by Louise Clark
As the evening continued on, Thea laughed and chattered, flirting with the gentlemen, teasing them with her eyes, and making great play with her fan. Though no one would know it, her actions and those of Grant MacLonan and the Ramseys had been carefully thought out so that they would have a telling impact. Since the Prince’s visit to England and his subsequent disappearance were not common knowledge, they’d decided that Colonel Harris could be used as a scapegoat for James’s imprisonment. Thea would drop light, gossipy hints about his jealousy and envy of James all evening.
By the end Harris would be damned in society, and many would return to their homes convinced that James MacLonan was innocent of everything except winning the hand of the woman Harris desired.
After nearly three hours, Olivia whispered to Thea, “The evening is going perfectly. I do not think there is a woman here who does not see Colonel Harris as a great barbarian, while their men have begun to have grave misgivings about how the whole affair has been handled. You are doing very well, Thea.”
Thea smiled prettily and gently plied her fan. To an observer she appeared to be having a pleasant conversation with her hostess. “How long must I continue, Mrs. Ramsey? I find this playacting quite exhausting!”
“Until the end of the evening, Thea. Oh, here is someone you must talk to. Judge Denholm, you know Mrs. MacLonan, I believe? Her father is General Sir Frederick Tilton.”
The judge nodded and Thea dimpled at him. “Oh course I know Judge Denholm. My father had great respect for the judge’s integrity when he was stationed here as the commander of the English forces in Scotland.”
As the hour was late and the one thing Denholm was not known for was his sobriety, he had evidently drunk enough for his inhibitions to have worn off. A great Scottish patriot, but a man of the law, he had never approved of the Pretender’s attempt to regain the throne by using Scottish levies. Now he looked down at Thea with a mocking expression. “I’ve had visits from Grant MacLonan and Brendon Ramsey, so I should not be surprised that you are adding your voice to their pleas for your husband’s release.”
Thea’s temper flared, but she kept her smile intact. Although only her eyes darted fire, Denholm smiled as he drank from a crystal wine glass. He had scored a hit with his barb and he knew it. Thea dropped her lids and when she opened her eyes wide again, her expression was innocent. Denholm smiled more widely. He was evidently enjoying himself.
“Of course you received visits from my father-by-marriage and from Mr. Ramsey,” Thea said sweetly, deciding that the best way to handle Denholm was to turn his barb to her own advantage. “You are the most respected member of the Scottish judiciary and you are known to be completely fair in all legal matters. You were Mr. MacLonan’s and Mr. Ramsey’s first choice when they were considering who might help them free James from his unfair imprisonment.”
Denholm swirled the rich, dark liquid in his glass in a contemplative way. Brandy, Thea thought, catching a whiff as he raised the glass to drink.
He looked at her over the rim of the goblet. “Why is his treatment unfair?”
“If any other gentleman had participated in a duel that was respectably arranged, over the matter of an insult to his wife, he would have been freed with a reprimand and nothing more.”
Denholm didn’t agree or disagree. “Apparently there was some concern that the English officer would die.”
“That was in the first few days! Lieutenant Williams is now well on his way to being a trial to some other poor woman. He is driving his nurse to distraction with his demands and will soon be able to report for duty. What does Colonel Harris do when he learns of this? He orders my husband chained! I ask you, Judge Denholm, is that the action of a dispassionate commander, or a man whose pride has been scarred because the woman he wished to marry chose another?”
Denholm straightened. He looked down at the thistle and the oak intertwined in rich silver thread and then shot Thea a considering look. “Tell me more of this.”
Careful to keep her elation hidden, Thea shrugged with elaborate carelessness. “Did you not know that Colonel Harris had asked me to marry him, not once but several times? No? Oh, I had thought everyone knew, for he was quite serious in his attentions to me. I refused him, gently, of course, but firmly. He would not give up, however. Even so, when I first met James and my interest in him was very clear, Colonel Harris deliberately tried to drive us apart. He very nearly succeeded, but fortunately James and I discovered that we had much in common.” She shrugged again, then said earnestly, “Judge Denholm, I fear that Colonel Harris has allowed his emotions to overrule his good sense. He is not a bad man, but he is a jealous one. I believe James is the target of that jealousy.”
