

“Do you think I could come in, ma’am? It’s pretty grim out here.”

Nell stepped aside, allowing him entry, then indicated the main parlour on the right.

“Warm yourself at the fire. I’ll prepare a room, Mr…?” “Ryder. James Ryder.” “Well, James Ryder, you picked a poor night for travelling. Jack sent you, you say?” “Aye, ma’am. Is he here?” “I’m afraid not. He rarely is this time of year. Did he not tell you that?” “I must have misunderstood.” Nell was frowning as she left her guest peeling off his greatcoat, to hurry up the rickety staircase and through the warren of rooms above to her own chamber. The mention of her darling brother had piqued her interest – but also her defences. These were dangerous times, especially for those with a price on their head, however unfairly placed there.

The man downstairs claimed he’d been sent here, and he’d known Jack’s special name for her. Yet Nell couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something dangerous about Mr Ryder, something that threatened she and brother’s secrets.

She would have to tread carefully, though she wasn’t defenceless. Her manservant Ezekiel may have been packed off to their rooms in the yard by wife Hannah because of a cold in the head, but he would be at Nell’s side in an instant if she needed him. And there was always the pocket knife that every self-respecting woman kept tucked beneath her skirts.

Buildings have a funny language all their own at times; in the hours of night, for example, when they creak and sigh, and in wild weather, when they create a haunting song with the wind. Hearing it now, Nell shivered and tucked her shawl more securely round her shoulders before going back down to the parlour.

Mr Ryder was over by the inglenook, looking through the books and papers stacked there. “See anything you like, sir?” If he was being anything other than mildly curious, he showed no sign.

“You have a good collection of reading material.”

Nell smiled for the first time since his arrival. “What else is there to do on long winter nights?” She carried her candle to the bar, where it cast contorted shadows against the bottles clustered there. “I’ll get you some brandy to chase away the shivers, then fetch my manservant to show you to your room.”

“There’s no hurry. I could do with some company.” Ryder smiled, and Nell felt herself flush.

“So, what brings you to these parts?” She asked carefully. “The Bird in Hand is not exactly on a busy highway.”

“It is rather remote, isn’t it? Like something out of a fairy tale, with all that forest at its back. But that suits me for now. I needed somewhere to lie low.

Oh, not for any nefarious reasons. Your brother and I had a disagreement with my employer’s son, and I lost my position. That left me low on funds, so Jack suggested I come here and you’d give me bed and board in return for me doing a few jobs around the inn while I decide what to do next.” “What is your trade, then, sir?” “I’m from yeoman stock, but fancied trying my fortunes in London.” That sounded plausible enough, so why was Nell still sure he wasn’t what he claimed? “The hen house needs fixing after a fox raid last night,” was all she said, however. “After that, we’ll see.” “Do you play cards, Mistress Nolly?” “Not for stakes. And my name is Nell,” she said sharply. “How about for fun, then, Nell?” There was a challenge in his voice which Nell knew she should be wary of, but there was also something about him she couldn’t seem to resist. She nodded and lit a branch of candles, taking it to the table by the fire at which he sat. “Vingt-et-un?” “If you wish. Lady gets first deal.” Nell shuffled the pack of cards, studying him beneath her brows. He was not overly handsome but rather his features were arresting, the candlelight enhancing a face she thought had seen the darker side of life. Perhaps that was why she felt this strange affinity with him. And there was that smile… “It’s a handsome place, this inn of yours,” he remarked. “It has its charms.” “I’ve heard rumours, you know, of fugitives harboured beneath these eaves.” “I don’t approve of gossip,” said Nell flatly as she dealt the cards. “It can get you hanged.” “True, but what is life without a little risk?” “You sound like my brother, sir.” “You are not much like him then?” Nell smiled. “As similar as December to July. Yet there is a bond between us, for all that. He is

friend, family and protector to me.”

