Her uncle Josiah also was in attendance. Another man who needed to be taught a lesson in civility, a lesson in the value of those who should be important in one’s life.
He, too, would receive what he deserved for what he had done to her family. His family! Had the man no pride? No integrity? From what Juliet had seen, he lacked in both. Daniel was more a man than what both these men possessed combined! Even a worm had a better sense of family than these two!
All these thoughts swam in her mind as she stood before Reverend Creassey speaking vows meant for Daniel. Vows meant to be spoken to the man she truly loved. The man with whom she was meant to spend the remainder of her life.
You only play a role, she reminded herself. These words mean nothing.
“And Juliet,” Reverend Creassey said, turning to her. It was time!
I am not ready!
You have no choice. Be ready.
She glanced at her uncle, who stood frowning as he rubbed a thumb against his chin. Did he suspect something was wrong? Did he wonder why her mother was not in attendance?
Please, do not ruin our plans!
She took a deep breath and forced her pounding heart to calm and her stomach to cease its churning. Nothing could keep her from Daniel, not even words spoken out of necessity.
These words mean nothing!
“Will you take this man as your wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you obey him and serve him, love, honor and keep him in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him so long as you both shall live?”
As long as we both live, she thought, nearly laughing, although she forced down rising bile. As long as you live, perhaps!
“Juliet!” Lord Parsons said in a low hiss, “Reverend Creassey is awaiting your confirmation.”
Placing a firm image of Daniel in her mind, she smiled and replied, “I will.”
After exchanging rings, Reverend Creassey brought the ceremony to a close.
“Today, your new life begins,” Lord Parsons said as he looked down at her. “A life that should have been with me from the start.”
Juliet returned his smile. “Then let us begin with a celebration,” she replied. “For that which awaits us will be exciting, indeed.”
***
The clock on the mantle in the drawing room chimed five, and Daniel could not shake the uneasy feeling that clung to him like mist on an early autumn morning. At any moment, Juliet would be reciting vows meant for him, another step toward the demise of Lord Parsons. Yet, he could not help but worry that her plan could so easily go wrong.
It was not that he believed she could not bring about what had been so meticulously planned, for she was the most intelligent woman he knew, and he trusted her beyond measure. But if she failed, her life would be at risk, and he was not there to save her.
A man should be given the chance to save his wife! Otherwise, he was not a man in truth.
“Daniel,” Lady Lambert said, “you should sit and try to relax. Would you like me to have Forbes bring you a tray of food? You have not eaten since last night.”
“No, thank you,” he replied. “I’m not hungry.”
Once the vows were completed, Reverend Creassey would leave, returning to Scarlett Hall to give Daniel his new papers. He would no longer be Daniel Haskins. What name he would be given, Daniel did not know, but how could he not be himself? How did one live the life of another?
Well, none of that mattered. Only Juliet mattered, and he needed to be with her!
“I can’t remain here a moment longer,” he muttered.
Lady Lambert rose from her chair. “It is not safe for you to leave. If you are caught, there will never be another chance for escape.”
“But I can’t allow Juliet to do what she’s doing alone,” he replied. “There’s too much risk, and even if there wasn’t, I don’t want her hands soiled. She should not be the one to save me; I should save her.”
“You have the same look in your eyes as the night you came to my office to speak to me about Juliet,” Lady Lambert said. “Do you remember?”
Daniel chuckled. How could he forget? The interrogation she had given was more thorough than the inquiry into the crimes he was said to have committed against Lord Parsons. That he would have done ten more times, a hundred, if it meant he would have Juliet with him for the rest of his life.
“The love you have for my daughter cannot be restrained,” Lady Lambert said. “And because I know this, I cannot make you stay.”
“Thank you,” he said. He was surprised when the usually stoic woman embraced him. She had always treated him well, as an employee, but they had little interaction since he had become her son-in-law. “I’ll return soon with Juliet,” he said. “I hope you understand why I must go. If a life must be taken, it must be done by someone other than Juliet. I can’t allow her to carry such a hefty burden.”
“I do understand,” the baroness replied. “Now go. Take one of the horses from the stable. And do be careful. I want my daughter returned, but I also want you to return so the two of you can be together. She would be devastated if anything were to happen to you.”
Never had Daniel felt so part of the Lambert family - any family, for that matter - than he did at this very moment. He cared nothing for the wealth, the formidable home, or the grandness of the life of the aristocracy. Yet, what this family shared, the closeness they had, the way every member stood beside the others, that was where his pride lay.
Daniel hurried to the stables, the sun sitting just above the horizon. He would have to hurry if he was to make it in time. His Juliet had risked everything to save his life, and he could no longer allow her to continue with the plan alone.
The idea of taking a life sickened him, but if that was what needed to happen to save the woman he loved, he would do it. One way or another, he and Juliet would leave Rumsbury, leave England, together.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The last rays of the sun had long since disappeared and at least two dozen candles flickered in their holders placed about the room. Lord Parsons had questioned Juliet about the need for such bright light, but she argued that it would only allow him a better chance to gaze upon his new wife.
