The Robber Bride (15 page)

Twenty-One

Victoria sat alone in a dark and dirty cell in a prison somewhere in London, but where exactly, she didn’t know. Nor did she know what day it was or how long she had been there. Several times a day, someone brought her food, but it was always the same awful bowl of gruel—nothing to indicate what time of day it might be.

She had long ago accepted her fate. She’d accepted it from the moment she decided to become a highwayman. And the end was near, so she didn’t worry about how dirty she was or that rats and vermin came out to nibble on what was leftover of her meal. It didn’t matter that she had to relieve herself in a hole in the middle of the cold, stone floor—the same floor upon which she slept at night. Nothing mattered anymore, except one thing. She’d never had the chance to tell Fin how much she loved him, and she would go to her death regretting it.

What a foolish woman she was! Not for putting herself in danger night after night for two years, and not for getting caught. No, the only thing foolish about Victoria was her silly pride, and her refusal to admit when she cared for someone.

When a key turned in the lock of the door to her cell, she didn’t pay it much attention. It was probably the guard bringing her next meal. Besides, she was done getting her hopes up. After all this time, no one was coming to rescue her. Her parents were certainly disgraced, and Fin probably hated her.
But what about Tom?
He was her only hope, if she had any at all.

“Well, well, well,” came a familiar female voice. “You look like the dregs of the earth, Victoria.”

Victoria looked up, and her mouth dropped open. Before her stood her cousin Katherine in all her crimson glory. Her black hair was pulled into an elegant coiffure, jewels dripped from her neck and wrists, and her dress was probably worth more than all of Victoria’s combined. She looked decidedly out of place in the dank prison cell.

“What—” Her voice caught, having not used it in a while. She cleared her throat and tried again. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to tell you that we’re doing everything we can to clear your name.” Katherine’s eyes turned soft, and she gave her a sad smile. “I can’t make any promises, Vickie. There’s too much evidence against you to even bother with a trial, but…”

“What?” Victoria wondered. It had to be good news, whatever Katherine was about to say.

“Oh, Victoria, you’ve done so much good, despite your criminal activities.” She knelt down in front of Victoria. “There are people out there—nearly a hundred of them—demanding your release. They all have some story of how you helped nurse them back to health, or paid for medicine when they couldn’t afford it, or made a family member’s final days comfortable.”

Victoria swallowed over the lump in her throat. She couldn’t believe she’d touched so many lives. Yet, it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.

“When William and I heard,” she continued, “
we
knew we had to do everything in our power to clear your name. And we are trying, we promise you that, Victoria. You will not be taken to
Gaol
without a fight.”

Victoria couldn’t speak. She hardly knew her cousin, the elusive Duchess of Weston, who spent most of her time in the country with her brood of children now. Yet here she was, calling upon favors for her thieving relation.

“I must go,” Katherine said, rising again to her full height. “I pray to God I will see you again soon.”

She turned to go, but Victoria stopped her.

“Wait, please,” she begged.

“What is it?” Katherine asked, turning back to look at her.

It was time for Victoria to swallow her pride. This was an opportunity she’d been given that might not come again. She couldn’t go to her death with this regret.

“I need you to deliver a message to
Phineas
Dartwell
, Lord
Leyburn
.” She paused, screwing up her courage, but when she opened her mouth again, she couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. “Tell him…tell him that I love him, please.”

Katherine smiled. “I’m certain he already knows that, my dear Victoria. But I will tell him just the same.”

And then she was gone. Victoria wondered how Katherine would know how Fin felt about her. Perhaps she was only being kind, but it didn’t really matter now. Victoria could go to her death peacefully, knowing her message would be delivered.

***

The days that followed Fin’s visit to the judge were filled with family meetings—with her family, of course—interviews with witnesses and audiences with her victims, including Lady Beecham, who was the most difficult of all of them.

“That little witch
robbed
us,” she cried, clearly outraged that Fin even had the gall to show up on her doorstep asking her to drop the charges against Victoria. “She took my precious rubies!”

“Yes, we are all aware of what she took from you, Lady Beecham,” Fin said to her. “But does it not help to know that the sale of those precious rubies went to good causes?”

She skewered him with her glare. “I donate quite a bit to charity,
Leyburn
. Why, last year alone we gave nearly fifty pounds to…to…a charitable cause.”

“Generous, indeed,” Fin agreed. “And your rubies were worth how much?” he asked. Those rubies were worth quite a bit more than the paltry fifty pounds.

“You may goad me all you want,
Leyburn
, but it doesn’t change the fact that she took what was not hers and she should be punished accordingly.”

“I’m sure your husband would feel similarly about the other men in your life.” It was a low blow to bring up her numerous affairs, but Victoria’s life hung in the balance. He couldn’t let this harridan get in the way of saving the life of the woman he loved. “Perhaps we should put all of them on trial for taking another man’s wife. Certainly you are more valuable than a few ruby baubles.”

There was silence as Lady Beecham seethed at him, her nostrils flaring with every breath she took. Fin held his peace, waiting for her to make the next move.