“You are lucky to have such a relationship in your life, especially being widowed. It must have been very hard to lose your husband, with both of you still so young.”

He’d caught her off guard, despite her suspicions of him.

“You seem to know a lot about me, sir,” she said, hoping he hadn’t noticed her initial start. Ryder shrugged. “I was naturally curious to know more of where I was bound. I apologise if I touched a nerve in mentioning your late husband. He wasn’t much older than you, I understand, when he died?”

“Alas, disease does not discriminate against age.”

“You must miss having a man around here, though. I wonder you do not wed again.”

“Are you always so impertinent, Mr Ryder?”

“You are an attractive woman, Nell. It’s a natural assumption.” She flushed. “I’m simply one who likes her independence.”

“Still, it cannot be easy to manage this place alone.”

“I am not alone. My manservant and his wife are not only like family, they’re extremely competent in this line of business. Besides, as you’ve no doubt noticed, we are not always busy. This inn is too far from the main coach route for that.”

“And secluded enough to enjoy a few clandestine benefits – such as this fine brandy.” Ryder held his glass to the candlelight. “French, is it not?” Nell’s look was quelling. “What you are implying is illegal, sir.” “Oh, come now. Who doesn’t enjoy the odd keg of smuggled spirits these days, what with excise tax at the height it is? I’m not one to stand in judgment on that.”

“But on other things, I’d wager. Why exactly are you here, Mr Ryder? I’m not as naïve as you seem to think,” she added at his raised brow.

“I am well aware of that, madam. But you are certainly suspicious, which

“Enough GAMES. Who sent you?” she DEMANDED with a STEELY gaze

usually indicates a guilty conscience. I’ll take one card, if you please.”

Nell dealt him another and their card play now began in earnest.

She tried to focus on the game but found it hard to concentrate, sensing watchful eyes assessing her every move. She took the first round with a nine of hearts; he saluted her skill with a tip of his glass and then proceeded to thrash her in the second round, while asking about her family and former life in a way which, to anyone without something to hide, would seem like general conversation. She wasn’t fooled. “You play well,” she remarked as she swept up the cards.

“That’s your fault, I’m afraid. You twitch your right eye when you’re trying to bluff.”

Nell dealt the third hand on her mettle. The wind continued its wild, haunting song through the eaves, stirring the logs in the hearth as it whistled down the chimney.

She shivered despite herself, then glancing up, saw that Ryder’s eyes were not on his cards, but on her.

“There’s something about you, Mistress Nell,” he murmured when he saw her looking, “that I confess I find quite fascinating.” Nell swallowed. “If you think to get round me in that way, sir, you’ve misjudged your mark.” “And you me, ma’am. Vingt-et-un.” Nell blinked at his triumphant hand of cards fanned out on the table then raised her eyes to meet his.

“Enough games. You’re not here for a break. You’re after Jack.” There was steel in her gaze as she demanded, “Who sent you?”

“Bow Street, to seek a potential murderer at the Bird in Hand inn. Your husband didn’t die of a disease but a gun shot fired by your brother, for which he must be brought to justice.”

“Justice?” Surging from her chair, Nell dragged the shawl down from her shoulders to reveal a mass of scarred, reddened skin across her upper chest. “Do you see this, sir? A gift from my husband via scalding hot water fresh from the kettle. Oh, not for me the low-necked fashionable gowns that once I wore, even if I could afford such garments now! So tell me, Mr Ryder, is it justice for a so-called gentleman to steal a girl’s dreams and all her money, and regularly beat her senseless when he lost at cards or simply when she wouldn’t beg him not to?”

Ryder’s face was grave as he asked, “What happened?”

“I met Lyle Heywood while in mourning for my father and trying to cope with an adventurous brother who felt trapped in his new role. Lyle dazzled this country squire’s daughter and by the time I knew what he was really like, it was too late. He was shot, yes, but in defence of my life. I wonder, would he have been held to account for beating me to death? I’d wager not.” “Nolly…” “How did you know what name to say to me?”

