Ballad of the Innocents

by Monroe, Jennifer

  A light breeze blew around them as they fell quiet. Then Daniel said, “I’d almost given up hope, but now I’m filled with it.” He put his arms around her and pulled her tight.

  “I admit there were times when I nearly had, as well,” she said, reveling in his hold and still unable to believe he was there with her. “Yet, here we are together.”

  Daniel smiled down at her and then kissed her. The kiss was urgent, breathtaking, and most importantly, filled with love.

  When it ended, Juliet sighed, not wanting to release her hold on her husband. Yet, she did, and they walked hand in hand through the door of Scarlett Hall, ready to take the next step that would lead them to the rest of their lives.

  ***

  That night as they ate dinner in the tiny cottage, Juliet found herself gazing at her husband. The simple things in life is what those in love cherish most – and the very things people such as Lord Parsons would never understand.

  “I’ve never tasted lamb so tender,” Daniel said, shoving another mouthful into his mouth. “Your cooking skills have certainly improved.”

  Juliet threw a morsel of bread at him. “You are a rude man!” she said with a laugh. “Oh, that reminds me…”

  She went over and rustled through the burlap sacks that held most of their belongings. When she returned to the table, she placed the cap Agnes Price had made in exchange for the lessons Juliet had given her.

  Perhaps it was all she had endured over the past month. Or was it seeing how handsome he appeared in the cap? Maybe it was simply that she loved him, but regardless of the reason, Juliet burst into tears.

  “Oh, Juliet,” he said, gathering her into his lap. “It’ll all be well soon enough.”

  She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “Yes, it will be,” she replied, feeling foolish for showing such weakness in a time she needed to remain strong. “Life is heading in the right direction now.” She wriggled from his hold. “Go on, finish your dinner,” she admonished playfully.

  He laughed. “Yes, my lady,” he replied.

  Soon, they were discussing what their life would be like in France, and Juliet came to the realization that it did not matter where they lived, only that she was with her husband. Lord Parsons had sought to destroy that, and she was thankful he had failed.

  For what she and Daniel shared could never be taken from them. Never!

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “What do you mean he escaped!” Hugh’s voice echoed in the foyer, cowing the young messenger who stood before him, his tattered hat clutched in his hands.

  The boy gulped and then said, “M-Master H-Harvey sent me to t-tell you that the H-Haskins lad’s gone. That’s all I know, I s-swear!”

  With a wild roar, Hugh reached for a nearby porcelain vase filled with a bouquet of lovely flowers he had sent one of the maids to gather as a gift for Juliet, lifted it over his head, and threw it against the wall. The resounding crash did little to ease his ire as water trickled down the wallpaper. He needed another vase!

  “I will kill him myself this time!” he said, his jaw clenched so tightly he wondered if he would lose any teeth.

  “I-is there a-any reply, my lord?”

  Hugh turned on the messenger so quickly, the boy took a step back, his eyes nearly covering his face. “You tell your master that I will take care of him later. He, too, will pay for this debacle.”

  The boy dipped his head and hurried away. Or rather he ran as if Hugh, or some other monster, were chasing after him.

  Hugh slammed the door shut, growling before he kicked the leg of the table that had held the now broken vase. “Blast that boy! Blast him to hell!”

  It had to have been the doing of that evil Lambert family. They had always conspired against Hugh despite their oh, so sweet fawning over him. Who else would help the stable boy escape? And he had put his trust in Juliet! What a fool he was!

  He marched to the drawing room, his steps echoing in the hallway, walked over to the fireplace, and slammed his fist into a nearby table.

  “Dammit!” He clutched his hand close to his chest as pain radiated up his arm. How could he have trusted that fool woman?

  “What on earth happened?”

  Hugh spun about to find Josiah Parker sitting on one of the benches in front of the window. He had forgotten the man was still here.

  “That blasted stable boy has escaped the jail, if you can believe that!”

  The only reaction Parker gave was a raise of his eyebrows. “Escaped? How?”

