Ballad of the Innocents

by Monroe, Jennifer

  The door opened and Forbes entered the room. “My lady, a Mr. Grant here to speak with you and Miss Juliet. I believe he said he is a magistrate.”

  “Send him in,” Juliet’s mother replied with a rehearsed sigh. Everyone played his or her part to perfection. They had to, for too much rode on what happened next.

  A man entered, short and round with no more than a ring of hair around his head. Juliet could smell the heavy fragrance of smoke that clung to his clothing. He gave a deep bow. “My apologies for calling so early, but I imagine you understand the urgency.”

  “Of course, Mr. Grant,” her mother replied. She removed a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed at her eyes. “Would you like some coffee? Tea? I suspect you are weary after a long night.”

  “I appreciate the offer, my lady, but I must decline. May I sit?”

  Her mother rose with a start. “Oh, yes, of course!” she replied. “Please, forgive me for not offering a seat upon your arrival. I am afraid I am not quite myself at the moment.”

  The man sat on the only other chair, waiting for Juliet’s mother to sit first. “I do understand. Quite well.”

  Her mother gave him a grateful smile. “You know Reverend Creassey, I am sure.”

  Mr. Grant nodded at the vicar. “I do.”

  “And my fiancé?” Juliet asked, blinking back tears. “Have you seen him? Is he safe? Tell me the prisoner did not harm him in any way!”

  She brought a handkerchief to her face and sobbed into it. She had indeed missed her calling, for the magistrate commiserated with her, completely taken in by her performance. Or so she hoped. She sniffled and looked up at him expectantly. Perhaps she should not overplay her part!

  “Juliet,” her mother admonished with a click of her tongue, “allow the man to speak.”

  Juliet glanced at her mother before looking down at her hands in shame. “Yes, I am sorry, Mr. Grant. I did not mean to interrupt. Please, continue.”

  The older man gave her a sympathetic smile. “I realize this is all very painful for you.” He turned to the reverend. “I understand you were in attendance for this wedding, Reverend Creassey.”

  “I was,” the reverend replied. “I was to officiate the ceremony.”

  “Would you please tell me what happened exactly?”

  Reverend Creassey sighed. “We were just about to begin the ceremony when that heathen boy arrived. He began saying the most hateful things about Miss Juliet, using language better suited for a tavern! And in front of the women.” He gave a disgusted shake to his head. “Lord Rowe, being the brave and honorable man he is, struck the boy. The women became quite agitated, as you can imagine, so I ushered them outside to keep them from being struck by the flailing fists.”

  The magistrate made notes using a pencil in a small book he had removed from his coat pocket. “I see,” he murmured. “And when you, Miss Lambert, mentioned ‘the prisoner’, to whom were you referring?”

  “Why, Daniel Haskins, of course,” Juliet said, still sniffling. “He wanted to stop the wedding, the brute! He always wanted me, you see, and when I rebuffed him…”

  “Juliet, dear,” her mother said, “I am sure Mr. Grant does not need to hear about the boy’s infatuation with you.” She turned to the magistrate. “I am sorry, sir. My daughter is quite distraught, as you can imagine. It is true that the young man had indeed been much too interested in Juliet.” She gave him a purposeful smile. “I would prefer that few people are made aware of that fact, if you please.”

  “Of course, my lady,” Mr. Grant said. “What happened once you were outside, Reverend?”

  “Once I calmed down the women,” Reverend Creassey continued, “I went to go back inside to see that the boy had not harmed the viscount, but I made it only into the foyer before I was forced back outside by heavy smoke. I had to physically stop Miss Juliet from running inside, she was so worried.”

  Mr. Grant looked up from his notebook. “Do you have any idea how the fire started, Reverend?”

  Juliet covered her mouth with a gasp. “The candles!” she said. “Oh, why did I insist we light so many candles? You see, because Lord Rowe had plans earlier in the day and I was unable to have a morning ceremony, I wanted to make it as bright as possible. As my fiancé and that horrible man fought, they must have knocked over some of the candles.” She turned to her mother. “Could this have been my fault?”

