Since Lord Parsons’ comment about the part she had played in Robert’s incarceration, doubts had tickled the back of her mind. Now that she made mention of the thoughts aloud, she realized the seriousness of what she had done. Why had she not learned to be a better person earlier? Then perhaps she would not be struggling with any of these problems!
Her mother smiled. “No. You are anything but evil. That man was the evil one. It was he who was blackmailing me and using you.” She pressed her lips into a thin line. “Annabel told me how he had tried to kiss her as well as blackmail her. What you did, you did to protect us. There is nothing evil about that.”
Juliet felt a sense of relief wash over her, as small as it was. “I just cannot help but think that perhaps it is I who brought all this down upon us.” She could not keep a tear from rolling down her cheek. Was there no chance that she would stop being a malcontent? “I am the only one who can save the man I love, but to do so, I will be forced to marry Lord Parsons. That will destroy Daniel even as it saves his life!”
Grief blanketed Juliet, and she soon found herself in her mother’s embrace, weeping on her shoulder. The worry, the guilt, the heartache of the past days, as well as the days ahead, were nearly too much to bear.
“I do not know what to do!” she wailed.
In past times of trouble, her mother was always there with ready words of advice, and Juliet hoped and prayed the woman would have more for her now. Yet, it was not to be.
“I will not lie,” her mother said. “I have no suggestions on how to resolve this problem you have. Just find solace in the fact that there is time. And although there is little of it, you must not give up hope in finding a solution.”
Juliet wiped away the tears. What her mother said was true. There had to be a better way, for the only option she saw thus far repulsed her. Well, she was never one to give up hope, and she was not about to do so now!
Chapter Seven
Daniel Haskins had never expected his life to be as happy as it became. Who would have thought a stable hand could fall in love with and marry a woman well above his station? Not that the station from which Juliet came was of any great importance to him, for she could have been a maid and he would have come to care as deeply for her as he did now. And yet, how quickly that had all changed!
Days that had been spent surrounded by the sounds of laughter were now consumed by the echoes of anguish and calls of agony. Of prisoners fighting for scraps of food or the cleaner corners of the large cells filled with too many bodies.
He had been in the jail located in Rumsbury for nearly a week, and he feared he would not live to stand trial. Although his worries as to whether he lived or died mattered little, for word had already reached him as to his fate.
Lord Parsons had always wanted Juliet for himself, that much Daniel knew, but he never imagined the man would go to such lengths to have her. To make such accusations - theft as well as assault? - was not uncommon for men of the ton when they felt wronged by a member of the lower class, but Daniel never expected that such a fate would befall him.
Sighing, he shook his head and looked at the tiny cell he had been given. A small window brought in just enough light during the day to see by - candles were not wasted on prisoners - but what he saw was not worth seeing. Although he had become accustomed to a comfortable bed, and the arms of his wife, he was not a stranger to sleeping on a pallet made of straw in the stables before he was married.
Yet, that was when the straw was clean and changed out at regular intervals. The straw that made up his pallet now may have been there since the beginning of time given how much it stank. The blanket he had been given was so thin it did little to keep away the cold, but it was better than no blanket at all.
He was just glad to not be forced to endure his final days living amongst the other prisoners in the common areas, those who had been already sentenced. What had been described to him held such horrors he doubted he would still be alive today.
Sighing, he lay back into that horrid straw and closed his eyes, bringing forth an image of Juliet. Where was she now? They had not spent a single night apart since they fled Scarlett Hall two years earlier. He had been told he would be allowed visitors beginning today, but would she come? He prayed she would! He needed to see her face, to hear her voice, if he was to survive this horror.
He was not a fool; he knew death awaited him. His only care was for the safety of his lovely wife.
Please, Lord, he prayed, keep her safe. Don’t allow Lord Parsons to hurt her!
The mere idea of that man doing anything against his wife caused him to clench his fist. But no, he could not allow his anger to rise, for it would do him no good. It was the reason so many lashed out at one another here; they could not keep their anger under control.
The rasp of a key in the lock made Daniel sit up. One of the guards pushed open the heavy wooden door with a grunt. “Food time,” the man said in the same flat tone he had used every other day.
Prisoners ate in a common room with a scattering of tables and numerous chairs. Those who had already arrived sat with a bowl in front of them. Served as the only meal of the day, the stew, or so they called it, was more a broth than anything else and was served with bread.
Daniel took his place and picked out the weevils from the bread beside his bowl. He missed the fresh-baked bread Mrs. Harper brought him and Juliet in exchange for her lessons in writing. The woman had promised to begin teaching Juliet how to bake it herself – that had excited his wife beyond belief – but now he wondered if that would happen at all.
He sighed. His stomach rumbled as he took the first bite, and he winced at the putrid flavor.
“Haskins!” one of the guards shouted from a walkway above them. “Ye’ve a visitor.”
“Juliet,” he whispered as he stood. He reached for his food, but the guard shouted, “Ye either eat here or leave, but ye can’t have it both.”
