Ballad of the Innocents

by Monroe, Jennifer

  Although Juliet would do anything to save her husband, she would no longer allow this man to hurt her. “Release me,” she demanded. “If you do, I will tell you all I have done.” To her surprise, he did as she bade. “Did you believe I would disobey you?” she asked but gave him no opportunity to respond. “I only agreed to go to the jail because my uncle must not know that I have made plans for his demise.”

  The viscount frowned. “You planned this?” he asked. “When?”

  Juliet sighed and slipped her arm through his. “While you were gone, I was thinking of all the things I want you to buy me.” She led him to the path once more. “That led to thoughts of our wedding and the guests I should invite.”

  “I have said before that I do not want any guests.”

  “Of course,” she replied, batting her eyelashes at him. “But we should consider one invitation. That of my uncle.”

  He furrowed his brow. “But why should we invite Parker?”

  “Because on my wedding night, he will become so drunk that he will sadly fall to his death. Together, we will share the story of his life - a once-powerful man who came to you for help and how you gave him the opportunity to save his good name. Unfortunately, he was unable to control his lust for spirits, and in a drunken stupor, he went for a walk only to inadvertently fall and hit his head. You tried to save him but arrived too late.”

  He came to a stop and looked down at Juliet. Her heart threatened to burst from her chest, and she held her breath. Did he suspect her true motives? Had she convinced him that she had indeed devised a plan that would see her uncle dead? If not, all would be lost.

  To her relief, he broke into a wide grin. “You truly are the same woman I knew before. You possess a fire inside you that burns so brightly, I may become blind by it. The fact you are willing to go to such lengths to help me leaves me with no doubt. I could not have devised a better plan myself! It is the best way to rid ourselves of Parker once and for all.”

  Juliet twirled a strand of hair around her finger and smiled. “And for my actions, perhaps while you are busy increasing your wealth, I can select a new piece of jewelry?”

  “You may choose two,” Lord Parsons replied. “Think of it as a reward for what you have done.”

  She smiled at the man, the first time with true happiness behind it. For he, the viscount, would receive a deserving reward, as well. And the thought of that made her almost giddy with excitement.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The sun would not set for another hour, and the main street in Rumsbury was quiet as Juliet walked beside Annabel. The shops were now closed, the proprietors and those who worked for them off with their families for the night. Lord Parsons had invited Juliet to dinner after their stroll through the gardens, but she had politely refused, explaining that she wished to spend time with her sisters before they returned to their respective homes.

  They came to a stop in front of a particular window. “It feels as if it was only yesterday when we were here,” Annabel said, brushing at the dirt with her handkerchief. She frowned at the smudge it made. “Yet, it also seems a lifetime ago. Is it not odd that the shop remains empty after all this time? It is as if it is cursed and everyone knows it.”

  Juliet nodded as she squinted to see the nearly empty shelves. On the floor lay a single riding boot. It was here where she met Robert Mullins, a man she had thought a kind cobbler. Not long after, however, she came to understand that the man had blackmailed her mother and forced a kiss on Annabel.

  Yet, it was learning that he was her true father – that he had left alone a woman who carried his child – was the most devastating. He had used her, his own daughter, to get to the woman who she knew as her mother, believing she could lead him to the wealth of Scarlett Hall. How could a man be so cruel to his own flesh and blood?

  The regret she felt now as she stood in front of the window of the cobbler’s shop was not for his actions, but her own. It was she who had continued to speak to the man when she was forbidden to do so. It was she who had introduced him to Annabel and her friends, allowing him to nearly cheat them out of their money. What had begun as a simple act of rebellion had spiraled into Daniel now being imprisoned.

  “I have brought so much anguish to everyone I love,” Juliet said, her heart heavy and her eyes filling with tears. “I thought that if I changed my ways, I could finally move on from my past. Now, it may very well ruin what Daniel and I built together, if it has not already.”

