The Folly (16 page)

Chapter
2
9

Simon stared at the tiny window of his cell, waiting for the sky to lighten.  He wanted to see one last sunrise before he went to his death.  The cell was cold and damp, but right now it seemed like
h
eaven compared to what awaited him in two hours.  Simon could almost feel the rough hemp of the hangman’s noose around his neck
,
and he gulped in some air, grateful that he was still able to breathe.  For the hundredth time he thought of that night on the docks and what he wouldn’t give to be able to go back and redo it. 

The fight
had been
over a spilled tankard of ale
;
nothing more. 
A
lfie
Nooks was drunk and lost his footing, spilling the ale all over Simon.  If Simon had not been drinking himself, he might have recognized the absurdity of the situation, but he
’
d been in his cups
,
and reacted like a mad dog that had been baited.  He dragged the man outside and beat him senseless, leaving him on the wet pavement.  He would have left it at that and gone back to his boarding house
,
when the man roused himself for a final
assault
.  Simon saw red and ran back, stabbing the man in the gut
,
just as several people spilled through the doors of the tavern, witnessing the whole thing. 

What a bloody foo
l
he had been, killing a man over a few spiteful words, but now he would pay the
ultimate
price.  In two hours
,
justice would be meted out
,
and Simon would go to his grave a sinner and a murderer.  He tried to pray for the salvation of his soul, but the words wouldn’t come
,
and he leaned against the rough stone wall watching for the first sign of dawn. 

By the time he heard the key in the lock
,
he was as ready as he’d ever be.  He might as well just get it over with.  The waiting was killing him
, but s
urely it wasn’t eight yet.  It was still dark outside and the prison was relatively quiet, all the inmates still asleep in their filthy cells.  Two men grabbed Simon under the arms and dragged him through the door, nearly hitting his head on the lintel.  He thought he
’
d be executed in
the prison yard, but they dragged him in the other direction, pushing him through the thick, iron
-
studded door and into the street.  He was just about to ask where they were taking him
,
when they shoved him roughly into a carriage and got in after him, warning him to stay
silent
.  Simon
was desperate
for answers
, but anything was better than hanging
, so
he remained quiet, praying that there was some mistake and he would be set free. 

The carriage rattled down the cobblestone street that was beginning to fill with wagons
,
and people going about their business.  He couldn’t see them through the covered w
indows, but he heard the sound of rattling wheels of coal and produce wagons
,
and vendors calling out their wares to passing maidservants and housewives
,
and he welcomed them
;
having never expected to hear them again.  The men didn’t say anything until the carriage came to a stop. 

“Keep quiet and follow us inside.  You will find out everything you need to know in due
course
.”  Simon had no choice but to obey, so he got out of the carriage and followed the men
into
a small inn located on the outskirts of London.  The place looked clean and respectable, still
quiet
at this time of the morning.  The men went up the stairs to the second floor and knocked on the last door in the passage. 

“Come in.”  It was a cultured voice, vaguely familiar. 

“You’re on your own now.  Go inside.”  The men waited until Simon opened the door
,
and turned to leave, their boots loud on the uncarpeted stairs. 

Simon walked into the room, surprised to see Sir Henry and his father.  Silas looked ashen in the early morning light, but Sir Henry was the picture of health and prosperity.

“Sit down, Simon.  I would have a word with you.  You can have a reunion with your father later.”

Simon sat down on a wooden chair, not wanting to soil the bed with his filthy rags.  Whatever this was, it was certainly better than a hanging and he was all ears.

Chapter
30

By the time they finally reached Newcastle
,
Elizabeth was
tired
and achy.  Days of sitting in the rocking coach made her legs feel wobbly
,
and her back was hurting all the time.  She didn’t care where they stayed as long as it had a bed and hot water. 
Jeremy helped her down from the coach and took their valises
,
looking around.  A
round-faced
boy of about
twelve
jumped off a barrel, threw his apple core into the mud of the inn yard and
came up to Jeremy. 

“Are ye here for the Colonel
, sir
?
  Been meeting every coach for the past four days
, I have
.
”
 

“Yes, we are.  How did you know?”  Jeremy asked with a grin.  The boy seemed very proud of himself for identifying them.

“Oh, the Colonel described you right and proper
, sir
.  Said
, “
Harry,
look for a ferocious looking bastard with dark hair and a scowl, accompanied by a beautiful woman.
”
”

“I
’
m glad to hear the Colonel thinks so highly of me, especially when it comes to my taste in women,” said Jeremy
,
laughing as he helped
Elizabeth
into the Colonel’s coach.  “Is it far to the house?  My wife is tired.”

“No,
s
ir.  No more than a half hour.  I’ll have ye there in no time.  The Colonel will be pleased as punch to see ye at last.”   The boy jumped up on the box and they were on their way
once again
.

Elizabeth was looking forward to meeting Colonel Brand.  He had been Jeremy’s
commanding
officer at one time
,
and remained a good friend.  The Colonel was a widower
,
and owned a large estate just north of Newcastl
e where he currently lived alone.  Jeremy explained to
Elizabeth
that he would work out the next step after speaking with the Colonel.  He was confident of his support and friendship. 

