Rumors Among the Heather

by Amanda Balfour

  He only bestirred himself when his meager meal of bread and water arrived. Matthew picked it up to throw it at his jailer, but stopped. He needed his strength to escape, and escape he would. He had a score to settle—not only with Hamilton but also with Julie. Retribution would keep him focused.

  * * *

  Julie and Ian set out on their way to Leddie’s Crag. She tried to think how to tell Ian she would be leaving soon, but she could not choose the right words to say. In the time she had spent with him, she had become very attached to him and he to her. She did not want him to feel deserted again. She did not want her leaving to affect him the way the deaths of his parents had. They had come a long way since she first came to the island, and she did not want their progress to be in vain.

  “Are you worried about tonight, Miss Hastings?” Ian looked at her with a worried look of his own.

  “Yes, a little. That’s one of my worries, but the other worry is something else entirely. You know, Ian, when you meet someone you care about, it’s hard to say good-bye. Sometimes things are beyond our control, and we have to leave whether we want to or not. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

  “You’re leaving,” he said with resignation. “At least you stayed longer than the others.”

  Suddenly, he looked old again as he had when she first met him. Her heart bursting, tears came to her eyes as she reached out to him. She pulled him to her and held him close. She felt him tremble as his arms went around her neck.

  “Please don’t go, Miss Hastings. Please don’t.”

  “I have no choice in the matter. If I could, you know I would stay. I can’t explain why, but when you’re older, you’ll understand, and you won’t hate me for going. I’ll always be your friend. Mrs. Parsons is also your friend. I’m sure she would love for you to come to her when you need something. I don’t know where I’m going just yet, but when I do, I’ll write to Mrs. Parsons and tell her and she can tell you. So if you need me, you can always get word to me, and I’ll come and do what I can for you,” Julie offered as she dabbed at her eyes.

  “Does Uncle Matthew know you’re leaving?”

  “No. He doesn’t, and you mustn’t tell him until I’m gone. And it would be best if you do not tell him I helped with his escape either. He wouldn’t like it,” Julie said hurriedly.

  She took Ian’s hand and began to walk faster toward Leddie’s Crag.

  “Are you in love with Uncle Matthew?”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Everybody thinks I’m just a child, but I watch people, and I see things. I could tell by the way you look at him, and the way he looks at you. Just like my parents used to look at each other. It’s why you’re leaving, isn’t it?”

  “Don’t be silly, Ian. You shouldn’t let your imagination run away with you.”

  Their conversation lagged and soon they met up with Ribble. She had never been happier to see anyone. The talk with Ian had been hard enough, but now her thoughts had been turned to Matthew and the despair at their upcoming departure. She would be leaving as soon as she could get away from Geoffrey.

  “I delivered your message and waited for the reply,” Ribble said. He handed Julie the message.

  I would be pleased to entertain you tonight around nine. It was signed GH.

  The first steps were taken. Julie trembled, holding the sheet of paper in her hands. She felt her panic draw a knot in the pit of her stomach. Their quickly devised plan had not seemed real until this moment. The wheels were set in motion and the time to turn back had passed. Matthew’s life depended on her keeping her head and succeeding.

  “I don’t like the idea of you going to see Hamilton. I’ve seen men like Hamilton before, and I know what it might cost you. We can think of somethin’ else. Ye dinnae have to go. Now that I think about it, I think it’s too dangerous.”

  “No, Ribble, you were right in the first place. ’Tis the only way we can succeed. I’ll do it. I must,” she said firmly.

  “Then best if we go over our plan. Tonight I’ll deposit Ian at the foot of the cliffs. Then I’ll take you to Hamilton at the gaol. You get him to drink a bottle of wine I’ve prepared for him. I’ll wait outside underneath his window until you can get the key from him.” Ribble paced as he talked. “With the key, I’ll rush back to the beach where Ian is waiting, and we’ll climb up the cliff. Ian will go through the window and unlock Lord Bonnleigh’s cell, and then hand the key off to me. I’ll come back down the cliff and deliver the key back to you. Ian will go with his lordship. You’ll come outside, where you and I’ll get into a fracas. The guards will come to investigate, and Ian and his lordship will go over the wall at the back of the stairs and escape in the boat we brought across. You and I will then go down to the beach and take the boat I already have hidden there. Anything else?” Ribble asked.

