“I know. So do I,” he replied grimly, coming back by the bed to pull on the coat he had left draped over the divan. “If we’re granted leave to remain here, I plan to do everything in my power to see that they’re sold to honorable men and that those who are free are able to find new positions. Other than that, there isn’t much else we can do.” Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out his pistol and proceeded to check it carefully.
“Why do you still need that?” she queried in alarm.
“Until that bastard Spencer is in prison, I’m not going to take any chances,” Adam answered, returning the ornate weapon to his coat.
“Now I am frightened,” she admitted, flinging her arms around his neck as he sat beside her on the bed.
“Don’t be, my love,” he said, brushing a kiss on her cheek. “Everything will work out. You must trust that I know what I’m doing.”
“I do trust you, Adam—” She stopped abruptly, remembering something. Searching his eyes, she asked, “Did you ever send a reply to Dominick’s letter? You’ve never said anything about it.”
“Don’t trouble yourself with these details, Susanna,” he replied almost evasively. “Now I want you to lie back” —he pushed her gently onto the pillows— “and rest as the physician ordered. Will you promise me to do this?”
Sighing reluctantly, she nodded.
“Good. I might not be back until late, so don’t feel you must wait up for me—”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Adam Thornton!” she said with feigned annoyance, tears smarting her eyes. “Of course I’ll be waiting up for you.” As he bent to kiss her, his lips so warm and passionate upon her own, her arms flew around him again and she hugged him fiercely, not wanting to ever let him go. “I love you,” she whispered against his mouth, her heart full to bursting when he fervently echoed her words. Then he was pulling away from her, caressing the side of her face as he rose from the bed.
“Rest now. I’ll have Corliss bring you something to eat.”
Her throat too tight to speak, she could only watch him stride from the room … leaving her alone, to wait.
***
“Lord, it’s so good to see you awake, Mistress Camille,” said Corliss, her expression strangely subdued, although her dark eyes showed relief as she set the breakfast tray upon the bedside table. “You sure struck a fear in me when I saw you yesterday so still and pale in Master Thornton’s arms and your head bleeding like it was. I thought we’d lost you. I almost fainted myself.”
“No, I’m still here,” Susanna replied quietly, feeling deep regret as she was reminded by the way Corliss had addressed her that the maid had no idea of what was going to happen today.
Wishing she could say something to prepare the young woman for what might lie ahead, Susanna nonetheless squelched the impulse, knowing Adam had asked her not to. Corliss seemed upset about something already anyway, and she didn’t want to add to her waiting-maid’s worries. She rose to a sitting position and settled into the pillows Corliss fluffed and then propped for her against the headboard.
“I saw you frowning just now, Mistress Camille. Are you having a lot of pain?”
“No, only a little,” Susanna said, although in truth her head seemed to be hurting her more now that Adam had left. She reasoned that her apprehension was probably making it so, combined with missing him terribly. He had been gone only half an hour, but it felt like forever, the ticking clock and the relentless sound of rain pelting against the windows making it impossible to sleep.
“Well, Prue’s herb tea should make you feel better,” Corliss murmured, pouring the steaming liquid into a delicate porcelain cup and handing it rather shakily to Susanna, spilling some over the rim into the saucer.
“Corliss, what’s wrong?” she asked, taking the cup before any hot tea sloshed on her.
“Nothing … nothing at all,” the maid blurted a bit too hastily, wiping her hands on her starched apron as she surveyed the tray. “Let’s see now … there’s two poached eggs here for you, a slice of honey ham, a basket of wild blueberry muffins, and some of Prue’s cinnamon butter.”
Wondering if perhaps Corliss had heard something from Ertha, which might account for her odd behavior, Susanna set the cup on the table and touched the maid’s arm. “Corliss, I know you. You’re not acting like yourself this morning.”
“I didn’t sleep well last night, Mistress Camille, worrying about you and all. But I know I’ll get over it soon, just seeing how much better you are.” The maid uncovered the plate and, adding a few plump muffins from the basket, handed it to Susanna. “You should eat now, before it gets cold. Meanwhile, I’ll go fetch you some nice hot water so’s you can bathe.”
