by Wendy Bayne
Miles turned to me smiling, “I told him to stay behind me but he’s so used to being in charge.”
From a seat by the window the Earl retorted, “Ha! It was two against one, you think I was going to stand back and watch one of them slice you open!”
Miles slumped to what had been my seat by the door. I examined him as closely as I could without him being aware but found no evidence that any of the blood was his. “I had it under control, old man.” He took a drink from the bottle that Murphy handed him, grimaced then said, “Besides if you were so concerned, why didn’t you just shoot him instead?”
The Earl turned away from the doctor as he tore open the sleeve of his shirt to get a better look at his arm. He grimaced sucking in his breath before answering, “What! And let you have all the fun. It’s been a while since I’ve fought in close quarters, it was exhilarating!” He bit his lip and grunted as the doctor probed his wound, making it bleed more. “I was thinking that perhaps we should resume our weekly fencing matches at Whitley’s when we return to England. What do you say?”
Miles was emotionally and physically exhausted and concerned about his father, but he chuckled a bit, passed his hand over his face before saying, “Father, in case you’ve forgotten in all the excitement I am basically blind, and you want to fence?! Don’t you think that would give you an unfair advantage!” then he laughed and gulped down the rest of the bottle of ale.
The Earl gasped as the doctor poured brandy over his wound to clean it. The Earl jerked the bottle from the doctor’s hand and took a quick drink from it before he passed it back to him with a bleak smile. But he still answered Miles back, “Ha! That didn’t stop you out there and besides the rapiers will be buttoned. Perhaps Miss Turner will join us? I hear that she has some skill.”
Mile pursed his lips and shook his head, “Doctor, do you think perhaps you could sedate my father?”
Dr Jefferson gave him a sharp look. “I hardly think,” then he saw the smirk on Miles lips as he tried to contain his laughter, but it was the doctor who barked out a laugh as he bandaged the Earl’s arm. The Earl glared at Miles but finally couldn’t help himself and started to chuckle as he picked up the brandy from the table beside him.
Then Miles let loose with a belly laugh and the tension leeched out of his body leaving him exhausted, but at the same time elated. He had proved to himself that even without his sight he was still of value, still a man. My heart ached for him and I prayed that his new-found sense of self-worth wouldn’t dissipate so that he’d slide back into despair because of his infirmity.
He finally sensed my presence nearby and held out his hand out to me. I sank down to the floor leaning my head against his knee. He ran his hand over my hair as he leaned back in the chair and sighed. No one was in hurry to look out into the hallway, but the doctor felt obliged to venture out to see if anyone might still be alive, Gabriel accompanied him. They returned grim-faced and somewhat awed, Gabriel spoke out in disbelief, “There are six dead men out there!”
The Earl shook his head and mumbled from his position leaning against the window, “Damn! Two of them got away.”
Gabriel’s mouth hung open then he snapped it shut. “But how?”
Miles sat up and put his hand on my shoulder. “Stealth mainly; my father and I make a good team.”
I looked at him puzzled. “I thought your father was supposed to stay behind you.”
The Earl barked out a laugh. “He knew there was no chance of that happening. Besides where do you think he gets his stubborn streak from.” He grinned at his son then became instantly sober. “We fell into an easy tandem of covering each other, it was reflexive.” He sighed deeply then, “Doctor, tell me is it night vision or his hearing that makes him so accurate? It was really remarkable; he could pick out their hiding places in mere seconds.” Then he looked long and hard at his son who was slumped back in his chair with his eyes closed and spoke quietly while watching him, “Still to take a life is no small thing no matter how justified, it numbs the soul.” I looked up at Miles, his exhaustion was apparent but there was a sadness there as well which was the proof of his father’s words.
