Captive Pride

by Bobbi Smith

  Eve stared up at him in confused outrage, shocked by his quick reply. “You’re refusing?”

  “Yes, Eve. I’m refusing.” His answer held a note of finality to it.

  “But that’s ridiculous!” she shrieked. “You’ll hang for sure if I don’t testify in your behalf!”

  “That may well be, but I am Lord Noah Kincade, and I do still have my pride.” He walked away from her and stood looking back at her with regal contempt. “As you well know, I am innocent of the charges against me. I will not prostitute myself, not even to gain my release from this hellhole.”

  “Are you saying that you find almost certain death preferable to a marriage to me?” Eve was furious and crushed at the same time.

  Noah’s silver eyes raked over her in disgust, and without his saying a word, she had her answer. Eve flushed painfully at his unspoken insult.

  “You’re a fool!” she hissed at him.

  Noah shrugged.

  “You’ll be sorry!”

  “I sincerely doubt it,” Noah replied.

  “I hope you rot in hell!” Eve snarled, wishing Geoffrey had shot him!

  A faint, derisive half smile touched his lips at her remark. “That is a very definite possibility.”

  At his answer, Eve glared at Noah scathingly and then stormed from the cell. Slamming the barred door shut as she left, she never looked back. She had been defeated, and in a most personal way. Never before had Eve been rejected or denied something she’d really wanted. Ever the actress, she disguised her emotional turmoil as she bid the guard good-bye, then quit the building and climbed into her waiting carriage.

  Her feelings for Noah had undergone a drastic change. The pain of his open rejection had pierced her heart and hardened her. What once she’d considered love was now converted to hatred. Filled with the desire to see him suffer, Eve vowed to herself never to reveal to anyone what she had seen and heard that night at Geoffrey’s. If Noah didn’t want her and preferred to die rather than marry her, so be it. He would face the gallows without her testimony, and she thought it a suitable end for him. Content that he would pay the ultimate price for his arrogance, Eve settled back on the seat in the coach and smiled as she envisioned Noah’s execution.

  CC returned home, raced upstairs to her room, locked herself in, and threw herself upon her bed. Only then, when she was certain she was alone, did she allow herself to cry. Noah and Eve…She had thought that there was nothing between them, but she’d been wrong. Obviously they were lovers. Why else would Eve have come to him at the jail?

  The memory of their embrace and the snatch of the conversation she’d overheard thundered through her thoughts. “I know you’re the type of man who’s not averse to making a profitable deal.”

  “Yes…so?”

  “If you cooperate, I can arrange for you to be out of here before the day is done….” The conversation lingered hauntingly in her mind, and CC tried to think clearly for a moment. Eve had been promising to arrange Noah’s release, and she wondered how that could be possible when he’d already been denied his freedom at his arraignment. Something wasn’t right. Something didn’t fit.

  Sitting up in the middle of her bed, she frowned in concentration as she wiped angrily at the tears that still dampened her cheeks. How could Eve guarantee Noah would be freed? Did the other woman know something vital about the shooting, or did she have a connection with someone of influence? The latter thought sent a chill of fear through her as she considered the possibility that Eve was fronting for the authorities and perhaps trying to get information from Noah regarding the rebels in exchange for his release. Certainly, after hearing of Noah’s arrest for Geoffrey’s murder, her father had been convinced that he was involved with them. Were they the ones behind Eve’s “deal”?

  Suddenly realizing that Noah might reveal everything in order to save his own neck, CC charged off the bed. She had to warn Ryan and the others of Noah’s possible treachery. After taking only a few moments to bathe her face in cool water so no one would know she’d been crying, CC started from her room, intent only on getting to Ryan as quickly as possible. She was just starting down the staircase when her father’s study door opened, and he stepped out into the hall with Thomas Highland. CC backed away from the stairs and down the hall, waiting for Highland to leave. She had too many important things on her mind right now to waste any time making pleasant conversation with her father or one of his business associates.

  “Thank you, Thomas. I appreciate your coming by and letting me know,” Edward was saying as he accompanied him to the door.

  “I thought it was something you should be informed of, so I came over as soon as I could.”

  “Again, my thanks.”

  CC heard the front door close behind the visitor as he left, and she started down again, eager to be gone. To her surprise, she came face-to-face with her father, who was on his way upstairs.

  “Cecelia…” He stopped and stared at her, his expression quixotic.

  The fact that he had used her full given name gave CC pause, and she smiled as brightly as she could at him as she continued on her way down. “Hello, Father.”

  “I thought I had heard you come in a bit earlier, and I was just on my way up to see you. Are you planning on leaving again?”

  “As a matter of fact, I was,” she replied easily. “Was there something important you had to discuss with me, or can it wait until this evening over dinner?”

  “I think it’s important enough to delay you. Were you planning on going shopping again?” he inquired.

  “As a matter of fact, yes—” she began, but he cut her off.

  “Get into my study right now!”

  Her father had never spoken to her in such a furious tone of voice before, and CC’s eyes widened in surprise as she tried to imagine what could have angered him so.

  “Of course,” she agreed, leading the way into the privacy of his personal office. “What is it?”

