The Folly (26 page)

Chapter
51

Hugh Brand was having a very pleasant evening.  Getting Elizabeth to Rachel’s had been easier than he anticipated
,
and once he left the stunned girl with Rachel, his part in the affair was over
;
at least for the time being
.  Flynn would be dead by now
,
and Rachel would deal with Elizabeth
in her own way
. 
Of course
, she would resist at first, but then she would understand the severity of her situation and accept the inevitable.  He greatly looked forward to being her first client.  Just the thought of the auburn triangle between her legs made him hard
,
and he
smiled
in anticipation as he entered Jeanne’s room.  She was already waiting for him as promised, naked, her nipple rings glowing in the light of the candle
, a thin gold chain around her waist
.  She smiled in welcome as Hugh began to rip off his clothes, unable to wait another minute. 

He came up behind her, cupping her breasts and
tugging on
the
rings
. 
She threw her head back and moaned as
Hugh bent her over, pushing her legs apart with his knee.  He was so inflamed, he ignored the scuffle outside.  It seemed someone undesirable was refusing to leave.  Dicks would deal with the intruder.  Hugh was here as a guest, not an enforcer.  Jeanne moaned with pleasure as Hugh took her from behind, thrusting hard, his eyes closed.  He thought he heard the door open, but he didn’t care.  He would not be diverted from his pleasure until he was good and finished.  It was only Jeanne’s scream that brought him back to his sense
s
.  Jeremy was leaning against the closed door holding a pistol aimed at his
heart
.  He looked calm as a smile spread across his face.

“Good evening, Hugh.  I trust you
’
re enjoying yourself.  I
’
m dreadfully sorry to
interrupt
, but I
’
m afraid I don’t have time to wait for you to finish.” 
Hugh sucked in his breath as he saw the savage look in Jeremy’s eyes.  There was no talking his way out of this predicament, but he had to try. 

“Jeremy, wait.  Let me get dressed and we’ll talk things over.  Come on, old chap.  We’ve been friends for so long.” 
H
ugh extracted himself from Jeanne
,
who crawled
under the coverlet
, her knees
drawn to
her chest and her eyes huge
with fear
.

“On your knees, Colonel,” Jeremy ordered as he advanced into the room.  Hugh sank to his knees, still naked and defiant.

“Jeremy, it was Rachel’s idea.  I swear
it
.
  She wanted revenge for that unfortunate affair with Hastings.
”

Jeremy
came up
behind Hugh
,
the barrel of his pistol against the back of his head. 
“So, you were just helping Rachel get her revenge, is that it? 
How very gallant of you.  What does she have over you that you would stoop to murder, kidnapping
,
and rape?  Is it the fact that she knows you
’
re a traitor?  Imagine the scandal if that came out.  How many men have you sent to their deaths with the information you handed over to the French?  Thousands, I’d wager.”  Jeremy pushed the barrel of the gun against the Colonel’s cranium.  “I suppose a man who betrays his country wouldn’t have much trouble betraying his friends.”

“Jeremy, please, let me explain.  She blackmailed me.  Together, we can get rid of her once and for all.  I made sure Elizabeth hadn
’
t been hurt,” Hugh pleaded, trying in vain to turn around and see Jeremy’s face.

“Yes, I
’
m very grateful. 
Simon tells me
you wanted to be her first customer.  How long have you been lusting after her, Hugh?”  Jeremy felt blood pounding in his temples as he looked down at his former friend.  He had killed many Frenchmen on the battlefield, but he’d never felt the bloodlust he felt at this moment.  He knew he couldn’t let Hugh get away, but he had planned for a more civilized end. 

“Jeremy, old chap, let me get dressed and we can talk this through.  Can’t you see you
’
re frightening Jeanne?
  I admit, I did spy for the French, but that’s all over now.  The war is over
,
and we can all get on with our lives.  I’ll help you and Elizabeth get to the United States.  You have my word.
”
  Jeremy sniggered at that. 

“Do you know what the penalty for treason is, Hugh?  Execution.”