He had replied with a wide grin that told her he would do more than gaze once they were alone. She did what she could to not shiver in disgust at the thought.
Now, Juliet took a nervous sip of her wine. Although Lord Parsons had asked her uncle to leave when Reverend Creassey left an hour earlier, Juliet had insisted her uncle remain.
“We must have someone here to celebrate with us,” she had argued, adding a pout that had never disappointed her.
She walked fingers up the viscount’s chest and batted her eyelashes at him - another technique that never failed her. She had even taught these female tactics to Annabel and their friend Miss Caroline Thrup. According to Caroline, they worked wonders for her. Juliet’s reason for using them now, however, had nothing to do with amusement as it had in the past.
“I know you have other aspirations in mind,” she had continued, “but we have the entire night to spend together in any manner you would like. Allow me just this one tiny celebration - let us say it is my gift from you - and I will make no other requests tonight once my uncle is gone. Not even my mother is here to share in our triumph, nor are my sisters or my brother. Allow me at least one member of my family to mark this momentous occasion.”
Lord Parsons had smiled down at her and readily agreed, his thoughts likely on the promise of what would take place that night. If everything went as planned, she would be gone by then.
It did not take her long to guide the conversation to business, a topic she suspected that, combined with the brandy in which both men partook, would lead them to several moments of contention.
“That is why it is imperative one does not invest in the mining of tin,” Lord Parsons insisted. “Oh, such investments were quite beneficial
for a very long time, but the mines have dried up in recent years. Therefore, one must look elsewhere for investment or risk losing everything.”
Uncle Josiah snorted. “Look elsewhere? I say that tin remains the most lucrative mining ore – behind coal, of course – but what do I know? Your estate is but a pittance compared to mine, which tells us who has the better eye for investing.” He sat back in his chair and crossed an ankle over the other leg. “But do what you like. I care only for what returns I will receive. If you end up bankrupt in the end, what difference does it make to me?”
“Perhaps my uncle is correct,” Juliet said. “He was in control of a rather large estate, and I understand that he has always had a mind for making the best investments. Could you not learn something from him?”
“Listen to the girl, Parsons,” Uncle Josiah said as he pulled himself from the chair and stumbled over to the cart full of spirits. “She is far wiser than you,” he added with a boisterous laugh, staggering for a moment before grasping the mantle to right himself once more.
Lord Parsons bounded from his chair. “I will not be spoken to like a fool!” he said.
Juliet’s heart thudded in her chest as she prayed the two men would fight. She nodded at her uncle, hoping he would remember to do as they had planned and act now.
“Calm yourself,” her uncle said, reaching for his glass and cursing that it was empty. “I was merely teasing you.”
Rising from her chair, she reached into the sleeve of her dress, where she had stowed away a vile Reverend Creassey had given her before the ceremony. Now was the time to remove these two men from her life!
“Why do we not share in a toast,” she called out to them. “We are celebrating! There is no reason to argue.” She poured each man a glass of wine and then paused as she looked down at the tiny bottle. Could she go through with this?
“I believe it would be best if I left,” Uncle Josiah said, his words slurred. “How appropriate to turn out an honored guest. It is clear why you will never amount to much in life. You have no idea my worth, and for that you will be forced to learn a valuable lesson.”
“Gentlemen, please,” Juliet said, blinking back pretend tears. “I only want one last drink before you leave, Uncle.”
Lord Parsons frowned. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “What are you doing?” Before she could blink, he reached for her wrist and pried open her hand. “What is this?” Then he laughed. It was one of the most malevolent sounds she had ever heard. “You mean to poison me?”
Despite her fear, she faced the man she despised above all others. “Release me this instant,” she said, her anger keeping the tremor of fear from her voice. She lifted her other hand and slapped him across the face. Seeing his smirk fall gave her great satisfaction, but it lasted only a moment. He took hold of her other arm, as well.
“Did you honestly believe you could deceive me?” he asked. “And then what? You will run away again? You may have duped me, but you will no longer run.” He glanced over his shoulder and glared at her uncle. “Were you in on this trickery, as well?”
Uncle Josiah, who had walked over to the wine glasses, took them in hand and turned, a questioning look on his face. “So, it appears she poured two glasses and not one as I expected.”
“Expected?” Lord Parsons said as he tightened his grip on Juliet’s wrist. “What do you mean expected?”
Her uncle took a step back. “I only meant that she could have wanted nothing more than to see you dead.”
The viscount glared down at Juliet for a moment. “You…” Then he turned that glare on Uncle Josiah. “You have mocked me since you arrived,” he said as he pushed Juliet, causing her to stumble backward and land on the sofa. Then he grabbed the wine glasses from Uncle Josiah’s hands and threw them against the wall. “You may come from a family of wealth, Josiah Parker, but you are still only of the gentry and therefore beneath me!”
