She took the letter and swore a blue streak. “Damn, blast, and set fire to it all!”
“Cat, it’s no good venting your spleen on me. We missed the due date on the loan. Solomon Storm showed me the papers Father signed and the ones you signed for the extra two thousand. He was within his legal rights to do so and I’m pretty sure we have no recourse.”
“Damn, damn, damn,” she cried. “I was absolutely counting on us owning Roseland, then I could tell his high-and-mightiness where he could stick Helford Hall! Oh, Spider, I have so much to tell you. I met Black Jack Flash … you’re never going to believe this, he’s Lord Helford’s younger brother.”
“The magistrate’s brother is a pirate?” he asked in disbelief.
“Yes, it’s true, honest to God. He’s absolutely nothing whatsoever like Ruark. He’s so easygoing, I swear he never stops laughing. He lives life exactly as he chooses and thumbs his nose at the entire world. You’ll just love him,” she promised.
Spider looked at her shrewdly. “Well, it sounds like you do, at any rate!”
Summer blushed uncontrollably. “Wait until you see him. His hair is streaked with a zigzag of silvery white at the temple. That’s where the name Black Jack Flash came from. He’s larger than life, he only wears dramatic black or white and his bed is hung with red silk panels …” Her voice trailed off as Spider’s eyebrows went up.
“You’ve already shared his bed, haven’t you, Cat?”
She ignored the question as they went in through the front door of Roseland. The scent of the climbing flowers above the entrance and the pearl gray doves perched cooing softly on the slanted roof brought a lump into her throat. She sat down on a faded sofa and broke the wax seals.
To Lady Summer St. Catherine:
On July 7 when your mortgage became overdue I sold it to Lord Ruark Helford of Cornwall. Please find enclosed a note from that worthy gentleman regarding instructions.
Solomon Storm
As she read the name Helford her face drained of color. She tore open the note from her husband and read the following:
I took a notion to acquire Roseland for the twenty thousand pounds owing on the property. I plan to do some necessary renovations and will allow you to remain at Helford Hall until such time as the annulment is finalized. After that I will allow you and your brother to live at Roseland, even though this property is now legally mine.
RH
“That bastard!” she screamed.
“Who, Storm?” asked Spider.
“No! Lord bloody-rotten Helford. That’s who bought the mortgage. My God, he couldn’t get to London fast enough … he left here July sixth and paid off the mortgage on July seventh.” She almost choked. “Read that! He will allow me to stay at Helford Hall until the annulment. Allow me! The whoreson will then allow us both to live at Roseland. Over my dead body will he allow me to do anything. I’ll get Rory to help us.”
There was a sharp rapping upon the front door that made her jump out of her skin. She opened the door angrily and looked straight into the face of the hated Sergeant Oswald. A militiaman stood respectfully behind him.
“What do you want?” she demanded.
“I’m here to question Spencer St. Catherine in regard to a robbery. The last time he was arrested he gave his name as Spider Brown but I’ve since learned the young felon is your brother.”
“A robbery? That’s preposterous, my brother has just returned from London. What’s all this about, Sergeant?” she demanded in her most repressive voice.
“On the night of July sixth there was a complaint lodged by two very high-placed ladies, namely the Duchess of Buckingham and the Countess of Lauderdale, that they were robbed near here by a highwayman calling himself the Black Cat. I am certain the Black Cat is young St. Catherine,” said Oswald with satisfaction.
“Sergeant Oswald, you are a very tiresome man. My husband, Lord Helford, warned you about harassing me, I believe.”
“I know you’re Helford’s whore, but I doubt very much if you’re Helford’s wife.” He sneered. “Your brother left a ship in Falmouth this morning and came straight here. I intend to search him for stolen money.”
“As a matter of fact, Oswald, I happen to be both whore and wife, and when my husband learns of the way you just spoke to me, you will not only be court-martialed, but he’ll probably order you flogged. As I told you once before, Sergeant, come back when you have a warrant.”