“How did the Colonel know we were coming?” 
Elizabeth
asked
,
as they drove past harvested fields
filled
with haystacks
, golden in the slanting light of the autumn afternoon
.  The leaves were just beginning to turn yellow and
crimson
despite it being only the beginning of October
,
and Elizabeth thought that the winter would be much colder here than it was back in Essex. 

“I sent him a letter from London giving him the approximate date of our departure.  He sent the boy to the coach stop for a few days in a row hoping we would turn up eventually.”

“That was kind of him.  Jeremy, what did you tell him?  About us, I mean.”

“I didn’t tell him anything yet.  I just informed him that I would be paying him a visit with my wife
,
and that I would explain everything upon seeing him
in person
.  The Colonel is very good at keeping secrets, so don’t worry.”

“I was just worried what he would think of me once he discovered the truth.  A married woman who runs away with her husband’s son while carrying his child
,
is not exactly viewed as a paragon of virtue by society.”

“Don’t concern yourself.  The Colonel has been known to do some crazy things for love.  He
’
ll understand.
  He married his wife after seducing her
,
then killing her husband in a duel.  He is not exactly a paragon of virtue himself, which makes him
an
ideal friend.”

“What happened to his wife?”
asked Elizabeth, shocked.

“She died of consumption a few years ago
,
and their daughter died in infancy.  The Colonel has paid for his sins, I
’
m afraid.  Look, that’s the house up there on the hill.”

Elizabeth looked out the window.  The narrow dirt road wou
n
d its way
through
the thick foliage of the incline and ended at the high,
arched gate of the manor house.
  The Colonel’s house looked very imposing, overlooking
a
valley
dotted with farmhouses
from its perch at the top of the hill. 
Elizabeth
could see children running around
,
and hear dogs barking
,
as the inhabitants of the village went about their business.  The manor
house
looked more like a fortress than a
residence
, complete with a high stone wall and four truncated towers, stark against the
autumn
sky. 

“I believe the village belongs to the Colonel.  His estate is very large, acres and acres of farmland and forest.  There must be good hunting here.”
  Jeremy looked pleased at the prospect of hunting
,
and
Elizabeth
began to relax.  He seemed in good spirits, which
was
reassuring. 
The carriage slowed down as it ascended the hill and
eventually
neared the gates, which were now open to admit them.  There was a groom ready to see to the horses and carriage
,
and an elderly
butler
emerging through the massive front door to welcome them. 

“Good day to you,
s
ir,
m
a’am
.  I am
Bates
,
and I will see that your
luggage
is deposited in your rooms.  The Colonel is expecting you.  Please, allow me to show you the way.” 
Bates
led them to a pleasant drawing room where the Colonel was waiting to receive them.   He came forward and gave Jeremy a warm hug, slapping him on the back. 

“Jeremy, good to see
you
, old man.  Poor Harry has been waiting for you for several days now
,
under strict orders to collect you as soon as you came.  And this must your lovely wife.  At your
service
, Madam
e
.  I hope your journey was not too
arduous
.  May I offer you some refreshment?”

“Yes, that would lovely,” Elizabeth answered as she studied the Colonel discreetly.  He wasn’t as tall as Jeremy, but solidly built, barrel
-
chested and stocky.  His dark hair was liberally streaked with gr
a
y
,
and his steel
-
gr
a
y eyes seemed to miss very little
,
as he took in their odd appearance and obvious fatigue. 

“You must be tired.  I
’
ll instruct
Bates
to have your rooms prepared while we talk
,
and then I am sure you would like to rest
and freshen up
.
   The house and staff are at your disposal
,
and you must not
hesitate
to ask for anything you need.” 

Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to take a hot bath and lie down for a while.  A pretty, young maid came in bringing a tea tray laden with cakes and
cucumber
sandwiches
.  T
he Colonel asked
Elizabeth
to pour
out
.  She was too tired to make polite
conversation, but she held her own while they drank their tea, excusing herself shortly after.  The same
maid
led her upstairs and showed
Elizabeth
to her room, which was decorated in shades of
cream
and
gold
and was spacious and comfortable. 

Elizabeth
looked with longing at the four
-
poster bed, but asked Kitty to draw
her
a bath and hang up her clothes
,
which were wrinkled from being in the valise for so long. 
Elizabeth had one clean gown left
,
and would wear that while the rest of her clothes were cleaned.  She would need to order some new things in time, but right now that wasn
’
t a priority. 
Elizabeth l
owered herself into the
steaming
water
,
and closed her eyes in bliss.  She wondered how Jeremy was getting on with the Colonel.  She left the two men to talk
.  N
o doubt they had gotten to the crux of the matter by now. 

Elizabeth
dried her hair with a towel and pulled on her nightdress.  She would just take a little nap before
dinner
.  She climbed into the large bed, enjoying the clean smell of the linen sheets
,
and the softness of the feather mattress. 
A
floating
sensation overtook her,
as her body began to relax
,
and her mind let go of its anxiety and flew to the land of dreams.