His Wicked Secret

by Lauren Smith

  Jonathan threw his body against the door, fighting to keep the flimsy fortifications from busting open.

  “Did Audrey escape?” Avery asked through gritted teeth.

  “I hope so.” Please God, let her get out. He couldn’t think of what the soldiers might do to a female spy before killing her. No woman deserved such a fate, especially not the woman he loved more than his own life.

  The door jerked behind them, the lock shattering. Only the tables and their combined weight were keeping the soldiers out. Jonathan and Avery stood shoulder to shoulder, boots dug into the floor, fighting with every breath to buy them more time. The wood shuddered over and over as the soldiers continued their assault.

  “I’m sorry you’re here, Jon,” Avery muttered as the door splintering.

  “I’m not,” Jonathan said. “Dying beside a good man to save the woman I love? I have no regrets.”

  He only wished he’d had more time to be with her. He’d been a fool to think he had years, decades even, to be with Audrey. If only he’d known, he wouldn’t have waited so damn long to…

  The walls of the inn groaned as the wood vibrated from the blows outside.

  “See you on the other side, Jon.” Avery met his gaze, and they both strained one last time to stop the soldiers before they were knocked to the floor in an explosion of wood.

  Jonathan’s ears were ringing as he struggled to get up, but every muscle in his body ached. Avery had collapsed beside him. His ears were ringing as the world slowed around him. Smoke rolled like waves over the floor of the taproom. Smoke? His hazy mind struggled to make sense of what he was seeing. Had the soldiers used gunpowder to blow them out?

  He was hauled roughly to his feet by two men and dragged out of the inn, into a swarm of soldiers and French townsfolk, all shouting.

  “Well, that was foolish,” A man in a captain’s uniform stepped forward, staring at him and Avery. “Very foolish.” His accent was thick, but his English was surprisingly good.

  Avery managed a grin. “Well, you know…we are English.”

  “We came here looking for spies, and instead we find…” The captain looked Jonathan up and down. “A bearded lady?” Jonathan hadn’t shaved in almost a day, but he certainly didn’t have a beard. “It is no wonder the English come here for holiday, when their women are so ugly.” It was obvious that the captain knew he wasn’t a woman, but the hope was the captain would believe that Sheffield had gotten it wrong.

  “I take offense, sir.” He replied with mock solemnity. “We were here on holiday, and now you’re wrecking what was to be a lovely honeymoon.”

  The soldiers burst out laughing, and the captain wiped a tear from his eye as he tried to stem his own laughter.

  “Honeymoon? You’re married? Well then, my congratulations! Please, kiss him!” the captain challenged, which resulted in more hilarity among the soldiers.

  Jonathan glanced at Avery, who shook his head. “You kiss me and I’ll kill you myself.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.” Jonathan snorted. “I’m far too good for you.”

  The captain turned serious. “Take them. Bind their wrists.”

  Jonathan and Avery put up little resistance while having their hands bound. They both knew there was no escaping this. Their only objective now was to keep all eyes on them, far away from wherever Audrey might be lurking, and afford her as much time as possible to escape.

  He didn’t dare look back as they were led away from the inn, lest he betray Audrey’s location.

  I will love you till my last breath and beyond, my little sprite.

  22

  Audrey hastily threw on the breeches and white shirt, packing her hair tight under her cap. Her hands trembled, but she ignored the fear rolling through her as best she could. There wasn’t time to break down, not if she was going to get through this night alive. Then she ran to the fireplace and smudged her fingers with ash and hastily rubbed them on her cheeks.

  She had learned a number of tricks in the last few months. People did not naturally like to look at dirty people, and if they were looking for the woman who’d arrived at the tavern, dirty would be the last quality they’d use to describe her. Outside she could hear an awful commotion as the soldiers prepared to storm the inn.

  Jonathan was down there, her Jonathan, doing everything he could to give her time to escape. She still didn’t know how he’d found her or how he’d gotten to her just in time. The man had the uncanny ability to show up when she needed him most.