Oswald smiled slyly. “As a matter of fact I have a warrant right here, signed by none other than Lord Helford. High Magistrate of Cornwall, to seize and search any person suspected of committing crimes of robbery or smuggling.”
Summer snatched it from his hand and read in disbelief the undeniable signature of Lord Ruark Helford, Magistrate.
With obvious satisfaction Oswald stepped inside Roseland and ordered the militiaman to search young St. Catherine. Summer stood by in helpless humiliation as they manhandled her young brother and stripped him. Naturally they discovered the money belt containing the ten thousand pounds.
“That is my money, Sergeant Oswald. My brother, Lord Spencer, took it to London to pay off mortgages on our property,” she explained reluctantly.
He sneered at her. “Then why didn’t he do so? Your explanation is contrived horseshit, excuse my language, Lord and Lady St. Catherine.”
“I am Lady Helford!” she insisted.
“And I’m the Duke of Buckingham.” Oswald laughed. “Come on, you young swine, I’m taking you in for questioning.”
“You cannot arrest him; he’s done nothing!” said Summer, blocking the doorway angrily.
Oswald smirked. “I’m not arresting him. I’m only taking him in for questioning. If he’s done nothing, he’ll be released, won’t he?” He picked up the money belt.
“You can’t take my money!” protested Summer desperately.
“Can’t I? Who’s going to stop me?”
“Sergeant Oswald, at the very least I want a receipt from you for the ten thousand pounds. You are a man of the law, and if we must abide by it, so must you, sir.” Her eyes narrowed with hatred. “If I do not get a receipt from you, I shall tell Lord Helford that you tried to rape me.”
“You forget I have a witness, you little bitch.”
“And who do you think Lord Helford will believe, Sergeant? You haven’t the faintest idea just how much of a bitch I can be, if I set my mind to it.”
Reluctantly he scribbled her a receipt for the money. Summer was prepared to go into Falmouth with her brother until Spider said to her, “It’s all right, Cat, I’ll let them take me in for questioning. If I’m not released by tomorrow, then you can come and pull the bloody prison down stone by stone.”
Finally she agreed. She would go to Helford Hall immediately and see if Mr. Burke knew where Lord Helford was. Failing that, she would ask him to contact Rory for her.
Mr. Burke could not hide the fact that he was shocked over the way Sergeant Oswald had treated her. “Ruark is supposed to be home tomorrow, my lady, but whether it will be before nightfall I cannot say. If he does not come, I will consider it my duty to accompany you to Falmouth and vouch for the fact that you are indeed Lady Helford and we will demand your brother’s release,” he said. “Young Lord St. Catherine must be charged with a crime and stand trial before he can be imprisoned for any length of time. Once Ruark returns, he will put everything right. He may have a temper, but he is absolutely fair and impartial where the King’s laws of England are concerned.”
He scrutinized her closely, noting the purple shadows beneath her eyes. “Have you had anything to eat yet today? Then I suggest you go into the garden by the fountain and enjoy the sunset. Water has a very tranquil effect, so I’m told. I’ll bring you a tray and some good strong cider.”
Summer smiled her thanks. Mr. Burke was a rare treasure. He was like the father she had never had. No wonder he held a special place in the hearts of both Ruark and Rory. After she had eaten, she pulled out the letter from h
er husband and reread it. It was the most infuriating missive she had ever read. It was as if he had taken pleasure in selecting phrases which would flay her temper. One thing was certain, she must get the ten thousand back from Oswald, and together with the ten thousand Rory had given her she would offer it to Ruark in return for Roseland. She must make him understand that when she was no longer Lady Helford, she must have total independence. Surely a man who needed to be in control as much as Lord Helford would understand her needs. The words of an old Chinese proverb kept running through her mind: “Under another’s eaves you have to bend your head.” That would be intolerable to Summer.
