Page 99 of In the Heat of the Jungle

“As soon as the missionary arrives, I can’t call you ‘Miss Webster’ anymore. You’ll be Mrs. Jace Elliott.”

“Laura Leigh Elliott… That sounds nice.”

“It certainly does.”

“What about a license? We can’t get married without it.”

“I got one in Mombasa. We’ll tell the preacher your parents are dead, so you’re signing permission for yourself, which is true. We won’t mention you have a legal guardian to consult.”

Leigh recalled what Jace had said about Chad’s power and control. “If Chad causes trouble, will the marriage be legal?” she fretted.

“We’ll tell the authorities we couldn’t get your guardian’s permission because he and I are enemies and because he wanted you for himself. We’ll explain the dangers you experienced. Of course it’ll be our word against his: a wanted man and a love-smitten girl against a well-respected and charming businessman. We’ll need to prove he was a threat to you or we’ll be in trouble.” Jace grinned. “On the other hand, I haven’t been charged, tried, or convicted yet; so you won’t be marrying a proven criminal. Besides, it’ll be too late for him to protest and change matters. We’ll have been married five weeks or more by the time we reach London. What lawman would part such a loving couple? And we do have a powerful ally in Lord Salisbury … See, here’s the license,” he said, pulling it from a drawer.

Leigh looked at the paper. It was dated in April, and was good for one year. “You got this before the safari.”

Jace sent her a broad grin. “I told you I was going to convince you to marry me. I wanted to be prepared when you said yes. I didn’t want to give you time to change your mind. I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull it off while Chad had control of you, but I figured I’d think of something clever.” They shared laughter.

As she watched him put the license in his desk, she teased, “And you did. You’re a wonderful sneak, Jace.” Then noticing some other items in the drawer, she asked, “Who is that?”

Jace lifted a handful of pictures. “My father and stepmother right after they married in ‘79. This is me and Joanna. She was a pretty little girl. And I was a handsome youth, don’t you think? I really do like that camera invention. I don’t know how it works, but I’m glad it does. I have yours from the safari, so we’ll have our first pictures of us together. Remember the one by the termite hill?”

“Yes, I do.” Leigh pulled two pictures from the stack. She studied the lovely woman in them. “Who is she? An old sweetheart?”

Jace glanced at the two she was holding. “That’s Joanna, a year or so back. She became quite a beautiful woman. She sent me those to prove she’s alive and well. If only I could locate—”

Abena summoned Jace to speak with a visitor. He told Leigh to stay hidden in his bedroom in case it was a hireling of Chad’s or Reid’s. Leigh paced the room until her love’s return.

“You won’t believe this, but that was a cable from one of the detectives I hired to locate Joanna. It’s like talking about her made her surface. You must be my good-luck charm. He found her.”

“That’s wonderful, Jace.” Leigh giggled as he lifted her, swung her around, and kissed her. The moment her feet touched the floor, she asked, “Where is she? What did she say? Does she know anything about those crimes? Will she come forward and help us?”

“Slow down, love. I’ll tell you everything. She’s Joanna Marlowe now, Frank Marlowe’s wife. They live on a ranch near Denver. As ordered, my man didn’t approach her or question her.”

“Is he certain it’s her? What if he’s mistaken?”

“He isn’t. He had an old picture of her. Besides, Joanna can’t be missed even in a crowd. She’s English, a few years older than you are, auburn hair, hazel eyes, about your height and size. She’s lived there with her husband since the winter of ‘94. The timing is perfect. She has a scar here,” Jace said, motioning to an area below Leigh’s left cheekbone. “Just like the woman in Denver. He traced her from place to place and name to name. It has to be Joanna. She got that scar from Chad’s ring when he backhanded her one day. That’s what started the fight when I nearly beat him to death with my bare hands. This is incredible, just what we need. I’m glad she’s safe and sound. I can’t wait to see her.”

“How did she get to America?” Leigh inquired. “To Colorado? Who is the man she married?”

“I don’t know. I wish there were more details in the cable. He’s watching her and awaiting my next orders.”

“At last you know where to find her. I’m so glad, Jace. Will we sail to America first and get Joanna to betray Chad in London? Oh, my goodness! Aunt Jenna. I have to cable her before Chad tells her I’m dead. She’d be devastated by that news.”

“We’ll cable your aunt, Lord Salisbury, and Joanna when we reach Mombasa. It would take us months to get to Denver and more time to reach London. If Joanna is ready and willing to save me and help me, she’ll respond to a cable. If her distress is so bad that she can’t, I could never force her to testify. Do you understand, Leigh?”

She caressed his cheek. “Yes, my love.”

“We’ll take Reid’s message, the statements from those men who attacked you at the fort, and all we’ve put together. It’s a start. I don’t know if it’s enough, but it makes our trip worth the risk.”

“You have their statements?”

“I’m to pick them up on my return. I asked Jim Hanes to make out one about his dealings with Chad. If he decided to comply, Alfred should have it. That would make our case against Chad stronger. I was planning to send everything to Lord Salisbury and let him handle both matters until November. But now, I think it’s best if we go and give our testimonies. With that evidence, if anything goes badly for me, Salisbury can protect you from Chad and the others.”

“Don’t even think such horrible thoughts, Jace.”

“I must, love, because none of this evidence helps the case against me. If Joanna doesn’t come forward …”

Jace pulled Leigh into his arms. He hugged her tightly and kissed her. Going to London was a big risk for both of them.

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