The Folly (19 page)

Jeremy
was now in possession of
certain facts, but he needed a
n
hypothesis to tie them all together. 
He tried to clear his mind and just let the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. 
Hugh had begun his army career in Cavalry when he was a young man, but asked for a
transfer
to the Light Dragoons
,
whose
main function was intelligence a
nd
reconnaissance
,
shortly after. 
Hugh Brand had risen through the ranks
quickly
due to
the outstanding intelligence he gathered
.  He volunteered to go on countless reconnaissance missions into enemy territory, coming back with valuable information for his superiors
, but he
always insisted on going alone, claiming it was less risky, so there was no one who could vouch for his activities. 

It was believed that there was a double agent in their midst, but he thought it was only a rumor
,
based on the fact that the French seemed to anticipate more than one attack, ready and waiting when they came
.  No one was ever caught or publicly accused. 
However, there had been an incident where a soldier under Brand’s command had been
accused
of selling stolen army guns to the French.  The man had been court-martialed and
hanged
, the evidence having come mostly from the Colonel’s
testimony
.  The man swore that he had been framed
by the Colonel
, but the evidence against him was too damning.  Had he known something and needed to be silenced? 

Now it appeared that Hugh’s connection with Rachel went deeper than just an exchange of sex for money. 
The only logical explanation was that Hugh and Rachel had been working together for some time.  Rachel would engage her clients in pillow talk, drawing out classified information from the sated officers
, then
passing it on to Hugh.  Hugh would then go off on his missions, selling the information to the French
,
and sharing the profits with Rachel.  He learned enough during his forays into occupied territory to provide useful information to his superiors, which enabled him to go back again and again. 

It must have been a very lucrative operation for both of them, until Hugh had been wounded severely enough to be discharged from active service.  So, if Jeremy’s hunch was correct, Hugh was a spy and a traitor, which would also explain
why he suddenly seemed to become a great fan of America.  Just the other day, he was suggesting that the only safe place for Jeremy and Elizabeth would be in America
,
where they could make a fresh start. 

No doubt, the safest thing for Hugh
himself
would be to get rid of Jeremy before he accident
al
ly bumped into Rachel and began to piece things together.  Well, it was too late for that, but not to
o
late for Jeremy to formulate a plan now that he knew what was really going on. 
It would be nice to have some actual proof, but Jeremy had to work with what he had
,
and what he had was enough coincidences to warrant action.

Jeremy needed to assess his options without alarming Elizabeth.  He wouldn
’
t tell her
anything;
just keep the information to himself.  She had enough to worry about.  Hugh Brand might be correct in his assumption that
the United States
would be a good place for them, unfortunately, the winter was almost upon them
,
and the ships would no longer be sailing across the Atlantic due to the storms and squalls that made the passage treacherous
;
not to mention the ongoing war between England and
the
United States that resulted in countless ship
s
being sunk in the Atlantic by both sides
.
 

The war seemed to be winding down, but t
hey would have to wait at least five months until it was safe to cross the ocean
,
by which time Elizabeth would be ready to give birth.  They would have to wait several months until the baby was strong enough to survive an ocean crossing
,
delaying
their departure until the following autumn
.  If staying with Hugh was out of the question, they would have to find a place to live, hire domestics and wait until the time was right for departure
;
leaving them vulnerable and exposed
.  Between the domestic expenses and the passage to America
,
their resources would dwindle considerably, leaving them
very little
to start a new life with. 

**

Jeremy jumped off the wall and started back toward the house.  It was fully light now
,
and the world around him was filled with birdsong and the sound of the wind moving through
the trees, but Jeremy found no peace in the sounds of nature.  He had no idea what to do next. 

Chapter
3
7

Hugh had just gotten out of bed and casually looked out the window
,
when he saw a man coming out of the woods and turning his steps toward the house.  It was hard to see the facial features, but he didn’t need to see the face to know that the man was Jeremy.   Hugh glanced at the clock.  It was barely
8
a
.
m.  Where was he coming from so early in the morning?  Did he meet someone in the woods?  Hugh watched Jeremy for a few minutes trying to judge his demeanor.  He was walking briskly, but Hugh could see the tension in his stride.  He was definitely up to something, but he couldn’t imagine what.  As far as he knew, Jeremy didn
’
t know anyone in these parts, but then again, he
could
be a dark horse.  He never expected him to run off with his father’s wife
either
, yet
here he was. 