  “Do not say such things,” Annabel said. “Daniel loves you, and nothing will ever stop that.”

  Drawing in a deep breath, Juliet sighed. “His face, when I told him I was marrying Lord Parsons, will forever be etched in my mind.”

  Annabel reached out and took Juliet’s gloved hand in hers. “You are doing what you can to save him. The pain you have today will soon be gone. You must not give up hope.”

  “I believe that one day he will be freed, but I wonder if he can ever forgive me for what I have chosen to do.”

  Her sister clicked her tongue in vexation. “This is not the Juliet I know and love,” she admonished. “That woman would never admit defeat. You are one of the strongest women I know, and you will not lose!”

  Juliet smiled. Although she wanted to believe Annabel’s words, she feared the plan she had devised was doomed to fail. “I am just tired, is all,” she said.

  Annabel embraced her. “Let us return home. There is nothing for us here anymore.”

  With a nod, Juliet allowed her sister to lead her away. However, she gave the cobbler’s shop one last look. Annabel was right; that was a part of her past, and it did indeed need to be left behind.

  “Come on,” she said, glancing at the descending sun. “I believe it is dark enough now.”

  With her sister at her side and keeping to the growing shadows, Juliet led them through the back streets and alleyways to the opposite side of the village.

  ***

  They kept to the shadows as they made their way through the empty streets. The jail sat beside the courthouse, and with the sun hovering over the horizon, the shadows of the large building would give them plenty of places to hide.

  “This was a brilliant idea,” Annabel said in a hushed tone. “This way Lord Parsons will not know that you came to see Daniel!”

  Juliet nodded as she looked in every direction, but no one was about. Earlier, Hannah had questioned Juliet about the cell in which Daniel now lived, and when she had mentioned the window, they decided it would be the perfect point of contact.

  “To think that I must sneak about to see my own husband,” Juliet said with a frown. “Lord Parsons will pay for what he has done!”

  They reached the alley that lined the cells in the section where Daniel was housed, and Juliet peeked around the corner. A few abandoned crates stacked against the gray stone walls would provide cover. No one was about, except a slat-ribbed dog sniffing for scraps of food. She hoped he was sniffing for food and not a large rat!

  “Go on ahead,” Annabel whispered, her back against the wall beside Juliet. “I will remain here and keep watch.”

  Juliet nodded, hurried hunched over to the first window, and peered inside. She was greeted by a toothless smile of an old man with a beard. He said nothing, to her relief, so she waved a quick greeting to him and moved to the next window.

  This time when she peered through the bars, she saw Daniel curled up on the filthy pallet of straw. She ran her fingers across the six steel bars.

  “Pst!” she hissed. “Daniel!”

  He looked up at her, and when he saw who it was, jumped from the floor, and hurried over to her. His face had thinned in the short time he had been there, and to her shock, he peered through a swollen eye that was a deep purplish-green.

  “What happened to your face?” she asked with a gasp.

  “It’s nothing,” he replied. “What’re you doing here? And why haven’t you come to see me? I was sure you’d given me a message when you were here with�
��that man.” He said this as if it were a curse.

  “Lord Parsons has forbidden me to see you,” she replied. “Apparently, he has paid off the guards to see that I do not. But that is why I am here. I have good news! The date of your trial has been moved up to Friday! We will be reunited sooner than we expected!”

  She had hoped the news would make him smile, but instead he simply sighed.

  “What is it? What is wrong?”

  “I told you before,” he said. “Just let me die. And keep away from that man. Now you wear his jewelry and speak about him with excitement.”

  “You do not understand,” she said. “I am doing this all for you!”

  He reached up and gripped the bars with both hands. “I do understand more than you know. It’s why I asked you to stay away from him. Now, he calls on you every day, and I dare not speak about what he’s likely done with you!”

  A tear rolled down Juliet’s cheek as she stared at him. “I swear to you that what you fear has not, nor will it ever, happen! Please, you must understand that I love no one but you!”

