Ballad of the Innocents

by Monroe, Jennifer

  She swallowed hard. “Yes, Father,” she whispered, her cheeks heating up with embarrassment. “I have completed all that is required of me.”

  Had it grown warm in the house? She wanted to fan herself but could not risk offending the reverend again. But, oh, how warm she felt!

  He studied her for a moment and then said, “I believe you.” He placed a hand atop hers, and the warmth spread up her arm and into her torso. “Although I should be accepting the words of a baron, I will accept those of a baroness instead.”

  Juliet sighed with relief. If he believed her, it meant he was no longer offended by her earlier behavior. “Thank you,” she replied. “But what am I to do?”

  “It is up to you to continue to seek his approval,” the reverend replied, releasing her hand. “It may take some time, but I believe your husband will see beyond your errors. But you must be patient. And pray the man hits his head.”

  Juliet’s eyes widened in shock. “I beg your pardon?” Had she heard him correctly? “Did you say I should pray he hits his head?”

  Reverend Creassey nodded. “Yes, because then perhaps wisdom will seep in.”

  Juliet could not help but giggle. He was teasing her!

  How strange! When she looked into this man’s eyes, she could not help but smile. It was as if he was calling to her, and she could not stop the increase of her heartbeat. Here was a man who listened to her, a man who cared for her. Not one who bedded his servants as she knew Henry had been doing.

  In fact, that was the very reason her husband no longer came to her bed. When she wanted only to be held, the only reward she received was a light kiss on the cheek.

  Without thought, for her mind had become muddled, she leaned toward the man and put her arms around him.

  “Lady Lambert…”

  “I want nothing more than to be held,” she whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks. “To know what it is like to be loved.”

  ***

  Scarlett Hall, 1769

  Like the former Ladies Lambert, Lady Juliet Lambert wrote her innermost secrets in journals, a tradition dating back over a hundred years. Yet, unlike her predecessors, she had left out an important entry. To omit anything was a disservice to the women who came before her, and therefore, it was time to see that mistake rectified.

  Upon hearing her young sons, Charles and Silas, arguing as children often do, she hurried to chastise them for their unruly behavior, leaving the journal open on the writing desk.

  An hour later, her husband confronted her about the words she had confessed.

  “You sicken me!” he shouted, his breath hot on her face. “To have a liaison with another man? And with the good reverend, no less! How dare you shame me in such a horrible way?” He stomped to the other side of the bedroom, grasped the bottle containing her favorite perfume, and threw it, nearly striking her in the head.

  “You do not understand!” Juliet sobbed. “I was concerned for our marriage and went to him for guidance. It had not been my intention to have anything happen! It is why I put a stop to it immediately after. You must believe me! I did not know what I was doing!”

  Outside, a storm raged, much like her husband’s temper. “Reverend Creassey has always proven to be a good man, a faithful representative of God,” he said, his lip curled. “And yet you dared tempt him like some strumpet? You disgust me! I want to never look upon your face again!”

  Juliet looked up at him in shock. “Henry?” she whispered, her heart breaking. “If you would only listen!” Since exchanging vows, she had done nothing but try to please this man but to no avail. Was there nothing she could do that would please him?

  “Silence, woman!” he said. “I will not have you, nor that bastard child, in this house any longer! I expect you and the boy to be ready to leave in three days. If I did not have important business to see to, I would see you gone this very night. Silas will be my heir, and I will seek a divorce and find myself a new wife. One who will not throw herself at a holy man of God!”

  It was with utter devastation that she stared at her husband. “You believe Charles is not your son?” she asked. “But he resembles you in every way. He and Silas could be twins if not for the difference in their ages. I did not make the mistake until after…”

  “It does not matter!” Henry snapped “I will not take the chance that my family’s bloodline is compromised because of your indiscretion.”

  She wiped tears from her eyes. “Where will we go?”

  “I will arrange for the two of you to go to London,” he replied, and for the first time she could smell the brandy on his breath. “You should be thankful I will at least do that.”

  “You have an estate there?”

  Henry’s laugh was malevolent. “No, you cow! To the streets. It is where other Covent Garden nuns such as yourself and their bastard children live. Perhaps you can feed you and your son by offering your body to other men as you did the reverend. I understand prostitutes are paid well for their services.” He grasped her hand and she cried out in pain as he pulled the wedding ring from her finger. “You may sleep in the drawing room. Be thankful it is not the stables, which is where you belong - with the other animals.”

  Although Juliet had once loved her husband, none of that love remained. Yet, she could not allow him to take away what rightfully belonged to Charles.

  “I realize you have had many indiscretions,” she whispered. “You speak their names in your sleep. If you wish to continue to have your mistresses, I will never speak a word against it. In fact, I will remain a dutiful wife and look away.” She placed a hand on his arm. “We are both angry and hurt. I am sorry for what I did, but I swear to you, it happened only the one time and has never happened again since. Please, for the sake of our children, hear me!”

  He stared down at her with a sneer. “A man has the right to fulfill his desires as he sees fit. A woman, a lady of title, no less, does not have that right. When she strays, her actions are unforgivable.” He pushed her hand away. “Now, leave, before I add murder to my list of ‘indiscretions’.”

