THE CRY FOR FREEDOM (Winds of Betrayal) Read Online Free PDF Page B

her incredulously. “I will be gone for a month maybe more before I come back. In that I find it hard—”
    “Father said that it will be for the best…”
    The words she uttered, he himself had heard from her father, almost word for word. He relented, even though it went against his grain, but had she not already gone against her father by marrying him? Could he not give into her upon this issue? When he returned from his assignment were they not going to live in Williamsburg? Had she not promised?
    * * * *
    Jonathan discovered his father-in-law to be a true politician. Gannon forgave his favorite daughter her lapse in eloping with Jonathan, and threw the couple a large celebration to announce their marriage the night before Jonathan set to depart back to Williamsburg.
    Jonathan had only for a moment left his bride’s side. He gazed over at her from the corner of the ballroom Catherine glowed from the attention surrounding her, looking breathtakingly beautiful in a flowing sapphire gown. Her eyes sparkled. Christ! He had no desire to leave her, but he had to return home.
    Morse had requested to meet with Jonathan for a few moments this night. Jonathan reluctantly turned from the scene and walked down the foyer to the door of Gannon’s business study. He knocked lightly before he entered.
    Shutting the door behind him, Morse stood. He walked behind Jonathan and turned the key, locking the door.
    “How are you doing? I haven’t seen you since the funeral,” Jonathan asked Morse in a low voice.
    “It hasn’t been easy,” he said simply. “Rebekah has had the hardest of time. She was close to her mother. Upset also because I’m sending the children down to Priscilla’s parents in Charles Town. She doesn’t understand the reason why. I can’t do the job now before me and worry about my children.”
    “She will, Rodger,” Jonathan answered. “Give her time.” He clasped Morse’s back and walked toward the others, scanning the candlelit room; greeted by familiar faces, most of hardened Patriot supporters-men willingly placing their lives in danger for their belief in a cause.
    Gannon sat behind his mahogany desk, much as he had when Jonathan had met with him. Sitting in the chair to his left side, a tiny-boned man with a pointed chin, Dr. Benjamin Jenkins, Jonathan’s mentor.  He gave Jonathan a wide smile. A mild mannered man, Dr. Jenkins had always shown a fondness for Jonathan. Dr. Jenkins had been the first to suggest that Jonathan had the skills needed to become a great physician.
    To the right, a pudgy face man with a glass of wine in his hand, Lyle Fleming, a prominent Philadelphia business man. He nodded politely to Jonathan.
    “I don’t mean to press so, but time is short this night and we have much to discuss in a short time. We don’t want to be gone too long from the party,” Fleming said. “Gannon’s right, we have to react. With secrecy of the utmost importance—all our lives depend on trust and the ability to communicate without fear of detection would be invaluable.”
    Gannon gestured for Jonathan to have a seat. The desk was littered with papers.  The candlelight reflected off the sheets spread across the top. The pages were filled with pictures, diagrams. The instrument had the look of a printer’s instrument.
    “Do you believe this could be functional, Rodger? It seems complicated, cumbersome. Will it help?” Dr. Jenkins asked.
    “Delibes believes so. I am not so confident, but it does require our attention. Delibes wants John to look over it. Lanson wants the machine and drawings to go separate. I have arranged to rendezvous with Delibes to retrieve the said device. Jonathan can take the letters. You have no problem doing so?” Rodger answered. His eyes glanced up from the papers.
    “I’m set to leave in the morning with Gabriel,” Jonathan responded.
    Rodger nodded his approval. “I will meet up with Delibes and deliver the device to Lanson. He will see to it that it’s