  Despite the early hour, Hugh walked over to the cart that held the decanters of spirits and poured himself a hearty measure of brandy. “It seems, according to the bumbling idiot Harvey sent, that Creassey arrived with several women apparently on some sort of charitable business. A fight broke out at the jail, and when they were able to put everyone to rights again, the boy was gone! I should never have trusted that fool vicar!”

  “Are they certain the reverend and these women had anything to do with the boy’s escape?” Parker asked. How could he be so calm? Hugh wanted to throttle the man!

  “What other explanation could there be? And these women! They could only have been your nieces!” The brandy left a fiery trail down his throat and into his stomach as he downed the entire glass in one go, leaving him gasping as he refilled the glass. “We will go to Scarlett Hall right away. Your sister will tell me where Juliet has taken the boy!”

  Parker threw his head back and laughed. “You are a bigger fool than I realized,” he said. “The magistrates would have sent someone there immediately after they realized the boy was gone. If I know my sister, she would have sent them off on some wild goose hunt, searching everywhere except where she has hidden him.”

  “So, you agree this was her doing?”

  “I would not put anything past the woman,” Parker replied.

  Hugh placed the cool glass against his aching knuckles. “Creassey will know.”

  “I will know what exactly?”

  Hugh spun about at the sound of the voice belonging to the very man who had caused this disaster. “You!” he shouted as he banged the decanter onto the cart. “This is all your fault!”

  The reverend gave Hugh a steady stare. “Again, what exactly is my fault?”

  “The escape of the stable boy,” Hugh said in a growl. “I understand you were there when it happened with a number of women, whom I suspect were the Lambert daughters. I imagine that Juliet was with them, as well.”

  Reverend Creassey chuckled. “I was there, yes, and I also had with me a group of women wishing to do a bit of charity work. But Lady Lambert’s children? Can you imagine the uproar it would cause if I took women of the aristocracy to such a place? Plus, I have not seen the Lambert children together in a very long time.”

  Hugh studied the man, looking for signs of deceit, and grew angrier upon seeing none. “Then where is the stable boy?” he demanded.

  “How should I know?” Reverend Creassey asked. “I came here today to discuss officiating a wedding, not to be accused of a crime.” He gave a heavy sigh. “We do a great deal of business together, do we not? Do you honestly believe I would somehow risk a relationship that is so lucrative for me? Helping the stable boy escape from jail? Do you believe I am that big of a fool?”

  Again, Hugh looked for any signs the reverend was lying, but he could see none. Perhaps the man being there had been nothing more than a coincidence. Stranger things had happened. Yet, Reverend Creassey had always been a Judas covered in the cloth of the Church.

  “Then allow me to pour you a drink, and we will attempt to puzzle out where my bride has gone.” He poured three glasses and handed two to his companions. Both accepted without commenting that it was far too early to be drinking.

  As they sat nursing their brandies, Hugh studied Reverend Creassey. Something tickled the back of his mind. Did the man truly have nothing to do with the boy’s escape?

  “I see you still look at me with accusation,” the reverend said with a chu
ckle. “Do you still believe I played a part in all this?”

  Hugh took a sip of his brandy. “It is odd that you were there and he is now gone. In fact, such evidence could be enough to find you guilty.”

  Reverend Creassey shook his head. “When did they say the boy went missing?” he asked.

  “Late yesterday afternoon, but they are not certain of the exact time. They believe he made his escape when the fight broke out, but there is not much certainty in that.” He clenched his jaw tighter. “I cannot believe they waited until this morning to inform me of this!”

  “Are you a magistrate?” Parker asked in clear amusement. “Are you a member of the constables? Why would they inform you before conducting a search first?”

  “I do not care about your opinion on the matter,” Hugh snapped. “But you,” he said to the reverend, “I want to know the truth.”

  Reverend Creassey tapped his lips in thought. “I was there in the afternoon, true, but I do not remember seeing Daniel now that I think of it.”

