Her cheeks reddened. "Don't talk to me like that, Elise."
"I'll talk to you any way I please," I said. "This is my home, and you are an uninvited guest. If you don't like my hospitality, leave, it's as simple as that."
She smiled unexpectedly. "People are saying that you have lost your interest in living, Elise. That you don't care if you go to the scaffold or not. I think that's a lie. You're still a scrapper, aren't you? A little wildcat. And you want to live. As each day of this trial passes and you see your chances for freedom becoming more remote, you want life more and more. I would imagine that at this point even a life without Garth McClelland would appeal to you, wouldn't it?" I made no reply. "As I was saying, I don't want to lose him. I don't want him to divorce me."
My heart leaped. "Has he—has he asked you—"
"Not yet. We have not met since he returned from Washington. I don't want to lose my home. Highlands is everything to me, Elise. You'll never know what it means to me until you have a home of your own. I've helped Garth build it into what it is today, and I won't give it up. And I would have to give it up if he left me, or if the scandal of his association with you drove him from public office. I've lived with rumors of him and his women for years, but he never showed any sign of taking those affairs seriously. He wanted his fame, the glory of being a daring adventurer and a friend and adviser to presidents. Our lives hardly ever crossed, but we were content with the arrangement. Until you came along. I've had to endure a great deal as his wife, but I won't endure that."
"What are you talking about?"
"If you hang, the scandal would be so damaging to his career that he would have to leave office. If you go free, he might divorce me and marry you, and the result would be the same. I would have to leave my home."
"You should have thought of that before you started all this." I waved my hand.
"No, you're wrong. This was all Arnold's idea. He was frantic when he heard you were back, and he decided to attack you before you could expose him. But I have a solution to all our problems, Elise."
"You have already indulged in some rather extreme behavior, just to dispose of me, Georgette," I remarked calmly. "Or did you come here to assassinate me? Perhaps you can bribe one of the guards to take the blame. They say every man has his price."
"Listen to me, Elise," she said, getting up from the cot and striding over to me. "I'm offering you your freedom. Do you hear me? Your freedom! I shall go before the court tomorrow and tell the world that Arnold killed Jacques, that he came to me that morning and confessed what he had done, and that he begged me to help him."
I laughed. "Arnold isn't going to like being betrayed," I said.
She smirked. "I don't care about him. And he's guilty, isn't he? I'll only be telling them the truth."
"Surely—surely you won't tell them about Niles, about—"
"Why not? That was all part of Arnold's plan. I'll tell them that he forced me to carry it out, that he threatened to kill me if I ever breathed a word to anyone about Jacques or about you. He'll go mad, you'll see. I know my cousin well. He won't be able to listen to that without making some display that will convince them all that he's the guilty one, not you. And he'll be in court tomorrow, you may be sure. He hasn't missed a day of this trial. It's the best fun he's had in a long time. You may be sure I can make it look like I have been just another of his victims. If a little breath of scandal brushes me—who cares? You will be free and Garth will be free of you. We can pick up the threads of our lives again. Everything will be as it was before you came."
I wet my lips. "You haven't told me what I have to do," I said. "Surely you're not doing this because you don't want Garth's heart to be broken."
"Garth has no heart, Elise," she sneered. "You know that by now. He's like every other Scot I've ever known. He'll pursue a thing as long as it eludes him, but once he has it—He's a stubborn man, and he's easily bored. The only reason you've been able to hang on to him this long is that you've been leading him a merry chase. But once he has you—he'll go on to something else."
She had spoken my deepest fears. "Another adventure, another woman," I whispered.
"Precisely. No, Elise, this is one scheme that can't afford to fail. I want to be rid of you once and for all. I want you to promise me that you'll leave Louisiana, that you'll return to France and never set foot in this country again. If you promise me that, then I'll do as I said and you'll go free. There's a merchant ship lying at anchor in the river right now. The Etoile de France. She sails for Marseilles tomorrow night. You can be on her, Elise. Think of it. You'll see France again in just a few weeks. You have family, don't you? You'll see them again. France. Home. Don't you want to go home, Elise?"
