“Keep your voice down, Quinn. Yes… the very same. He makes insane charges and claims to have proof that the trials were a sham to hide the existence of a secret society. He intends to pull you into his mad thinking.”
There was no denying it, my interest was piqued. “No! A secret society?”
“Yes. But he insists someone is trying to do him harm. This person threatened to expose his long affair with your mother should he tell you the truth.”
Faced with the truth I was hiding deep inside my heart, I jumped up and glared at Jonathon. “Long affair! How dare you!”
I took a step away from him.
“To talk of such things when you don’t know the truth is simply gossiping, Mr. Young.”
Jonathon’s face went white with terror as he jumped up. “Quinn!”
Before I could respond, he lunged and knocked me to the ground just as a horse ran by, nearly trampling both of us.
Ayana screamed out my name and rushed over to me as Jonathon swiftly pulled me to my feet.
“Are you hurt, Quinn?” Jonathon asked in a panicked voice.
Everything was happening so quickly. “Um, no. I believe I am uninjured.”
“Miss Quinn! Miss Quinn! Have you gone and hurt yourself?” Ayana asked while searching my body for injuries.
I attempted to regain my composure, but I had just nearly been trampled by a two-thousand-pound horse. My nerves were indeed rattled.
Placing my hand over my chest to slow my racing heart, I tried to speak. “Where… in the heavens… did… he… come… from.”
More townspeople approached us, asking Jonathon and me if we were okay, all of them demanding to know who the reckless man was riding the horse. Once we assured everyone we were unhurt, Jonathon took my arm and hastily led me toward Charter Street. Ayana was close behind, picking leaves and twigs from my hai
r while telling me how lucky I was that the horse didn’t trample me into the ground like last year’s old crops.
“Excuse me, but you are pulling me in a very ungentlemanlike manner.”
I wasn’t the least bothered by his roughness. In a way, I rather liked that he had taken charge to take our leave from the area. Plus, he was touching me.
“We need to get to your father’s house.”
I pulled him to a stop, shaking my head. “My father!” Turning to Ayana, I held up my hand. “Ayana! My hair is fine. And please stop saying how close I was to death!”
She smiled and continued to pick twigs from my hair.
I quickly gave up on her and turned my focus back to Jonathon. “We cannot go to my father. I’m afraid he is hiding something.”
Jonathon closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, we must speak with my father and Mr. Hathorne at once, Quinn. That was no accident. That man took off on that horse and purposely tried to hurt you. He wore the emblem.”
My heart thudded and fear twisted through my body. Someone tried to hurt me on purpose? What on earth for? “Emblem? Jonathon, you’re frightening me.”
His eyes softened, and he reached up to touch my face once again, stopping himself short of my cheek. The disappointment in his lack of touch was evident on his face. I was certain it was evident on mine, as well. “My darling dove, no one will hurt you. This vow I make to you now. Do you believe me?”