P N Elrod - Barrett 2 - Death and the Maiden

by Death

  "Be quiet."

  He flushed. "And I won't be spoken to like that in my own house even if you are my brother-in-law!"

  "You're no relation to me arid you know it. Be quiet or I will kill you."

  His mouth dropped open, but nothing came forth. He saw how I looked and finally, finally the true meaning behind my actions began to dawn upon him.

  "Elizabeth?" I went back to her. She had become smaller and was trembling as though chilled to the bone. The letter shook so much in her hand that she had to press the rattling pages against the chair arm to read it again. She'd have to read it several times, even as I had.

  She looked to me. "This is true, isn't it?"

  "I'm sorry."

  "It's not some silly joke of Oliver's..."

  "No. I showed this to Caroline. I made her talk. She was... unable to lie. She and Norwood are married."

  She let the letter drop and looked past me, not to her husband, but to the man who had betrayed her. Her eyes blurred and grew blind from the welling tears.

  "How could you?" she asked him in a broken voice that pierced me right through the heart.

  "How could I what? Elizabeth-" He reached toward her, putting on a most convincing show of hurt and tender concern.

  But she ignored him and looked to me once more, pleading for me to make things right again.

  "If I could change it, I would. You know that."

  And this confirmation made her smaller still. Elizabeth hunched in on herself, unable to hold back the grief any longer. She gave up fighting it and the tears and sobs came on, leaving her helpless for a time as her emotions overwhelmed her. If she had the least doubt about the truth of things, she had only to look at Norwood. He remained quiet and made not the slightest protest of innocence, nor any gesture of compassion toward the people he'd so callously hurt or displayed a jot of shame for any of it. If anything, he appeared to be disgusted at this turning of events.

  Soulless and heartless, the bastard.

  I put my arms around Elizabeth, offering what small comfort I could, but sickening as it was just to look at him, not once did I take my eyes from Norwood.

  "What shall we do?" Elizabeth asked.

  The first shattering shock had been the worst, but Elizabeth was a strong woman. She'd recovered for the present, blew her nose, dried her eyes, and braced herself to listen to the full story behind the letter. I told her everything, including what Caroline had imparted to me. The fact that I'd gotten so much information from her both puzzled and frightened Norwood. When it was over, Elizabeth voiced the question that had begun to hammer at me as I talked.

  "I don't know," I answered. "We'll have to tell Father. He'll help us work out something."

  "I don't see how."

  Neither did I, but she didn't need to hear that. "He will."

  She nodded dully, accepting it, not really thinking about it. Just as well. "What about Caroline?"

  Norwood's eyes flickered and sharpened.

  "She'll be no trouble to us, I promise," I said. "Go upstairs. Put on some riding clothes. I'm going to take you home. We'll talk to Father."

  "What about him?" She glared at Norwood.

  "He'll be here when we come back. I'll make sure of it."

  "You'll-"

  "I'll do that which is necessary. Now go."

  Elizabeth stood, stiff as an old woman one moment, then swaying as though about to swoon the next, but she got hold of herself and paced over to where Norwood was standing. He had no real expression on his face, just a trace of watchfulness, nothing more. She looked him up and down, a tall and handsome man, husband for a month, betrayer for a lifetime.

  She slapped him, then spit in his face.

  He flinched, but didn't otherwise react. I was right behind Elizabeth and Norwood must have seen his own murder in my eye if he dared to make the smallest move against her. He was not even tempted to wipe away the spittle.

  Elizabeth turned her back to him and left the room by the parlor's other door, which led to the kitchen. I wondered why she'd gone that way until I heard the soft splash of water. Yes, she'd want to wash her face first, part and parcel of making a new start on things. I listened to her quiet movements until she was done and slowly climbing the servants' stairs to her room. When her steps faded and a door closed, I told him to sit, but Norwood remained standing, the better to offer arguments in his favor.

  "Look, now," he said. "I know it's been a blow to you, but there's no need for this to go any further. You've caught me out and we all know it, but do you want all the rest of the county to know it as well? Do you really want Elizabeth to have to face the scandal, the pointing fingers, the whispers?"

  "You don't give a damn for her, so don't try using that excuse to save your skin."

  "But it will happen if you turn me in, make this public. Let me go and Caroline and I will leave quietly, we won't ever come back, we'll say nothing."

  "Leaving Elizabeth to explain why her 'husband' deserted her?"

  "You can say I'd been called back to England, say anything you like. We'll be out of your lives, we'll stay away, I promise."

  "You've tried to kill me twice, nearly killed my father, and God knows, you were planning to kill Elizabeth as well and you think that I could cheerfully let you go free just to avoid a little gossip?"

  "But-"

  "You're a murderer already with blood on your hands from the people killed and robbed by your men, you even slaughtered one of your own to keep him quiet, and by God, I'm going to see that Nash knows all about it. I could strangle you where you stand, but I won't. It'll give me far greater pleasure to wait and watch you dancing under the gallows. There'll be no one pulling on your heels to speed you to hell, I'll see to that."