"Yes," I cried out. "Yes, I want to go home! Oh, God, if I could believe you, if I could trust you—"
"Believe me." She gripped my arms with her gloved fingers. I could feel her claws digging into my flesh and I could see the mad gleam in her eyes. But I didn't care at that moment who she was and what she had done to me. She was offering me freedom, life. And I wanted to live. I wanted to see my child grow and become a man. I wanted to go home. "Trust me. I'm telling you the truth, Elise. I have arranged passage for you already," she said. "All you have to do is cross that gangplank to the ship and say good-bye to all of this. And there's extra money waiting for you in the Captain's keeping."
I blinked. "I don't want your money."
"I'm not bribing you, Elise. Be sensible. You'll need to buy yourself some decent clothes when you get to France, and you'll have to pay for the rest of your journey. It's all taken care of, Elise. Think of it."
I pushed her hands away. "Suppose—suppose he follows me? Suppose he comes to France—"
"He won't," she said flatly, "if you use your head. Don't see him after the trial. Don't let him come near you. Just go directly to the ship and stay there until she sails. Listen to me, Elise. If anything goes wrong, if you betray me and go back on your word to leave the country, if he tries to find you, I'll make you sorry. I'll hurt you, even if it means destroying Garth in the process. You know I'd do it, Elise. You know how far I'll go to be rid of you, and to see him free of you. If you want him to be safe and happy you'll leave for France and never look back. Just tell Howard Livingston when you see him that I want to testify, that I must testify. And then leave it to me. In a few hours you'll be free again."
"All right," I said quietly. "Yes. I'll do it. I'll leave and I won't come back."
"Good." She permitted herself an icy smile. "Bon voyage, Elise." She called for the guard. "Don't bother to write."
The guard let her out of my cell. I sat on the cot for hours and thought about her plan. I would never see Garth again, but I would be alive, and I would have our child. I would thank God all my days for giving me that child, and for giving me even the brief happiness I had known with Garth.
Before the trial began the next morning I told Howard, "I had a visitor last night. Georgette McClelland. She's going to tell the truth about Arnold and the murder."
"What on earth!"
"You have to call her today, first thing. Ask her about that morning. She'll tell everything, even about Bose Niles. She's going to make it seem like it was all Arnold's idea, and pretend that he forced her to play along. Her testimony should be enough to free me."
"I don't believe this! She would never offer—What did she get from you, Elise?" the lawyer demanded. "What did you promise her?"
I stared at him levelly. "Nothing. Nothing at all. If anyone asks you about it, just tell them that Georgette's conscience got the better of her and that she didn't want to see an innocent woman hang. If they know her well they won't believe it, but tell them that."
"But—"
There was a slight commotion at the back of the courtroom. I didn't turn my head. Then I heard Howard say, "Garth." I swiveled around in my chair. He was there, standing at the door in the back, with Bose Niles on one side of him and Jake, the River Rat, on the other. He wa
s looking straight at me with a triumphant grin on his face. Howard went back to talk to him.
I faced the front of the room again and hid my face. He was trying to save me, moving Heaven and Earth. He hadn't deserted me, he hadn't abandoned me. I was a fool. I should never have doubted him, and now I had bargained him away. I had a sudden mad urge to run back and throw myself into his arms. I turned and caught Georgette's eye. It was no good. If I permitted myself any demonstration of affection or love she wouldn't testify, she would let me hang.
The judge entered the courtroom and called the session to order. "Mr. Livingston, have you any witnesses to call for the defense?"
"I have, your honor. The defense calls Madame Georgette McClelland." The crowd buzzed excitedly as Georgette came forward and was sworn in. Livingston cleared his throat. "Madame McClelland, do you recall the morning—"
She told her story in a strong, unwavering voice. She was an accomplished actress; I found myself half-believing her lies. I wondered if Garth would believe her. I could sense the undercurrent of amazement in the spectators' gallery, and when she said, "Arnold told me he had just shot Jacques Fournier, and he wanted me to help him. I was his cousin, after all—" I heard an hysterical squeal and the sound of fleeing footsteps. Arnold was running for his life. Two sturdy bailiffs took hold of him and ushered him into a waiting room.
