Moonstruck Madness

by Laurie McBain

  Lucien stared down at her angrily. Never had anyone defied him as much as this little slip of a thing. “You little fool. It’s time you grew up and faced the realities of life. This isn’t some game you are playing at. They hang men for doing less than you have. Do you even have the slightest idea what you’d face if you were captured and sent to prison?” he demanded, enraged by her devil-may-care attitude. “There are no separate quarters for the men and women during the day, and at night you sleep on straw infested with lice and fleas, living in little more than a pigsty, eating boiled bread and water. Of course, as a thief you are well versed in the ways of the criminal? You have heard of ‘pay or strip,’ where you are required by the other inmates to pay an entrance fee in order to keep your clothes. A pity if you don’t have the necessary guineas, for they will strip the clothes from your back.” Lucien described the scene in detail, well aware of Sabrina’s shocked face and Mary’s white one as she leaned against the bedpost feeling sick.

  “And should you survive your confinement, you face hanging at Tyburn, or maybe you will be more fortunate and die from fever. I do believe that is what gets most of them. It’s not a very pretty life, is it, Sabrina?” Lucien asked softly, satisfied with the effect of his words on both young girls. “I think life with me will not be quite so harrowing, nor dangerous, Sabrina.”

  He turned and walked unhurriedly to the door. “Ironic how things work out. Who would have thought that I would be marrying the highwayman who held me up at sword point?” His sherry eyes encompassed both figures lazily as he paused at the door. “And I trust that I needn’t warn you not to put your heads together and make some foolhardy plans to try and hinder me? It is too late, your father has agreed, and all of the arrangements are being made, so accept your defeat, Sabrina, for I can promise you it won’t be as bad as you think.”

  Sabrina stared at the door as it closed behind Lucien’s tall figure, her eyes a dark, brooding violet. She put a hand to her trembling lips, unable to believe what had just taken place.

  Mary stood up, an indecisive look on her face as she stared at Sabrina, who looked like a small child who had been unjustly and cruelly punished.

  “Rina,” she began hesitantly, “you’re not going to defy them, are you?”

  Sabrina looked up at her blankly, her face a frozen mask from which the hatred and despair had been wiped clean, but so had the gentleness and innocence, and Mary felt as though she were staring at a stranger.

  “I’m going home to Verrick House, Mary,” she said dully, her eyes glazed over. “I’m going to get the marquis all of the money he could want, but I’ll not marry Lucien. He will have to find someone else to help him win his inheritance, but I hope he doesn’t, I hope he loses it,” she added, incensed by her predicament, then looked up at Mary’s concerned face, a wildness in her eyes. “Don’t ever let the marquis near me again, Mary, or I swear I will kill him and feel no regret.”

  A great flame follows a little spark.

  —Dante Alighieri

  Chapter 10

  The three horses pawed the soft earth impatiently as their masked riders sat awaiting the sound of coach wheels creaking and rumbling along the darkened road.

  “Should be coming soon, Charlie,” Will whispered as a beam of silvery moonlight bathed the three of them where they sat silently on their horses beside the road.

  “They was talkin’ and drinkin’ their fill this afternoon in the Faire Maiden. Expectin’ guests at Lord Newley’s tonight.”

  “We will welcome them first,” Sabrina replied with a grim smile. Her eyes glittered through the mask as she heard the first sounds of an approaching carriage. “Across the road, John,” she directed quickly, then pulled her horse back under the overhanging branches as the coach-and-six appeared around the bend of the road. She could hear the coachman yelling to his team and the cracking of his whip until he saw the fallen tree across the roadway and began to slow the horses.

  The two outriders were halted in front of the tree by now and as they looked around they were confronted by the muzzles of four pistols aimed at their heads. They quickly dropped their pistols and dismounted as Will directed them to the side of the road and then walking his horse around them, wrapped a piece of rope about their two figures, securing them to a tree.

  The coach halted within feet of the fallen tree, the coachman calling out for assistance, but by then John had dealt similarly with the outriders following behind, and now the coachman sat with a bemused expression on his face as he looked into Sabrina’s pistol barrel.