Denholm drank his wine again. “You’ve given me much to consider, Mrs. MacLonan. Why did neither Ramsey or Grant MacLonan think to mention this to me?”
Thea opened her eyes innocently wide. “They would have no knowledge of it, sir. I do not brag of the conquests I have made, or the offers of marriage that have been given to me! I only mention it to you now because I fear it may have a material influence on the way my husband is being treated.”
“Aye, it may have at that,” Denholm said. He shot Thea a sharp, considering look. “You know the Pretender is loose somewhere in England, do you not?”
“I do,” Thea said promptly. “That is the excuse that Colonel Harris has used to imprison James, but it is only an excuse, Judge Denholm.” Very deliberately, she smoothed the rich, blue satin, drawing Denholm’s eyes as she brushed her hand over the symbolic silver embroidery of thistle and oak. “You know my circumstances, who my father is and what my politics are. I can assure you that my husband has finished with Prince Charles Edward Stuart. If the Prince should happen to return to the Highlands, he would receive no help from Glenmuir. When James MacLonan married me, he made a choice and it was not for the Pretender.”
“Perhaps.” Denholm raised the glass, drained what remained, then peered inside. “Empty again,” he said in a rather bemused voice. “Don’t know what happens to the stuff. Must go and get another. Mrs. MacLonan, it has been a pleasure talking to you this evening. I wish you the best success in your campaign to free your husband.”
He bowed and moved away. Olivia hurried over to Thea and whispered, “How did it go? Was he persuaded?”
“I think so,” Thea said with a sigh. “It is hard to tell.”
“Judge Denholm is far enough into his cups that he would have been quite blunt. If he did not believe your argument he would have said so.”
Thea grimaced. “If he is that drunk, I hope he remembers what I have said in the morning.”
“Oh, he’ll be fine,” Olivia said, waving Thea’s protest aside. “He conducts all of his trials with a bottle of wine on his bench, yet he never loses control. I should think that tonight is quite normal for him.”
“I hope so,” Thea said with a sigh, even though she was smiling. She waved her fan as she glanced about the room. “Whom should we target next?”
“We will let them come to us. You are the focus of attention tonight, Thea,” Olivia said with considerable satisfaction. “Everyone wants to speak to you, and those who have done so already are receiving quite a bit of attention themselves. Now, we will help matters out, of course, by drifting in the right direction. Do you see the woman in purple?”
“Lady Huntley?”
“An excellent target, don’t you think?”
Thea laughed and shot Olivia a mischievous look.
There was a little stir in the crowd. Voices hushed then began to talk again, more loudly. Olivia frowned and turned. “What on earth is going on? Iâ” She stopped abruptly. “Oh, my.”
“What is it?” Thea glanced to where Olivia was looking, and her heart skipped a beat. Colonel Harris had just entered the room.
“This is entirely unexpected,” Olivia said furiously. “Colonel Harris was not invited tonight. I do not know why he has come, but I shall ask him to leave!”
&n
bsp; “You can’t do that, Mrs. Ramsey.”
“Why not?”
“Because people would think that I am afraid to speak to him.” Thea’s eyes hardened. “When I am not.”
“A confrontation between the two of you is what concerns me,” Olivia said, waving her fan energetically. “Why is he here? Do you think he heard that you were coming? I made no secret of it. I told everyone I invited that I had convinced you to end your self-imposed solitude. He must have heard. He must guess that you would do your best to use your influence to free James. He… he is coming this way! Thea, are you prepared? I know you said you were, butâColonel Harris what a surprise. I do not remember issuing you a card for tonight’s party. I did not think you were interested in music.”
“I am not,” Harris said, his eyes on Thea. He bowed and reached for her hand.
Thea drew it away at the last moment, leaving him kissing nothing but empty air. “Colonel Harris,” she drawled. “I will not say that it is a pleasure to see you again. I trust you understand why.”