  Juliet recognized that look in his eyes, and she left the room before he chose to take his anger further.

  Hurrying to the drawing room, she slammed shut the door and threw herself onto the sofa, sobbing. Henry would never listen to her. Her mistake had been nothing more than a lapse in judgment, for her heart had been hurting. Plus, at the time, it was a bit of revenge for what she knew very well her husband had been doing. Yet, in the end, it was only she who had been hurt.

  Now her husband believed Charles was not his son. What was she to do? She could not live on the streets of London with a boy of six! And why should Charles be punished for her indiscretion?

  The sounds of whispers in the hallway came to her ear, and she eased open the door and peered through the tiny crack. Rage replaced shame as Henry led one of the young maids by the hand up the stairs. Soon, they disappeared from view.

  Juliet’s stomach roiled. The first time she had caught her husband doing the same, she had dismissed it. Yet, as the years continued, she had lost count of how many other maids he had coaxed to his room.

  Although Juliet carried guilt for her actions, she knew Henry would never change, even if he allowed her to remain. She understood what she had to do. She had to secure not only her future, but more importantly that of her sons. And to do so, she had but one choice to make…

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “And like the first Lady Lambert, my mother-in-law poisoned her husband,” Juliet’s mother said, causing Juliet to cover her mouth to stifle a gasp. “I understand that it was she who came to you seeking guidance, Ambrose.”

  Juliet watched with wide eyes. The vicar and her grandmother, the woman after whom she was named? But how could this be? Did this mean that her father was not the true heir to the barony? What would that mean for her? For her sisters? For their brother?

  Oh, poor Nathaniel! Juliet thought. He would lose his right to the title for certain
if word of this were revealed to the ton!

  Reverend Creassey raised a single brow. “I offered her nothing more than what she requested,” he said. “And she accepted of her own free will.”

  “I agree, she did. And you used your position to justify your actions. Just as you always have.”

  Juliet took a step back when the reverend leaped from the seat he had taken and glared down at her mother. “Just like she, you have always judged me,” he said, spittle flying from his lips. “How often have you come seeking my aid? To help rid you of problems that you and your daughters have brought upon yourselves? Do you believe you are innocent in all this?”

  Her mother sat back in her chair, seemingly undaunted by his outburst. “You are right,” she replied. “I have gone to you for help, and perhaps I am just as guilty as you.”

  Reverend Creassey looked at Juliet. “You have no idea what your mother has done,” he said, his eyes filled with a madness that frightened her. “Acts that would cause you to faint upon hearing them.” Then, the madness seemed to dissipate, and he returned to his chair once more. “So, my helping this woman was noted. You see, it makes little difference to me, for if word got out about this little…mishap…it would only bring shame down upon Scarlett Hall. I am a man of God, a cleric of the Almighty, and therefore free of sin.”

  “You seem to misunderstand me. I have no concern for my name but rather your own, dear Reverend. How many sons of the aristocracy have you had a part in the sudden deaths of their fathers? Such rumors would undoubtedly cause great suspicion, man of God or no.”

  “So, it has come to this then?” he said with a sneer. “After all these years, you will now blackmail me?”

  “Not at all,” her mother replied. “In fact, I have made no such threat, nor would I ever.”

  He frowned. “Then what are you asking of me?”

  She chuckled. “All I ask is that you help me in this certain matter and I will pay you accordingly, just as I have in the past.”

  “And what payment is that?”

  Her mother shrugged. “The usual amount.” She picked up the journal. “And the removal of certain pages from this book, which we will burn together, ridding ourselves of this secret once and for all. You must admit that if others learned of how you took advantage of so many well-respected members of the ton, they may not be as forgiving as they would have been in the past.”

  Juliet stared at her mother. She had known the woman was strong and that her mind was sharp, yet to see how her words left the reverend speechless caused Juliet’s admiration for her mother to grow.

  “And if I refuse your offer?” he said. “What then? Will you accidentally leave the book for someone to find?”

  Her mother pushed the journal forward. “Our relationship, as you have noted, runs deep. Take the book with you and leave if you would like.”

  What was her mother doing? Would she allow such an important piece of information to fall in the hands of this man? Juliet went to speak but fell silent at the wave of her mother’s hand.

  Reverend Creassey gave a derisive sniff. “I never cared much for Lord Parsons,” he said, as he returned to his seat. “And I suspect you will need my help again before long. You always do.” He chuckled. “I agree to your terms, but the monetary value will be doubled from this moment forward.”

  “I accept those terms,” her mother said as she put her hand forward.

  “The documents of marriage will not be recorded, and new baptismal records can easily be drawn up. I assume you would also like a birth notation entered into record under this fictitious name, as well?”

  “Of course,” her mother replied. “And I understand that you have the contract between my daughter and Lord Parsons for safekeeping?”

  The man nodded. “I do.”

  “I will want that, as well.”

  The reverend snorted. “Very well. Is there anything else?”

  Her mother motioned for Juliet to come near.

