Her Counterfeit Husband

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  He turned his attention back to the circus ring where the acrobats left and Iron Jim returned to the center to announce the next act. His ears perked up at the mention of Willie’s name. Though he had gray hair, Willie maintained a bounce in his step as he came to the center. Following him were clowns who made a show of clumsily setting up a table for him and bringing an assortment of balls and fruits to place on the table.

  According to Iron Jim, Willie was the best juggler in the entire world. While that might have been an exaggeration to impress the audience, Jason had to admit Willie was skilled at his job. When he was done juggling the items on the table, Iron Jim boasted that Willie could juggle anything and asked the audience what they’d like to see him juggle. One gentleman suggested knives.

  Jason didn’t think Iron Jim would allow it since it seemed unnecessarily dangerous, but Iron Jim seemed more than happy to prove that Willie could do it. “Ah, a very wise choice. What is your name, sir?” Iron Jim asked.

  “Mister Robinson,” the gentleman called out.

  “Very good, Mister Robinson.” Iron Jim turned to one of the clowns. “Bring out the knives!”

  The audience grew silent and watched as a clown brought the knives out.

  “And just so no one thinks the knives are fake, I’ll cut my very own hat,” Iron Jim said and proceeded to do as promised.

  A drum roll accompanied Willie as he lifted the four knives and juggled them. The impressed gasps didn’t go unnoticed by Jason who couldn’t take his eyes off of Willie, just as hypnotized by him as the others were.

  When Willie was done, the crowd cheered, and Iron Jim held up his hand to silence everyone. “Maybe someone can come up with something a little more challenging. Knives, after all, are too easy, aren’t they, Willie?”

  “They are, but I love how well they cut fruit,” Willie replied.

  Willie then picked up two knives and two apples, and while juggling, he cut one apple and ate slices of it, not missing a beat the entire time. When he was done eating both apples, he set the knives down and bowed for the cheering crowd.

  “But that’s too simple. You need something harder than that,” Iron Jim said with a hearty laugh. “Now, who can come up with something harder?”

  “Fire!”

  Iron Jim clapped his hands together and rubbed them. “Ah, a gentleman who lives a little more dangerously. What is your name, sir?”

  “Lord Edon.”

  “Bring out the fire,” Iron Jim called out to the clowns. “I bet Lord Edon doesn’t believe Willie can do it, but we don’t call Willie ‘the juggler who can juggle anything’ for no reason. We assure you, my lord, that we don’t make the boast in vain.”

  The clowns lit three torches and brought them to Willie. Willie took the torches one by one and tossed them in the air, quickly establishing a rhythm.

  “Are you challenged yet?” Iron Jim asked him.

  Willie shook his head. “It’s too simple!”

  The crowd laughed and cheered while Iron Jim called for another torch. Soon Willie had added another before he juggled other items.

  After Willie was done, Jason decided he should talk to him, even though the circus wasn’t over. He suspected the best time to get a word in private with Willie was when Iron Jim had the audience to think about. He quickly got up and maneuvered through the people until he reached the ground. He followed Willie until he caught up with him.

  “Excuse me? Sir, may I have a word with you?”

  Willie turned around, his face turning white before he exhaled and laughed. “Forgive me. For a moment, I thought I saw a ghost. What is your title so I may address you correctly?”

  “You might remember me. Does the name Alastair sound familiar?”

  “But your clothes…your hair…” He shook his head. “You can’t be him.”

  “So you did know someone by that name?”

  Willie glanced around them and grabbed his arm. Jason was ready to protest since his grip was painful, but Willie pushed him into a room and shut the door. Since it was dark, Jason couldn’t make out his surroundings, but Willie started whispering, taking his mind off the darkness.

  “If this is your idea of a joke, it’s not a good one.”

  Jason frowned. “I’m not joking. I don’t remember anything about my past, but I found someone who told me enough to believe you might know an important piece of it.”

  “Don ‘the fire eater’?”

  “No,” he lied, in a hurry to protect him.

  “Of course it was him. There’s no one else it could have been, but that doesn’t matter to me. You must never come back here, and you must never mention Don. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, but I need you to answer something very important for me. You’re the only person who knows, which is why I came here.”

  Willie took a deep breath and released it. “If you try to go to someone with my answer, I’ll deny ever talking to you. Understood?”

  “Yes. I won’t mention you.”

  “Good. It was hard enough to leave you for dead in that forest.”

  Not expecting this, Jason pressed, “You left me for dead? Were you also responsible for my injuries?”

  “Any you sustained from being dropped off the horse as I rode through the forest to get rid of you, yes, but Iron Jim was the one who did the beating. You let Don get away. It cut into his profits, and if there’s one thing Iron Jim doesn’t like, it’s losing money. We still haven’t found a suitable replacement for Don. Now do you understand why being here is dangerous if you insist on calling yourself Alastair?”

  “Yes, but is that who I am? Were my parents in the circus?”

  He paused. “Is that why you came here? To ask about your real parents?”

  “Yes.”

  “And after I answer you, you’ll leave here to never return to this circus?”