Mother had been looking intently out the windows, suddenly she was pounding her hands against the glass. I got up and raced to her side, on the lawn far below us my father was approaching a hedgerow where Ramsey was crouched taking aim at my father. Then suddenly a shot rang out, the report was so loud I would swear that it had come from this room. All I could look at though was the smoke from a shot below and my father lying on the ground, not moving, and Ramsey had disappeared. Gabriel jerked out of the alcove where he had been and grabbed two pistols, ramming them into his waist band, then took a rifle with him as he ran out the door. He was followed by Murphy, Michael, Dalton and Robert, all armed to the teeth. Mr Allan closed the door behind them. The Marquis was explaining to Miles what had happened while I had turned back to the windows to see my father regain his feet with no apparent injury. Uncle Samuel raced to his side then pointed up to our windows. It was then that I noticed Charity stood with a spent rifle at her side, her sons holding onto her skirts as she blankly stared out the window. I willed her to look at me, but she didn’t, she merely said as if she knew I was watching her, “I saved your father, Miss Turner, but I missed my chance to kill that bastard Ramsey. I hope you appreciate what that cost me.”
Mother reached out and took her hand. “I do, Madam de Bearne. Thank you.”
Charity cocked her head as if she hadn’t heard Mother correctly, then she smiled slightly and knelt in front of her boys. “Mama has to help clean up in the hallway…you stay here with Mademoiselle Rennet.” She pointed to the kitchen maid who was pulling biscuits out of one of the sacks. “See, she is making a snack for you already!” The rest of us followed her out leaving Emilie, the Earl and Miles behind.
Miles had suggested that we store the bodies in one room and sort it out later which we did. Mother, Meg, Beth and Gwen cleaned out a box room at the head of the stairs, they moved the luggage and boxes from there into the schoolroom next to the nursery. Charity, Lettie and I searched the bodies for anything to identify them, they were all strangers except for the one footman, none of the others were chateau staff. Suddenly I had a flash of an image cross my mind, the look on Robert’s face when he had seen the kitchen maid. My heart leapt into my throat immediately as it hit home, Robert’s look had been one of momentary confusion, was that because he didn’t recognize her, or did he wonder how she had escaped capture? Suddenly a shot rang out and then a crash came from behind us. My mother, Charity and I ran for the nursery. The snack items were scattered all about the floor and Miles stood over the kitchen maid with a gun in one hand and a knife in the other, a spent pistol was mere inches from the maid’s side. The de Bearne boys were standing behind Miles holding onto Emilie’s skirts and James was in her arms. Mother immediately went to Emilie and took James, cuddling him so tightly that he started to whimper till she relaxed her grip. The maid was in the corner with her back against the wall. She hissed and spat at Miles as he questioned her in French.
Then we heard people pounding up the stairs yelling our names.
Mother raced to the door and yelled back, “In the nursery, Colin!”
Father and Uncle Samuel raced into the room pulling their wives into their arms, making the rest of us blush from the intimacy of their embrace. Michael and Murphy restrained Mademoiselle Rennet, leaving her seated in the corner.
Father went to stand over the maid, “Well, mademoiselle, you are in a great deal of trouble. I understand from the local militia that you and your band have been being causing enough mayhem in the district that they’re ready to hang the lot of you without a trial.” He paused but she only looked at him with utter contempt. “If you have anything to say in your defence you should say it now because after what happened here today I wouldn’t doubt the commander’s words for a second.” Her eyes got very big and a single tear slid down her cheek. He loomed over her wit
h his hand against the wall and a knife in his hand. My father was a man of infinite patience for many things but an attack on his family was not one of them. “Who hired you?”
She bit down on her lip looking from side to side as if she hoped one of her confederates would come to her rescue. Then she smiled smugly and shook her head. “You will get nothing out of me, English pig!” She spat at my father’s shoes.
Uncle Samuel approached her from the opposite side to lean in. “You have a younger brother, I believe. His name is Gaston?” She was sweating now as she looked from my father to Samuel and back again. “He works here in the stables, doesn’t he? He’s been badly hurt, mademoiselle.” Her eyes became wild as she strained at her bonds, kicking and thrashing.