When
Hugh
told Rachel about Jeremy’s arrival
,
it was more to rattle her than anything else.  He didn’t really believe that Jeremy knew anything about his activities during the war
,
or could find anything out at this late stage.  Who would tell?  Pierre certainly would never
breathe
a word. 
The fact that Hugh’s mother had been French seemed to completely escape the notice of British intelligence
;
leaving Hugh to work his connections. 

Pierre Durant was his cousin whom he visited several times in France when he was a boy.  Hugh’s mother traveled back annually to visit her sister, Henriette, taking Hugh with her as a treat.  Pierre and Hugh spent hours playing
at war
and even worked out a cypher of their own for encrypting secret messages.  The cypher came in very handy when the war broke out. 

A few brief communications had been enough to establish a system by which Hugh was able to pass encoded information to his cousin and get intelligence in return.  The cousins both benefited from their arrangement, moving up through the ranks and earning accolades for
their
bravery.  They also made a considerable amount of money
;
selling certain secrets to those who would benefit from the information the most.  Rachel played
her part by extracting useful information from high-ranking officers.  Hugh was always amazed by the fact that most officers would withstand torture and die nobly in the name of their country, protecting its secrets, but would willing
ly
spill their guts
as soon as Rachel sunk to her knees and opened that pouty mouth of hers.

Hugh’s last mission went horribly wrong
,
when he took the French patrol for his cousin’s men.  By the time he realized his mistake, he was within shooting distance
.  T
hey pursued him for miles, managing to put several bullets into his
back
, side and thigh.  Hugh’s horse stumbled back into camp, bearing the unconscious Hugh on its back, thankfully in time to save him.  Hugh was
decorated
for his bravery and sent home to recover once he was well enough to travel.  He had enough money saved to restore the estate and get on with his life, his days of fighting and espionage forever behind him.  That was until Rachel showed up. 

Rachel
had
profited
handsomely from their arrangement
,
and ultimately had as much to lose as Hugh.  It would be much easier to accuse a whore of espionage than to make
allegations
against a decorated war hero.  He relied on her discretion and left her with a quick farewell.  Their business was finished.  Or so he thought.  Rachel showed up in Newcastle two months after his return from the Continent
,
ready to start the next phase of her life
,
and Hugh was instrumental in getting he
r new business off the ground. 
She wanted him to help her find premises in a respectable neighborhood
,
and complete all the arrangements on her behalf, legitimizing the
transaction
.  None of her wealthy neighbors would suspect that there was a brothel right down the street.  Hugh was to help her procure a couple of thugs to “protect” her girls
,
and put out a discreet word at his club about the desirability of Rachel’s services.  The rest would take care of itself. 

Rachel had several girls by the time she moved into the house and was ready to open her doors.  If she knew anything about the nature of men, it would take only a few clients for the word to begin to spread
,
and she would have more patrons than she knew what to do with.  Now, six months
later
her establishment was the crème de la crème of Newcastle
whorehouses. 
Having Jeremy, who knew her when she was down on her luck
,
turn up in Newcastle was not part of her plans. 

Hugh congratulated himself again on deciding to contact Henry Flynn.  He had received his response only yesterday
,
and now all he had to do was wait.  Sir Henry would take care of everything.  All Hugh had to do was stand back and let things take care of themselves.  It wouldn’t be long now.  The man Henry sent was already on his way
north
, his
instructions
clear. 

Hugh’s thoughts were
interrupted
by the arrival of
Jenkins
,
who brought hot water for shaving and would help him dress. 
He turned to his valet, a pleasant smile on his face.  Only a few more days and then his problems would
disappear
.

Chapter
3
8

Winter had come to Newcastle and there was snow as far as the eye could see. 
It sparkled in the weak winter sunshine, hurting the eyes with its chilly brightness. 
It was only December, but it had snowed several times
already
, covering the ground with
a
knee-deep
white quilt
.  The world looked quiet and peaceful from the window of
Elizabeth
’s room
, as
she turned away
ready to get dressed
.  She
’
d taken to napping in the afternoon the past few weeks
, unable to make it through the day without rest
.  The nausea had passed, but the fatigue remained, making her feel sluggish and drowsy by lunchtime.  She was nearly half
-
way through the pregnancy and her belly swelled under her nightdress, making Jeremy even more protective of her than he was before.  Now that there was physical evidence of the baby, he was in awe of the fact that there was actually a child
growing within her
,
and frequently put his hands on her belly hoping to feel it move.  She could feel the baby herself, but the movements felt more like the strokes of butterfly wings rather than actual kicks
,
and she told a disappointed Jeremy that he had to wait a while longer to be able to feel it from outside. 