  Her mother patted her hand. “Of course not, my dear. Do not blame yourself.”

  “I agree,” Reverend Creassey replied. “If the boy had not arrived and started a fight, the candles would not have been a concern. Do you not agree, Mr. Grant?”

  “Indeed,” the magistrate replied. “Please, continue, Reverend.”

  Reverend Creassey nodded. “With smoke billowing from the house, I insisted the women return with me to Scarlett Hall so they would not be hurt. I also sent the family butler to Rumsbury for aid. Alas, I knew both men were lost once the windows shattered.” He shook his head sadly. “I have witnessed the aftermath of house fires before and…” He turned to Juliet. “I am sorry, Miss Juliet. I did not want to tell you until I was certain…”

  “He is not…” She shook her head. “Please, tell me he is not dead!”

  “Were there any other people in attendance?” Mr. Grant asked. “A servant or another guest to explain either of the two bodies?”

  The reverend shook his head. “The viscount and Miss Juliet wanted to keep it a private occasion and Lady Lambert did not keep staff at the cottage. Therefore, the only people there are either here in this room or still at the cottage.”

  “None of this tells me what has become of my fiancé,” Juliet said.

  The magistrate pursed his lips. “We found two bodies amidst the ruins once the fire died down enough to enter, and with no other attendees, they could only have been Daniel Haskins, our escapee, and Lord Rowe. My condolences, Miss Lambert.”

  Juliet threw herself into her mother’s arms and wailed in despair. “How can this be?” she cried, her voice muffled by her mother’s shoulder. “We were supposed to be married! Oh, why did this happen?”

  Reverend Creassey cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should continue in the hallway, Mr. Grant. I believe the women need to be alone to grieve.”

  Mr. Grant stood. “I agree.” He bowed to Juliet. “Again, my condolences for your loss. I will inform you of our findings as soon as I know, but I suspect it will be ruled accidental once the inquiry is concluded. I will say this, however. Your husband may well have been a hero. We found writings in Mr. Haskins’ cell, a manifesto of sorts, explaining his intentions to kidnap you. He seemed to believe you belonged to him and that he would do anything to have you.” He shook his head, clear disbelief on his features. “You are a lucky woman in that sense, but the loss of Lord Rowe will be felt for a very long time.”

  Juliet sniffled as she looked up at the kindly man. “Thank you, Mr. Grant, for doing all you can to learn the truth.”

  The man bowed and then followed Reverend Creassey from the room.

  Once the men were gone, Juliet hurried to the door to listen, but all she could hear was murmuring. When she returned to the sofa, her mother pulled her into her arms once more.

  “You certainly can be convincing,” her mother whispered in her ear, her tone filled with admiration. “I believe Mr. Grant accepted our account without hesitation.”

  Juliet smiled up at her mother. “I agree,” she said. “I cannot believe this is all finally going to be over.”

  “And you and Daniel will be together once again,” her mother said. “Just as it should be.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Eleanor smiled as her daughter embraced the man she loved. What they shared was so great, they could have heated the entire house.

  “Now, keep away from the windows,” she said. “We are not out of the woods yet. Mr. Grant may have accepted our tale, but that does not mean he will not set men to watch our home.”

  Juliet nodded, gr
asped Daniel by the hand, and walked out of the room. They would be leaving soon and had much to do to ready themselves for their long journey.

  Eleanor wondered if she could endure a second disappearance of the most vivacious of her daughters, but she wanted nothing more than for the couple to be happy. That could only happen if they left England.

  “We had a deal, Lady Lambert,” Reverend Creassey said. “I went above and beyond my part by lying to the authorities concerning what took place at the cottage.”

  “Yes, you did,” Eleanor said. She placed another piece of timber on the fire and then walked over to her desk, where she retrieved several sheets of parchment. “Join me, will you?”