She did not retire to her room until long after dark and even then did not undress and get into bed. Instead she sat by her open balcony window expecting the impudent face of Spider to appear over its edge any moment. She awoke with a start to realize she had been in the chair all night. She rode over to Roseland, hoping Spider was there, but in her bones she knew she would not see him. With a heavy heart she went back to the hall to seek out Mr. Burke.
“I’ll order the carriage and the coachman will drive us to Falmouth. We’ll take two liveried footmen and you must choose one of the maids to be your attendant. I think you should put on your most expensive gown and leave them in no doubt at all that Lady Helford is paying them a visit.”
“You’re right, of course, Mr. Burke. Tell Daisy I shall need hot water for a bath.” Since the morning was on the cool side, she decided to wear the cream velvet walking suit with braided black frogs. She carefully took the high-crowned hat with its saucy black ostrich feather from its box, along with the black kid gloves, vizard mask, and enameled fan. As a last touch she clasped her ruby bracelets over the long black kid gloves and surveyed the result in her mirror. There! With a touch of lip rouge she’d be able to order even the pope about, not to mention some red-faced sergeant with a taste for vengeance in his pea-sized brain.
When she emerged from Helford Hall, the carriage, Mr. Burke, and the attendant servants were awaiting her ladyship’s convenience. For one moment Mr. Burke felt sorry for the unfortunate Sergeant Oswald, for he was surely about to reap the whirlwind.
The large black carriage rolled up to the door of the Falmouth prison and the liveried footmen jumped down and opened the carriage door for Lady Helford. News of Summer’s arrival reached Sergeant Oswald long before she strolled in to the guardroom with her servants in tow. She moved with the assurance of a prideful Siamese cat, and when he saw her, Sergeant Oswald knew a terrible moment of disquiet.
She raised her voice when she saw him and hailed him from across the room as if he were the meanest lackey. In a voice as richly plummy as Lil Richwood’s she drawled, “Sergeant, I believe you’ve held Lord St. Catherine for questioning just a little too long. I’m here to see that any charges are dropped and I’ve come to escort him home. Oh, and Sergeant Oswald, you will be sharp about it, won’t you?”
Actually Oswald’s face lost some of its ruddy color. The woman would hardly walk in claiming to be Lady Helford when Lord Helford had arrived only moments before. When he hesitated, and seemed at a loss, Summer gave him an order. “Release my brother, Sergeant Oswald.”
“I can’t,” he said lamely, “he’s gone.”
“You mean you have released him?” she questioned.
“No. Last night he was transferred to a more secure prison … because of his escaping last time … I thought … that is, it was decided to move him.”
Her eyes narrowed. “To where, Sergeant Oswald?” Her voice had gone deadly quiet.
“Newgate,” he mumbled.
For a moment Summer didn’t quite understand. “Newgate? You don’t mean Newgate in London?” Oswald nodded, grim-lipped.
Summer began to scream. A red mist formed before her eyes and she was fast losing control of herself in hysterics. Mr. Burke tried to soothe her, but knowing the horror that was Newgate, he doubted he would be able to comfort her.
An authoritative voice demanded, “What the hell is going on down here?” Ruark Helford descended the stairs from an upper floor of the prison.
Summer looked up in disbelief. His face was tanned from being at sea somewhere, but the uniform cut of the navy blue coat and the severely clubbed-back dark hair emphasized his ironclad authority.
“You swine! If this is your doing, you bastard, I swear I’ll get my pistol and shoot you!”
“Must I remind you, Summer, that you are supposed to be a lady?” he demanded in a voice cold as steel.
“No, Sergeant Oswald told me last night what I was … your whore I believe was his exact word. Would you mind telling him once and for all that I am also your wife?”
“This is indeed Lady Helford, Sergeant, though for how long is a moot point,” he said between clenched teeth. “Would someone enlighten me about what is going on here?”
Summer took a deep shuddering breath. “Allow me to enlighten you. This pig arrested my brother and stole ten thousand pounds from me.”