  Like a man in love…

  Her heart stilled. He’d finally told her he loved her on the day they might both die. The selfish bastard. Her nose burned as she fought off her tears again.

  Pull yourself together! Falling apart now won’t do anyone any good.

  Well, she wasn’t going to let him and Avery get marched off to the gallows that easily. Not if she could find a way to save them. Not even the entire French army was going to stop her from finally getting married.

  I am Audrey Sheridan. I do not follow the rules. I shatter them.

  She rushed to the window and shoved it open. The curtains billowed as a strong sea breeze pushed into the room. The sounds from the crowds below strangely helped give her focus. She gripped the ledge of the slanted roof. The inn wasn’t connected to the building beside it the way many others were.

  There was a loud bang, and the building shook. Had they used a canon on them? No, that would be ridiculous. But the sound was far too loud for mere gunfire.

  Soon the sounds outside changed. Was that…laughing? She saw the backs of two armed men leave the alley, heading for the front of the tavern. There was a good chance she could drop down unnoticed now and hide until she could blend into the crowds.

  Fortunately, no one outside was looking at her window. The few people she could see were focused on the front door. She climbed out, gripping the windowsill until she was certain she wouldn’t fall.

  She eased down from the ledge until she hung by her fingertips, then dropped, landing in a crouch. She popped back up with her fists raised. She crept along the wall of the inn, then froze as she saw the scene unfolding at the front door.

  Laughs and jeers spread among both the soldiers and the crowd as Avery and a large woman in a hideous puce-colored dress with far too much lace were dragged out of the—

  Wait, that’s Jonathan!

  Audrey held her breath, and then she let it out when she saw that he was alive, but dazed. And dressed as a woman. The reasons why were obvious, but it did not make the scene any less bizarre to witness.

  Thank heavens they are both alive, she thought as she blended into the back of the crowd. And she would find a way to keep it that way. Yes, she’d made a promise to run and wait for the League at the port, but honestly, Jonathan should know better than to think she’d keep her word in a situation as dire as this. She would do what she had to do.

  She followed their progress by tailing them through the crowd, who were also following along, enjoying the show. Audrey checked for the slender blade she’d tucked into her boots as a reassurance, but she wished she had gotten her hands on a pistol instead, just in case she needed something a little more intimidating.

  Avery and Jonathan were bound with rope now, their wrists tied in front of them and forced to march behind the soldiers. Audrey tugged on the sleeve of one of the older men and spoke to him in her best French, as boyishly as she could manage.

  “Where do you think they are taking them?”

  “The cliffs. I expect they’ll try to intimidate them into a confession before taking them to prison…if they even bother. The last time they caught a spy, he was shot on the bluff and shoved into the sea.”

  “Which way?” she asked.

  The man pointed to a cliff in the distance. “Don’t go there looking for a show, boy. The soldiers have been drinking tonight, and they may try to use you for target practice.”

  She thanked him for the warning and said she wouldn’t. She went back in
to town briefly, then ducked into an alley, turning back around and following the soldiers at a safe distance.

  The men marched along a winding path toward the cliffs, taking turns to jerk either Jonathan or Avery forward, causing them to fall before they could stumble back to their feet. It happened to Jonathan more since he still had that dress on. Once they reached the cliffs, Audrey saw to her horror that she couldn’t follow them all the way to the bluff unnoticed. It was far too open. Taking cover behind a small cluster of boulders, she watched and waited, holding her breath. She would have to think of a plan to save them, and by the looks of the soldiers circling the two prisoners, she didn’t have long.

  Godric strode down the gangplank and hit the docks just as the moon rose above the horizon. The rest of the League followed behind - Ashton, Lucien, Cedric, and Charles. They had said little during their trip across the Channel. They were well armed and ready to take down anyone who stood in their way.

