O Night Divine A Holiday Collection of Spirited Christmas Tales - Kathryn Le Veque Page 0,137

lying on the deck shielded by his body.

“What’s wrong?” she begged desperately as people eyed the lunatic yelling at them.

He struggled to rise. “I must hurry to tell your father to steer away from the bridge with all possible haste.”

“But…”

She stared at him when a series of muffled thuds filled the silence. The brass band stopped playing. The cheering ceased. Dread knotted her innards when she saw the shock on Parker’s pale face as he struggled to his feet.

She stood to see what had caused his anguish. Metal groaned and whined as the bridge swayed. The engine screeched to a halt and began to slowly chug backwards. She stood transfixed, gaping in disbelief as the bridge collapsed. The train broke apart like a child’s toy. Terror constricted her throat as tons of metal crashed into the river. The train disappeared in the wall of white water that exploded as the Severn swallowed everything.

She blinked, certain she couldn’t possibly be witnessing such an unthinkable disaster. “Brock,” she choked, burying her head against Parker’s chest.

Parker didn’t have time to worry about the fact Samantha had called out the name of a man he’d assumed she no longer loved. If Hindley didn’t get the ferry boat away from the disaster, they’d be swamped by a tidal wave.

“Brace yourselves,” a frantic voice yelled over the loud-hailer.

People screamed or moaned. Some held on to each other as the ferry veered sharply, others were tossed to the deck. The side-wheels churned up foam, timbers wailed in protest, but eventually the boat headed back towards her dock beneath the cliffs, safe from the wave rushing upriver.

Trembling with fury, cursing the deep ache in his leg, Parker leaned back against the railing around the tall funnel, his arms clamped around Samantha. “Your father just saved our lives,” he rasped.

Whimpering, she clung to him, clearly in shock.

Samantha’s white-faced mother and sister staggered towards them. He opened his arms to gather them in, relieved they’d survived unscathed. But none of them would be able to wipe away the memory of the horrific catastrophe they’d witnessed. He still could hardly believe what he’d seen.

“Everyone said the bridge would collapse in the wind,” Mrs. Hindley murmured.

Parker shook his head. “Did you not hear the explosions that weakened the structure?”

He swallowed hard when Samantha raised her tear-stained face to look at him. “You’re just saying that to defend your uncle,” she accused.

He clenched his jaw at her hurtful words. “This evil was the work of human hands,” he insisted, convinced he knew just who was behind the diabolical deed.

“Hell and damnation,” Darren swore again as he joined the stampede desperately fleeing the swaying grandstand. He kicked aside an abandoned hat, furious he hadn’t paid heed to his misgivings about the stupid Welshmen.

Now, there was no possibility of the Brotherhood claiming responsibility. Destruction of property was intimidating and designed to make people think perhaps the Irish were serious about their struggle for independence. A terrifying mass murder would harden hearts and result in an intense investigation by the police. He had nothing to worry about as far as the local coppers were concerned. He doubted Aust even had a police force. But if detectives came from Scotland Yard…

He jammed his top hat back on his head, elbowing weeping women and spluttering men out of his way. The sooner he got back to New York, the better, though his ship didn’t sail for another three weeks—more than enough time to get rid of his incompetent henchmen. They were so hungry for the money, they’d seek him out quickly enough.

Chapter Eleven

Aftermath

Shaking uncontrollably, Samantha stayed cocooned in the security of Parker’s cloak until the ferry docked in Aust. Despite her father’s exhortations for the passengers not to swarm the gangway, the boat tipped alarmingly. Parker and the Hindleys remained on board as the crew ushered everyone off. Samantha heard feet shuffle, then sighs of relief and muted sobbing when people found themselves safely ashore. No one spoke. She was sure everyone had been struck dumb, as she had.

Except, she’d uttered hurtful words to the man who’d protected her with his own body. She gathered her courage and looked up at him. “I’m sorry,” she said hoarsely, grateful her voice still worked. “I don’t know why…”

He put a finger to her lips. “Hush. We’re all in shock, but you actually knew someone aboard the train. It’s natural to want to blame somebody.”

Resisting the compulsion to suck his finger into her mouth, she blinked back tears. “I can’t imagine