Harris’s hard eyes darkened as his mouth tightened. “Have you forgotten your roots, Mrs. MacLonan?”
Thea raised her brows. “On the contrary, Colonel. I am very well aware of who I am and who my father is and the respect that each of us is due from the officers and men of King George’s Army.”
Harris drew himself up. “I don’t believe that your father can complain of any disrespect, Mrs. MacLonan.”
“I am sure my father, were he here, would disagree, Colonel Harris. I certainly do. You apparently have not been able to instill in your men an understanding of how they should handle themselves when out on patrol. I am the victim of that improper behavior and I know that were my father in command in Edinburgh, the officer in question would have been punished. It is a pity that it was my husband who was left to do just that when you failed in your responsibilities.”
Harris colored. “Dueling is illegal.”
Thea waved her fan. “So is striking a woman who did nothing more than criticize the behavior of a certain officer. Or causing the death of another who did nothing wrong, but made the mistake of remaining in her home when English soldiers happened to march by.”
“Is this true?” said a woman’s voice nearby. “Did Williams kill somebody?”
Thea turned to the woman, her expression drawn. She was not playacting now. She was back in the damp, gray coolness of that early October afternoon watching Maggie MacLonan babble hysterically as Williams teased her with the tip of his sword. “Yes,” Thea said in a low, shaking voice, “it is true. The woman had done nothing to warrant the treatment Lieutenant Williams gave her. Nothing! He stabbed her with his sword, and when it was done he rode away, too much of a coward to even have his men carry her to her croft.”
“Appalling! ” someone said.
“And you did nothing to punish the fellow, Harris?” This was a man’s voice, raised indignantly.
Harris shot Thea an angry look and tried to bluster his way out of the corner. “I intended to, but Williams was on leave and I had planned to wait until he returned. Unfortunately, MacLonan was impatient and he found Williams. The duelâ”
“Was correct in all ways,” Brendon Ramsey interjected. “I was MacLonan’s second and I made sure that all of the proprieties were followed.”
“Williams was badly wounded,” Harris said somewhat desperately. Most of those attending the party were gathered around by now, listening intently. They were the cream of Scottish society, members of parliament, wealthy merchants, lawyers, patriots. There was a mood of growing indignation amongst them.
The night had progressed better than could have been expected. In a few more minutes the anger in the room would build to the point where James’s release would be demanded, here and now. Then Harris would find it impossible to refuse.
Grant MacLonan shot a fierce look at Harris. “What you say may have been true at one time, Colonel Harris, but Williams is healing well now and will soon be able to report for duty. What will you do then?”
In the silence that followed Thea held her breath, her gaze fixed on the colonel’s face. He was flushed, and there was a dangerous glitter in his cold eyes. She sensed that he wanted to strike out, and she could only pray that James would not be his victim.
When Harris didn’t respond, a strong voice with a marked English accent said firmly, “Colonel Harris will do as he should have done when the complaint was brought to him. He will bind Lieutenant Williams over for court-martial. If Williams is convicted, he will be stripped of his rank and punished by His Majesty’s Army.”
Everyone turned around to look at the owner of the voice, who was at the back of the room, near the door. Harris whitened, but Thea clapped her hands together. “Papa!”
Chapter 20
Thea pushed her way through the crowd to her father, who opened his arms wide to catch her.
Olivia Ramsey followed. “Sir Frederick, what a pleasant surprise.” She smiled wryly. “It seems the King’s officers have decided that my little gathering tonight is one social event that cannot be missed!”
Thea moved out of her father’s arms so that he could respond to his hostess. He bowed politely. “I am just now arrived in Edinburgh, Mrs. Ramsey. I hope you will overlook my effrontery in coming uninvited, but I went to my daughter’s home and found that she and Grant MacLonan were here this evening, and I wanted to greet them as soon as I was able.”
“Of course you are welcome, Sir Frederick! Do come and join us.”
