Over The Hills

The large galleon glided silently into the small, moonlit harbour. Her great sails were rapidly furled as the anchor was lowered into the still waters. The crew worked as one as they brought the great ship to a halt and secured her position under the star studded sky.

Inside the captain's cabin a tall, muscular man stared out of the window at the lights of the small harbour town. His skin was bronzed after many days spent out in the sun, fine wrinkles fanned the corners of his steel grey eyes. His thick, black hair brushed against the collar of the linen shirt that he wore. It was in need of a trim to tidy up the rough edges but that was the least of the thoughts that plagued his mind.

The door to the cabin opened as a tall, blond haired man entered the cabin. He looked at the man by the window before removing his coat and hanging it up by the door. Like the first man, he too was well built, his body honed by long hours spent working hard at physical tasks.

"Smithy says the boat will be ready in a few minutes. You ready?"

The man smiled slightly. "Ready? I've been ready for the past 10 years." He turned from the window and looked over at his friend. "What about you? Is everything set on your side?"

"Yeah, Tony will meet us at the inn with an update on what has been happening and then we'll head up to the house and wait."

"Good. There's a lot of work to be done over the next few days. The sooner we get it done the sooner we can go home." He looked back out across the harbour, his eyes not seeing the moonlit view as he thought about what he had travelled so far to do.

"Jared, are you certain you want to go through with this? Things may have changed over the years."

"I'm certain, Daniel. Ten years may have passed but I'm certain that nothing has changed."

"You haven't heard from her for the past seven years. She could have changed her mind." Daniel looked at his friend, seeing the strain of the last ten years etched on his face. He wished that he had not been out of the country that night. That he had been there to help the man who was as close to him as a brother. He had never forgiven himself for not being able to do something to help Jared when he had needed him.

"She won't have changed her mind. If she had she would have told me. Something, or someone, stopped her from writing to me all those years ago and I intend to find out what it was as well as catching those responsible for ruining ten years of my life."

A knock sounded at the door and a young lad entered the room. "Captain Lancaster, Smithy says the boat is ready for you, sir."

"Thanks, Tommy. Tell Smithy we'll be there in a moment." The boy nodded and returned to the deck above to pass on the message. Daniel picked his coat up and pulled it on. "Ready?"

Jared pulled on his coat and grabbed his leather bag. "Let's go."


Lady Catherine Sinclair-Adams looked up from the sewing on her lap as her husband entered the salon, pulling his long overcoat on as he walked towards her.

"Are you not going to the Hamilton's ball this evening?" she asked softly, hoping that he would say that he wasn't going so that she did not have to go.

"Of course I am," Lord Roger Adams scoffed as he checked his cravat in the mirror on the wall. He was not a tall man and his thickening waist line hinted at one too many balls attended. "I need to go into the village first and then I shall head directly there. I've arranged for a carriage to take you to the Hamilton's where I shall meet you when I've finished my business. I trust that you will ensure that you will be there on time? I don't want to remind you what will happen if you disobey me?" He leered at her as his eyes dropped down to her chest and the cleavage that was revealed by the low cut dress that she wore.

Catherine refused to acknowledge his stare, instead she lifted her chin and stared at hard at him. "I'll be there, on time," she said, her mind refusing to dwell on what the consequence of being late was. He may be her husband but as far as she was concerned it was in name only.

"Good, I'll see you later." With that he turned and left, leaving her to her thoughts and her memories of a time when life had been a happier and easier time.

Sighing, Catherine put down her sewing and crossed to the lounge window. Ten years ago life had been complicated but there had been love and laughter and hope that someday everything would work out. But then it had all gone wrong and she had ended up here, trapped in a loveless marriage, married to a brute who loved to control and humiliate her whenever he had the chance. She should have left him years ago but she wasn't the only one in this relationship and she had to put the care of the others involved over her own wellbeing.

Wiping away the tears that escaped from her blue eyes she slowly left the lounge and headed towards her room. It would soon be time to get ready for the ball this evening and she did not want to give Roger any opportunity to show her that he was in charge of their relationship and her life.

Later that evening, the carriage wound along the wooded lane illuminated by the moon as it peered from behind the clouds. Catherine stared out of the window, watching the landscape pass by. She pulled her cape closer around her slender shoulders, covering the low cut dress. Since their marriage Roger insisted on her wearing the low cut gowns whenever they went out and, more recently, whenever she was at home. She hated wearing them as they made her feel cheap and worthless but as always she said nothing, the consequences were just too high for her to challenge Roger.

She frowned as the carriage jerked and left the lane to go down a less used track. This wasn't the way to the Hamilton's, of that she was certain. Fear clutched at her as she wondered whether or not she was about to become the victim of a kidnapping or possible murder. She looked around the carriage for a possible weapon to use but there was nothing.

The carriage continued on down the track before stopping outside a large, country home. She heard the driver climb down from his seat and approach the carriage door. Suddenly afraid, Catherine sank back into the plush velvet seats as the door opened.

"Mrs Adams, would you come with me please? I promise you, that you will not be harmed in anyway. I have a friend who wishes to speak with you for a few moments. You'll be free to leave afterwards." He offered his hand to her to help her down from the carriage.

Catherine took his hand and alighted from the carriage. Slowly she followed the man into the house and into the salon. A man stood with his back to her as he stared into the flames in the lit fire. Something stirred within her as she stared at his back. There was something familiar about him, something that pulled at memories she wanted to forget so that they didn't hurt.

He turned and looked at her and she gasped as she saw his face.

"Hello, Catherine," he said in the gravelly voice that she remembered as if it had only been yesterday that they had been together.

Stunned, she stared at the face that had haunted her dreams for ten years. The face of the one man who had meant so much to her yet had been unavailable to her. She had been married to his best friend, Jonathon, yet she had loved him and because of that love he had been lost to her for the past ten years. Framed for a crime that he didn't commit, unable to vindicate himself because if he had done so their relationship would have been revealed and she would have been publicly ruined. When Jonathon had died a couple of years later she had wanted to free Jared, to tell the truth of that night but Roger had stepped and had taken control of her life. Forced her into a marriage of hell so that he could have her wealth whilst her dreams disappeared like mist in the dawn.

"Jared," she whispered afraid to move in case it was all an illusion. But then she saw his eyes and she was racing across the room to the sanctuary of his arms. She was home.

Jared gritted his teeth at the waves of emotion that flooded through him as he wrapped his arms around her slender figure. He was right, she did still love him, even after all this time. Now, with her in his arms, he was home and together they would confront those who had stolen this time from them. Tomorrow, they would seek them out but tonight was theirs.