Whisper To Me of Love by Shirlee Busbee Page A

might even be able to buy a farm, like you wanted.”
    Jacko and Ben both looked up at her words, and for the first time in many a day, there was a sudden gleam of hope in Jacko’s blue eyes. “By God! Why didn’t I think of that! We could leave all of this behind us ... even take on different names and start a new life entirely.”
    Ben appeared as excited by the prospect as Jacko, but a bit more cautious than his older brother. “Getting passage without the dimber-damber finding out about it will be damned tricky.”
    â€œAnd we’d have to leave behind all of Mother’s things—the instant we tried to move anything from here, he would know,” Pip added with a frown.
    â€œI don’t think that Mum would want us to risk our lives merely to keep her treasures,” Jacko said. “There are a few of her trinkets that we could put in our pockets, but we would have to leave with just the clothes on our backs—and with what gold we have hidden in our shoes.”
    All three nodded solemnly, each one aware that without further discussion, a decision had been made. Her face alight with enthusiasm, Pip leaned forward eagerly. “How soon can we leave?”
    Running his hand over the stubble on his chin, Jacko said slowly, “First we’ll have to find out when the next ship is leaving ... and then somehow we’ll have to secure passage without the dimber-damber discovering what we are about. It’ll be risky... .” He cast a questioning look at the other two. “If we fail ... we’ll be done for; you know that—the dimber-damber will make certain we die or go to Newgate.”
    â€œWe know,” Pip said firmly, “but I’d rather try to escape from him than to remain here at his mercy.”
    Jacko gave her a keen glance. A dangerous note in his voice, he asked, “He hasn’t tried anything with you, has he?” Before Pip could answer, he reached across the battered table and touched her gently on the hand. “I’d kill him, Pip, before I’d let him make you work in his stable.”
    â€œAye,” Ben chimed in grimly. “We’ve been anxious about you since Mum died, but you don’t have to worry that he’ll get his filthy paws on you—me and Jacko will take care of him if he dares try to put you on the street.”
    Her voice thick with emotion, Pip said hesitantly, “I didn’t know if you were ...”
    â€œAware of his plans for you?” Jacko inserted grimly. “Darling, just because you dress and act like a boy doesn’t mean that Ben or I have ever forgotten that you are our little sister.”
    â€œMum explained it to us a long time ago,” Ben chimed in softly. “And while you might have thought you were turned loose on the streets by yourself, we always kept an eye on you.”
    â€œAye! And we’ll not ever allow the dimber-damber to hurt you in any way—we’d kill him first and take our chances on riding the three-legged mare,” Jacko finished harshly.
    Jacko’s reference to hanging made Pip shiver with fear for them, even as a wash of relief sped through her. Just knowing they were there, knowing that she was no longer alone with her fears, gave her a sense of comfort. Feeling the unaccustomed sting of tears in her eyes, she sent her two brothers a tremulous smile. Her heart full of love for them, she tried to interject a lighter note. “Well, you see, that settles it! We have to go to America now—I can’t have you two risking your lives for me!”
    They all three smiled at one another, the bond between them very strong, and almost as one, three pairs of hands met in the middle of that scarred table and clasped one another tightly. “We’ll find a way out of this dilemma somehow,” Jacko swore.
    Pip shot him a cheeky grin. “Bloody right we will! But until then, I guess we had better content ourselves