  “Then you must stop this madness,” he demanded. “What we’re going through right now is far different than anything we’ve ever faced before. He won’t allow me to go free. I believe he’ll make sure I’m hanged.”

  “Don’t say that!” Juliet said in a harsh whisper. “There is always hope.”

  Daniel snorted. “I’ve given up on hope, for there‘s none left.”

  For the first time in her entire life, Juliet felt the complete crushing, the complete desolation, of her soul. It was as if all her hopes and dreams had been ripped from her very essence. Yet, the fire of which her mother spoke roared through her body as she placed her fingers on those of her husband.

  “You were once a stable boy,” she whispered as her eyes misted. “I was a young lady of the ton. Society dictated that we could not be together, and we proved they were wrong. We will do so again!”

  A faint smile came to Daniel’s lips. “Do you remember when you taught me to read?” Juliet nodded. “I grew frustrated because I didn’t believe I could ever learn. Yet, every night, you came to teach me, to help me. The same determination I saw in your eyes then I see again now.”

  “It will not be easy,” Juliet said. “And I cannot imagine leaving you here to live as you are, but I swear to you, we will get through this, together.”

  Daniel sighed. “I’m sorry for what I said. I live in fear for my fate, but I’m more afraid for yours. So, my love, my Juliet, I swear to you that I do believe that if anyone is able to help me, it’s you. And even though it doesn’t seem possible, I’ll hold on to hope and to the love I have for you.”

  “That is all I ask,” she said with a small smile.

  He looked behind him and then turned back to her. “You should go. The guard’ll check on me soon.”

  Juliet nodded and then grasped her fingers in his.

  “I love you, Juliet. I always have, even before I realized it.”

  “And I love you.”

  “Come back and see me before Friday if you can,” he whispered as he withdrew his hands and their fingertips left one another’s.

  “I swear it,” she whispered. Then she hurried back down the alleyway and around the back of the courthouse building where Annabel waited.

  “Is Daniel well?” Annabel asked as she pulled Juliet in for a tight embrace.

  “No,” Juliet replied. “But soon everything will be made right again. Come, let us go before someone sees us.”

  As they retraced their steps, Juliet held close the words Daniel had said to her. He still loved and trusted her, and that was what mattered most.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Since he was a young boy, Hugh had always been well aware of the power he possessed. At the age of eight, he broke a vase important to his mother and, to avoid the woman’s ire, had blamed it on a servant. The maid was dismissed on the spot without pay, and for a reason he did not understand - nor did he care to - the entire proceeding had delighted him immensely.

  When he was in his teens, he discovered the art of blackmail and used it to coerce servants into doing his bidding with the threat of seeing their livelihoods stripped away if they ignored his requests. It made him chuckle whenever he caught a footman whispering to a giggling maid, for they would take one look at him and scurry away like mice caught in the pantry by the cat.

  With each act of deceit, he grew stronger, until no one dared cross him. No one, that is, except that blasted stable boy.

  And that problem has been put to rest! he thought as an image came to him of the boy sitting in prison knowing the woman he loved was with Hugh.

  That woman currently wore a pale blue dress and her hair was piled high upon her head in a fashionable chignon. Her ensemble was completed with white gloves and the sapphire necklace nestled in her exquisite bosom. What a flawless beauty she was! She should have been admired by all, and the man beside him in the foyer did just that as he did nothing to hide his gaze as they approached her.

  “Lord Alan Rutherford, my fiancée, Miss Juliet Lambert.”

  Juliet performed a perfect curtsy, and Lord Rutherford’s eyes bulged, likely from the magnificent view she gave him. Hugh could not have been prouder. Like everything else he had encountered, he had been correct in his judgment. To see other men ogle her when they knew she belonged to him and no one else was what he had always wanted.