Although his stomach ached with hunger, he pushed the bowl away and made his way to the door, where he waited for another guard to unlock it and allow him to pass.
“Is it my wife?” he asked once as they walked down the darkened corridor.
The guard laughed. “I doubt someone the likes of you’d be married to someone like ‘er. She’s a proper lady. Whoever she is, the warden respects ‘er, ‘cause ‘e’s allowing ‘er to see you in ‘is office of all places.”
The man shook his head as if this was the most outlandish thing he had ever heard in his life.
Daniel smiled. It was his Juliet. Any woman who could convince someone of such importance to do her bidding could only be Juliet, and it was one of the countless reasons he loved her.
They arrived at an open area, and the guard motioned to a door to his left. “She’s in there. Ye’ve ten minutes.”
Daniel hurried to the room and closed the door behind him. His heart soared upon seeing that it was indeed Juliet. She had never looked so beautiful in her white dress and with her hair pinned up high.
“Oh, Daniel!” she said in a choking voice before covering her mouth.
He hurried to her and pulled her into his arms. “Are you all right?” he asked. He took a step back and looked her up and down. “Were you hurt in any way?”
“I am well,” she replied. “Or well enough. I have been so worried about you!” She wiped at her eyes with a kerchief. “I had promised myself I would not cry!”
Daniel took hold of her hands. “There’s nothing wrong with crying,” he said. He glanced at the door. “But we don’t have much time. That night, what happened, Lord Parsons is behind it all. A man, another prisoner, told me that he’s planned this for a long time now.”
Juliet nodded. “That is true. The man has gone quite mad! Oh, Daniel, they mean to hang you as punishment!”
How he hated seeing his wife in pain! “I know,” he said in a quiet voice. “My trial’s scheduled three weeks from now, though I don’t think it’ll be a fair one.”
“It i
s not right,” Juliet said with a pout. “But do not despair. I will find a way to stop it.”
The eagerness and beauty in her eyes warmed his soul, for it was the same look she had when they spoke of being together two years earlier. Although he wanted nothing more than to believe her words, he knew there was nothing she could do.
“You must understand,” he said, taking her hands in his. “I’m nothing more than a stable hand, so my word means nothing. You know this. And though I don’t want to say it, I’ll be dead soon, and there’s nothing either of us can do about it.”
Juliet pulled her hands away. “No! That will not happen! You are my husband, the man I love, and I will do anything to put a stop to this madness.”
Grief overtook Daniel, and he had to summon all his strength to remain composed. Inside, he wanted to admit he was terrified, not only of death but also of being separated from the woman who possessed his heart.
“Juliet, you must listen…”
“Lord Parsons was there that night they took you away,” she said, interrupting him. “After I returned to Rumsbury, I went to speak to him.”
A sudden burst of anger rose inside Daniel. “You went to his home?” he demanded. “That was a foolish thing to do! He could have hurt you!” She reached up to wipe at her eyes once more and he noticed a bruise on the inside of her arm. “Did he do this to you?”
“No,” she replied, but he knew she was lying, for she did not look at him. “You must listen to me. He has made me an offer, and I am considering accepting it.”
Daniel’s heart clenched. “What could that monster possibly offer?” he asked, fearing what she would say in response.
“Your life spared in exchange for my hand in marriage.”
The words reverberated through his mind and soul, and he took a step back as a man pushed by another. Surely, she had not even considered such an offer! Yet, as he watched the tears stream down her face, he knew she was doing just that, and it tore at his heart.
***
Juliet spent the majority of the morning dressing for her visit with Daniel, all the while debating how to save him. She had chosen - and discarded - nearly every dress in her wardrobe for one reason or another, before deciding on the white day dress embossed with white forget-me-nots around the bottom hem of the skirts. It had been a favorite before her quick dash from Scarlett Hall, and she knew Daniel would appreciate the time and effort she put into her appearance.
Despite her excitement at seeing her husband after the longest week she had ever endured in her life, a heaviness weighed down upon her.
Standing before him now, she realized that it was more than the offer of Lord parsons that had made the past week nearly unbearable; she had missed being in the arms of the man she loved even more. Daniel’s reaction had only intensified that burden, creating a pain inside her that she had never experienced in all her life.
“No!” Daniel said as he stumbled back from her. “How could you even consider such an offer?”
“Do you believe I wish to accept?” Juliet asked, unable to hide her shock. “To call him my husband? I would rather die than do such a thing!” She shook her head sadly. “Yet, I must consider it if it means keeping you alive.”
Daniel groaned. “From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I wanted nothing more than to be near you.” He took a step closer to her. “And as the years passed, I saw how truly beautiful you are.”
“I know you did,” she said with a choked sob. “I waited months for you to say those words to me, and the day you did, my heart changed. I will be the first to admit that I was a spoiled child until I fell in love with you.”
With a chuckle, Daniel placed his hands on her arms. “My life changed, too, for that was the moment I realized just how important you are to me, how much I care for you, and it wasn’t long after when I knew I loved you and everything about you. You taught me to read and write. It was you who told me that a bridge could connect a lady with a poor stable boy, that our dreams were possible and nothing could ever stop us from being together.”