“I do not think that is possible, ma’am, but thank you. I have some dispatches for Colonel Harris that should be acted upon this evening.” He patted his coat pocket. “Since I have had the good fortune to find Colonel Harris here, I will beg your indulgence and ask for a moment or two to make the Colonel aware of his new orders. Then I think I will oversee their implementation, just to make sure they are correctly carried out.”
“Orders,” Harris said with a gulp. His complexion was now pasty white and his expression strained. He was still standing where he had been when the general arrived, but he could see and hear all that was being said, for a path had been opened between the two groups.
“Orders, Harris,” Tilton said easily, advancing toward him. “My daughter relayed the story of Williams’s conduct to me. I was outraged, but I was forced to wait for proof that a certain gentleman had been located on the Continent before I came north.”
“The Pretender has been seen in Europe?” Harris blurted out.
Tilton stopped within inches of his subordinate, sighed, and shook his head. “Yes, Harris, he has. Now you have no further reason to keep James MacLonan in the Tolbooth.”
At that point, Judge Denholm decided to add a little spice to the proceedings. “But Harris claims that James MacLonan is in prison because he was involved in a duel in which a man was almost killed. That is what Harris told all of us who protested MacLonan’s incarceration.”
Tilton shot Harris a look that had withered many a junior officer. Harris’s eyes shifted away warily. “Colonel Harris mishandled a delicate situation. Although he had orders to keep the Highlands quiet while the Pretender was in Englandâ”
“Bonnie Prince Charlie was in England?” cried an agitated woman’s voice. “When? What is to be done?”
“Nothing, dear lady, for the Pretender has retired to the Continent. Now that Britain is safe from his foolish whims, our army may stand down. Harris, you will see that James MacLonan is released immediately.”
“Now? In the middle of the night?”
“Can you think of a better time? I cannot.”
“Tomorrow morning,” Harris suggested recovering a bit of his poise.
“You are a spiteful man!” Thea said. “You would be very happy if my husband had to spend another night in that awful place, wouldn’t you? Well, I won’t have it! James should be freed immediately.”
“I agree,” said a voice, and then another. Soon the whole room was clamoring for J
ames’s release, and it appeared that they all intended to go to the prison en masse to see that it was done. Harris was pushed, not too gently, toward the door with the crowd following behind.
Caught up in the general elation, Thea hesitated. She remembered the conditions under which James was being kept, the filth and the vermin. He would not want Edinburgh society to see him dirty and unkempt. She tugged on her father’s arm. “Papa, you must stop them! James has been imprisoned for weeks. He will want a bath and a shave before he sees anybody.”
“A few must goâDenholm, Ramsey, MacLonan, and some others, but you are right, Thea.” Tilton paused, then said, “You must wait too, daughter. I know you want to see James, but wait until he is home before you greet him. Do not go to the prison. Allow him to keep his pride.”
Thea smiled grimly. “I have already been there, Papa, and you are right. James was not happy about it. Very well, I will return to Grant’s house and wait.” She bit her lip. “It will not be easy.”
*
The wind blew hard down Edinburgh’s streets as James MacLonan stepped through the heavy oaken door of the Tolbooth prison. He stopped abruptly, cursing silently. The wind whipped his dirty coat and torn waistcoat and shirt, but he didn’t care. It was no colder outside than in the dank stone cell he had languished in these past weeks. What made him stop was the crowd of people who all seemed to be speaking at once. Moreover, they all seemed to be speaking to him.
He looked over at Harris, who had accompanied the turnkey to the cell. Harris had awakened James from his usual dream-haunted sleep with a gruff announcement that he was free and could leave the prison. James had sat rubbing his eyes, wondering if he was really awake or if this was simply another wishful dream. But the key Harris produced had screeched in the rusty locks of the rough iron manacles that bound his wrists and ankle in a way that was particularly realistic, so when the colonel walked stiffly out of the cell, James had followed. He’d kept his distance from the Englishman, however, letting the wavering candlelight guide him through the dark, soulless halls until he found himself standing outside the door, a prisoner no more.