  “It is an honor, Miss Lambert,” Lord Rutherford said. Then he turned to Hugh. “Although I said I would need time to consider this matter, I have decided to agree. Please send the appropriate documents to my solicitor at your earliest convenience.”

  Hugh smiled. This was yet another associate to whom Parker had introduced him. “Thank you,” he said. “I will have it drawn up and sent to you within the week. Akerley will see you to the door.” The butler bowed and allowed the lord to exit before following behind.

  Elation ran through Hugh. Thus far, he had shaken hands on no more than three business agreements this week, and the woman he adored had been present for every one!

  Well, not in the same room, of course, that was just silly. She had waited in the sitting room while he conducted business in the study, and each time he brought a prospective partner to her, she had astounded him with her beauty. Lord Rutherford had been the second man to agree after meeting Juliet, which only made Hugh prouder.

  “Do not forget who has brought you your new fortune.”

  Hugh covered a frown as Parker entered the room, that arrogant smile gouging into Hugh’s head as easily as if it were a blade. How it irked Hugh that the man could ruin such good humor.

  “You acted as if I were not even at the meeting,” the irritating man continued. “In fact, you did so at the other two meetings I set up for you.”

  Clasping the man on the shoulder, Hugh replied, “I have not forgotten. After all, we have an agreement, do we not?”

  “We do,” Parker said, although his frown remained. “Just make certain you keep it.” He then turned and left the room.

  Hugh stifled a sigh. It would not be long before the dizzard left his home and his constant nagging and interference came to an end!

  “I am pleased your meeting went well. Your estate grows quickly.”

  He turned to Juliet and smiled. She was his salvation. “It does,” he said. “It is as I have told you before; I always receive what I desire.” He placed a hand on the side of her face. “Just as I have always desired you.”

  Her giggle was like listening to tiny bells ringing. “Do you realize how your words make a lady’s cheeks heat? Please, I beg of you to stop lest I embarrass myself by turning the color of my wine.”

  Hugh drew in a deep breath. Her perfume was sweet and alluring, and he wished this was their wedding night. He had thought that turning the girl against the stable boy would have been much more difficult, yet blackmail only sparked the greed he had seen in her two years earlier.

  Or was she playing a
game with him? Could she, a woman, best him? How he despised these sudden flickers of doubt! Yet, how often had they saved him from embarrassing situations?

  As she gazed up at him with that smile and eyelashes that fluttered so provocatively, he knew his doubts were unwarranted. Gone was any resistance, although he would never drop his guard. Never in his life had he trusted anyone fully, for everyone kept back secrets that could potentially hurt him. Everyone, including his lovely bride-to-be.

  “How can I not compliment a lady of such beauty?” he asked. “Rutherford was intrigued, and I cannot wait to see the reactions of others in the ton when we present ourselves once we are wed.” Then an idea came to mind. “Come with me.”

  He took her hand and led her upstairs.

  “Next week this will be your room,” he said as he opened the door to his bedroom. “Does it please you?”

  Juliet walked over to the large four-poster bed and trailed delicate fingers along the coverlet. Then she moved to the set of French doors that led out onto a balcony. “It is lovely,” she said as she peeked through the drapes that hung over the doors. She walked to the vanity table and ran her hand across the top. “This appears new.”

  He joined her. “That is because it is, as are all the perfumes I had delivered this morning.”

  Her eyes lit up as she reached for one of the bottles. “You are too kind,” she said. “You do not have to give me such gifts, but,” she turned to look up at him, her eyes glinting, “I will not refuse them.”

  “I did not believe you would,” he said, taking the bottle from her hand and returning it to the table. “The jewelry box. Open it.”

  She raised her eyebrows and did as he bade, gasping once the lid was raised. “What a beautiful ring,” she said.

  “It was my mother’s.” He retrieved the ring, a gold band adorned with a perfect sapphire, and slid it onto her finger. “The color suits you. Like the necklace you are wearing, it is a symbol of what I am willing to do for you. Never forget that.”