  He went whiter than his shirt and backed away, not far, only into a chair into which he sat rather heavily. He embarrassed himself no more with protests. He finally saw their futility. Some new thought came to him, though. "You'd let them hang Caroline, too? If you turn me in, then she'll have to be part of it. You'd let them hang a woman?"

  My hard silence was not the answer he wanted. Caroline was beyond the rope, but I saw no reason to inform or explain to him her condition.

  "You must let me go." Tears were in his eyes, his voice, but I'd seen them first in my sister. I was not about to be persuaded to pity for this creature.

  "Aye, let 'im go an' we'll take care o' things," someone advised me.

  Ash's voice.

  He blocked the doorway that led to the kitchen, holding a pistol in each hand, both aimed at me. I knew they were primed to fire, having done it myself since they were the duelers I'd left on my saddle. Behind him were other men I recognized: Tully, Seth, Abel. Drummond wasn't with them.

  "Stand clear of 'im," Ash ordered.

  I did just that, smoothly, without haste, and holding my own pistol along the line of my leg, keeping it out of his sight for a moment longer. I presented only my side to him, like a fencer.

  "That's far enough."

  Norwood was on his feet again, pointing at me. "Look out for him, he's armed."

  But Ash had me well covered. " 'E won't make no trouble. 'E's too smart by 'alf to even try. Am I right, ye young bastard? Am I right? Thought as much. Now put that on the table. Reach for it 'n' you'll make me a happy man,'n' that's God's honest truth."

  As instructed, I placed my gun on the table, but did not move from my spot.

  Relief flowed out from Norwood so strongly I could almost feel it as a physical presence in the room. "Excellent work, Mr. Ash. I'd nearly despaired of your coming tonight."

  "That bloody idiot you sent to fetch us put up more of a fight than we'd reckoned on."

  "What? Harridge?"

  " 'E squealed a bit, but Tully got 'im quiet. 'E won't be makin' no more noise ever ag'in." Ash chuckled, the others joining him as they separated out over the room.

  "Where is he?"

  "We drug 'im into yer scullery. It'll look like it's supposed to, you've n
aught to worry about on that."

  "You sent your servant off to be murdered?" I asked Norwood.

  He smiled. "Couldn't be helped. He was beginning to realize a few too many things, anyway. It's a good night for the work, right lads? Quiet and dark, just as we like best."

  Yes, it was a quiet, moonless night, a rare night for mayhem be you rebel or Loyalist. That was why Norwood and Caroline had chosen to take advantage of it.

  Tully sniggered, as did the rest. "Not what I like best. Where's that Tory bitch ye been keepin', yer lordship? I've 'eard she 'ad a fair face. I've a mind t' see it."

  And so while Caroline and I rode home, where we planned to sit with Anne and read Shakespeare aloud to each other, my sister would be suffering God knows what horrors at their hands until they finally...

  "Devil," whispered Abel, staring at me. "See the fire in 'is eyes? 'E's a bloodsucking devil, I tell ye!"

  They all looked, and things were silent for a moment, but Ash snorted, waving one of the duelers. "Then 'e won't mind us sendin' 'im back to 'ell, will 'e?"

  "Not at all," agreed Norwood. But the man looked uneasy, for my gaze was wholly focused upon him. "Send him along now, if you please, Mr. Ash."

  "Oh, but 'e'll need a bit of company to go with 'im."

  "The sister? Yes, I'll fetch her down. It'll be less fuss if I-"

  "We'll take care of yer Tory doxy soon enough, yer lordship. First I want t' know what this bastard meant when 'e said 'slaughtered one o' yer own.' "

  Norwood did not take his meaning right away. "What are you on about?"

  "We 'eard 'im talkin' with ye afore we showed ourselves. What did 'e mean?" Ash casually let one of the duelers swing in Norwood's direction.

  "He wants to know about Knox," I said, my voice very thick, very low.

  The meaning now dawned on him, but his acting skills were so ingrained that he was able to shift his thoughts 'round without showing so much as a flicker of change in his face. The others saw nothing, but in that deathly still room / was able to hear the abrupt thump as his heart lurched and pounded in reaction.

  "What about Knox?" he asked with just the right touch of annoyed puzzlement.

  None of it worked on Ash, who was already predisposed to suspect a lie. "You tell us, yer lordship. What did 'e mean?"

  "I haven't the faintest idea. Poor Knox was killed trying to escape-"

  "Aye, that's one o' the stories. The other is 'e were 'anged by a mob, 'n' 'nother were 'e were shot through the 'ead while 'e sat 'elpless 'n' chained."

  "That's the true one," I put in, slowly, deliberately, watching Norwood with an unholy delight burgeoning within me. "His lady wife shot through a broken window and blew out his brains just as you said."

  "Be that true?" Ash demanded of him.

