Sweet Release (50 page)

“They don’t believe him!” she whispered in alarm to Lucy.

“Oh, Cassie, you poor dear!”

The next hour passed in a blur. Master Ludwell called his remaining witness, Murphy, the indentured servant who had traveled to Blakewell’s Neck so long ago. Murphy repeated the story he’d told Cassie and the sheriff the previous summer about believing Cole Braden dead, only to find he’d come alive the next morning. Master Drysdale confused the poor old man and made him look a fool.

“Explain to the court why we should take a convicted felon at his word?” he’d asked at long last.

“I’m tellin’ the truth, I am!” Murphy insisted as the gallery howled with laughter.

“You may step down now,” Master Drysdale said with a dismissive flick of the wrist.

“I’m sorry, sir. I tried,” Murphy said, looking up at Alec and shrugging his shoulders apologetically before being led away. “Do you have any more witnesses, Master Ludwell, perhaps someone who isn’t a felon?” the governor asked, chuckling at his own wit.

“No, Your Honor. I am ready to address the jury.”

“Let me testify!”

A hushed silence fell over the courtroom, and Cassie felt all eyes upon her where she stood. “Please, Your Honor, I must speak!”

“Cassie, no!” shouted Alec “You mustn’t—”

“I say let her speak,” said Master Drysdale, his voice unctuous. “If Miss Blakewell can shed light on this situation, she should be heard.”

“Master Ludwell?” The governor eyed the young counselor, who was exchanging furious whispers with Alec.

“I agree with our esteemed attorney general,” Master Ludwell said, ignoring the anger in Alec’s gaze. “Let Miss Blakewell testify.”

Cassie’s legs trembled. Slowly, unsteadily, she walked to the bench and took her place in the witness box. Gazing out at the courtroom, she was astonished to see so many unforgiving faces. She glanced in Alec’s direction, saw the hard lines of fury on his face, and looked away.

“Place your hand on the Bible,” the court crier instructed. “Miss Blakewell, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

“I do.”

“Miss Blakewell,” Master Ludwell began, “why do you wish to testify today?”

“I want everyone to hear what kind of man Alec Kenleigh truly is.” Cassie was surprised to hear strength in her voice. She was surprised she could speak at all. “You all think he’s lying, but I know he’s telling the truth.”

Cassie couldn’t help looking at Alec. Though she could tell he was angry with her, she saw nothing but concern in his eyes. “Go ahead, Miss Blakewell. We’re listening.”

“When he first regained consciousness, Mr. Kenleigh demanded to know where he was. When I told him he was in Lancaster County, Virginia, he looked like a man who’d gotten the shock of his life. He fainted dead away. I thought it strange at the time, but then he’d been so feverish.

“When he regained his strength, he told me the same story he told all of you here today. I didn’t believe him either, but I let him write a letter in exchange for his promise not to attempt escape. It seemed the right thing to do.”

“And did Master Kenleigh keep his word?” Master Ludwell’s sympathetic eyes bolstered Cassie’s confidence.

“Aye, he did. He had many chances to escape. He’d told me he bred racehorses in England, so I put him in charge of my father’s stables. It was a test—to see if he truly understood how to work with horses. Even though he exercised the horses each day, riding alone for hours at a time, he always came back.”

“You didn’t keep him in chains or under guard? Why not?”

“My father does not believe in chaining people as if they were animals, Master Ludwell. Neither do I. But I did have one of the slaves guard Mr. Kenleigh until I came to trust him.”

“Why did you decide to trust him?”

“It was obvious after a time that he was a man of honor. He worked as hard as any man I’ve ever known, harder than most. The other bondsmen and slaves looked to him for guidance. I found myself relying on his good judgment. Even the children adored him.”

“I see,” said Master Ludwell.

“But there’s more. He caught my little brother when he fell into our well and saved his life. Once while riding in the marsh, I hit my head on a branch and fell unconscious into the water. He could have left me to drown. He could have escaped. He didn’t. He saved my life. And when we ran out of quinquina and so many were still sick, he rode without my knowledge to Corotoman, risking his own life, and traded with Master Carter for more powder. When our bondswoman Rebecca needed a man’s strength to help in the birth of her baby, he did what was asked without protest. Besides, why would he continue to protest his innocence if it weren’t true?”

“I have seen guilty men insist on their innocence all the way to the gallows, Miss Blakewell,” the governor muttered.

“Then perhaps you have seen innocent men hanged, Your Honor.”

Repressed laughter snaked through the crowd.

“And all of this convinced you he was telling the truth?” Cassie looked up at the faces in the gallery. The men’s faces were still hard as they leered at her. But the women… The women were beginning to understand. Cassie could see it in on their faces, in their eyes, which had softened and now looked at her not with scorn, but with compassion.

“Aye, and besides …” Cassie took a deep breath and looked over at Alec, her gaze locking with his. “I could not have given myself to a man who would willingly harm another.”

Alec looked into the green of Cassie’s eyes, the explosive din of the courtroom as quiet as the whisper of grass to his ears. He wondered if he’d ever had as much faith in anyone as she’d just shown she had in him. Dear God, how he loved her. She had put herself in mortal danger because she thought somehow her feelings for him could convince the jury. But the jury was already convinced. They believed him guilty and would see him hanged.

Oh, Cassie, what have you done?

“Silence! Silence, I say!” the governor thundered.

Master Drysdale approached the witness box. Alec could tell by his predatory expression that he thought to amuse himself with Cassie. Alec felt heat build in his chest, felt his body tense.

“Miss Blakewell, we are all quite moved by your testimony. Aren’t we?” Master Drysdale turned to the gallery and arched his eyebrows, drawing laughter from the men. “I know that I’m touched. I’m not sure a woman’s desire has ever been used as a defense before. ‘Don’t hang him, Your Honor. I know he’s innocent because I’ve lain with him.’” Master Drysdale’s imitation of a woman’s voice drew even more laughter.