“Which is why I must do whatever I can to save you,” Juliet said. “You must allow me to at least consider the viscount’s offer.”
Pain flickered in his eyes and he pulled away once more. “I told you before that I’d rather love you for one day than to never love you at all. Do you remember?”
“Yes,” she said, her voice just above a whisper. “I do remember.”
“I’ve been lucky enough to love you for many more days than just the one, and I’ll be forever thankful for that.”
“You speak as if there is no hope,” she said, unable to temper the anger that rose inside her. “That your fate has already been decided. I must say, I do not like it.”
Daniel sighed. “This time, my love, I’m afraid there’s no hope left. I’d rather hang than to see you married to that man.”
“You would have me live my life with a broken heart?” she demanded. “To grow old alone?”
“No. You will one day find a man worthy of you…”
She had heard enough! How dare he even consider such a thing! “You speak foolishness!” she snapped. “My heart has no room for another!” She drew in a deep breath in order to calm herself. Shouting at her husband would not make the situation any better. “However, If I agree to marry Lord Parsons, you will be set free! Perhaps then we can find a way to…”
“Dammit, Juliet!” Daniel shouted. She had never heard him use profanity before, nor had he ever raised his voice to her, and to hear him speak to her in such a way made her start. “You are not to marry that man! You will return to your mother and prepare for a life without me!”
Juliet drew herself up to her full height - still considerably shorter than Daniel, but still imposing, nonetheless - and gave him her best glare. “I will do no such thing,” she said firmly. For without you, there is no life and no reason to continue living.” She grasped his hands in hers. “You are my husband, the love of my life. I have never given up on anyone for whom I have cared, and I am not about to give up on you now!”
He reached up and brushed his hand against her cheek. How she loved when he touched her! “I love you,” he said before pulling her to him and kissing her. The kiss was precious, and it brought her comfort. Yet, when it ended, the sadness returned. “Don’t come back to visit; this isn’t a place for a lady, and I’d rather you didn’t see me here. It’ll make it all the easier for you to begin your new life.” Then he walked over and banged a fist on the door.
“Daniel?” she asked as the door opened and the guard entered the room.
Her husband said nothing as he walked past the guard and disappeared into the hallway.
No! This could not be her last time to see the man she loved with all her heart and soul! She ran to the doorway. “Daniel!”
He paused and turned back to look at her, and a thousand images flashed through her mind. She climbing the ladder in the stable before falling. Daniel carrying her into the safety of the house. She sitting beside him as she taught him to read by candlelight in the room at the back of the stables. Their first embrace, their first kiss, and most importantly, the first time they professed their love for one another.
“Goodbye, my beautiful Juliet,” he said. Then he passed through a heavy door that closed behind him with a deep clang of finality.
Pressing a hand to her mouth, Juliet felt as though her soul had been ripped from her chest. Her legs wobbled beneath her and she struggled to stand. The world began to spin, but she somehow managed to turn and walk toward the exit. Her head felt filled with cotton wool, so much so that she did not realize she was outside until her mother hurried toward her. Falling into her mother’s arms, she wept.
A final tremor rolled through her before she righted herself once more. She was no namby-pamby! She had never been weak in her life and was unwilling to be so now.
She had two choices. She could listen to her husband and allow him to die for crimes he did not commit, or
she could disobey him and save his life.
And although her heart was heavy at being forced to make such a decision and everything in her life seemed to be falling down around her, Juliet smiled.
“Are you all right?” her mother asked, studying Juliet with clear concern.
“Yes, I am,” she replied. “For there is still hope.”
Chapter Eight
The first of Juliet’s sisters to arrive was Isabel, the eldest of the Lambert children. Now a duchess, she lived in London with her husband, Laurence Redbrook, Duke of Ludlow, and their two children, Eleanor – known as Elly to keep from confusing her with her namesake – and Henry, the heir to the dukedom. Isabel remained strikingly beautiful, perhaps even more so, and Juliet was eager for her wisdom.
Yet, they had little time alone before Hannah arrived, a book clutched in her hand. Not much had changed with the second sister, except that she appeared happier than she had been when they were growing up together.
It was as if life had returned to the wonderful days of Juliet’s youth, when she was with her sisters and dreaming of her life ahead.
The problems she faced then were merely a drop in a bucket compared to what she was enduring now, and she somehow wished they could remain as they were at this very moment.
Except, in that dream, Daniel would be with them, as well.
As they shared in a cup of tea, Annabel joined them. The youngest of the four, Annabel had always been the closest to Juliet. They had spent whatever time they could together, Juliet advising the younger girl in the truths of life - or rather the truths as she saw them at the time.
What Juliet had come to learn was that she knew very little about life in those days. One truth she understood now, however, was how much she missed having Annabel in her life.
The last member of their group sat with them, the matriarch of their family, the woman who united the sisters of Scarlett Hall. Their mother had guided them all through life, teaching them how to be ladies and giving them advice on how to find love.
Ballad of the Innocents Page 6