“Your brother’s been arrested again? Christ Almighty, what are you two up to now?” he demanded furiously.
With narrowed eyes and bared teeth she said in a dangerously quiet voice, “My brother took the money to London to discharge the mortgage on Roseland, but discovered some scheming bastard had bought the place out behind our backs. This bastard has magnanimously offered to allow me to live at Helford Hall until my marriage is annulled and thereafter will allow me to reside at Roseland. To top off everything this bastard’s lackey has shipped my young brother off to Newgate.”
Mr. Burke stood staunchly beside Summer with a condemning look upon his face.
“Newgate?” asked Ruark with disbelief. “There’s been some mistake. Though I have no jurisdiction in London, I’ll look into it and rectify matters.”
“You, sir, have done enough. I neither want your help nor need it! Charles is a personal friend of mine. What the hell do I need a lord for when I can get favors from a king?”
They glared into each other’s eyes with unconcealed hatred. She knew she had wounded him with her last words. He knew a strong urge to flog her and fuck her, and if they’d been at home, he would have done both.
She raised her vizard to her eyes and said to Oswald, “My ten thousand pounds, Sergeant … please don’t expect me to believe you sent that to Newgate.”
Ruark glared at him furiously and he took an involuntary step backward. Then he unlocked a drawer and produced the money belt. Mr. Burke took it from Oswald and Summer turned upon her heel and swept out. In her ears, as she left, her husband’s deadly voice ordered, “Sergeant Oswald; in my office!”
Summer threw herself into the vigorous activity of packing everything she and her brother owned both at Helford Hall and Roseland. She realized she must seek Rory Helford’s assistance and asked Mr. Burke if once again he would contact Black Jack Flash. When she had seen to every last detail, and not before, she threw herself full length upon the bed and sobbed her heart out. Her nerves were at breaking point. She was worried sick for Spider, incarcerated in the bowels of Newgate, surrounded by horrors she could only imagine.
She cried bitter tears for her lost love. She had been so much in love with Ruark Helford she had allowed him to become her whole world, her whole reason for being. That love had been shattered into so many pieces she knew it could never be restored. Each encounter with him now deteriorated from bad to worse. She swore never to see him again. And she was being forced to leave her beloved and familiar Roseland. Even Cornwall was to be left behind as she moved forward to make a new life for herself in London.
She was not naive enough to think a pirate would take her to London without her having to pay a price, but she must look on the bright side. Rory was a magnificent lover and he treated her with tender concern. She was willing to pay the price if he insisted. She was not quite so willing to pay King Charles’s price. She hoped she could offer something else of value to him in return for the release of Spider, but in the end, if ther
e was no other alternative, she knew she would pay any price to save her beloved brother.
She became impatient with herself. Whatever was the matter with her, shedding tears over a man who simply wasn’t worth it? She had twenty thousand pounds to spend as she pleased and she would again enjoy the witty company of Auntie Lil. What more could she ask? She knew if she was to survive, she must not let herself keep reliving the past. She must wear it like a loose garment, take it off, and let it drop.
Every hour of the day found her climbing to the widow’s walk to see if she could glimpse the Phantom, but each time she was disappointed. Perhaps he wouldn’t come to her rescue, perhaps now that he had had his way with her he would discard her as his brother had.
She came down from the widow’s walk around midnight. She hadn’t expected to see the ship in the dark, but the smallest light in its rigging would have been visible. She closed the French doors which led out to the small balcony and with a troubled heart began to undress for bed. A light tapping on the windowpane set her heart thudding. She threw on her red velvet bed gown and prayed that somehow Spider had managed to again escape.
The tall, black-clad figure of Rory Helford stepped into her bedchamber, the streak of white hair at his temple identifying him immediately even in the dim light.
“Oh, Rory, I’ve been watching for you all day. I had given up hope.”
He grinned at her. “I do my very best work under cover of night.”
The Pirate and the Pagan Page 29