  “Disarm yourself, coachman,” she ordered as Will opened the coach door and accosted the frightened occupants of the coach.

  Quickly jewels and loaded purses changed hands, and without bloodshed Bonnie Charlie disappeared into the night, leaving outrage on the victims’ faces.

  Time and time again they struck, gathering together one of the largest plunders they had yet seen. Bonnie Charlie’s name was once again spoken of throughout the countryside, the suddenness and frequency of these holdups stunning people after the relative quiet of the past month when Bonnie Charlie had apparently disappeared.

  Less than a week had passed since Sabrina and Mary had left London so abruptly. Nothing had happened so far, and that was worrying Sabrina. She knew that either the marquis or Lucien would follow and try to force her into marriage—but so far she had heard nothing. But she vowed she would get the money for the marquis and then they would be rid of him.

  “Slow up, Charlie,” Will called warningly as his big roan raced beside Sabrina’s black stallion. They slowed their horses’ pace as they neared the crest of the hill they had been steadily climbing. As they cantered over the top they pulled up abruptly as they saw a patrol of dragoons making their way up the other side.

  “Thought I heard the cursed jingling of harness,” Will spat as they swiftly turned and fled back down the hill, but not before the soldiers had caught a glimpse of them and were following in close pursuit.

  They galloped across the fields, jumping fences and hedges, the determined yells of the soldiers urging them on. As they neared the first trees of a heavily wooded area bordering the fields, they split, each masked rider going in a different direction as they disappeared into the thick belt of woodland. Sabrina sent her mount through the brambles and thickets, heading deeper into the concealing trees, but still behind her she could hear the breaking of twigs and snapping of branches as the soldiers traced their way after her.

  Breaking from the cover of trees, Sabrina headed over a rising mound, and with a casual wave of a gloved hand as she glanced over her shoulder at the three soldiers just leaving the forest, disappeared from their view over the other side.

  Colonel Fletcher stared about him, dawning dismay spreading across his features. “Where the devil did he go?”

  Below them, down the easily sloping rise, the countryside was empty. How could there be no sight of the highwayman? Colonel Fletcher’s mouth tightened into a grim line as he realized that he had been outwitted.

  “Sir?” the young lieutenant beside him questioned tentatively. “Which way?”

  Colonel Fletcher shook his head in exasperation. “Which way? As far as I know he has disappeared underground, the cursed fellow. We’re on his home turf. He knows every hiding place around here. But where he’s disappeared to now, God only knows. We’d need an army to search the whole area,” he said in disgust. “We might as well head back to the road, we’ll not catch him tonight.”

  The two soldiers rode off, but before following them Colonel Fletcher spoke aloud to the empty darkness. “This time you’ve gotten away, Bonnie Charlie, but not always. Someday you’ll make a mistake, and I’ll be waiting.”

  Sabrina quieted her horse as she heard the colonel and his men leave the hill. So, he would be waiting, would he? Well, like the good man said, this was her turf and they played by her rules here, she t
hought with amusement. She sighed, shuddering in the darkness that smelled of decay as the richness of the damp soil permeated the air. The smooth stone slabs surrounding her were cool and hard against her palm. This ancient stone-chambered burial ground for some forgotten race made an excellent hiding place. Little did the colonel and his men realize that she stood hidden beneath their very feet in this barrow covered with smooth earth, the upright stones holding the man-made roof above her head and forming a perfect, man-sized rabbit hole. Will and John wouldn’t enter it, superstitious of the ghosts of the dead, and Sabrina had to admit that she seldom cared to use it herself. She waited patiently until it was quiet, and then led her horse past the fallen piece of stone that shielded the entrance and through the shrubbery that had grown up densely in front of it.

  Will and John should by now have safely eluded the soldiers and made their way into the marsh. Sabrina smiled as she mounted and made her way to the trees, her saddlebag full of money and jewels. Men were such fools at times, she thought contemptuously. Through their own masculine conceit they underestimated women, and fooled themselves.