  With a sigh, the reverend walked with her to the fireplace. She looked over the pages torn from the journal her mother-in-law had written – her confession of murder and the events that led to that fateful day.

  “Do you have the document Lord Parsons forced Juliet and me to sign?”

  The man reached into his coat pocket, producing a parchment tied with a ribbon. “Why did you sign this?” he asked. “If yesterday had not gone as it had, the viscount would have had a terrible hold on you.”

  Adding the contract to the pages in her hand, she leaned over and tossed them into the fireplace. The flames leaped eagerly to consume the paper until it became nothing more than ash.

  “I wanted him to believe he was in control,” she replied to his question. “That what he held against me could force my hand. To receive what I needed, I had to take a great risk, but it was well worth it. Now, the last of the secrets of this home are gone, burned as thoroughly as the bodies of Lord Parsons and my brother.”

  For a moment, her heart clenched as she thought of the boy she once knew. Yet, that boy had long since disappeared, and the monster who had replaced him was an evil man who sought to destroy Eleanor and her children.

  “There is one other secret,” Reverend Creassey said in a mocking tone. “One of which you are unaware.”

  Eleanor turned a glare on the old man. “You have told me before that Charles confided in you about everything, yet I am confident that anything else you keep hidden can never cause me as much harm as what I already know.”

  The reverend chuckled. “As I have said before, what Charles shared with me was told in confidence, so I cannot reveal what was said. However, I will make this suggestion. Never let down your guard, not for a single moment.”

  His lips spread into a thin smile as he removed the money she had given him. Once he verified they had not disappeared, he returned them to the safety of his pocket. “I believe I have done all I can here. Good day to you, Eleanor.”

  As he walked toward the door, curiosity overtook her. What more did he know concerning Charles that could bring more problems upon the house of Scarlett Hall?

  “Ambrose,” she called out.

  He stopped and turned back to face her. “I realize you cannot reveal what Charles confided in you, but I must ask one thing.”

  “You may ask, but I may have no reply.”

  “If this secret were to ever emerge,” she asked, choosing her words carefully, “how devastating would it be?”

  He chuckled as he buttoned his coat. “It would destroy not only the life of you and your children, but that of all the generations to follow. Goodbye for now, Eleanor.”

  He was soon gone, leaving Eleanor to sigh as she stared at an empty doorway. Perhaps he was merely toying with her. Yet, what if he was telling the truth?

  She clicked her tongue in annoyance. Either the secret followed the good reverend to the grave, or it came out into the open, but she had no control over either. All she could do was pray that this was indeed the last of the troubles her family would be forced to endure.

  ***

  Juliet and Daniel slept throughout the day and into the evening, when her mother insisted dinner be brought to them in the bedroom Juliet had as a child. In just a few hours, they would leave for Dover, where they would take a ship to Calais, France to begin their new life together.

  The idea of being so far from her family saddened Juliet but having Daniel at her side made it bearable. Remaining in Rumsbury – or anywhere in England – was out of the question, for if any saw her husband still living and breathing, all they had done would be lost. She refused to lose him again.

  After their dinner, they stood before the window that looked out over the gardens, the night sky bright from the full moon above. Daniel wrapped his arms around Juliet, who nuzzled back against him, loving the feel of being in his embrace once more.

  “So many nights, I climbed out this window,” she said. “I would go on what I called adventures, but I must admit that many were so I could see you.”

  Daniel chuckled in her ear. “And I spent my time worrying that we’d be caught. I can’t believe we endured the past month, but now you’re back in my arms and you’re never leaving me again.”

  She looked up at him and smiled. “It is where I belong,” she whispered, “and nothing will ever take me away again.”

  He nuzzled her neck and then kissed her ear before resting his chin on her shoulder. “When you first mentioned going to France, I was frightened, but now I realize it’s just another adventure. And that’s what life is, isn’t it? Adventures strung together.”