Father reached out and smacked her across the face. I recoiled taking a step back to grasp Miles’ hand. Then he spoke to her in a very soft, concerned tone, “Listen to me, mademoiselle, he’s badly hurt and may die if he is not cared for. I can have the doctor take care of him.” She closed her eyes refusing to respond. Then my father shouted, “MADEMOISLLE!” Then lowering his voice he said in a threatening tone, “He is suffering unspeakable pain and I don’t care if he dies. But you do.” She glared at him then spit in his face, catching him on the cheek. She chuckled as he wiped it away with his sleeve. He reached out grabbing her by the hair, banging her head against the wall then he slapped her again. “Well?” She turned her face away from him. He inhaled deeply, “Fine, he dies!” He walked away to one of the open windows signalling to someone below.
Mother called our sharply, “Colin, you can’t!” But he ignored her,
Uncle Samuel looked down at the maid “He’ll do it…he’ll have one of the gypsies put a bullet in Gaston! Your brother was not part of the plan, was he? He was supposed to have gone to the farrier’s in the village, but the head groom went instead. Your brother had no idea what was happening. Do you know that he fought on our side? He was hurt by one of your men, Marion…it’s serious.”
Father turned back to her with a look that was so cold it chilled me. “Come…look, he’s in the yard.” Samuel helped her to her feet but before she could move my father looked back to the window, “My men will shoot on my signal.”
Samuel helped her to walk to the window. I looked out the one near Miles. Gabriel was standing over someone who was lying on the ground. Marion looked down and screamed then tried to kick my father. I understood now why she was afraid, it was because it was Gabriel standing over the boy. She knew that he would not hesitate to kill her brother. She licked her lips looking at both my father and uncle then standing up straight, “You wouldn’t! He’s an innocent, that would be murder! The captain of the militia will take a dim view of the…” then she spat the next words out… “an ENGLISH murdering a citizen of FRANCE!” She ended it by cackling like a crone.
Father grabbed her by the neck forcing her to look out the window as he pointed down. “His death will be on your head, not mine.” He raised his hand and leaned out the window to shout, “Gabriel!”
“NO!” She yelled.
He stopped to look down at her. His face was devoid of emotion until he smiled, but that smile never reached his eyes. “Who hired you?”
She struggled for a bit, “I don’t know.”
Father looked at her with contempt and yelled, “LIAR!” turning back to the window.
She whimpered, “NO! Please monsieur. The money, it came from Ramsey, but the plan was not his. He is too stupid, he was only the messenger. There was another man, but I never got a good look at him. He came to the tavern only at nightfall and stayed in the shadows. He would go straight to a private parlour where Ramsey met with him then he’d leave before dawn, but I never saw his face, he was always cloaked.”
Father came within inches of her face. “Do you expect me to believe that you never had him followed? You’ve been at this far too long, Marion, to be that sloppy.” She drew back from him, obviously shocked so he continued, “The militia captain knows a great deal about you, mademoiselle, he would love to catch you and your band. It seems you’ve been terrorizing the citizens of France as well as travellers in this region for some time. He expects me to turn you over to him.” He paused to let that sink in, “That is if I capture you.”
She glared at him and in a sceptical voice said, “Now who is the liar.”
Father laughed. “Your band has been decimated, Marion. Those that we didn’t kill, or capture, have run, and I doubt you’ll ever see them again. So, tell me what you know.”
She sighed. “I want to see my brother first.”
My father looked at Dr Jefferson. “Can you see to the boy, please?” The doctor nodded and gathered his things together. “He’s not in any condition to be brought up here and you, my dear, are going nowhere until we have our little chat.” Her eyes followed the doctor as he left the room with his bag. “The doctor will take care of him, you have my word.” Marion looked over her shoulder at my Uncle Samuel and he nodded. Then her bravado dissipated before my eyes she was no longer the leader of a band of cut throat thieves, she was a defeated woman worried about her brother."