  “Yes. I promise.”

  “Very well. The gentleman who brought you here was a duke. The Duke of Watkins. He had a cloak on to protect his identity. He didn’t know I recognized him, but he was in the audience with his wife a month before and wanted me to juggle rats. I take it you saw my performance out there?”

  “Yes.”

  “Iron Jim always asks the names of anyone who makes a suggestion for my juggling routine. It’s one of the ways he engages the audience.” He loosened his grip, much to Jason’s relief. “The duke brought you here because you were a sickly child and the firstborn of twins. He and his wife didn’t want a sickly child to end up with the title, so he brought you to me. I worked out the arrangements, but Iron Jim purchased you. Does that answer your question?”

  “You’re sure it was me?”

  “My mind is as sharp today as it was back then. I never forget a name or a face.”

  Jason nodded, unsure of whether he was relieved or disappointed. He had the birthright to the title, but it was hard knowing his parents hadn’t wanted him. Up to this point, it’d been a suspicion. Now he knew the truth. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he focused on Willie. “This conversation never happened,” Jason said.

  “Good. You do understand.”

  Willie opened the door and peaked out of it, but before Jason had time to check out the room they were in, Willie whispered, “Stick to the group of gentlemen heading for the exit.”

  Willie shoved him out the door and shut it behind him. Jason glanced back at the door, figuring whatever was in that room wasn’t his concern and hurried to catch up to the gentlemen. He slipped beside them without notice and left the circus.

  It’d been a bittersweet experience. On one hand, he’d been granted the answer he most needed, but on the other, he’d learned how expendable he was. His parents hadn’t wanted him so they sold him to Iron Jim, and Iron Jim was so furious with him for helping Don escape that he beat him and ordered Willie to take him to a remote forest to dispose of his body. Both times, he knew no one thought he’d survive. Despite the bitter truth of what his life had been, he had the consolation in
knowing Anna loved him. She was waiting for him to return, and now that he had the answer he needed, he could. Eager to see her, he quickened his pace. In two days, he’d be home at Camden with Anna, which was exactly where he belonged.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Two nights later, Anna was asleep when she heard someone moving around in Jason’s bedchamber. Through the fog of sleep, she stirred, reluctant to leave the dream she had of holding her baby. In the dream, Jason entered the room and sat beside her on the settee, tapping his foot on the floor. It took her a moment to realize someone was walking around in Jason’s bedchamber, and as she woke up, she bolted up in her bed in excitement. Jason was back! He returned!

  She climbed out of bed and slipped on her robe. She quickly ran the brush through her hair and went to the door connecting their rooms. She flung the door open and hurried into the room when she realized something was wrong. She halted and glanced around the dark room, lit only by the moonlight filtering through one of the windows. She tried to remember if all of the curtains had been closed or not. If she remembered right, they hadn’t been open since Jason left.

  Someone was in here that shouldn’t be, and she knew better than to investigate on her own. She quickly made her way back to her room and softly closed the door. She locked it and went to the cord to alert Appleton that she needed him. A tense moment of silence passed before she heard the sound of someone breathing from the corner of her room. She retrieved a candlestick from her vanity table and turned toward the door that led to the hallway. She swallowed the lump in her throat. The shadowy figure dragged a chair to the door and placed the back of it under the doorknob so no one could enter her room. She glanced at the door connecting her bedchamber with Jason’s.

  The intruder made a step toward her, and she inched to the door. If he slipped into her bedchamber while she was in Jason’s room, that meant Jason’s room was the safest place for her to be. She bit her lower lip and studied the shadowy figure. Was he closer than before?

  She tightened her grip on the candlestick. If she was going to make her move, she’d have to do it before he lunged for her. She bolted for the door, but he was quicker. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her to his side. She tried to hit him with the candlestick, but he grabbed it from her and threw it aside. Then he pressed his hand over her mouth. Everything happened so fast she didn’t even have the chance to scream for help.

  “You shouldn’t have gone into that bedchamber, Anna,” Lord Mason quietly spoke in her ear. “But since you decided to get involved, maybe you can help me.”

  Keeping his hold on her, he forced her into Jason’s bedchamber and opened another set of curtains, making the room brighter. She struggled against him, but it was no use. He was much too strong for her.

  “It’s no use trying to get away, Anna. If you cooperate, I’ll let you and that bastard you’re carrying live. You ought to know by now that I never intended to kill you. I just want the money. Where does Jason keep it?”

  She shook her head.

  “Oh, excuse me.” He removed his hand from her mouth. “Where is it?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Liar!” he hissed.

  “But I really don’t know. My husband never told me where he kept the money, and I wasn’t allowed in this room.”

  “Maybe that’s true for my brother, but it’s not true for that imposter you brought here to take his place.” Before she could respond, he chuckled. “I know all about Alastair. I know my brother died. I know you and that butler of yours buried him. Somehow you found Alastair and convinced him to play the part. There’s no sense in denying it. I’m not an unreasonable person. All I need is enough money to marry Lady Templeton. Once I get it, I’ll go to British India, and I’ll never be a problem again.”