  “I guess that’s about it. It seems like it’s the only thing we can do. Do you have any questions about what you’re to do, Ian?” Julie asked. Ian shook his head. “Good! We’ll go back to the castle separately as we came. We must each get some rest, so we’ll be ready for tonight. We’ll meet on the beach at seven-thirty,” Julie said with false cheer, as if they had been planning a picnic instead of a rescue for a traitor to the crown and a patriot of the cause.

  Back at the castle, Julie finished packing her trunk and took out the beautiful crimson velvet dress Ian had smuggled into her room. The dress was cut square and low, revealing the swell of her breasts. Silver lace edged the sleeves and the hem of the garment. The flared skirt made her expanding waist look slimmer.

  Julie sighed as she continued to look in the mirror. This is the last time I’ll look like this. She patted her stomach, thinking of the baby. She knew it would not be long before her secret would be out. She had been barely able to fasten the dress at the waist.

  She piled her hair high upon her head and kept it in place with pearl hairpins. She would need to pack her pearl and diamond earrings and pearl necklace. Next, she dabbed the scent of jasmine behind her ears and between her breasts.

  Julie packed her bandbox with the few necessities she would need for her trip. It was her chance, and she had to take it. She realized if tonight did not work out, then this trip would be unnecessary and her problems would be solved for her. She would be hung along with her fellow conspirators.

  Together, she and Ian walked down the back steps and hurried away from the castle. They were to meet Ribble in a hidden cove a mile or so away. Ribble had let it be known he would be fishing for a couple of days with some old friends.

  Without speaking, they got into the boat, and Ribble pushed off. He rowed until they were a long way from the shore. Once they were out of sight of anyone on shore, he hoisted a black sail, and the little boat began to move faster in the stiff breeze toward their rendezvous and possibly a hangman’s noose.

  “Homer said, ‘’Tis man’s to fight, but Heaven’s to give success.’ I hope our luck holds and we are looked down upon with favor. It will take a miracle for us to pull this off tonight,” Ribble said and shook his head.

  “Ribble, Ian, I just want you to know I count you my friends. I will not look back on this night with anything but a sense of pride,” Julie said.

  “Aye, lass,” Ribble said, nodding in agreement.

  “Yes, Miss Hastings.” Ian also nodded.

  Chapter Seven

  A rogue breeze picked up significantly as the clandestine ensemble neared the mainland. Julie and Ribble struggled with an out of control sail in the mounting draft. Before they could lower the cloth, their boat catapulted upon the sandy shore. They came to an abrupt halt in front of a large sand dune. Ian lost his grip, fell out of the boat, and skidded across the beach like a rock skipping across the smooth surface of a pond. He continued sliding until a piece of driftwood in his path stopped him. Ribble quickly picked him up and brushed him off. One arm was scraped, and there was some bruising, as well as a small cut over his right eye. But all things considered, he w
as not seriously hurt. Undeterred by their shaky beginning, and praying this unforeseen accident would not mark the rest of the night, Julie and Ribble moved forward with their plan.

  Ribble worked to hide the boat as best he could by placing it among an outcropping of rocks and covering it with the black sail. They left Ian concealed in the boat to recover and wait for Ribble’s return. Julie made one quick glance back at him to reassure herself. Ian waved to her and she hurried on, trying to keep pace with Ribble. They slipped inside an old fisherman’s shack before entering the town. Ribble handed Julie the bandbox before stepping back outside to keep watch and complete his own disguise. Julie straightened her hair and put the finishing touches on her appearance. Satisfied, she stepped back onto the walkway, and Ribble escorted her into town—past the waterfront shops, small white cottages with candles in their windows, past the guards, until they had almost reached the gaol. They made a strange couple. One looked like a disreputable sailor on a much needed shore leave and the other a lady of quality.