  “Where do you think we will find Jonathan?” Godric asked Ashton once they were off the ship. Ashton had ordered his captain to wait for them, and if necessary, be ready to get back out to sea immediately.

  “I expect he would be—” Ashton froze and focused on the activity on the docks. Sailors were shouting, and there was a tempo to the crowds that made Godric uneasy. Ashton seemed to share his concern. He went to a man and asked him something Godric couldn’t hear. By the time the League had joined him, his face had gone pale.

  “Everyone is talking about English spies. Two men have been arrested and…” He hesitated.

  “Say it.” Godric’s heart pounded. He knew this was bad, but he was uncertain as to how bad it could be.

  “It seems the locals are divided as to whether they will even live to see trial.”

  “Good God,” Lucien muttered.

  “Two men, you say? Not a woman?” Cedric asked.

  “No, they said two men. Though…” He spoke with the man again to clear up something. “It seems one was dressed as a woman?”

  The men of the League all look puzzled by this, except for Lucien, who worked out puzzles as a daily routine. “Of course.”

  Ashton thanked the man, and the League quickly left the docks, moving deeper into the port. Fortunately, Ashton had paid well for his privileges at many ports, which included benefits such as a minimum of interference from local bureaucracy.

  “What about Audrey?” Cedric asked once they were clear.

  “I suspect she escaped,” said Lucien. “That’s why one of the men chose to dress as a woman, to confuse the soldiers and give her time to get away. I wonder who?”

  “It’s hardly important right now,” said Ashton.

  “Probably not. It’s more a matter of curiosity. Avery may have had to disguise himself before in his line of work. But if Jonathan caught up with them… Yes, I could see him taking Audrey’s place. Or trying to.”

  “So you believe Avery is with Jon then?” Charles asked.

  “It’s the most likely scenario,” Lucien said. He sighed heavily. “Ever since he began this line of work, I’ve worried a day like this would come.”

  They halted when they reached a blacksmith shop and pounded on the door, calling out for the man to answer. An older man appeared, muttering about poor manners.

  Ashton fished out his coin purse. “How much for eight horses?”

  “Eight?” The blacksmith stared at Ashton. “Eight, monsieur?”

  “Eight,” Ashton repeated.

  The five of them soon acquired their new rides. Cedric, Lucien, and Charles helped saddle the horses, and they took off down the road, with Ashton and Godric taking the lead.

  Stay alive, brother. No matter what they do to you, stay alive.

  Godric didn’t want to think about what would happen if he lost his brother. They’d only just begun to know each other as siblings and no longer as gentleman and servant. Jonathan had lived in Godric’s shadow his entire life, and it was a matter that still filled him with a secret guilt.

  I have so much to make right with him. I can’t let him down.

  The League rode like wraiths down the road, with only moonlight to guide them. As they passed through the village, Ashton asked some locals for more information. His French was so flawless that in the dim light from the windows they assumed the group to be of French nobility rather than English.

  When he had the information he wanted, he nodded to the others and pointed to a nearby cliff. “That way,” he said in French. They rode off again, making all haste. The sight of a distant fire ahead of them was a good sign. That had to be them.

  As they closed in, they heard the crack of distant gunshots echo down the road. Godric shouted, “Come on!”

  He smacked the reins on his horse’s flanks and leaned down, taking off ahead of the others. Cedric was right behind him, shouting Audrey’s name like a battle cry.

  “English scum!” One of the soldiers smashed the butt of his rifle into Avery’s face. “Where’s the woman?”

  Avery grunted and spat blood onto the ground. “She’s right over there.” He was lying on his side, hands still tied together in front of him.

  They had started their interrogation on Avery first and were clearly enjoying causing him pain. Some passed a bottle around and joked as it went on.

  “Your joke has grown old, English dog. The man who warned us about you would not have mistaken that man for a woman.”

  “Are you sure? She is rather fetching in that dress.”

  The soldier kicked Avery in the stomach, and Jonathan shouted for them to stop. “You’ll kill him. Shouldn’t he get a trial first?”

