ESCAPE
Chapter Eighteen
"Charlie, she’s not in town. Give it up.
You’ve already proven to Mr. Hockley that you’re pretty devoted. You don’t have
to keep going."
Charles Nafin looked at his partner, Paul,
"Pretty devoted isn’t good enough. Pretty devoted doesn’t make her
found!"
"Fine. You can continue your search, but
I’ve done my work. Unless Mr. Hockley directly tells me to, I’m not joining
you."
So, Charles had kept looking for the rest of
the day and far into the night. When he was dutifully tired and needed a rest,
he found that he had strayed from the more respectable parts of town. No
matter. My father slept on the streets of London for a month to get the feel of
the less fortunate. One night on the street isn’t going to kill me, and in the
morning I can call up a taxi.
He found a sporting goods store and purchased
a warm blanket. He picked a dark corner of the street, covered himself, and lay
looking up at the night sky before falling into a light sleep.
*****
It was soon afterwards that he heard the
musical voice calling out in the night. He peered out and gasped at what he
saw.
He had only seen Jayvelin Hockley once before
in his entire life, at a Christmas party, but who could forget a child like
that? The bright eyes, delicate body, and unmistakable hair made him positive
that it could be no one else standing on that dark, dirty street.
*****
It was he who had saved Jayvelin and carried
her off, safe in his arms. And now, a good distance away, he stood her up in
the street and asked, "What’s a darling little girl like you doing out
here?"
"It’s my mother. Papa sent her off, so I
couldn’t see her again, but now she’s come back. Except then she got really sick,
and I had to go look for help. And then that big mean guy was gonna hurt me,
but you saved me."
"And you--your mother. She’s Rose
Hockley, correct?"
"Yes."
Charles laughed in delight. "Where is
she? Lead me to her at once!"
Charles was overjoyed to find her, yet a part
of him felt sad. Poor little Jayvelin. Taken from her own home by a
madwoman. And she clearly loves her mother dearly and trusts her. But that’s
how all children are, I suppose.
When they made it back to Rose, she was
having her worst coughing fit yet. Jacob had awoken once again and started
howling louder than before. The sight made Jayvelin cringe and Charles’ heart
bleed. When her fit was over, Rose looked straight into his eyes, and in that
moment he knew. He knew that she wasn’t crazy. The fever might have made her
eyes a little murky, but there was still too much clarity and honesty in her
eyes for him to ever believe that her mind wasn’t completely sound.
He was instantly by her side and soothing the
poor woman.
*****
Charles sat next to Rose, rubbing her arms to
keep her warm. Jacob was asleep once again, and rested his head on Jayvelin’s
lap, who rested her own on Rose’s purse, which was leaning against Rose.
Rose had told Charles her story, or at least
as much as she felt fit to be told. At the end, she looked up at him and said,
"Please don’t turn me in."
Charles marveled at her beauty and would have
done anything she bid him to. He didn’t care who he would let down, how much
fame and fortune he was letting slip through his fingers; he wouldn’t turn the
poor thing in.
"Of course not. Now, rest. In the early
morning I’ll get you medicines. A hospital is out of the question as Mr.
Hockley will have men searching them. But don’t worry. I will keep you safe.
Then, when you are recovered and are back in good health, I’ll help get you to
California."