“You may be of the aristocracy,” her uncle growled, pulling himself up to his full height, “but you will learn to respect those who offer you a hand. You have made a simple plan complicated because of her! Do you not see? Your new wife wants you dead. She fooled you only because you are a fool!” Then he turned to glare down at Juliet. “I never should have extended my friendship to you. I am leaving, and I promise my business associates…”
Uncle Josiah’s words were cut short when Lord Parsons brought a candlestick down upon her uncle’s head. Blood ran down his astonished face before he collapsed to the floor in a heap.
Lord Parsons tossed the candlestick onto the other man’s body. “He was right. This was meant to be simple. We were to court and I was to marry you. The former may have been a bit unconventional, but the latter happened despite our troubles.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. “Now we will enjoy our wedding night.”
How could her perfect plan have failed so drastically? “Never!” she cried as she beat her hands against his chest. Yet, he picked her up as if she were nothing more than a doll, and her anger grew. With each strike, the viscount simply adjusted her in his arms.
“We have much to discuss,” he said with a sneer. “Ultimately, however, it will be you who is blamed for the death of your uncle. What could I have possibly gained from seeing the man dead? Nothing. Yet, you, my dear wife, you would gain much. But before you are taken away in chains, I will have what has been rightfully mine for over two years!”
Juliet screamed as he threw her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. “No! You will never have me!”
The viscount gave another maniacal laugh, and then the door flew open.
Standing in the doorway was Daniel, his face filled with fury and his eyes alight with fire.
“Let go of my wife!”
***
Juliet had never thought she heard anything as wonderful as the voice of her true husband. Never had he appeared taller and broader as when his voice echoed about the room. She ignored the smarting of her bottom where she had hit the floor where Lord Parsons dropped her unceremoniously. Instead, she crawled to the corner on all fours to watch as the two men measured one another.
“You will not best me again, stable boy,” Lord Parsons said. “And even if you do, you will be found and hanged before you are able to apologize.”
“You’ll pay for what you’ve done to my wife,” Daniel replied in a steady voice. “And I promise that you’ll see less mercy than you’ve shown me!”
Lord Parsons swung a fist at Daniel, but it was clear that Daniel had not consumed any alcohol, whereas the viscount was unsteady on his feet. His fist came within mere inches of Daniel’s head, but Daniel did not wait to return the favor.
Lord Parsons grunted a loud exhale when Daniel’s fist dug into his stomach. As the man gasped for breath, his hands on his knees, he narrowed his eyes at Daniel. “You dare strike me again?” he managed to say. “Well, this time you will not get away with it!” Once more he drew back a fist meant to pummel Daniel across the head, and again, Daniel escaped with little effort.
As the viscount’s arm flew above Daniel’s head, Daniel stood, grasping the other man by the lapels of his coat and threw him against the mantelpiece. Lord Parson’s head struck the marble, sending him crashing to the floor.
“Oh, Daniel!” Juliet cried as he pulled her into his arms.
“I couldn’t sit by and allow that man, or any man, to hurt you,” he said. “Nor could I allow you to do what you wanted. You’re too beautiful to carry the burden of murder.”
A tear rolled down her cheek as she nuzzled against the chest of her husband. This was where she belonged!
“It is over now,” he whispered before kissing her. “Come. Let’s go before he wakes and while we still have a chance.”
Juliet nodded and then glanced past Daniel. “A fire!” she screamed.
Where the two men lay unmoving on the rug, flames flickered where several candles had toppled to the floor. Within moments, the curtains were ablaze and the fire moved along
the run until flames consumed the sofa.
“We need to escape!” Daniel said, coughing as smoke filled the room.
“This way!” a voice shouted. Juliet turned to see her mother and Reverend Creassey squinting through the doorway. “Cover your mouth with the sleeve of your dress! But hurry, the fire is spreading quickly!”
Her lungs burning with the effort to breathe, Juliet followed Daniel to the door, where her mother stood staring at the bodies of the two men.
“It appears fate has finally caught up with both of them,” she said.
“It has,” Juliet said.
The four hurried through the small foyer and out into the night, and Juliet collapsed on the ground, pulling in great gasps of fresh air. All around them glowed a bright yellow as first one window and then another burst with the heat from within. It was not long before flames flickered out the windows, catching the thatch on fire.
“We must hide,” Daniel said as he held Juliet in his arms. “But what will we do about this?”
Her mother did not give her the chance to reply. “Forbes will take your horse and ride into Rumsbury to bring help. You will return to the cottage and wait for Juliet there. You, Juliet, will return to Scarlett Hall with Reverend Creassey and me.”
Another window shattered and a large plume of smoke billowed free of its constraints.
“What will we say when they arrive?” Juliet asked.
“We will tell them the truth,” her mother replied, “based on a story the four of us – Juliet, Forbes, Reverend Creassey, and I – witnessed.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The sun rose above the horizon as Juliet, still wearing her wedding gown, sat in the drawing room beside her mother. Across from them sat Reverend Creassey, who glanced toward the window all too often, likely as nervous as Juliet felt. Why the man should be concerned was beyond her. From all she had learned about him, he had more secrets anyone who was not a vicar should have!
Ballad of the Innocents Page 20