“I am not the only victim in this,
Leyburn
,” she said at last. “There is no possible way you could get everyone to agree to drop her charges.”

Fin smiled and nodded. “It was not an easy task,
of
that you can be sure. But you are the last hold out, the only one that stands between Victoria and her freedom. Surely you don’t want the
ton
to think of you as the woman who sent that young do-good to
Gaol
.”

Another pause. And then, “You will finish painting me.”

“Happily.” He would see to Victoria’s freedom and deal with the nude painting later.

Her brows rose. Clearly she didn’t believe him, but for some reason, she pretended she did. “Fine,” she said with a sigh of exasperation. “I will drop the charges.”

Fin could hardly believe his ears. He wanted to jump up and down with joy and happiness, but he refrained for the time being. “You will not regret your decision.”

That interview with Lady Beecham was the day before Victoria’s trial. Her ladyship, along with all the other witnesses would appear in court to publicly declare that they were dropping the charges against Vickie. But the most compelling arguments would come from her witnesses.
All one hundred twelve of them.
They were all ready to speak of her kindness and generosity. Sarah and Holly would be there as well to tell of all the good Victoria had done for the hospital. And Sally, of course, would tell the judge how Victoria had found her on the street and taken care of her and her mother.

It didn’t hurt that Victoria’s extended family comprised of some of the most powerful and influential members of the
ton.
When Fin and Sally entered the courtroom that morning, they were all there. The Duke and Duchess of Weston, the
Marquess
and Marchioness of
Eastleigh
, and the Viscount and
Viscountess
Hastings were all piled into the same pew right behind Victoria’s parents and Tom.

Fin took his place next to Tom, and Sally settled in beside him. He was jumping with nerves, filled with hope and dread at the same time, desperate to see Victoria. Was she well? She’d been in prison for more than a week now. It was no place for a lady
—
of
that he was certain. But if any lady could survive such a place and still keep her spirit intact, it was Victoria.

“How are you holding up?” he asked Tom.

Tom looked like he hadn’t slept at all the past week. “Better than my parents,” he whispered back.

Lord and Lady Grantham had been disgraced when the news came out. No amount of cajoling from Tom and Fin could persuade them to believe that what she’d done was actually good. But when they saw the outpouring of love and support from those she’d helped, they’d had a change of heart. Perhaps their attitude toward their daughter would change going forward. Fin just hoped it wasn’t too late for Victoria to see how proud they were of her.

The door to the courtroom banged open at the back, echoing loudly in the large chamber. A hush fell over the crowd as Justice Powell proceeded to the bench. Once he was settled, all eyes turned back to the doorway where Victoria was being led in by two guards.

Fin’s heart ached at the sight of her. Clearly she hadn’t been eating well. Her skin sagged on her bones, and her gown—the same one she’d worn to the masquerade—hung far away from her body. Her usually shiny, luxurious hair was matted and dirty, and she looked as if she’d been rolling about in dirt. But she held her head high as she walked past her friends and loved ones, sparing a glance for no one as she made her way to the stand.

One could have heard a pin drop in the vast room. Everyone sat on tenterhooks, waiting for the trial to begin. Sally slipped her hand into Fin’s, and he squeezed back, praying the girl wouldn’t have to watch another motherly figure in her life be lowered into the ground.

“Miss Victoria Barclay,” the judge began, “you are brought here on the charges of sixty-seven accounts of highway robbery. How do you plead?”

Victoria lifted her head high and rolled her shoulders back until she was standing straight as a soldier. “I plead guilty, Your Honor.”

Shocked murmurs spread throughout the courtroom until the judge called everyone back to order.

“Have you anything else to say?” Justice Powell asked her.

“Only that I am not sorry. I did what I had to do, for the sake of those less fortunate, for those who have suffered fates worse than death because they didn’t have money or station. I am sorry, however, for the shame I have brought to my family. And I am sorry that I could not do more. It is my fervent prayer that after my death, others will carry the torch of goodwill to those in need.”

Fin hadn’t cried since he was a boy, but hearing Victoria speak, hearing the bravery not just in her words, but in her voice, caused a lump to form in his throat. She was a woman like no other, and he loved her like he could never love anyone else.

“Thank you, Miss
Barclary
,” Justice Powell said, and then he turned to Fin. “Lord
Leyburn
, I believe you have brought some witnesses here today to testify in favor of Miss Barclay, is that correct?”

Victoria turned to look at him finally. Their eyes met. Hers were wide, as if she couldn’t quite believe he’d gone to any such lengths for her. If only she knew that he would go to one end of the earth and back just for a few more moments with her.

“I have, Your Honor,” Fin said, surprised his voice worked at all just then. He motioned for the first witness to take the stand.

A young woman by the name of Anna stepped forward, a small babe in her arms. “If it weren’t for Miss Barclay, Your Honor, I’m most certain my babe and I wouldn’t be here right now. She saved our lives when I was in labor. Her kindness will never be forgotten.”