Something had changed in Jeremy in the past two weeks
,
and she was beginning to worry.  She asked him repeatedly if something was wrong, but he reassured her that everything was going well and there was nothing to worry about.  He seemed
n
ormal around the Colonel
,
and it was only once they were in bed at night that she saw the mask slip
,
and the look of worry come into his eyes as he looked at her
growing
belly.  Was he questioning the paternity of the child?  Elizabeth knew the baby was Jeremy’s, but she had no way of proving it to him.  Since his own mother passed off Jeremy as Sir Henry’s child, maybe he thought she was trying to do the same.  He
would, of course, acknowledge the baby as his own
, but the doubts would not be so easy to put aside if they were truly there. 

Elizabeth
sighed and put her hands on her back. 
It
had been aching all day
,
and she longed to
lie down
.  It was snowing
again, the wind howling outside the window
as thick snowflakes fell silently from the twilit sky.
 
It was getting close to Christmas
;
the days growing shorter,
and
shadows beginning to length
e
n by late afternoon. 

Elizabeth
looked at the clock on the marble mant
e
l of the fireplace
in
the drawing room
,
as a silent maid came in to light the candles. 
It was only going on four o’clock, but the room was already growing darker, the night approaching fast. 
It was still
several hours
until dinner.  Maybe she would ask for a tray in her room
and stay in bed
tonight
. 
The spasms in Elizabeth’s back were becoming more severe
,
and she slowly headed upstairs to her bedchamber
, wishing she could talk to Willa and ask her all the questions that were
plaguing
her mind
.
  She
’
d been having some pains in her lower abdomen
,
a few spots of blood
visible
on her nightdress when she woke up this morning.  Were these things all part of a normal pregnancy?  She didn’t want to summon the doctor and alarm Jeremy.  She didn’t much care for the man anyway.  He was brisk and businesslike, his hands as cold and probing as his eyes.

“Kitty, would you please tell Mr. Sutton that I won’t be coming down for dinner
?
  I
’
m feeling very tired
today
.  I think I
’
ll lie down.  Will you get me a hot
-
water bottle
,
and ask the Cook to send up a tray
at supper time
?”
  Elizabeth lowered herself onto a padded stool in front of the vanity, turning her back to Kitty
,
so that the maid could undo the buttons of her frock and unpin her hair.  It hurt to sit straight, but she forced herself to be patient, relishing the thought of slipping between the clean sheets, warm from the water bottle Kitty would bring her.

“You look a bit
peaky
, Mrs. Sutton.  Are you ill?”  Kitty asked
,
as she began to work on the buttons.

“Just tired and achy.  I would just like to rest for a while.”

“My sister has three little ones and she complained of backache every time.  Said it was worse than anything, that nagging pain all day long.  Would you like me to massage it for you a bit?”

“Thank you, Kitty.  That would be nice.”  Elizabeth sighed with relief
as Kitty skillfully kneaded her back, still prattling on about pregnancy.  It made Elizabeth feel better to hear that these things were normal and other women experienced them as well.  She had
no one
to ask
,
and Dr. Lawrence didn’t tell her anything when he examined her a few weeks ago.  The man was tight-lipped and severe
, answering
her questions with curt, polite responses.  He was irritated by her anxiety,
advising
her to stay calm and let nature take its course.  The less she
knew
the better.
 
  

Kitty finally finished pulling out the pins and helped Elizabeth out of her gown, shoes
,
and stockings before pulling the nightdress over her head and reaching for the hair brush. 
Elizabeth
longed to lie down, but she always enjoyed having her hair brushed
,
and resigned herself to waiting another few moments until she could finally crawl into bed.  The strokes of the hair brush made her scalp tingle
, as
she began to relax slightly, a drowsiness stealing over her.  Elizabeth
wished that Jeremy would come up and lie down with her, but he
couldn’t
be rude to their host.  The Colonel had been so wonderful to them that they had to do everything possible to return his kindness.   Jeremy didn
’
t speak of the future
, making her
wonder how long they would stay.  Surely at some point they would need a home of their own.  Jeremy seemed reluctant to talk
, so
she didn’t press him.  He would tell her everything in good time. 