  Juliet did as her mother bade, placing a hand on the woman’s shoulder. Although she had not known the secret her mother would use to get the reverend to do her bidding, she knew what she was to say when the time came. How could she have doubted the woman?

  “Lord Parsons, you have a great deal of influence in Rumsbury,” Juliet said, speaking the prescribed words. When the reverend nodded, she continued. “But I understand that you are more powerful than he.”

  Again the man nodded. “That is true,” he said with a chuckle. “There is nowhere I cannot go, nor is there an ear that will not listen when I speak.”

  Juliet smiled. “And that is why you will take my sisters and me to the jail to see my husband.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Tuesday morning came to Scarlett Hall with a bright sun rising over the horizon, birds singing their glorious chorus, and Juliet hand in hand with her sisters beneath the grand oak tree in the gardens as they had done so many times before.

  In fact, many events had taken place beneath this very tree. Hannah spent many mornings such as this one, reading beneath its boughs. Isabel taught Juliet and Annabel how to conduct themselves as ladies. Nathaniel took his first steps and was rewarded with numerous kisses upon his cheeks.

  So many memories here were happy ones, and although Juliet was excited for the day ahead, sadness also tugged at her. Today, her sisters would return to their homes and their families, and Juliet knew it would be many years before she saw them again.

  “If any of you wish to return to your homes now rather than risk your names - no! Your very lives! - you may do so now without prejudice. This problem is mine, and I will hold no ill-will if you choose not to join me.”

  Isabel gave Juliet a stern glare. “I speak for myself when I say that we made a pact to be there for each other. I, for one, will not break that pact. However, I too will understand if Hannah and Annabel do not wish to take the chance.”

  “Do not be silly,” Hannah replied. “I may be a marchioness, but I was your sister first. I will go.”

  “I too will join you,” Annabel said. “The pact we made is much too important to ignore. I am willing to take the risk.”

  Juliet blinked back tears. “You have no idea how much this means to me,” she said, sniffling. “I doubt I could do any of this if it were not for all of you.” She turned to Hannah and smiled. “I had always thought I was the best storyteller, yet, your idea for today was brilliant. I shall never forget your part in this.”

  Hannah laughed. “Perhaps I will pen this story one day,” she said. “In quite a number of years, of course, or it may be construed as a confession.”

  Juliet joined her sisters in laughter and then turned to Annabel. “The cloaks draped over our shoulders were stitched by your capable hands. Thank you for your tireless hours creating these treasures.”

  “You are quite welcome,” Annabel replied. “Although, they were all too simple to make. Now if you had wanted lace or satin added, I may not have had enough time…” She smiled. “But know this. I would do it again.”

  Juliet nodded. “And that is why I love you so very much.” She turned to Isabel. “Once, I became angry with Mother when sadness overtook her, for I wanted her to guide us, to tell us what we must do. I understand now why she could not. By giving us our heads, we are now stronger and more capable than we would have been otherwise.” She looked at each of her sisters in turn. “Thank you, all of you, for what you have done in her place. But you, Isabel, have led us so capably, and it is a testament of your strength and sureness that we stand here today.”

  “We are sisters,” Isabel replied. “And there is nothing any of us would not do for one another. I know at times I have angered each of you, yet I believe you now understand why I had to be austere in my ways.”

  Juliet nodded. “Yes, or at least I can say I understand that you only wanted to help us become the ladies we are today.”

  “Are you ready?”

  The four women turned to find their mother stan
ding beside Reverend Creassey, who looked none too pleased. In a way, Juliet could not blame him, for what they planned could see him thrown into prison or hanged alongside the sisters.

  They were to accompany the reverend as women of the Church on a mission of charity. It was also the reason they wore the cloaks Annabel had created, long, heavy garments with deep hoods that would hide their faces and make identification of them difficult.

  Once their plan was executed, within minutes of bringing Daniel out of the prison, Forbes would take Juliet’s sisters by carriage to the town of Marlborough, where they would take previously scheduled transportation to their respective homes.

  So much was at risk today, and Juliet would never be able to find the words to express her thanks for what these women were doing for her.

  She squeezed the hands of two of her sisters. “This is goodbye, then,” she said, choking back tears. “Thank you for all you have done for me. And although I do not know how long it will be before we see each other again, I wish nothing but the best for you all. I love you so very much!”

  “And we love you,” Annabel said, throwing her arms around Juliet with a sob, followed by Isabel and Hannah until all four were in an embrace beneath the great oak tree.

  Isabel was the first to pull away, wiping tears from her face. “Come now, let us go and free your husband.”

  ***

  The plain carriage pulled to an abrupt stop down the street from the jail, and Juliet alighted from the carriage, followed by her sisters and Reverend Creassey. She pulled the hood of her nondescript gray cloak further forward to better hide her face. Fearing she would be recognized, she had added a few smudges of flour to her face and tied back her distinctively dark hair so not a strand showed outside the hood.

  Each of the sisters wore similar cloaks and carried a basket filled with a variety of sweetbreads and dried fruit to give to the prisoners as an act of charity. Reverend Creassey would gain them entrance into the jail, and from there they would make their way through the building to Daniel. According to the reverend, he would be in the common room at this time of day.