“You don’t have to rush.” Susanna glanced out the window. “The rain’s coming down harder now. Why don’t you wait until it lets up a little?”
“Oh, don’t you worry none about that. I’ve got a kitchen boy waiting for me downstairs with a big umbrella.”
Heaving a soft sigh as Corliss hurried around the bed to fetch the pitcher from the washbasin, Susanna bit thoughtfully into a muffin. Something was troubling her maid. But what?
Quickly deciding that Ertha wouldn’t have willfully gone against Adam’s orders and unable to come up with any other reason why Corliss might be upset, she concluded it must be due to what the maid had told her.
“Corliss, I’m really much better,” she reassured her as the young woman reached the door. “You don’t have to be so anxious about me.”
“I know, Mistress Camille, and I’m glad to see it. Is there anything else I can bring you when I come back? Something more from the kitchen? Some playing cards from the game room? You might want some diversion to occupy yourself while you’re not sleeping.”
“A few books would be nice if you wouldn’t mind fetching them from the library. The ones I’ve been reading are on that small table by the window—”
“Oh, dear, I’m sorry, Mistress Camille, but I can’t go in there right now. Master Thornton’s got a visitor—” Gasping, she clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide.
“Corliss, what are you talking about?” Susanna asked, confused. “Hasn’t Adam left yet for Williamsburg?”
The maid lowered her hand slowly. “Uh, no, but the carriage is already out front. I ‘spect he’ll be leaving soon, though I can’t rightly say for sure …” She opened the door. “I’ll go fetch that hot water now.”
“Wait a minute, Corliss, you said he had a visitor. My husband didn’t tell me he was seeing anyone this morning. Surely this must be unexpected. Who is it?”
“Master Thornton asked me not to say anything to you, Mistress Camille. He said it would only worry you, and what with you needing your rest—”
“Corliss, I demand that you tell me,” Susanna said sharply, struck by a chilling intuition. Why would Adam have said that unless … unless … “Who’s down there with him?”
Sighing as if realizing there was no way to get out of it, the maid blurted in a rush, “That planter you were thinking of marrying. Mr. Spencer.”
Stunned, Susanna’s mind sped wildly.
Why had Dominick come here and why had Adam allowed him into the house? He had told her that until Dominick was in prison, he wasn’t going to take any chances. But they were downstairs in the library, alone. That was taking a chance, wasn’t it? She couldn’t think of a worse one.
Suddenly a darker concern pressed in upon her, strangling her breath and making her heart pound.
Unless Adam had wanted Dominick to meet him here … unless he planned to do something rash … take justice into his own hands. He had sworn to her that one day he would have his vengeance, hadn’t he? Was challenging Dominick to a duel what he had meant? Had Adam perhaps lured that monster here by sending a reply that he would meet all of his demands? Dear God, no, this couldn’t be happening! He could be seriously injured, or …
“How long has Mr. Spencer been here?” Susanna demanded, tossing her plate onto the tray with a
crash and vaulting so abruptly from the bed that she staggered dizzily, a sharp pain shooting through her head. Not allowing herself to even consider the grimmer prospect that Adam might be killed, she ran to the wardrobe. “How long, Corliss?”
“Only since I was about to bring your tray upstairs … no more than a few minutes ago. What are you doing, Mistress Camille? You should be in bed!”
Susanna flung open the doors and grabbed the first gown she touched, dreading that at any moment she might hear the sound of pistols firing from the back lawn. “Quick, help me dress! I have to get downstairs!”
“But Mistress Camille—”
“No questions, Corliss! Please! Just help me!”
***
“You bastard! So this meeting was nothing but a trick,” Dominick said through clenched teeth, his eyes bloodshot with fury.
“One you brought upon yourself.” Swept by grim elation that his nemesis had played so easily into his hands, Adam kept his pistol trained squarely on Dominick’s heaving chest. “Fool! You let your selfish greed overpower your reason. You thought you knew me so well, thought I would do anything to keep Briarwood for myself, even if that meant paying you blackmail for the rest of my fife. But you were wrong, and now you’re going to pay for your reckless miscalculation. Start moving to the door! My carriage is waiting to take us to Williamsburg.”