“A lucky guess. I did run into Jack as I said, but I was acting undercover, tracking a smuggling ring’s leader and only realised later on that he was one of our outstanding outlaw cases. Not only does your brother keep poor company, he’s also indiscreet when it comes to his

background. He often mentioned you, and his particular pet name for you. I took a chance.”

“How dare you come here trying to use me to entrap him?”

“It’s my job,” he countered. “But it’s not always…”

He broke off at a loud bang above their heads. In unison, they shot to their feet. “Are you expecting anyone?” When Nell shook her head, Ryder drew a pistol from beneath his shirt. “Stay here,” he ordered. In reply, she swept past him, candelabra held high.

With a stifled curse, he moved behind, matching her steps as she led the way aloft. Despite his presence, she still felt a frisson of fear as she laid a hand on the attic room doorknob then resolutely pushed it wide.

The candlelight flung ghostly shadows on the walls, but the room was empty. Nell sighed and moved to retrieve a vase from the floor.

“The window… the gale must have blown it open.”

Ryder crossed to refasten it then turned, his look tinged with something that made Nell catch her breath. He took a step toward her. “Who are you?” she whispered. “Not the same man who walked in here tonight,” he said, and reached with trembling fingers to gently replace the shawl where it had slipped from her shoulders. She found herself leaning into him, seeking his warmth, then together, they turned to watch the rain making patterns on the windowpane.

No other LAWMAN had turned up at the INN after that STORMY night

Nell woke to the light of day. Stepping out of Ryder’s arms where they’d fallen together into a surprisingly restful sleep, she went to look outside.

The dawn had brought a fresh new world, dousing the trees and bracken that lined the lane with a sparkling brilliance. “The storm has passed.” Nell turned to look over her shoulder at Ryder. “We can no longer avoid the past.” “No.” “Before you go, you should know something… it was I who fired that pistol, not Jack. But the reasons why remain the same.”

“And Jack took the blame,” Ryder said, unsurprised. “And then he simply ‘disappeared’, to save you.” Nell’s smile was forlorn. “He jumped at the chance. A squire’s life had never suited him. So, what happens now, sir?”

“I can give you a few days, lose my way on the road back to London, before I submit my report.” Nell nodded. “You must do what you think is right, of course. I had begun to think we were kindred spirits, you and I. How foolish of me. Goodbye, James Ryder.”

She had already turned back to the window, thinking him gone, but he paused in the doorway.

“You really are beautiful. Whatever happens, you must believe that.”

The waves whooshed against the sides of the boat as it glided through the water, sending salt-laden spray into the faces of those brave enough to be on deck. Nell laughed and licked at a droplet, her heart light as she took in her final glimpse of England.

It had been sad to say goodbye to the Bird in Hand – it had been her sanctuary since that awful day when she’d had to fight for her very breath – but her family were still together, the Blunts deciding to sail with Nell and Jack and make a new life on different shores.

As soon as Nell had sent him word, Jack put into action the plan he’d had ready for this day; the sale of their estate would finance their adventures in another world.

She turned to watch James Ryder coming toward her. As it turned out, no other lawman had turned up at the inn after that night, but Ryder had been standing waiting for her on the Liverpool docks…

He gave her that irresistible smile as he took her hand, drawing her into his solid warmth.

“It’s a funny feeling, being out to pasture,” he said. “You don’t regret it?” Nell pondered. “Not a bit. I’m tired of running all the time, after criminals, or a skewered kind of justice.” He drew her hand to his lips. “I’ve been waiting for you all my life, Nell – and I promise I’ll make up for what you had to suffer in the past.” “And I, for you,” she vowed. Laying her head on his shoulder, she turned her gaze toward the far horizon.

There was no knowing what the future held, but one thing was certain: their fates were now entangled, and perhaps the future was a little brighter, thanks to one wild night…