  “Sit down!” It was a command, and she hurriedly complied, slipping into the chair that faced his desk as he stalked around behind it.

  Edward stood poised for battle as he glared at his daughter seated there in front of him. CC looked so sweet and innocent that he wondered how she could have been so brazen. How could she have done it? Thomas Highland had just stopped by to inform him that he’d seen CC exiting the jail earlier that day. As it was highly irregular for a woman, especially a young, unmarried one, to visit such a place, he’d thought it important that Edward be informed. Edward agreed with his assessment. His daughter had had no business whatsoever going to the jail. He was outraged by her behavior, and he would punish her accordingly.

  CC was growing more and more nervous as she watched the play of emotions on his face. He was angry with her, of that she had no doubt, but what she didn’t understand was why. Unless…

  “Father? Is something terribly wrong?”

  “Why would you ask that?” Edward countered sharply.

  “I don’t know. It’s just that you look very upset.”

  “Yes, you’re right about that. I am upset.”

  “Is there something I can do to help you?”

  “I doubt if you can help me with it, my dear. You see, you are the cause of my anger.”

  “Me?” CC was suddenly frightened.

  “Yes. I had no idea that I had raised a liar for a daughter.”

  “A liar?” She swallowed nervously as she blanched.

  “Yes. While you told me that you were going shopping earlier today, it appears that you had another goal in mind.”

  “Father, I—”

  “Let me finish!” he ordered, barely suppressing the fury that was consuming him. “You told me you were shopping; however, Thomas Highland informs me that you were at the jail today, apparently visiting Lord Kincade. Is that true?” Edward demanded.

  Cornered and seeing no way out, she answered truthfully. “Yes.”

  “For God’s sake, CC!” he thundered. “No decent, self
-respecting woman would go to a jail unescorted. It’s unheard of! You’ve disgraced yourself and me!”

  “I hardly think that I’ve disgraced you, Father,” CC managed calmly, not bothering to deny any of his claims.

  “My dear, you made a spectacle of yourself visiting that man in jail! He murdered Lord Radcliffe, and Lord knows what else he’s done! I don’t understand how you could do such a thing! I want you to go to your room and stay there.”

  “Father!” She came to her feet in protest. “You can’t do this to me!”

  “I most certainly can, and I just did. Go to your room and stay there until I’ve had time to calm down. If you don’t, I swear, CC, I just might throttle you!”

  CC’s eyes widened at his threat. She had never provoked her father to such anger before, and she knew she’d better do as he said. “Yes, sir.” Quickly and quietly, she left the study and hurried upstairs to seek refuge in her own chamber.

  Edward watched her until she had disappeared up the stairs, and then he sat down heavily at his desk. Elbows resting on the desktop, Edward leaned forward to rest his head in his hands. He thought it extremely odd that CC had gone to the jail to visit Kincade. She had always claimed her dislike for him, and he wondered at her real reason for going. He was determined to find out, but first he knew he had to get his anger under control. Once he knew he could face her without losing his temper, he would try to get to the bottom of her scandalous behavior.

  Things looked decidedly black, and Matthew was more worried than he’d ever been at any other time in his life. Noah was in dire trouble, and if he wanted to save him, there was only one course of action open to him. Since leaving the arraignment, he had combed the city trying to locate Ryan Graves. It wasn’t until near sundown that he finally caught up with him in the taproom of the Green Dragon.

  “Ryan! I need to speak with you right away…privately,” Matt said as he approached the table where Ryan was sitting with two men Matt didn’t recognize.

  “Of course, Matthew,” Ryan stood up and, after excusing himself from his other companions, directed Matt to a table in a deserted corner of the room. “What is it? Is there a problem?”

  “You haven’t heard?” Matt was stunned as he sat down opposite Ryan.

  “Heard? Heard what? I traveled with our shipment today and only just returned,” he explained quickly, wondering what he’d missed during his time away.

  “Noah’s been arrested and charged with murder!”

  Ryan looked genuinely stunned by the news. “What? When did this happen? And who is he supposed to have killed?”

  “He was arrested last night,” Matt stated. “He’d gone to face down Geoffrey Radcliffe over a personal grievance, and evidently things got out of hand. Radcliffe threatened him with a pistol, they fought over it, and it went off. The authorities found Noah standing over Geoffrey with the gun in his hand.”

  “Were there any witnesses?”

  “Oh, yes, there were witnesses,” he went on disgustedly. “Radcliffe’s servant has given testimony that Noah forced his way into the house and threatened Radcliffe. He also stated that Radcliffe sent him for help because he was afraid of Noah.”

  “Has he been arraigned?”

  “Yes, earlier today, but the magistrate refused to release him. It doesn’t look good, Ryan. It doesn’t look good at all. Not only do they have the servant’s testimony, they also found out about the fight Noah had with Geoffrey at a party the other night. Because of that argument, in which Noah defended our cause, they’ve accused him of being involved with us.”

  Their gazes were solemn as they met across the table, and Ryan asked, “What do you want me to do?”