Alec saw anger on Cassie’s face and smiled. He’d seen that look before.

“I had no idea you were wont to imitate women, Master Drysdale. Do you also at times wear women’s clothing?”

The gallery erupted in jocular laughter, and Alec found himself chuckling. Only Drysdale and the magistrates were not amused.

“Miss Blakewell, in truth, you have offered no proof Nicholas Braden is anyone other than Nicholas Braden.”

“On the contrary, Master Drysdale, I consider it proof that he did not attempt to escape, although he had any number of chances to do so.”

“Ah, yes. There is the matter of Cole Braden’s noble behavior. You say he was a man of honor, yet he has admitted to stealing your virtue. Did it occur to you, Miss Blakewell, that this upstanding behavior might have been an act?

“No, sir, it did not.”

“Did you not realize everything Cole Braden did was a ruse to win your trust—and your maidenhead?”

Alec saw pink creep into Cassie’s cheeks and felt his anger begin to build again.

“No, sir—”

“Did it not occur to you that all of his kisses and words of passion were nothing more than a carefully planned tactic to help him win his freedom?”

“No!”

“He used you, Miss Blakewell. You, a young woman with no male protection. He used you, enjoying himself all the while—”

“No!” Cassie sprang to her feet, then swayed.

Alec saw the color drain from her face. Shoving aside the guards, he leaped over the barrier and caught her as she sank to the floor in a faint.

“Cassie!”

Her face was pale, her body limp.

“Damn you, Drysdale! If you have harmed her or the babe …”

Alec glared at the man, who held a hand to his mouth in surprise.

“Is there a physician or midwife in the house?”

“I am a doctor,” an elderly man called from the back of the room.

Robert Carter stood, dabbing a handkerchief to his graying temple.

“Your Honor,” he said, “perhaps a recess is in order.”

Chapter Thirty-three

“Cassie, can you hear me?”

It was Alec’s voice. He sounded worried. There was no reason to worry. She was just sleeping. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d last felt so warm or so happy. Alec was with her, holding her. If only she could stay asleep forever.

“Perhaps some smelling salts ...”

“Stay away from her, Drysdale. You’ve done quite enough.”

Drysdale. He was the attorney general. He wanted Alec to hang.

Dear Lord, the trial!

What had happened?

Cassie struggled to awaken. Her eyelids felt so heavy.

“I think she’s coming to.” It was Lucy.

“Cassie, can you hear me?”

“Alec? What... ?” She opened her eyes to find several faces looming above her—Master Carter, Lucy, Master Ludwell, the governor, Master Drysdale, and Alec.

Dear, sweet Alec.

“Shh! Easy, love. You mustn’t sit up just yet. Rest.”

“What happened? Are you free?”

“No, love.” Alec gave her a sad smile. “You fainted. The doctor thinks you stood up too fast and were too upset. You need to rest. Are you in pain?”

“N-no.” She struggled to remember. She’d been on the stand. She’d testified that she believed him, and . . . It all came back to her. Tears began to prick her eyes. “Oh, Alec. They won’t listen.”

“Shh, my sweet. You were very brave. I’ve known men who wouldn’t have had the courage to do what you did.”

She felt tears spill down her cheeks.

“Do you think perhaps you could leave us alone for a moment?”

Alec asked.

“Absolutely not!”

“Of course.”

Master Drysdale and Master Carter spoke at the same time, exchanging heated glances.

“It’s highly irregular, but. . .” said Governor Gooch. “There’s no way for you to escape from this room as long as guards are posted outside the door.”

She heard the scuffle of feet, then looked into Alec’s eyes.

“You did a very risky thing, Cassie.” His blue eyes were gentle. His fingertips stroked her cheek. “You put yourself and our baby in danger.”

“But I had to save you.”

“I’m not sure anyone can do that now.”

“Wh…what do you mean?” Her pulse began to race.

“Listen, Cassie. You must hear me. When we go back into that courtroom, the jury is likely to find me guilty.”

She shook her head frantically as the sickening truth beat down on her.

“Aye, my love, and you must face it. This may be our last time together.”

“No!” The single word was a wail. How could she face life without him? How could she simply sit by and allow him to be executed like a common criminal? How could she let him go? Tears poured down her cheeks.

He pulled her into his arms and held her close. “I am so sorry to leave you this way. Oh, Cassie, will you ever find it in your heart to forgive me? I knew if I let myself love you, I would bring you nothing but pain. Still, I couldn’t stop myself.”

Her tears soaked the blue velvet of his waistcoat, her face against his chest, his scent surrounding her like a blanket.

“Hear me, love, while there’s still time. Robert Carter has agreed to act as your guardian and to oversee the care of Blakewell’s Neck. He has already sent a messenger with a letter and a copy of my new will to my brother-in-law at his estate outside London—”

“No, Alec, please!”

“Cassie, listen! Matthew will be able to prove I was telling the truth. You and the babe will want for nothing; I promise you that. Jamie shall go to the finest English schools, and my sister Elizabeth will love you all as her own. You will never be alone.”

Cassie felt as if her heart were shattering into pieces. It couldn’t end like this. “You must escape! Run! When the guards open the door, overpower them and run!”

“And give them an excuse to shoot me in the back?’” He smiled and gently wiped the tears from her cheek. “I suppose that would be preferable to being hanged. No, love. It’s too late for that.” Someone knocked on the door. “One minute!” called the guard.

“No! Alec, you can’t let them do this!” She wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself against his warmth.

“Be strong, love. Trust me.”

Cassie felt his lips on her forehead and cheeks.