  “I’m telling you the truth. I don’t know where the money is.”

  Grunting, he shut and locked the door connecting her room with Jason’s. Then he locked the door leading to the hallway. She gulped. She was trapped. Appleton would be there soon, but he wouldn’t be able to get into the room so he could help her. She was alone with him, and that meant she was at his mercy.

  “I don’t know why everyone insists on making things difficult,” he grumbled. “First my brother, then Alastair, and now you. It’s all so simple. I need money. I can’t marry someone as wealthy as Lady Templeton if I don’t bring enough of my own money into the marriage.” He walked over to the window and opened it. “So the matter is really simple. Either you give me some money or jewels or something I can use, or you’re going to have a terrible fall out the window. Maybe you’ll survive it. Maybe you won’t. But is it worth risking your life and your child’s life to find out?”

  She backed away from the window, her heartbeat racing. “I don’t know where the money is, but I have diamonds that are worth a good sum. If you let me go back into my bedchamber, I can get them. I also have some money tucked away in my cabinet.”

  “But will it be enough for what I need?”

  He made a move toward her, and she took a step away from him. She had hoped to get close to the door leading to her bedchamber, but he was closer to it now. She grimaced. He had her blocked.

  Someone knocked on her bedchamber door, making her jump. Lord Mason pressed his fingers to his lips and shook his head in a silent warning that she better not say anything. She clenched and unclenched her hands.

  “Your Grace?” Appleton called out from her bedchamber door. “Do you need help?”

  She finally decided to answer, and opened her mouth when Lord Mason pulled out a pistol and aimed it at her. She closed her mouth. She couldn’t deny he’d thought through everything.

  “I don’t want to get blood on my hands,” Lord Mason whispered, “but you’re forcing my hand. You think I want to live off the pathetic monthly allotment my brother allowed me for the rest of my life? I want to be free of his strings, strings that even now haunt me since Alastair refused to help me.”

  “I’ll help you,” she whispered, clutching her robe and praying he wasn’t quick with the trigger. “Tell me where you think the money is.”

  This time Appleton knocked on Jason’s bedchamber door. She jerked and nearly cried aloud, but the pistol made her stop.

  “Your Grace?” Appleton called out, knocking again. “Can you get to the door?”

  Lord Mason motioned to the small room off to the side of the bedchamber. Without a word, she hurried to the room. She took a deep breath and rubbed her sweaty palms on her robe. This couldn’t be happening. It was a nightmare. She was still in bed, safely under her blanket and fast asleep. Soon she’d wake up and breathe a sigh of relief. She cleared her throat and turned to face him.

  “My brother kept important items in here,” Lord Mason told her in a low voice as he gestured to the desk. “If money isn’t in here, there should be information on where I can find it. Or there might even be some valuables in here. Whatever is in here, I know there’s something I can use.”

  “Why don’t you open the drawers?”

  “I did, but there’s a box in the top one that requires a key.”

  “You think I know where the key is?”

  He clicked the gun. “You might not have been close to my brother, but I saw the way you were with Alastair. You and Alastair were close enough where he would have told you anything.”

  “But I never looked at the contents in this desk.”

  “I’m starting to lose my patience, Anna.”

  Her gaze went to his gun then to the thin line on his lips and hard glint in his eyes. As much as she tried to keep calm, her hands shook and tears filled her eyes. “I didn’t even know there was a box in one of these drawers.” She motioned to the drawers. “Which one is it?”

  “Good try, but I don’t believe you.”

  She pulled a drawer open and saw a pile of papers.

  “The next one over.”

  She opened it. By the light of the moon, she saw the box he was talking abou
t. Though she knew there was a very slim chance it would open, she tried it anyway. The lock held firm. She searched the drawer for a key but didn’t find it.

  “Either you get the key or I’ll take care of you. Whether that means shoving you out the window or using the pistol, you decide.”

  “All right, all right. Um… If a key was that important to your brother, he would have kept it in the bedchamber, right? He’d want it close by in case he needed it.”

  He waved the pistol to the door, so she hurried out of the room. As long as she was looking for the key, he might hold off on hurting her. She scanned the bedchamber and tried to figure out where her first husband might have put the key. Her gaze went to the cabinet. That was as good a place to search as any.

  “Uh…one time, your brother mentioned the cabinet. I-I can’t remember exactly what he said about it, but it seemed…actually, I heard it reported that…he wouldn’t let anyone—not anyone at all—near it. Th-that being the case, the key must be here.”

  She knew she was tripping over her words, but she had to say something. Where was Appleton? What was taking him so long? She opened the cabinet and searched it. Her hands shook as she fumbled around for the key.

  A harsh bang resonated from her bedchamber door, and Appleton yelled for her to tell them if she was there. Them? Who else had Appleton retrieved to help him?

  “Anna,” Lord Mason snapped, jutting the pistol into her side.

  She shrieked and jumped away from it.

  He covered her mouth with his hand and pointed the pistol at her head. “Not a smart move, Anna,” he growled and dragged her over to the open window.