“You’re the fool, Adam Thornton!” Dominick spat, remaining right where he was. “Surely you realize the magistrate will throw both you and your London slut Susanna Guthrie in prison for your charade—”
“Call her that again, Spencer, and my finger just might slip on this trigger.” Adam was sickened that Spencer would even say her name. “True, the court might do that, but I doubt it. I imagine the magistrate will simply be glad to have this matter cleared up and Briarwood returned to the proper heir’s hands. There can be some reward in honesty.”
“Honesty?” Dominick scoffed, his face livid. “Petty revenge is driving you. Don’t you see, man? We could all profit from our arrangement, there’s certainly enough Cary wealth to go around, but you’re going to throw everything away just so you can see me suffer!”
“Exactly, so save your deal-making for the court,” Adam countered bitterly. “Though I seriously doubt they’ll listen to any scheme you propose. No, I fully expect that they’re going to lock you inside a cell and toss away the key while your estate is sold bit by bit to satisfy your anxious creditors. I only wish you were going to find a noose lowered around your neck, not only for Keefer Dunn’s murder earlier this morning, scum that he was, and one to which you so callously admitted, but James Cary’s as well. Why don’t you admit you killed him, too, and clean the slate?”
“That’s one satisfaction you’ll never have,” Dominick said, his hand moving suddenly to the sword hilt protruding from the vent in his coat.
“Draw it even an inch, and you die,” Adam warned, pointing the pistol at Dominick’s forehead. “And don’t think I wouldn’t shoot you with the greatest relish. Ease your hand away … that’s it, and walk very slowly to the door. Once we’re outside, my coachman Elias will have the pleasure of binding your wrists so you won’t be causing me any more such trouble. But for now, just keep walk—”
Adam was startled into shocked silence when the door suddenly burst open, and he watched in disbelief as Susanna rushed into the room.
“Adam, please stop! You can’t do this!”
“Dammit, Susanna, get out of here!” He lunged to thrust her from the room, but his twisted ankle prevented him from moving quickly enough. Dominick reached her first and with a great heave, pushed her into Adam. They both toppled to the floor, Adam landing hard on his back and Susanna sprawling on top of him, the pistol knocked from his hand. It slid across the carpet and came to rest under a chair, well out of his reach.
“I’ll teach you to threaten me!” Dominick raged, drawing his sword and advancing upon them. “I see this as a clear case of self-defense, and so will the court. Now, I have only to kill you and then I’ll marry the bitch myself?”
“Roll out of the way, Susanna! Move!” Adam cried, hurling her with all his might off his body one way and then wrenching a side table down on top of himself to use as a shield just as Dominick struck the first blow.
Sent tumbling across the floor, the room spinning crazily around her until she pitched into the desk, Susanna lay dazed while the sounds of servants yelling in the hall, vehement curses, and splintering wood rang around her. Gasping for breath, her entire body aching, she managed to roll onto her side. Her eyes widened in stark horror at the sight of Dominick hacking wildly at what little remained of the tabletop which Adam, pinned to the floor by the crazed fury of his attacker’s onslaught, held in front of him.
“No! Stop it!” she screamed, hauling herself to her feet and running at Dominick, who paused only long enough to fling her away from him.
She fell on all fours, tears stinging her eyes, but she wiped them away when she spied the pistol only a few feet from her. As she clawed for it, her only thought was to get the weapon back to Adam before it was too late. Then she heard him yell out in pain at the same moment that her hand closed around the engraved butt, and she twisted to find Dominick’s bloodied sword coming down for a final blow.
“Damn you, Dominick! No!” A deafening report echoed around her, her hand vibrated and acrid powder smoke burned her eyes just as Elias rushed into the room and lunged at Dominick, who, clutching his shoulder, crumpled to his knees and collapsed unconscious onto Adam.
“Get him off! Get him off!” she cried, dropping the pistol to scramble on hands and bruised knees to Adam’s side. As the huge black man lifted Dominick bodily and threw him against the wall, she saw that Adam had been slashed diagonally across the chest. Bright red blood seeped from the wound visible through the torn edges of his clothing.