  “’Tis an awful chance yer takin’. Suppose he wants somethin’ more before ye’ve had a chance to drug him? I dinnae like it,” he said, shaking his head sternly in disapproval.

  Julie reached up and touched his weather-beaten cheek lightly. “Thank you, my friend, but it’s a chance I have to take.” She finished with a sigh. “My honor can’t suffer any more than it already has.” She tried hard to manage a smile of reassurance for him. “Since we decided on this plan, I’ve thought of nothing else. I’ve run it through my mind a thousand times, and it always works out the same. I don’t see how it could work any other way. We have to get the key and buy as much time as possible before they find Matthew gone. I’m scared, but I have no regrets. Regrets are a waste of time,” she said, holding her head high. “Don’t worry, we’ll come through this. If not, then there is no hope for us, but I will not regret this night.”

  Ribble walked beside her and remained silent.

  An involuntary shudder ran through her body as they neared the compound. She held her hands up in the moonlight, and they were steady. She looked up and saw the light coming from Geoffrey’s lodgings. The balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet fluttered across her mind and just as quickly vanished. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. A gradual calm settled over her, one that sprang from deep within her soul. It felt almost as if she were an observer and could watch herself walk down the path and up the stairs to Geoffrey’s quarters. Any illusions she may have had about him had been laid to rest that night on the beach. She had no sentimentality left in her, only strength of purpose.

  She reached out her hand and knocked on the door with a timid tap. She took a deep breath and knocked a second time with force. A servant opened the door and discreetly disappeared. Julie entered and looked around for Geoffrey.

  A heartbeat later he stood across the room from her. At first he remained motionless before swaggering toward her. He stopped behind Julie and put his hands possessively on her shoulders, then he removed her cloak. The hot touch of his doughy fingers made her cringe inwardly, but outwardly she strived for calm. She managed to smile as his gaze raked over her form.

  Julie would have to be blind to miss the look of lust in his eyes. For a moment, she thought he would attack her where she stood.

  She tried to take a step backward. Geoffrey brought her hand to his lips. His hot, damp kiss seemed to eat away at Julie’s skin before she could discreetly wipe it clean.

  “I always find you hard to resist, but never have I seen you look as beautiful or more desirable than tonight. You seem to glow. The flush on your face makes the green in your eyes sparkle,” Geoffrey said as his gaze left her eyes and traveled down to her breasts. “You seem more alluring than ever.”

  Watching Geoffrey closely, Julie wondered at his lack of guile in his lust for her. His undisguised desire did him no credit in her eyes. He made her think of a spoiled child, and she wondered again how she had been so blind to his true nature.

  “Welcome to my quarters. If this were London, I would have entertained you in the finest suite available, but this is all I could glean from this poor country.”

  To emphasize his point, he waved his hand around the room, which emphasized his fine linen and lace and embroidered jacket to the best advantage. The quality of his outfit could not be denied, but it had been designed for a much trimmer figure than Geoffrey’s. His days of easy living had thickened his once trim physique. He gave the impression of trying to stuff ten pounds into a five-pound sack. It would have been laughable if the situation were not so serious.

  This peacock has grown puffed with his own importance and magnificence. He needs his wings cropped. Dear God, give me the courage and the shears!

  Julie started to turn and move toward the dining table when she felt Geoffrey’s hand on her arm. He raised his other hand up to stroke her face, and he let it trail down her neck and come to rest just above her breast. Julie reached up, took his hand, and held it against her cheek. She pretended to enjoy his touch. Her mind worked feverishly, trying to think of the best way to avoid his advances and still keep him interested.

  He put his arm around her waist and drew her to him. She felt his hot breath on her skin while he held her tightly against him. His desire boldly pressed against her thigh.

  “All in good time, Geoffrey. Please, let’s not move too fast. Patience is something I do not lack. Some things should not be hurried. Some things are much better…ah…slower, don’t you agree? We have the whole night,” she said anxiously. She gave his hand a pat and stepped aside.