  They had begun to rob in the daylight, a dangerous practice, but she was racing against time, for soon someone would arrive and she wanted to be able to turn over as much money as she could. Will and John had not even hesitated when she had humbly asked for their help once more. She had hated having to involve them again, but she could not succeed without them, and it wouldn’t last forever. They would soon be back to normal, she reassured herself, as she rode through the lonely darkness.

  The following morning as Sabrina was standing in the hall, Richard called down to her. “There you are! I thought I had missed you.” He hopped down the stairs, his whole demeanor having undergone a complete change since returning from London. “Mr. Teesdale says my mind’s wandering, so he let me off early.”

  Sabrina caught the wistful look in his blue eyes and asked him what was troubling him, even though she suspected already what it was.

  “Well,” he began shyly, “the fair starts today, Rina, and I was kind of hoping to go, maybe?” He looked up hopefully, his eyes full of anticipation and excitement. “Of course, I know you’ve been extra busy and all, so if we can’t go, well, I understand,” he added unselfishly, but unable to hide the disappointment in his voice.

  “Who said we were not going?” Sabrina demanded gaily. “Now go ask Mary if she wants to come, while I go fetch my bonnet.”

  “Oh, you really mean it, Rina?” Richard jumped up and down in joy.

  “I most certainly do. Now, hop to it, we don’t want to miss anything.”

  Richard skipped off, loudly calling for Mary as he went. Sabrina climbed the stairs, her shoulders drooping tiredly. She was having trouble sleeping and the restless nights had left their mark with the faint purplish shadows beneath her eyes. She stood before the mirror and put on a wide-brimmed straw hat, tying the leaf-green ribbons that matched her gown beneath her chin. She carelessly knotted the ends of a large, rose-colored silk handkerchief she had folded diagonally and draped over her shoulders, partially concealing the décolletage of her gown. It was the same shade as her quilted petticoat and the roses embroidered on the skirt of her gown. Sabrina smoothed the folds, liking the feel of it beneath her hands. With a purposeful sway of her hips she picked up her gloves and purse and left the room, enjoying dressing as herself for a change—men’s breeches were a bit too revealing for comfort. She liked to hear the rustle of silk and feel the soft sway of her petticoats as she moved.

  Mary and Richard were waiting in the hall as Sabrina descended the stairs.

  “I’ve told Richard that we are going to keep a very vigilant eye over what he eats,” Mary said. “You remember the stomachache he got last year after the fair.”

  “Oh, Mary, it’s no fun if you can’t eat what you want. Please,” Richard pleaded. “I’ve saved lots of money, too!”

  “We’ll see,” she answered as she winked at Sabrina who was openly grinning. Mary gave a sigh of relief. Sabrina had been so morose these past few days, and so brittle, Mary thought she would shatter soon. If only they did not have this awful fear and uncertainty hanging over their heads.

  “We’re going to the fair, Sims,” Mary declared as the butler held open the door for them.

  “Yes, Lady Mary,” Sims agreed stoically as they filed past.

  “I’ll bring you back some cake, Sims,” Richard promised over his shoulder as he climbed into the cart.

  Sims nodded, a smile lurking in his eyes as he closed the door on the carefree trio.

  They traveled quickly down the road, hearing the continuous bell-ringing calling the countryside to the fair. As their cart pulled off of the road and onto the bumpy ground of the field, they could see the little city of tents that had been set up for six days of merriment and trading. Farm wagons and coaches, carts and horses crowded together as their occupants tried to get closer to the loud sound of voices coming from the enclosed area.

  Richard led them first to the baker, no sign of direction needed to find his tent, where the aromatic scent of freshly baked cakes and cookies drifted in all directions and guided the hungry unerringly to his door. Richard’s eyes sparkled and he licked his lips in expectation as he stared at the display of treats before him.

  “And what will the young master be wantin’ this fine summer day?” a cheery-faced individual asked from behind the counter.

  Richard frowned as he ran his gaze over the wide assortment of baked sweets. “I’ll have some of those sugar-and-cinnamon sprinkled cakes, and the almond pastry shaped like the lion and the eagle,” Richard decided firmly even as his eye lingered over a spicy confection filled with cream.