The prosecution asked Madame McClelland why she hadn't come forward earlier.
"Why, Arnold threatened to kill me if I ever breathed a word of what happened that day to anyone. I lived in fear of him, day after day. But I could not bear to have Elise punished for something he did. I know I was wrong to aid him in his mad plot against her. I know how she must have suffered at the hands of—those men. With the passage of time, the burden on my soul grew heavier, not lighter. I was delighted to discover she was still alive. I shall accept the pronouncement of the court in this matter. If the court decides that I have some punishable guilt, then I will pay and pay gladly. I only hope that Elise and the citizens of this parish will forgive me for keeping silent this long. I had no choice."
Then Howard Livingston called Bose Niles and Jake. He allowed Bose to give only enough evidence to support Georgette's testimony without casting her in too villainous a light. The prosecution made no cross-examination. The courtroom was in an uproar and the judge finally despaired of restoring order and sent the jury out to deliberate. They returned in a few minutes with a verdict of not guilty and a recommendation to remand Arnold Charpentier for questioning. Howard embraced me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Garth pushing his way through the crowd.
"Take me out of here, Howard, I beg you. I—I feel faint."
"But Elise, don't you—"
"No, Howard. Please!"
He led me out a side door and into the sunshine—and freedom. A carriage was waiting.
"Georgette told me it would be here," Howard said. "She's thought of everything."
I rode away. When we were well away from the courthouse I instructed the driver to take me to the docks, to the Etoile de France. I asked to be taken to the Captain, a courtly white-haired gentleman from Bordeaux. When I identified myself he personally escorted me to my cabin and drew a heavy pouch from his jacket pocket.
"My instructions were to give you this when you came aboard, Madame."
I thanked him cordially and he departed, informing me that we would sail with the evening tide. I looked around. I recognized the bags I had had with me in prison, and one I had left behind at the Rue St. Charles house. She really had thought of everything.
Hours passed. I did nothing. I felt nothing: no sorrow, no joy. Only a nagging eagerness to be under way. I would not feel safe until we were well out to sea. I could hear the rush and hustle up on deck as the sailors made ready to weigh anchor and hoist their sails. Suddenly the cabin door burst open and Garth strode into the room.
"What in hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded angrily. In the passage I could see Savannah's anxious face peering in at me. "Do you think I don't know that you and Georgette cooked up something between you? Give me a little credit, Elise. I know Georgette very well, almost as well as I know you."
"You don't know me, Garth," I said softly. "You've hardly given me a thought."
"What kind of thing is that to say? Come on, we're getting off this ship."
"No. I'm staying here. I want to go—I want to go home. Please leave me, Garth. Don't—"
He scowled at the open door. "Excuse us a moment, Savannah," he said, closing it. "Savannah insisted on coming with me. We had a hard time finding you. Of course you didn't confide in her because you knew she'd tell me. Savannah doesn't believe you're going to sail, and neither do I." He came closer to me. I drew back. His face darkened. "So that's the way it is. You can't wait to get away from me."
"It's not you, Garth," I said wretchedly. "It's the whole terrible nightmare. My whole life since I met you—"
"I know, I know," he said impatiently. "Do you honestly believe that I'm as callous and cold-hearted as you seem to think I am? Do you really think that I have no respect for your feelings, for your pain? I'll give you some time to yourself, Elise, if that's what you want. But I'm not going to let you run away from me like this. I will not let Georgette arrange the details of my life—"
"It's not Georgette," I told him truthfully. "It's me. I want to get away, far away. I want to go home. I want to have my—" I swallowed, "my family around me again. Please, Garth, let me go—"
"You're a damned little coward," he said viciously. "You haven't the courage—"
"No! You're wrong, Garth," I said passionately. "Sometimes it takes more courage to run away than to stay. I'm not just thinking of myself. I—I don't trust you, Garth," I blurted out. "I don't trust you not to hurt and betray me again!"