  He pulled her to him again and kissed her roughly on the mouth as he took liberties with his hands. He finally released her with a laugh. Julie resisted the strong urge to wipe her mouth. Instead, she merely stepped back, took his hand in hers, and drew him over to the table. This delaying tactic helped her fight her rising panic.

  “It would be a shame to let this delicious meal go to waste, and this bottle of wine taken from Lord Bonnleigh’s own wine cellar.” She took the bottle from her box and held it out to him. Geoffrey despised Matthew, and Julie hoped he would jump quickly at the bait. “Besides, you might need your strength for later,” she said with a knowing look at Geoffrey.

  Geoffrey threw back his head and laughed greedily. “Upon my soul, Julie, you always were a tease, but there’s something different about you. I like the new you. You’re more to my style. A woman after my own heart, it seems. By all means, let’s eat. I intend to sample all the pleasures this night holds.”

  Julie’s stomach roiled looking at the first course of oysters on the half shell. Although she lacked an appetite, Geoffrey ate each with slurping relish, and as he did, he looked at Julie with unabashed lust. The more he drank and ate, the more his bold gaze assaulted her. “Don Juan is said to have used oysters as an aphrodisiac. Tonight won’t be much of a test, eh?” he said with a wink. He reached under the table and grabbed for her knee. He began to squeeze it with a pumping motion, all the time leering at her. Julie called up all the inner strength she possessed to smile back at him and pretend to enjoy his clumsy advances.

  Somehow she managed to get through the rest of the dinner. Each time she offered him the bottle she had brought, he set it aside and drank deeply from his own personal bottle. He finished off two bottles and did not seem anywhere near to becoming drunk or wanting to open her offering. Julie watched him in awe and growing dread.

  He must have the constitution of an ox. Surely he’ll pass out before long, and I won’t even have to give him my bottle. Geoffrey held his glass up to the candlelight and watched as the light played through the crimson liquid. “You know, I’ve found I like the taste of wine. I never used to. Now, I find it strange to think of dining without a superb glass of the fruit of the vine. Mother never permitted a bottle of any kind of spirits in the house. She was so afraid we’d all become drunkards,” he said. He downed the last drop of wine and reached for the only remaining bottle.

  H
is grip was none too steady as he tried to open the wine, and his words were beginning to slur. She finally took the bottle from him and opened it herself. He took one drink and then another until he finished the first glass and poured himself a second. Julie could not believe her eyes. The laudanum was not working. The man had drunk enough to float a frigate, but he was not passing out. She had no idea what she could do short of hitting him over the head. She looked around for a blunt instrument just in case.

  He reached out his hand and took Julie’s in his sweaty palm. He motioned with his head toward the bed, while beads of perspiration trickled down his face. He stood up, forcing Julie to her feet. Reluctantly, she started to walk with him. Her mind raced, but she had no idea what she should do next. They were no more than a foot from the bed when Geoffrey obligingly pitched forward onto the bed and passed out.

  Julie turned him over on his side and searched through his pockets and around his neck, but she could not find the key. In a panic, she ripped the buttons from his shirt as she stripped him, but he was not wearing the key.

  Her breath erupted in short gasps and her palms grew wet. She scanned the room, trying to find a logical hiding place. Her eyes came to rest on the small music box she had given him the last Christmas before he married. She rushed over to the box and lifted the lid with trembling hands. Strains of music broke the tense silence when she looked inside. She heaved a sigh of relief when her fingers closed around a key. She prayed it would lead to Matthew’s freedom, but with no other key to be found, Julie rushed to the window and tossed the key and the drugged bottle of wine to Ribble, who waited two stories below in a clump of bushes. She watched him move agilely away from the building and back onto the walkway. He adopted the manner of a drunken fisherman and staggered past the two guards on his way to the beach.

  The moon disappeared behind the cloud cover. Ribble and Ian would have to climb in almost complete darkness. The climb was hard enough to make in daylight, but without light…