  The baker grinned as he glanced for approval at the pretty ladies standing behind the young gentleman. At their nods he wrapped Richard’s selection in paper and exchanged it for the coins Richard held out in his palm. “Pleasure doing business with ye, sir,” he beamed as Richard took a hefty bite from one of the cakes.

  They wandered through the crowd, bumping elbows with farmers’ wives herding their unruly children from amusement to amusement, their scrubby faces full of excitement and adventure. Colorfully clad jugglers and minstrels strumming their tales sauntered through the milling crowd, enticing and guiding prospective customers up to various rows of stalls. The fires of hot coals smoldered as the braziers worked their malleable brass and displayed their wares behind them on loaded shelves. Pewter gleamed dully from Pewterers’ Row and a cloth exchange brimming with colorful fabrics of every description filled several large stalls. Fine French cambric, Indian cotton, cherryderry, damask and denim; drab, Florentine silk and gauze; soft mohair, nankeen, and poplin all caught the eye. Silver ribbons and bright velvet bows waved in the breeze as young country maids gazed rapturously at the beautiful colors, their fingers clenching enough coin to buy a gay length of ribbon to thread through their curls, or a silk handkerchief for Sunday morning.

  Mary smoothed a square of blue and green Indian silk. “I’ve been meaning to buy a handkerchief to match this dress. Do you think it does?” she asked Sabrina who was deciding between a striped yellow and purple handkerchief and a solid turquoise one, while Richard fidgeted beside them, his eyes watching a puppet show across the path.

  “I think it’s a shade too green. Try this.”

  Mary held the piece of sky-blue silk against her, the shade matching the blue of her gown perfectly. She wore a long decorative apron tied about her waist and embroidered with blue and green flowers that matched the strip of lace bordering her bodice, and a blue silk bonnet covering her red curls.

  At Richard’s urging they walked on with their purchases to stand and watch the puppeteer manipulate his puppets for the amusement of the gathering audience while his costumed helper made his way through them collecting any tribute they might care to make.

  Laughing at their antics Sabrina and Mary mo
ved on, tugging Richard by sticky hands behind them. A furry little monkey on a chain was dancing for bits of food, and before a large tent people were lining up to view the unfortunate freaks.

  They paused as a pie-woman and a gingerbread woman blocked the way, fiercely arguing over customers, their faces hot and perspiring from hustling their goods. As they stood there waiting, Sabrina caught sight of two unmistakable straw-colored heads rising above the crowded path. A moment later a path was cleared for them and they made their way through the crowd. Sabrina looked up at the broad shoulders blocking out the sunlight.

  “Now you see what we little people have to suffer, Will,” Sabrina teased. “I thought you would be at the Faire Maiden with all of these thirsty people about?”

  Will shook his head. “Ain’t going to get around to our place until much later. Plenty of refreshments to keep ’em happy here,” he explained, “so John and me decided to have a little fun, Charlie.” His deep voice boomed as he watched the growing excitement of the crowd, his breath smelling of ale.

  “Hey, Charlie, they got some good horseflesh going down at that end,” John told her, his cheeks flushed with pleasure and drink.

  Sabrina flinched as he used their nickname for her, glancing about apprehensively as she stood there dwarfed by their large forms. She placed her hands on her hips, her chin lifted arrogantly as she stared up at the two laughing giants.

  “Be sure that it is only ale you spill today and not your guts to some interested listener,” Sabrina warned, a twinkle in her eye as she saw John puff out his chest in offended pride.

  “You ain’t got no cause to fret, Charlie. I’m just a wee bit merry, I’m not blind to the world—yet,” John reassured her with a hearty laugh.

  Sabrina laughingly waved them off and looked around for Mary and Richard, spotting Richard’s red head amongst small heads of every shade gathered around the toy seller’s stall. Cries of delight and wistfulness could be heard as they listened to a musical box with a singing bird, and Sabrina smiled at Mary who had come up beside her as they watched Richard’s happy face. Suddenly Sabrina’s smile faded, and Mary looked at her in concern until she also heard the lyrics of the song floating through the air from the balladeer singing gently beneath a tree.