Chapter 11

“I can do this,” Jack said after consideration. Wait until Running Bull learned of this new change in plans. “But I will need to stop in New York first. I have tribe business there.”

“Excellent! I have friends in New York that can help you once you are there,” Ben said with a clap of his hands. “We will study maps and plan your route. You know the forest well, I am sure.”

Jack already knew the way to New York, having been there several times. His agreement was as much for his need to repay a debt as for its assurance that he spent more time with Nora.

“I will warn you, my boy,” Ben said, rolling maps out on one of his workbenches. “Nora will take a great deal of patience on your part.”

“That is not typically a virtue I can claim.”

“I didn’t think so,” Ben said with a chuckle. “But you will learn, and it will become your strength. You have many strengths, Jack. You are strong, fast, and smart. You have de-termination, a thirst for knowledge, and, dare I say, justice. In fact, that is perfect. From this night forward, I christen thee Jack Justice!”

Jack turned slowly to Ben and arched a brow. “What in the devil’s name are you carrying on about, old man?”

“A surname!” Ben seemed quite proud of himself. “Everybody needs one and sooner or later, people will question you about yours. You will need one to travel into civilization. ‘Justice’ fits you perfectly. And it has the added benefit of being a virtue, to my mind anyway. Do you like it?”

Jack merely shrugged and turned back to the window, rolling the name around in his head. He wouldn’t admit it, but he did like the sound of it. He had hardly given a passing thought to having a surname growing up. The Indians didn’t have them, and it made no difference to him. All his dealings with the white men so far had been by using his Indian name, but Ben was correct. If he were going to travel in the white man’s world, a surname could help, and the one just given to him was not all that repulsive.

“I suppose that name will do as well as any other,” Jack said. “You should know, I have no money or resources for this journey.”

“You have fighting skills. You don’t need anything else. You are only required to deliver Nora safely to Boston, and I will ensure that you have everything you need to do so.”

The door swung open and Nora entered, carrying a tray with cups and a kettle. On instinct, Jack held the door for her. She smiled in appreciation and set the tray down on the workbench. Jack averted his eyes. When she looked at him, he felt a strange flutter in his stomach that he couldn’t define. If he wasn’t hungry, why should his stomach do anything at all?

“Oh, Eleanor, you are a dear,” Ben smiled and reached for the pot. “Have you tried coffee, Jack? We boycott tea here.”

“Yes, I have.” Jack accepted the cup from Ben and sipped as he watched Nora move about the room, tidying up here and there. Ben didn’t seem to mind. She stopped at the workbench and looked down at the maps there, frowning. Jack continued to watch.

He had mostly avoided her over the last two days and couldn’t very well continue to do so. If he was tasked with pro-tecting her, he needed to be in her vicinity, but he didn’t feel ready yet. Perhaps if he thought of her as a job instead of a woman, he would grow accustomed to her more easily.

“You have joined us at an exciting point of conversation, Nora,” Ben announced. “We have just christened your young savior here with a new name.”

“He is no longer named Jack?” Nora smiled at Ben and then turned to Jack. He lost a bit of breath when the smile re-mained on him, soft and genuine. “And what are we to call you now?”

Jack found himself at a loss for language and gestured to Ben.

“I have given him the surname of Justice,” Ben said proudly. “I think it suits him.”

“Yes,” Nora murmured, looking back at Jack specula-tively. “I believe it might.”

Who was this intriguing creature? He wanted to know her but did not want to become entangled with her. Could he do that? Could he accept this strange job and keep his distance? He would have to. He could guard himself from her while he guard-ed her against this Lord Rogan. Jack was a gruff person by nature and certainly not what any woman would consider to be charming. He was not landed, nor did he have a single coin to his name, and his horse didn’t belong to him either. There were more appealing marriage prospects than he, and it suited him just fine. Still, he felt like he knew her and yet, he didn’t know anything about her at all. She had been with him his entire life in sleep. Was it even possible that she could live up to who he had built her up to be?

“We have been discussing plans, my dear,” Ben continued, gesturing to the maps.

“Plans?”

“Traveling plans.”

“Are you going somewhere?” Nora turned to Jack.

“Mr. Justice here has agreed to escort you to Boston. I will feel ever so much better knowing someone with his skills will be protecting you. You can stop in Philadelphia at Sally’s and travel on to New York, where Mr. Justice has tribe business to attend to. We have many contacts there, so you would also be able to purchase more supplies if need be.”

Nora and Ben exchanged a look and Jack wondered if this was something they had agreed on, or possibly disagreed on.

“I am most appreciative, sir,” Nora murmured, turning her attention back to the maps. “I would prefer to be included in the discussion. Are you familiar with the route to Boston, sir?”

“Yes. I’m familiar with the forest and have an excellent sense of direction. I’m sure after studying the maps, I will be able to lead you there just fine with minimal to no human con-tact along the way.”

“It would seem to me, Mr. Justice,” she replied, and Jack smirked at her formal use of his new surname, “that a public place is the best one to hide in. Lord Rogan is a great many things, but stupid has never been one of them.” She ran her hand along the names on the map.

“The point, my lady, is to conceal you.”

“He has trackers.”

“Not better than I,” Jack countered confidently. “It will not be an easy trip, especially in winter.”

“This may surprise you, Mr. Justice,” Nora said with a wry grin, “but I am not unaccustomed to sleeping in forests. I have a certain amount of skills, you know.”
She must, Jack figured, if she had gotten him up onto his horse and out of the forest. But how long could she survive on her own with luck alone?

“We could find churches along the way to sleep in at night,” Jack said. “They are usually unlocked. They won’t be warm, but they will protect us from the wind, rain, and snow when needed. We won’t always be able to make a fire, and we will have to hunt for our own food. Anything we can bring from here will only get us through the beginning of the trip.”

“I have fished for my food before,” Nora said, clearly looking amused. Jack didn’t know what to make of her, and Ben seemed to be holding himself out as a neutral party. In the white world, women wouldn’t know such things. But the women of his tribe were quite adept at hunting, fishing, sewing, cooking, and shelter construction. Were he with one of them, he wouldn’t worry in the slightest about taking them north through the wil-derness without the comforts of inns, but a gentlewoman such as Nora? He wasn’t so sure.

“A coastal route could work from New York to Boston,” Nora suggested.

“It would,” Ben agreed. “You know the Lower Post Road well.”

“We could leave a false trail west and head north,” she suggested.

Surprised at the intelligent suggestion, Jack wondered if he had underestimated her. “We could. It is worth discussing,” Jack agreed. He looked over to Ben, who looked proudly and smugly at Nora.

“But I see it is not worth discussing with me,” Nora nod-ded, noting the look that passed between the two men. “You think I cannot understand such matters; strategy is a man’s do-main. I would remind you, Mr. Justice, that I have survived well enough on my own. I have escaped Lord Rogan before. We need to trust each other and work together to get there safely. If we cannot discuss so much as the route we are to take, we are doomed from the start.”

Jack stood there, stunned. Later, he would think of a hundred witty responses, but at that moment, he could think of nothing but her fury and how beautiful she looked when consumed by it. Spinning on her heel, Nora stormed from the work-shop. Behind him, Ben chuckled and returned to his maps.