Elizabeth
was already lying down as Kitty returned, slipping a hot
-
water bottle between the sheets. 
 

“Cook
will send
up some
consommé
and roasted fowl
later
,” Kitty announced. 

“Thank you, Kitty.”

“Is there anything else you need, Mrs. Sutton?” 

“That will be all for now.”  She closed her eyes,
wanting
Kitty to leave her in peace.

Elizabeth sank back onto the pillows, happy to be alone at last.  She blew out the candle
,
and watched the snowflakes
twirling in the wind
,
falling silently outside her window.  The pain in her back was beginning to ease, but there was a strange pressure in
her
lower belly. 
Elizabeth
put her hands on her stomach, willing it to stop hurting. 
She recalled Willa telling her that there were aches and pains during pregnancy.  The womb had to stretch to accommodate the growing baby.  “This is normal,” she
whispered
to herself.  “It’s quite normal.” 

Elizabeth must have dozed off
,
because when she woke up Jeremy was sitting by her side.  “Lizzie, are you unwell?  Kitty said you weren’t coming down to dinner.”

“What time is it?”

“It’s
half
past
seven
.  I came up to change for dinner.  How are you feeling?” 

Elizabeth was about to answer when a sharp pain tore through her belly, making her gasp.  Her hands
automatically cradled her stomach
, alarming Jeremy.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know.  Just a pain, I suppose.  I
’
m all right.”  The pain
receded
as quickly as it came
.  It was nothing.  It had to be.  The next
cramp
came a few minutes later, making
Elizabeth
curl into a fetal position
, drawing up her knees to ease the pain
.  The pressure in her lower
belly
seemed to increase with every passing moment,
an
unbearable
pain tearing through her
abdomen
.  Elizabeth screamed as another sharp
contraction
sliced through her womb. 

“I’m going for t
he physician.
”  Jeremy was already on his feet, but
Elizabeth
stopped him.

“No, please, don’t leave.  I need you.  Send someone else.  It’s snowing outside and it will take hours anyway.  Don’t leave me.”  She looked so scared that Jeremy agreed, calling for Kitty.

“Tell the Colonel to send for the doctor right away, Kitty.  Hurry!”  Kitty ran out the door, Elizabeth’s screams echoing down the hall.

“Lizzie, is it getting worse?”  Jeremy wasn’t sure what to do.  He knew how to react if a man had been shot or wounded with a sword, but he felt helpless and scared now.  He had no idea what was happening inside Elizabeth’s body.  Was she having a miscarriage
?  All thoughts were driven from his head as Elizabeth drew her legs up to her chest and screamed again, her face contorted
in
agony. 

“Oh, God,” she moaned.  “I
’
m bleeding.”  Elizabeth could feel the hot, sticky blood pouring out of her
,
and with it
,
the life of her child.  Her womb was contracting,
forcing
the baby out.  Jeremy pulled back the coverlet
, watching in horror as the dark blood soaked through her nightgown and into the bed linens
.  Jeremy grabbed the first thing to hand, which was
Elizabeth
’s
petticoat
,
and lifted her nightdress to stuff the garment between her legs to staunch the bleeding.  He felt a wave of nausea
,
as he saw the bloody lump that had been their baby
,
slither out between her thighs
,
and quickly used the petticoat to remove it from the bed.
  He didn’t want
Elizabeth
to see it.  She would be
devastated
.  He wrapped the little corpse in the
petticoat
, noting subconsciously that it was a boy, and placed it carefully on the floor where Elizabeth couldn’t see.  The pain seemed to diminish somewhat after the baby was expelled and
Elizabeth
looked at him tearfully.

“It’s
gone
, isn’t it?”  She
whispered
.

“
Yes,
”
he
whispered
.  “It’s gone.”

“Was it a boy?”

“Yes.”  Jeremy poured some water into the basin and wiped Elizabeth’s face with a wet towel.  Her eyes were glazed over
as
she looked at him, not really seeing him.

“It’s all my fault
, isn’t it?
  I
’
m being punished for my sins. 
I lied, I cheated
,
and I humiliated my husband in front of the world
,
and now God is punishing me.  He is punishing us.  We didn’t deserve that baby.  We weren’t worthy of it.” 
Elizabeth
was crying hard
as
Jeremy drew her into his arms.

“Sweetheart, women miscarry all the time.  Are they all being punished for their sins?  These things happen.  We’ll have
another baby
in time
.”  He was trying to sooth
e
her, but she became
even
more agitated.