“You won’t turn me over to the authorities, will you Jeremy?  We can handle it like men, like soldiers.” 

“Don’t worry, Colonel.  I won’t be handing you over to anyone
,
and I have every intention of handling this like a soldier.”

Jeanne screamed
as the shot rang out, Hugh’s lifeless body falling face down onto the thick
carpet
.  Bits of brain and bone were visible in the pool of blood that began to spread beneath his head.  Jeanne looked at Jeremy in horror
, pulling the coverlet higher over her nakedness
. 

“A thousand pardons, Ma’am.  I wish you a pleasant evening.” 
Jeremy bowed to the
horrified
woman, a wail of grief following him as he
turned on his heel and left the room.  His business with Hugh was complete. 
Now it was time to deal with Rachel. 

By the time he got to Rachel’s parlor
,
things were well in hand.  Dicks had been tied up and gagged
,
and Rachel sat proud and erect in an armchair, Simon’s gun point
ing
at her chest.

“
Good evening
, Rachel.  It’s been a long time.  I
’
m glad to find you
looking
so well.”  Jeremy leaned against the door frame, surveying the scene. 
His blood was still singing the song of revenge, but he was calmer now, his lust for blood somewhat satisfied. 

“As I see it, you have two choices.  You can leave Newcastle quietly and forget you ever saw me or my wife
,
or you can join Hugh
and answer to a higher authority
.  You will turn over the money and the deeds to this house to your girls and disappear.  Is that understood?”

Rachel nodded serenely.  “It was all Hugh’s idea, you know.  I was only following orders.  Hugh owns this house and everything in it.  I had no choice.  I wouldn
’
t have hurt her
, Jeremy
.
  I swear.
”

“That’s very touching, Rachel
. 
I would love to stay and hear your tale of woe, but I have to see to my wife.  You have until tomorrow morning to
clear out
.  I will find you and kill
you if you
threaten me or my wife again
.  Is that clear, Rachel?” 

“
Your
‘
wife
’
is it?” Rachel chuckled and looked back at Jeremy, her eyes full of hate.  “
She is not your wife –
-
she is your whore. 
You’ll never get away with this, you filthy cur,” she spat out at him.  “You will be arrested and tried for
the
murder of a war hero.  You will hang
,
and I will be there to watch you swing.
  I hope you soil yourself as the rope tightens about your throat, choking the life out of you.
”

Jeremy gave Rachel a
cruel
smile.  “And who will believe you, Rachel?  Will you tell the constable that two dead men came to rescue a woman who is safely buried next to the first Lady Flynn?  They
’
ll think your syphilis is so advanced that you
’
re becoming delusional, but just on the off chance that you think I am bluffing
,
I will leave you with a souvenir of
the seriousness of
my intent
ions
.”  Jeremy took out his dagger and approached Rachel, whose eyes opened wider in fear.  He ran the tip of the dagger from her ear to her mouth, leaving a trail of blood it its wake.  The cut wasn
’
t deep, but it would leave a permanent scar, disfiguring
her
beautiful face.  “Next time I won’t be so
reasonable
.”

“Simon,
see to
Archie.  He
’
ll be back
from the pub
with the carriage shortly. 
Just tie him up with the others, but don’t hurt him.  I am going to get Elizabeth
,
and then we’
ll need to go back to the house.”

“
As you say, Jeremy
.  Is she all right?”  Simon didn’t miss Jeremy’s pallor or haunted eyes.

“She will be.  I’ll make
sure of that.
”

Jeremy left the situation in Simon’s capable hands and ran back upstairs, taking the steps two at a time.  Elizabeth would be worried sick, especially after hearing the shot.  He found her curled up on the small couch, her knees drawn up to her chest
;
her eyes glazed with shock.  Jeremy sat down next to her, stroking her hair gently.  “Come away, love.  We need to hurry.” 