  Hugh glared at the man and growled, “Do not speak his name in my presence!”

  “All right, then,” the reverend said with a snort. “Let’s assume I did play a part in this. Did I call upon an angel to spirit Dan…the boy away? I would have had some sort of means to remove him from the building without being caught. You see, it makes little sense to believe I am involved. Perhaps he escaped before I arrived and they had yet to notice.”

  “Then how did he escape?” Hugh shouted, sick of hearing the excuses this man made. “I will not be bested by that boy again!” He finished off the remainder of his brandy, glared at the empty glass, and threw it into the fireplace with all his might. Then he turned his glare on Parker. “And you! You told me you could control that sister of yours. If so, I want you to go there now and learn what she knows.”

  Parker gave Hugh an even stare. “I will deal with Eleanor when the time is right. Today I would suspect there are those who are keeping eyes on Scarlett Hall, and I do not want those eyes turned in my direction.” He sipped at his brandy, but Hugh could see the man looking over his glass at him.

  The reverend placed his empty glass on the table and stood. “I will go to Scarlett Hall and speak to Lady Lambert myself. I will return tomorrow to officiate the wedding. I assume it is still taking place?”

  Hugh snorted. “If Juliet shows for the ceremony, I am an ass’s uncle.”

  Reverend Creassey shrugged and left the room, leaving Hugh to steam in his anger.

  “That man is a fool,” Parker said. “I agree with you; Juliet will not come. Why not just admit the truth? She and that stable boy bested you once more.”

  “There is only one way to know,” Hugh replied tartly as he made his way to the door. “And if she is not there, Eleanor Lambert will pay one way or another for the part she played in this deception.”

  ***

  With quick steps, Hugh bounded up the stairs to the front door of Scarlett hall. The door opened before he reached it.

  “Lord Parsons,” the butler said with a deep bow. “Lady Lambert…”

  “Where is Juliet?” Hugh demanded, panting both from the quick climb and his unabashed anger. “Tell me, you fool! Where is she?”

  The butler took a step back, his eyes wide. “She is in the drawing room, my lord. Shall I announce…”

  Hugh pushed past the fool man and hurried down the hallway that led to the drawing room ready to confront the woman who had duped him. He pushed open the door, which flew back and hit the wall, startling the occupants within. He came to a stop, shocked by what he saw.

  There stood Juliet resplendent in a white dress, a seamstress on her knees with a line of pins in her lips.

  “Lord Parsons!” Juliet said with an excited gasp. Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she bounded from the stool and threw her arms around him. “I am so glad you are here. Is it not the loveliest gown you have ever seen?” She twirled about and the skirts of the dress billowed out around her.

  “What are you doing here?” he demanded, although it lacked the ire he had intended due to the confusion that filled his mind.

  Juliet stopped her spinning and stared at him in shock. “The seamstress is making a few last-minute adjustments. I believe she is finished, are you not, Mrs. Harvis?”

  The woman nodded and began to gather her things. “I am, Miss. I will be on my way now.” She bobbed each of them a curtsy and hurried from the room.

  Lady Lambert approached, concern etched on her features. “You do realize how improper it is for you to be here, correct? Do you not know it is bad luck to see the bride in her gown before the wedding?” Then she glared at Juliet. “And you, release him and remain civil. You are no longer a child, so I suggest you stop acting like one!”

  Rather than doing as her mother requested, Juliet held him tighter. “No, Mother,” she said, her tone filled with defiance. “Lord Parsons does not mind, do you?” She took a step back. “At least, I do not believe he does.”

  As she looked up at him, those lovely dark eyes twinkling, he could not help but smile. “I do not mind at all,” he said. “There has been an incident…”

  “Oh!” Juliet cried, cutting off his words. “Did you hear that Daniel escaped from the jail? The constable was here a few hours ago. They came banging on the door before I had awoken, demanding to search the house!”

  “And what did you tell them?”