“No, God, no,” she moaned, ripping away his waistcoat and shirt to expose the eight-inch gash. Quickly she tore off a wide piece of her linen skirt to staunch the flow of blood.
“It’s all right, love,” she heard him say hoarsely, and was astonished that he was speaking at all. He tried to smile at her, grimacing instead. “I don’t think … he cut me very deep.”
“Oh, Adam,” she whispered, her heart aching. “You told me you were going to Williamsburg—”
“I was, Susanna, but with Dominick. I wanted to see the bastard’s face when he realized that he’d lost … I wanted to take him with me to court so we would face the magistrate together …”
As he groaned raggedly and then fell silent, his head lolling back on the floor, Susanna realized with heightened fear that he had lost consciousness. Seized by sheer panic that he might die, she pressed harder upon the wound, which wouldn’t stop bleeding.
“Let me help, Mistress Camille. I want to help,” came Corliss’s teary voice beside her while Elias’s deep baritone made her jump.
“Mr. Spencer’s out cold, Mistress Camille. He won’t be getting up and going nowhere, but I’ll call for some men to come in and watch him just the same. Then I’m going to ride like the devil to Yorktown and fetch the physician.”
“Yes, go! Go as quickly as you can, Elias!” she pleaded, caressing Adam’s pale cheek with trembling, bloodstained fingers while Corliss applied her wadded apron to Adam’s chest. “I’m so sorry, my love …” She choked, overwhelmed with inexpressible regret as she glanced back to where he had been wounded. “So sorry for causing this terrible thing to happen. I shouldn’t have run into the room like I did, but I was so frightened for you—”
“Susanna,” broke in Ertha’s shaky yet urgent voice next to her ear. “There’s a lady just arrived, and she’s asking for Camille. I’ll stay here with Master Thornton … his wound looks bad, but he’s as strong as they come. He’ll pull through this well enough.” Ertha tugged upon her arm. “Did you hear me, Susanna? I think you’d best go out and greet her before she comes in here. I have a feeling it’s important—”
&nb
sp; “Who’s Susanna?” Corliss exclaimed in confusion. “Lordy, Ertha, don’t give out on us, too! You’re talking to Mistress Camille!”
“No, I want to stay here,” Susanna insisted, ignoring her maid’s outburst and wondering how the housekeeper could dare ask her to leave Adam’s side at a time like this. “I have to stay with him—”
“Will someone kindly tell me what is going on… Good heavens, Susanna Guthrie, is that you? I should have known you’d be in the center of this melee!”
Her heart seeming to stop, Susanna incredulously lifted her eyes to Lady Redmayne’s indignant gaze.
“Well, young woman, what do you have to say to explain this horrible mess? And where’s Camille? Where’s her husband, Adam Thornton? I’ve never been so relieved as when I heard of their marriage from the constable in Yorktown—then I come here to find their household in a total uproar! Why, it looks as if I’ve stumbled onto a battlefield! Now I want an explanation, and I want it this very instant!”
Her whole world crumbling around her, Susanna could only murmur numbly, “Oh bloody, bloody hell …”
Chapter 28
“I still can’t believe Lady Redmayne is here at Briarwood,” Susanna murmured to Adam, who half-reclined beside her on the bed, pillows propped behind him and the covers drawn to his waist, a thick white bandage encircling his bare chest. She nestled closer against his comforting warmth, her cheek resting against his broad shoulder. “That she came all this way on the strength of a letter she received only a few weeks after Camille and I left England, and from a woman she didn’t even know … Cleo, no less!”
“I believe it, knowing how much Cleo hated Dominick,” Adam replied, drawing her closer, his arm securely around her waist. “She finally found a way to pay him back for selling off her children. I can imagine the baroness’s reaction when she read Cleo’s charge that he had murdered James Cary to clear the way so he could marry Camille and save himself from bankruptcy. I’m not surprised Lady Redmayne threw aside her prejudices and booked passage on the next ship bound for Virginia so she might prevent such a marriage. You told me she dearly loved her grandniece.”
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