He narrowed his eyes at me and stood for a long time staring at me, saying nothing. "So that's it. It seems we have different conceptions of what is cowardice and what is bravery, Elise. You don't make any sense, you know. A few weeks ago you loved me, you adored me, you told me you'd be grateful for crumbs. Make up your mind, Elise. You either want me or you don't. You're either coming with me now or you're staying. It's that simple."
"Georgette told me you didn't speak to her of divorce. From the way you talked, about leaving it all—"
"There's time enough for talk later, Elise. Let's go." He put his hand on my elbow.
"No, wait. How much are you prepared to give up for me, Garth? How important am I to you?"
"Important? Don't be foolish, Elise. You know I want you."
"Want and love are two different things, Garth," I said slowly. "You want me now, but what about tomorrow?"
"Just like a woman!" He sounded exasperated. "You can't be begging me to marry you, Elise. You know as well as I do that the bonds of marriage are only as strong as the people involved. My marriage to Georgette never deterred me from going after the things I wanted."
"And marriage to me wouldn't be any different, would it? That's what you want to say. I'm not even sure if I want marriage. What I want from you is a commitment, a promise, a word. I want your love, Garth, and I think I'm asking the impossible."
"For God's sake, Elise, let's not go into that again! I want you. I want you more than I've ever wanted any woman. I love your will, your ferocity, your passion—"
"My damning black eyes, my beautiful hair, my soft lips—"
"Yes, all of you! You're a queen among women, little firebrand. I've never known a woman to touch you. Isn't that enough for you? Look, if marriage is so important to you, Elise, then we'll marry. But if you want sweet words and eternal vows, then you're asking the wrong man."
"Then I'll never hear you say, 'I love you, Elise'?" I asked gently. "That's all I want. It's not so much, is it, Garth? But it's too much to ask of you. You've never said it to any woman, and meant it."
We stood only a few feet apart, yet the distance between us was vast and bleak.
"Are you coming w
ith me?"
"No, I'm not. We'll both be happier this way, Garth."
"Then go to the Devil," he said huskily. He threw the door open and disappeared into the dimly lit passage. Savannah crept into the cabin.
"Where you goin', Missy?" she asked.
"Home, Savannah. Home to France."
"Well, I ain't never been to France," she said. "I guess I'll go along."
"Savannah," I shook my head sadly, "it's such a long way. The language is different—"
"It's French, ain't it? I been around French-speakin' people all my life, and it never bothered me none. Now don't give me no argument, Missy, 'cause I won't be moved. You can't travel over this ocean all by yourself, an' you carryin' a baby an' all! I'll take care of you when your time comes, and for as long as you want me. I wonder if I can find me a husband in France?"
I started to laugh, and then I threw myself into her arms and sobbed.
"Oh, Savannah, I love him so much! Why does he have to be so stubborn?"
"Sounds to me like you is both too stubborn to live," she said. "Oh, Missy, the ship's movin'! Let's go up and see!"
I protested but she was adamant. She dragged me up on deck with her and waved her arms at the people on the docks below.
"Savannah, you don't know any of those people," I said.
"I can wave at 'em anyway, can't I?" she demanded. "'sides, I knows Mister Garth. Look, there he is."
I saw him then, leaning against a bale of cotton with his arms folded across his chest, looking perfectly impassive and cold. My heart rose up in my throat. I thought I would choke. I tried to pull away from the bulwark but Savannah blocked me and made me stay.
"Don't go, Missy," she said firmly. "Don't let him see how sad you is. Be beautiful, Missy, and he'll remember you lookin' just like that, proud and beautiful."
Chapter 21
The Last Adventure
"He is an angel!" Françoise cried.
"The sweetest little child that ever lived!" said Savannah passionately.
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