  “They wanted to know all sorts of things,” Juliet replied. “Where my sisters are, where I have been in the last twenty-four hours, so many personal things. It was all quite exciting, really. I have never been interrogated before.”

  Lady Lambert frowned at her daughter. “We explained that Daniel has a sister not far from here and that they should begin their search there. Why would I know anything about a stable boy?”

  Doubt crept into Hugh’s thoughts as he considered all that had happened over the past month. Had his pride grown so that he was being tricked? Yet, as he looked at Juliet, who wore the necklace and the ring he had given her, the doubt eased. If either woman had been a part of aiding in the boy’s escape, why would Juliet be readying herself for the wedding?

  “You have not said whether or not you like my gown,” Juliet said with a pout.

  “Of course, I do,” he replied, taking her hands in his. “But you can understand why I would suspect that you and your family had something to do with the boy’s escape, do you not?”

  The innocent look she gave him stirred his desire. “I suppose so,” she replied, although sadness now filled her eyes.

  As he looked over his bride-to-be, another thought occurred to him. He had expected her to be gone. Yet, here she was, readying herself for the ceremony. Even the seamstress had been there. If she had been somehow involved, or even if her mother had, why would she not have run away with the boy?

  “You look beautiful,” he said, kissing her hand, regret filling him for storming into the house and making accusations without first attempting to ascertain the truth. Now he had offended the woman he had fought so hard to entice.

  “Please, sit,” Lady Lambert said.

  “I cannot stay long,” Hugh said. “I only wished to come to see you were safe. We can never tell what that uncivilized stable boy will do in retaliation.”

  “Juliet,” Lady Lambert hissed, “thank the man.”

  Hugh laughed, for Juliet’s attention was on the ring on her finger.

  She glanced up and said, “Oh, I am sorry. What did you say?”

  He laughed again, not for the words of apology but rather for his doubts, which were most certainly unfounded. How could he have thought this lovely woman would have had anything to do with the stable boy she had been willing to push aside? She truly was the woman he had always believed her to be. The very woman he was pleased to be marrying.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Juliet desired nothing more than to be with her husband. Yet, in order for that to happen, she had to continue playing her role.
Throwing herself into the arms of such an evil man pained her, but if it brought about success for the plan Hannah had devised, she would do it again. And again.

  The timing of the arrival of Lord Parsons in the morning could not have been better. Mrs. Harvis had not been apprised of any changes and therefore arrived on schedule. There was no need to bring yet another person in on what they had schemed, and the seamstress knowing the truth would have put the woman in unnecessary danger.

  If Juliet had been on a stage, she would have been lauded for her performance. If she had been playing her part for her country, the King himself would have adorned her with medals hailing her bravery.

  Despite her ability to assume the part of the adoring fiancée, inside she was being torn apart. The past month had put an extreme amount of strain on her, and she would never survive the next steps if Daniel was not waiting for her. If they had been unable to break him from the jail, her life would not have been worth living.

  It was the knowledge that the man she loved with every fiber of her being was waiting for her that gave her the strength to stand in front of the vicar beside a man she detested and speak vows she did not mean. Let God rain judgment upon her later for lying!

  Although, she thought with a silent snicker, I imagine he approves of me returning to my true husband regardless of what takes place here.

  Indeed, the viscount could remove all written evidence that she belonged to Daniel, but he could never erase the truth from their hearts.

  It was with this thought that she stood in the tiny garden of the country cottage mere miles from Scarlett Hall. The house was used rarely and stood empty most of the time, but her mother had seen that it was well-maintained. A lovely variety of flowers brightened the bleakness of what was taking place, and before she had left the house, her mother had given her the final words of wisdom needed to do what had to be done.

  Beside her stood Lord Parsons, dapper in his dark tailcoat, blond hair slicked back with oil. How she despised this man! How she wished she had a blade to plunge into his chest. That would not be very ladylike, however. No, her plan for his demise was much more creative, the idea given to her by her grandmother.