  She giggled. “When did you become a poet?” she asked as she glanced up at him once more. When he reddened, she ran a hand along the arm wrapped around her waist. “I thought it was beautiful. But I have come to realize that life is just that - life. It is not fair or unfair, it just is, and nothing exists that we cannot face together.”

  For some time, Juliet remained in the arms of the man she loved, looking out past the garden where their future awaited them. And although she did not know what would happen, she did know they would indeed face it together.

  Later, after Daniel returned to bed, Juliet sat at the vanity table and opened her old jewelry box. Inside was a letter she had written before marrying Daniel and the sapphire necklace and ring Lord Parsons had given her.

  She did not keep them as a memory of the man, for she despised him even in death. Instead, she kept them as a reminder to someone in the future of what truly wins a woman’s heart.

  Standing, she went over and pried loose a floorboard she had used to hide her secrets since she was a young girl.

  Inside were numerous letters and writings as well as a bottle of brandy she kept hidden away. Beside them she placed the new items, and with one final look, replaced the floorboard. Whether she would ever return to see them again, she did not know, but they would be there for the next generation to find.

  Joining her husband in bed, she snuggled into his arms. And as her eyes grew heavy, she fell asleep in his arms, as it always should have been. And always would be.

  Chapter Thirty

  Standing on the dock as people hurried about and the cries of seagulls filled the air, Juliet’s heart grew sadder. The moment to leave had finally come. They had traveled for several days, her mother accompanying them. Forbes acted as their driver, as he did on those occasions when the journey was to be kept secret.

  Juliet sighed and Daniel pulled her closer. He wore the cap she had received from Agnes upon his head, and never had a man been so handsome!

  “It’s time to board,” he said as he smiled down at her. “I’ll give you some time to say your goodbyes.” He turned to her mother. “Thank you, my lady, for all you’ve done for us. I promise to take very good care of your daughter. Nothing bad will ever happen to her again as long as I live and breathe.”

  Her mother returned his smile. “I have no doubt you will keep that promise,” she said. “Godspeed, Daniel. And thank you.”

  Juliet wiped tears from her eyes as her mother pulled Daniel in for an embrace.

  “You make a wonderful son-in-law,” she whispered.

  Daniel dipped his head, likely to hide the glint of unshed tears, before he walked toward the gangplank.

  Juliet l
ooked at the tall figure of the butler. “Oh, Forbes, I will miss you. All these years you have served us and protected Mother, and for that I can never thank you enough.”

  “It has been an honor, Mrs. Haskins,” he replied. “And I will continue to do so.” When she wrapped her arms around him, he whispered in her ear, “Goodbye, Miss Juliet. May you find all you want and need in your new life ahead.”

  Juliet kissed his cheek. “I already have,” she replied. Then she turned to her mother. The woman had tears glistening on her cheeks, a rare sight indeed.

  “My sweet Juliet,” her mother said. “The girl who healed the hole in my heart. I will miss you.”

  “As will I,” Juliet replied. “I love you, Mother.”

  “And I love you. Now, go to your husband.”

  Juliet nodded. She wished she could tell her mother how terrified she was to take this next step in her life. That she hated the thought of being so far away from her mother, that she would miss having her mother there to give her advice, and how difficult it was knowing she may never see the woman again. Yet, it seemed her mother understood, for her next words made Juliet smile.

  “That bright fire that burns inside you will be your guard. Daniel shares the same flames as you, and it is the love you share to which you can turn when you need it.”

  Juliet wiped at her eyes. “Thank you, Mother,” she said. When Daniel walked up to her, she turned to him and said, “I am ready.”

  Her husband offered her his arm, and together they walked down the pier and up the gangplank. Halfway, she stopped and looked at her mother, who stood as stoic as ever beside Forbes.

  Then, with a nod, she and Daniel resumed their walk onto the ship.

  And to their future.

  ***

  Juliet stood at the aft of the ship. The sky was a dark pink mixed with an array of blues, one of the most beautiful sunsets she had ever seen in her life. The ship had set sail that afternoon and she and Daniel would soon retire to their cabin.