  "Of course not! How could it? What a ridiculous idea! He's trying to confuse you-to get you to spare him. He knows you'll be killing him-"

  "So I've no reason to lie," I said.

  "You do if you want to drag me down as well."

  "Norwood was afraid Knox might talk," I went on. "Afraid Knox would betray him. That's why he was murdered."

  "But that's-"

  "Norwood... look at me"

  He looked. He couldn't not look.

  I drove into his mind like an axe. "Tell them the truth."

  He gave a little gasp and fell back a step.

  "Devil," Abel murmured.

  "The truth, Norwood."

  He all but strangled on the words, but they did at last come forth. And when he was done, I released him, and he dropped to his knees.

  I bowed my head, tired and suddenly aware of the sharp pain crashing around inside my skull. I had not lost control as I'd done earlier; this was the price of it, perhaps. When I came back to myself and glanced up, they were staring at one another, at Norwood, at me. Tully and Ash with fearful wonder, Seth and Abel with fear alone as they shifted nervously from foot to foot as though ready to run. I half-expected Abel to call me a devil again.

  Norwood made a breathy sob and grabbed at his chair to keep from falling completely over.

  Ash turned full upon me. "I don' know 'ow ye done it, but 'tis done, 'n' I believe it."

  "No, Ash." Norwood made a valiant effort to straighten himself. "It's a terrible mistake."

  "Don't see 'ow it can be, since we all 'eard the story from yer own lips."

  "It wasn't true, I swear it! I was forced to say those things. You saw what he did. He made me lie, he made me-you saw! He's not natural, he's-"

  "Bastard! I don't give a bloody damn what 'e is, devil, angel or whatever's in between, you've a debt to pay for the murder of a good man."

  "But it wasn't even me! Caroline was the one, you know that! I didn't want her to, but she-"

  "Oh, now, listen to 'im squeal. Ye make me sick."

  And with no more prelude than that, Ash aimed one of the duelers at Norwood and fired. The ball struck him square in the chest and he collapsed forward, his last cry lost in the deafening blast of the shot. Smoke billowed out from the pistol, obscuring things for a moment, long enough-more than long enough-for me to grab Caroline's gun.

  Without thinking, without loss of motion, I raised it and fired at Ash where he stood now half turned from me. The gun cracked sharply and more smoke clouded my vision, but he gave out with a surprised shriek, jerking away, one arm flailing. I was distantly conscious of the others tumbling over themselves to get out of the way.

  " 'E's a devil!" screamed Abel, ducking from the line of fire. I wasn't paying much attention, being busy with pulling back the gun's trigger guard.

  Turn the cylinder. Push the guard forward...

  Lock.

  Tully's reactions were better than the others. He charged at me, arms out to bring me down. I got the muzzle up just in time, but he made a grab at my wrist and the shot went wide. He hadn't expected it, though, and the flash and burn made him jump. I dropped the gun, seized Tully by the shoulders, and hauled him sharply around. His feet left the floor. I swung him like a sack of grain and let him go. He all but flew across the room to smash into a wall with such force as to break bone. Hardly wasting a glance at him, I stooped and retrieved the pistol.

  Pull back the guard, turn the cylinder, push, lock...

  Fire.

  Seth and Abel had seen it coming and had scrambled for the door, both in a panic to get out. I followed them through the kitchen. They stumbled over Harridge's body in their haste to gain the scullery.

  Pull back, turn, push, lock...

  Fire.

  By then I wasn't even trying to aim. They were routed, and that was enough. I didn't care if they lived or died as long as they were gone. They broke free of the house and fled away into the summer night. I could have followed them, but simply fired over their heads, inducing them to greater speed.

  They ran back the way they'd come: up the road to the cook's home, probably where they stayed when they weren't making raids. I'd allowed for the thieves coming over from Suffolk to prey on us, but it had never occurred to me that they could just as easily work their scheme from Nassau County. If they had any brain at all between them, they'd take to a boat and be long gone before Nash could catch them.

  I didn't care. To hell with them.

  Returning to the others, I found Ash, Tully, and Norwood as I'd left them. The scents of bloodsmell and powder and fear and death filled the room.

  I rolled Norwood over. His eyes were just beginning to film and fade. His last expression was of hurt disbelief. Ash had gotten him right where his heart would have been had he possessed one. He was now past any worldly cares.

  A pity. I would have treasured the chance to watch him swing, to see the this dancing master's legs twitching in his final jig. Too late now.

  Tully would trouble us no more, either. His neck had been broken. His spine, too, from the look of things. I took in this indirect evidence of my strength with barely a shrug, as though it had nothing to do with me, as though some other pers
on had gone mad and-

  I was numb inside and just a little cold. It was impossible to tell whether it had to do with my body or my soul. A iron hard heaviness dragged at me, slowing my movements, my thoughts. I roused myself just enough to go check on Ash.

  He lay on his back, a fearful wound just below his heart and the look of death settling a gray shadow upon his face.

  "Curse ye fer a bastard," he grunted as I knelt next to him.