few inches. It took three more tries, but at last, she was able to open the window nearly all the way. She looked down. It was a drop of about ten feet, but she could do it. She threw one leg over the windowsill, then the other, and gripped the sill as hard as she could, slowly lowering herself until she was hanging down, about two feet between her feet and the ground. Jocelyn let go and landed with a soft thud.
The air was cool and fresh, the night full of mysterious sounds. Jocelyn crept toward the back gate that was used to deliver firewood and foodstuffs to the kitchen. She unlatched the gate and slipped out, breathing a sigh of relief when no one followed. She shut the gate behind her and hurried down the street, praying all the while not to encounter any drunken soldiers or anyone else intent on doing her harm. Once away from the house, she began to run, desperate to get away.
The pitch dark of night began to give way to the murky gray of morning when she banged on Anna’s door, calling for the older woman to let her in. Anna opened the door, her face pale with fright. A dark braid streaked with silver snaked over her shoulder, a threadbare shawl draped over her nightdress.
“Jocelyn, what is it? What’s happened?”
“Help me. Please,” Jocelyn whispered, and went down in a heap, her legs no longer able to support her.
Chapter 63
March 2018
London
Quinn dropped the ring when Jude poked his head into the bedroom.
“Quinn, Dr. Chan just called. He said Gabe’s out of surgery, and you can visit him now.”
“Thanks,” Quinn said. “I’ll be right down.”
She came downstairs to find a cup of coffee and a sandwich waiting for her.
“You have to eat something before you go,” Jude said. “Do you want me to drive you? Emma will never know if I step out for an hour.”
“I’ll take an Uber. Emma’s too young to be left alone.”
“All right. Ring me when you get there,” Jude said once Quinn finished her meal.
“I will.”
“The Uber is outside,” Jude said fifteen minutes later. He handed her a coat, her bag, and her mobile. “All right?” he asked.
Quinn nodded. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Don’t worry about Emma. I’ll look after her.”
“I know you will.”
Quinn was grateful that the Uber driver didn’t feel a need to chat. It was just past 5:00 a.m. and the streets were deserted, most windows dark as they drove past office buildings and private residences. She should have been exhausted, but the coffee had revived her and the prospect of seeing Gabe lifted her spirits. He’d be groggy and confused, but he was alive; that was all that mattered.
Leaning back against the seat, Quinn allowed her mind to drift for a moment, her thoughts returning to what she had just witnessed. She hadn’t expected to be confronted with such brutality, particularly perpetrated by a man who’d seemed so pleasant and correct in his dealings with others. She’d seen people pushed beyond the point of endurance but didn’t think this was the first time the major had taken out his fury on a helpless woman. He’d been successful at hiding his true nature, but it had come out nonetheless, and if Quinn had to guess, she’d bet that he’d been able to get away with it every time. No wonder Jocelyn had been so traumatized, but there was more to the story. Quinn would have to wait to find out the rest.
She thanked the driver and hurried toward the entrance of the hospital, where the night porter demanded to know what she was doing there at such an ungodly hour. Visiting hours would not start for a while yet. Quinn explained, and he waved her through. She took the lift to the appropriate floor and approached the nurses’ station.
“I’m here to see Gabriel Russell,” Quinn said. “Dr. Chan said I’d be allowed to visit with him.”
A middle-aged woman with spiky red hair smiled kindly at her. “He was just brought up half an hour ago. He’s asleep, but you can sit with him. He’ll be happy to see a familiar face when he wakes up.”
“How is he?” Quinn asked.
The woman must have seen the anxiety in her eyes because she rushed to reassure her. “The surgery went well, and he’s stable. Don’t you worry, love.”
Quinn thanked the nurse and walked along the corridor until she found the right room. Gabe had been assigned a double-occupancy room,