  The soldiers all turned toward him, laughing. One man, the captain, stepped forward, his cold eyes settling on Jonathan.

  “Perhaps. Perhaps no. But that gives me the idea.” His English was about as bad as Jonathan’s French. He turned and pulled out a saber and placed the blade’s edge underneath Avery’s chin. The bright moonlight illuminated the blade, making the silver metal glint dangerously.

  “Whoever tells me about the woman first will get to have a trial,” the captain said in French, slowly enough for Jonathan to understand. He glanced between Avery and Jonathan. “The other… Who can say?”

  Avery gave a slight shake of his head. Jonathan stared at him for a long second and then cleared his throat. He nodded at the captain.

  “I’ll talk, but only to you.”

  “No!” Avery shouted, struggling to his knees. “Don’t you dare—”

  “Silence!” The soldier kicked Avery in the face. Avery crumpled back to the ground, groaning in pain.

  “I’ll take this one and speak with him.” The captain hauled Jonathan to his feet, gripping him by the arm and dragging him toward a tall cluster of boulders a dozen or so yards away. He kicked Jonathan in the back of the legs, and Jonathan fell to his knees. Then the barrel of a pistol was jammed between his ribs.

  “Tell me where the woman is.”

  He stalled, trying to think. “She…”

  A dark form leapt from the shadows and sank a blade into the man’s chest.

  “She is right here.”

  The captain stumbled back, his pistol clutched in his hands, and fired as he fell to the ground. The shadow yelped in pain. Jonathan winced. He knew that silhouette better than he knew himself, even with trousers on.

  “Audrey!” Jonathan crawled over to her. She was clutching her stomach, doubled over in pain.

  “I…I didn’t think…he’d get a shot off.”

  “It’s all right. Breathe for me, sweetheart. We’ll get through this.” He searched for the blade, and when he found it he pulled it out of the soldier’s chest. He cut the rope off his wrists and tossed the bindings away. Then he moved Audrey back behind the rocks, listening to hear if any more soldiers were coming.

  “Captain, what happened? Have you killed him?” one of the French gendarmes called out, slurring his words a little.

  Jonathan cursed under his breath and respo
nded as best he could. “Oui!”

  He heard the man laugh and lifted himself up to peer around the edge of the rocks. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but he soon realized that one of the soldiers had his rifle leveled at Avery’s chest.

  Jonathan barreled into the group of armed guards and tackled the man taking aim, knocking him to the ground. He got in one solid punch before he was dragged off by other soldiers, then pinned to the ground.

  “Hold him down!” a guard shouted.

  This was it. He was going to die, and Audrey might die of her wound.

  The grass beneath his hands was cold and slippery with sea spray. He lifted his head, viewing the horizon in the moonlit waters of the Channel. A fair enough sight, but he wished that his last sight would instead have been Audrey’s face.

  We were supposed to grow old together, with grandbabes all around us. It was not supposed to end like this.

  The soldier he’d struck now stood before him, blocking his view.

  “Looks like nobody gets a trial today,” he said. He raised the butt of his rifle and struck Jonathan in the head.

  Audrey’s face filled his mind. Flashes of memory from the last year played in rapid succession. Her brown eyes narrowed with anger as he carried her to bed. Those full lips curved in a tempting smile as she baited the hook to fish. Her sultry, hungry gaze reflected back at him through a mirror in the Midnight Garden. The way she’d whispered his name as he made love to her.

  “How could I not love a man like you?”

  A rumble of thunder caused a stir in the French gendarmes.

  “Horses are coming!” a man shouted. “Horses are coming!”

  Jonathan saw a number of horses charge up into their midst like a small cavalry. Godric was at the lead, a pistol in his hand. And then everything went black.

  “Jonathan. Jonathan! Wake up, brother.”

  Jonathan swam back into consciousness, now surrounded by friends instead of enemies. The bluff was quiet except for the panting of the men.