Miles stepped forward and whispered to my father who turned red to the ears and nodded. I couldn’t tell if he was angry or embarrassed. Then I followed his eyes as they looked around the room, all the children were terrified. Charity knelt holding tightly to her sons who looked on the verge of tears. James had his head buried in my mother’s shoulder, sobbing, Emilie looked like she was about to faint. Meg, Beth and Gwen were nearly in tears and Lettie stood next to Murphy white-faced holding tightly to his arm. Then I realised what Miles must have said that this was not the place to conduct an interrogation. I looked down, both my hands were fisted. I could feel my nails biting into my palms and my knees were shaking. Dalton and Robert returned speaking briefly to my father and uncle then they took Marion by the arms and led her out of the room.
A short while later as we were trying to sort out what had happened below, Jibben entered the room with another man that looked like he belonged on the deck of a pirate ship. Suddenly I recognized him, he had been a pirate! It was Dr Peter Grimes, the coroner for the Bow Street Runners. He was a dark little man with a gold tooth and an extraordinary gold earring dangling from his right ear. He was laughing as he entered then abruptly stopped and bowed when he saw us. “Good afternoon, ladies, it’s a pleasure to see you all again.”
Chapter 32
Negotiations
Aunt Emilie stepped forward. “Welcome to our home, gentlemen, and thank you for your timely intervention below.”
Jibben chuckled then bowed in a most courtly fashion with the grace and ease as if he had been born to it. He looked around at the company assembled then laughed out loud when his eyes fell on the Earl. “Ah, William, it is good to see you again, my friend! Thank you for the stables and barn you have built for my people at our winter home. Grandmamma was very impressed by the gesture, you will always be welcome at our fires.” He arched an eye when he saw the Earl’s bandaged arm but remained silent.
Then he turned to my father. “Turner, my men are cleaning up outside, but the authorities have arrived.” Father frowned and took a step toward the door when Jibben reached out and grabbed his sleeve. “Not to worry, they are pleased that we have dealt with everything. They’ve taken the prisoners and the bodies. They have offered to take the boy home to his mother, so he can tell her what happened to his sister.” My father only nodded, he was obviously upset by what he had been forced to do to Marion by using her own brother. Then I noticed Jibben staring long and hard at Miles with a very quizzical look, touched with compassion.
Miles’ face was complacent when he said, “Stop boring a hole through me, Jibben, it makes my skin crawl. And before you ask, I’ve discussed it with my father and yes you may have access to his stone quarry to build more permanent homes on the site. I suppose that my neighbours will raise an objection but as the saying goes in for a penny in for a pound. However, you
cannot divert any of the streams, do you hear me! I would prefer to maintain some of my neighbour’s goodwill. But you may dig a well. Hopefully that will keep you from mucking up my stable yard drawing water. Remember the same rules apply to those that stay behind during your travelling season. I hope that we are clear on that. It means that all your people remain responsible for their actions and everyone will suffer the consequences of any violations.” Miles couldn’t see Jibben’s changing expressions, but he ran the gamut from anger to humour as Miles continued, “I promise though there must be irrefutable evidence of guilt and not just suspicion for me to evict you. So please don’t betray my trust. I rather not have to leave my home or be burnt out.” Miles flopped back in his chair as if that speech had exhausted him.
Jibben chuckled but continued to watch Miles closely. “I would expect no less from you, Miles.”
Then suddenly his attention turned to me. “Miss Turner, you have grown into a lovely young woman. If I was not already promised to someone I would take you as my wife.” He looked back at Miles, grinning, “But I have many young men with me who are still looking for wives so if you do not intend to claim her, Miles, I cannot be responsible for their conduct.” Miles sucked a breath in through his teeth and glared in the direction of Jibben. Why was he baiting Miles? “She needs a whole man,” he paused to look Miles up and down then grinned, “one with eyes that work.”
Miles stood up with clenched fists while everyone else stood by and watched the scene unfold. Jibben remained relaxed and unconcerned and Miles said nothing, he just turned on his heel and stormed out of the room barely missing the doorjamb.