Elizabeth roused herself and looked him full in the face.  “
When I realized I was losing the baby, I felt such overwhelming grief.  The physical pain was minimal compared to the pain of
knowing that I would never hold
it
in my arms or see its face, but that was nothing compared to what I felt when I thought I lost you.  I would go on without the baby and be happy again, but life without you is simply not worth living.  I had been sleepwalking through my life before I met you
,
and I didn’t even know it.”  Elizabeth threw her arms around Jeremy’s neck, covering his face with kisses.  Their tears mingled as he held her to him, unable to let go.  She had managed to put into words exactly what he himself felt, speaking directly to his soul. 

Jeremy pulled Elizabeth to her feet, kissing her upturned face. 
“I love you, body and soul, Lizzie, and I will never leave you.  I promise.”

Chapter
52

Elizabeth felt numb as they drove back to
Tower H
ouse.  The night was dark and silent around them, leaving her feeling strangely removed from everything. 
She was alone in the carriage, since Jeremy was on the box
, whipping the horses into a lather
.  Simon had stayed behind at Rachel’s house, keeping everyone locked in one room to prevent them
from
calling a constable.  They would go back for him once their business at the house was
completed
.  Elizabeth had no idea what really transpired this evening
,
and she was in no condition to try and understand.  All she cared about was getting away safely.  The punishment for murder was hanging
,
and the
thought
of Jeremy hanging for killing Hugh
Brand
was more than she could endure. 
The thought of hanging brought her
mind
back to Simon.  What was he doing in Newcastle?  Jeremy had seen the news of his death in the newspaper. 
He told her so. 
As far as the world was concerned
,
Simon Manson was dead and
buried in the prison cemetery, or was he? 
She closed her eyes, willing her head to stop pounding. 

The house was quiet by the time they finally reached it. 
Its bulk dark and silent
against
the winter sky. 
All the servants were abed, with only Harry coming out of the stable at the sound of the carriage
, rubbing sleep from his eyes
.  Jeremy sent him back to bed, assuring him that
his help wasn’t required
and
left the carriage in the yard, escorting Elizabeth inside.
  The servants would find out about Hugh’s death soon enough, but for now
,
he needed them to stay where they were.

“
Elizabeth
, take some clothes and all your
valuables
.  I need a few
minutes
to collect my things.
”  Elizabeth pulled out her traveling valise and stuffed it full of clothes and shoes.  She wished she could leave a note for Kitty, but it was too risky, so she went into Jeremy’s room to see if he needed help.  He was already packed and ready.  It was time to go.  They saw Harry’s face peek out of the stable as they left the house behind
, wondering what all the coming and going in the middle of
the night
was
about
. 
Jeremy hoped the boy would just go back to bed and not raise an alarm.  They had to get back to Newcastle as quickly as possible. 
Simon would no doubt be anxious by now, waiting for them to return. 

Everything seemed quiet as the carriage pulled up to Rachel’s house.  Jeremy knocked on the door, slipping inside as Simon unlatched it. 
All the girls, including Dicks
,
were in the parlor, tied up and gagged.  It would take them a while to free themselves, giving the fugitives time to escape.  Rachel was sitting on the damask sofa,
a blood-soaked
handkerchief
pressed to her cheek
, her eyes full of rage
.
 

“In view of your current position, I extend your deadline
by
two hours, Rachel, but mark my
words;
if you tell anyone I ha
ve
been here
,
I will find you and kill you.  I am only merciful once.”  She nodded. 
Simon hit Dicks on the side of his head with the butt of the pistol, making him keel over on the floor. 

“Just a precaution,” mouthed Simon as they left the house. 

Jeremy got into the carriage as Simon jumped on the box, taking up the reins.  The carriage
sped
down the deserted streets to the docks
, swaying dangerously as Simon flew around a corner
.  Elizabeth put her head against Jeremy’s chest listening to his heartbeat. 
She came very close to losing him tonight
,
and the thought made her feel lightheaded and nauseous
.  They needed to get away
quickly
and her hysterics would not be helpful.  The carriage came to a stop
at a
deserted section of the
wharf.
  There were no taverns or brothels here, so there was
no one
about except for a young boy, who melted out of the shadows as Simon jumped off the box.
 