  “Noah will get no justice in that court. I’ve already seen it in action. I’ve got to get him out of there!” Matt insisted. “You once said that if I ever needed your help…”

  “And I meant it, Matthew. Let me see what I can arrange. I’ll send you word at home as soon as I come up with something.” His pledge was in earnest. “Stay there and wait until you hear from me.”

  “Thank you, Ryan.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Matthew, if you’re going to accept my assistance, then things have to be done my way!” Ryan argued as he met with Matt several hours later at the Green Dragon.

  Matt scowled blackly at the rebel leader. “But he’s my brother! I want to help!”

  “The best way you can help Noah is by staying completely out of it. Once he’s been freed, just who do you think the authorities are going to question? You’ve already told me that they brought up the subject of your marriage to Faith during the arraignment. You have to be able to prove your innocence, so it’s important that you know none of the arrangements.”

  Matt looked suitably chastened as he realized he would be the prime suspect.

  “Now, do you want us to do it or not?” Ryan demanded curtly. Time was of the essence. If they were to get Noah Kincade out of jail tonight, he had to set his plan in motion soon.

  Matt knew Ryan was right, but he found it irritating that he couldn’t help Noah escape. He nodded his agreement. “Is there anything I can do?”

  “Nothing; at least, nothing for right now. Once we’ve got him out of jail and safely in hiding, I’ll arrange for a meeting between the two of you. Until then you know nothing, so act like it. Carry on with your usual activities.”

  “All right,” he answered grimly as he thought of how long the next few hours were going to seem while he waited for word that Noah was free and safely away.

  “Good.” Ryan stood up, anxious to be about his mission.

  “If anything happens…you’ll let me know?”

  “Nothing’s going to happen,” he told Matt firmly.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  Ryan’s smile was enigmatic. “Not all those working at the jail are the king’s men.”

  With that he was gone, and Matthew was left alone to worry and wait.

  “Kincade!”

  The voice outside his window was little more than a hoarse whisper, and at first Noah thought he’d imagined it.

  “Kincade!” It was slightly louder the second time. Realizing that it was real and not a figment of his imagination, he quickly got up from the cot and peered out into the darkness of the Boston night.

  “Who is it?” he called back in hushed tones.

  “Never mind who it is, just be ready!”

  Noah was puzzled. “Ready for what?”

  “We’re getting you out of there!”

  Stunned, his emotions in turmoil at the thought of being rescued from jail, he quickly lay back down on the cot and pretended nothing had happened. The thought of being broken out did not sit well with Noah, for he knew he was innocent of the charges against him. He felt that by fleeing, he would be admitting his guilt. Still, Noah realized that if he stayed and was convicted at his trial, he would be just as innocent, but he would also be dead. It didn’t take Noah much time to decide to go along with his rescuers. Whoever they were, they were risking everything to help him, and he was going to do all he could to make sure they didn’t fail.

  Noah didn’t know how his liberators managed it, but shortly after he’d been warned, a major ruckus broke out in the street in front of the jail. As the guard on duty went out to attempt to quell the violence, a man he’d never seen before rushed down the hall to his cell and unlocked the door.

  “Who are you?” Noah asked as the man pushed the barred door wide and offered him his freedom.

  “A friend,” was his only reply.

  Allowing his rescuer to take the lead, Noah followed him out the side door of the building to where two horses were tethered, awaiting them. Mounting up, they fled the scene without being noticed. Fearful of drawing unwanted attention to themselves, they passed through the streets of Boston at a measured pace. When his guide reined in behind a shabby two-story wooden building in a poor section of town near the docks, Noah followed suit.

  “Come with
me,” the man directed.

  Noah was quick to comply and within minutes found himself safely ensconced in a small, windowless room on the second floor. As his rescuer lit a candle, bathing their surroundings in a flickering yellow light, Noah eyed the room curiously, noting that the only furniture was a single bed and a small washstand. “What is this place?”

  “It’s one of our secure rendezvous points. You’ll be staying here until we can arrange safe passage for you out of Boston.”

  Noah nodded in understanding and then asked, “Who are you?” His companion was tall and slim; his clothing, dark and nondescript as it was, revealed little about the man himself. Noah did not know him—in fact, he had never seen him before—and yet he had just risked his life to save him from almost certain death. Noah was humbled and grateful.

  “A friend. My name doesn’t matter,” replied the man. “All that matters is that we get you out of here.”

  “Where will I be sent? Where will I be safe?”

  “Either Philadelphia or New York; it just depends on how hard they look for you.”

  “Thank you,” Noah told him solemnly. “I was beginning to think that I had very little hope of ever being free again.”

  “Well, it’s not over yet by any means, but with any luck at all, you’ll soon be free. For right now, you just stay in this room. We’ll bring you everything you need.”

  “I will,” he promised as the man started from the room.

  “Graves will arrange for you to visit with your brother as soon as possible, but the authorities will no doubt suspect him first, so it may be a while.”

  The man’s mention of Ryan Graves confirmed Noah’s suspicion that Matthew and the rebels were the ones behind his rescue. “Will you tell Graves that I’m very grateful for his help?”

  “You helped us. We’re just returning the support.” He put Noah more at ease. “You know, our country could use more men like you….”