The boy climbed onto the box, taking the reins as Jeremy helped Elizabeth out of the carriage
. 

“You know what to do, Mick.  Drive the carriage into the woods and leave it there.  Sell the horses.  The money is yours to keep for your silence
,
”
Simon instructed
,
as the boy cracked the whip and the carriage jerked into motion. 

“Let’s go.  The boat is right over there.” 
The boat in question was a small fishing boat with a sail that was bobbing on the black waters of the North Sea.

“This is the best I could do on short notice,” said Simon.  “Get in.  We have to go.” 

Jeremy helped Elizabeth into the boat, bundling her up in Hugh’s heavy cloak. 
The Colonel
had left it inside the carriage when he went into Rachel’s establishment
,
and it would come in handy on
t
his bitter night. 
She hated the idea of wearing something that belonged to him, but the icy wind convinced her otherwise.  The cloak was large enough to swallow her up
,
and Jeremy folded it beneath her feet to
seal in the warmth before turning to help Simon
. 

After half an hour on the open water, Elizabeth thought she would freeze to death.  The
a
rctic
wind off the sea
chilled every
exposed
inch of skin and left her shaking, her teeth chattering
.  Her feet
were
frozen
despite the cloak
,
so
she huddled deeper into the fur, trying to stay warm
.  Thankfully, the very same wind was carrying them along rapidly, making their progress
north
quicker.  Simon assured them that they would be in Scotland by the time the sun began to come up. 

It was only around 3
a
.
m
.
and they
still
had hours of travel ahead of them.  Jeremy threw her worried looks from time to time
as he helped
Simon
navigate
the boat. 
They were going somewhere named Kirkcaldy, but Elizabeth was too cold and too tired to care. 
The initial shock had begun to wear off and she
began to shake, tears freezing on her eyelashes and cheeks.  Her body was already weakened from the ordeal of the miscarriage and she slipped into unconsciousness, her mind
desperate
to escape what she had endured. 
 

“
Elizabeth.
”
She could hear
Jeremy’s
voice coming from
somewhere
far away.  Was
s
he really there
,
or was it all just a horrible dream
?
  She would wake up in her bed at Tower House, warm and happy, Jeremy by her side.  He would put his hand on her belly trying to feel the babe inside
,
and Kitty would come in to draw the curtains and pour her a cup of steaming tea. 
 

“
Lizzie, can you hear me?  Wake up, sweetheart.  You need to stay with me.  You
’
ll rest once we get there.”  She opened her eyes.  Jeremy was crouched in front of her, cupping her cheek and looking at her anxiously.  “Are you all right?”

Elizabeth nodded.  Even if she wasn’t, Jeremy wasn’t in a position to do anything for her right now.  They had to get to Scotland.  She didn’t care where they were going
,
as long as there was a bed and a fire when they go
t
there.

Simon’s face was red with the cold, frost on his bushy eyebrows as he navigated the boat.  “It won’t be long now.  Just think warm thoughts.”  He smiled, giving Elizabeth a conspiratorial wink.
 
 

Their little boat finally docked
by mid-morning
,
and Jeremy helped Elizabeth ashore.  She was
freezing
, tired and hungry, but their journey was not over yet. 
Elizabeth
wanted to go into the tavern and warm up while Simon procured horses, but Jeremy rejected the idea. 
They would find a place where they could stay out of sight and wait for Simon. 
In a place
this
small
,
everyone would note the arrival of strangers, putting them at risk with the British soldiers.  Simon would hire a horse and buggy and come back for them. 

Elizabeth was nearly falling over with fatigue
by
the time she saw Simon emerge from the mist.  The horse looked older than the three of them put together, but she climbed into the wagon and settled on the straw next to Jeremy.  Hopefully, they would be at their destination soon.  Simon told them about his friend,
Angus McTavish
,
w
ho would take them in and let them bide the winter.  After that, they would sail for America
;
leaving England and everyone in it behind forever.