by Pamela Labud
“It’s never good form to drink alone, you know.”
Michael turned to see Ash in the doorway, leaning against the frame, wearing a curious expression.
“You know as well as any, I’ve never been one to worry about form,” Michael said, reaching for another glass. “But I’m always glad to share the bottle.”
“Ah, my favorite beverage,” Ash said, taking it from Michael as soon as it was poured.
“I thought it might be, since it’s your liquor cabinet.”
A moment passed while the two men downed their drinks, then pointing to the mahogany desk, Ash took his seat. Michael sat across from him, crossing his legs and feigning a comfort that he was far from feeling.
“How are you doing?” Ash said, pointing to Michael’s arm.
Michael shrugged. “Well enough, thank you. Though, I must say, I’m surprised to see you here. I’d thought that we were meeting in London, going before the judges there.”
“The truth is Caro and Amelia were about to drive me off the ledge. Both of them nattering on, frantic with worry for you and Beatrice. One would think that you were incapable of taking care of yourselves.”
Michael grunted. “Perhaps they’re right. I did rather make a mess of it all.”
“That’s the very best part of being married, well, one of the best things, anyway. Women have an immeasurable capacity to forgive.” He downed the remainder of his drink. “Now about your plans to leave for America…”
Michael leaned forward. “Of course, I won’t go until I’ve settled the Bainbridge affair. I’m sure there will be charges…”
Ash put his hands on the table between them. “I’m afraid it’s a bit more complicated than that. It’s no longer a question of a simple duel. I wish it were so.”
“What do you mean?” Michael sensed that a disaster was about to descend. Whenever he’d experienced it in the past, it had been dead-on.
“You’re being accused of murder.”
“How is that possible?”
“Bainbridge had supporters, in both government and the trades. My guess is that by killing him, you’ve essentially bankrupted the lot of them. It’s all a travesty, if you ask me. The good news is that you’ll be tried by a jury of peers. Let’s hope they’re sympathetic to your case.”
“I must leave for London at once,” Michael said, setting his glass on the desk.
“There’s no need. A special detachment of soldiers is on its way here to arrest you.”
“How long before they get here?”
Ash shrugged. “They were about four hours behind me. My guess would be either this evening or early tomorrow morning.”
“In some corners of London, I imagine that I’ve been found guilty already.”
“You’re going to fight them, aren’t you? Certainly, you don’t mean to let these accusations go unchallenged?”
“I’ll do what I can. But you must get away from me, Ash. Take Beatrice and go back to London. Any alliance with me may put suspicion on you.”
“Nonsense. I’ve money and status enough to protect myself.”
“I’m sure you think so. But we don’t know the full extent of it yet. I implore you. Take Beatrice and go now. The sooner you get her out of harm’s way, the better.”
“She won’t leave you. Not now, especially after all that’s happened.”
Michael shook his head. “If she’d any sense about her, she’d leave me and never look back. Staying with me will be far more heartache than she deserves.”
“I’m sure she won’t agree. More than that, I have a feeling she’ll be your best ally in all this. It’s what women do, you know. Heaven knows, they are far stronger than we are.”
“You’re ever the hopeful one, Ash.” Michael sighed. “Caro has been good for you, no doubt about it. You were always such a cynic, but now you’ve grown a heart. I’m happy for you. But I’m not the man you are, my friend. Far from it.”
Ash put his hand on Michael’s arm. “I knew you before they ruined you, you know. Your parents, the women…”
“It’s long past the time when I should allow others to dictate my fate. They may have created the vessel, but they didn’t fill it with bitters, now, did they?” Michael sighed. “You’ve been a good friend to me, Ash. Now that Bainbridge is dead and Beatrice is safe, that’s all that matters. I need to know you’ll make sure that she’s taken care of.”
“Caroline and I will always care for the both of you. I’m sure that once it’s discovered what a threat Bainbridge was to you both and you are found innocent of these ridiculous charges, there will be no question of leniency in regards to the dueling.”
Michael smiled. “You are an optimist, my friend. I think that’s what I like most about you.”
“Me? An optimist?” He leaned back. “Perhaps we should have Jeremy take a look at your skull. You must have sustained a blow to your head to say such things about me.”
“Call me sentimental.” He laughed.
Ash looked at him a moment. “Beatrice will always have a place with Caroline and me. Why would you ask such a thing?”
Michael shrugged. “You well know what happens to convicted murderers.”
“I do. But I doubt that will happen to you.”
“But it is in the realm of possibility, isn’t it?”
Ash was quiet a moment. “Anything is possible, but it damn well doesn’t mean it’s probable. You’re a good man, whatever your detractors might have said in the past. You were an exemplary soldier and a staunch defender of honor. Surely the courts will keep that in mind.”
“Just in case they don’t, you must promise me that if Bea chooses to remarry, you’ll make sure he’s the right sort.”
“And if she chooses to remain alone?”
Michael swallowed. “She must be allowed the freedom of her choices, no matter what. I owe her that much.”
Ash let out a breath. “Then it’ll be as you wish, but I’ve no doubt you’ll be found innocent and the two of you will spend many long years together.”
“That is my hope.”
Michael smiled. He was glad to have such good friends. No matter what, Ash would do his best to help him. Unfortunately, he knew well that there were some miracles that even a wealthy duke couldn’t manage.
—
Walking back to his dressing room, Michael looked up to see Bea waiting for him in the hall. She looked as pure as an angel, standing there, wearing an expression of hope. Her hair was piled high on her head, small curls escaping her pins, floating around her neck. She wore a pale blue gown, and a dainty cameo affixed to a white ribbon adorned her lovely throat. He wanted so much to take her in his arms, to kiss that lovely neck, nibble at her ears, kiss her beautiful mouth…
“Hello, my love,” she said. “I thought we might spend the remainder of the day in bed, and then tomorrow we could go for a long walk on the grounds, perhaps pack a lunch…”
Michael pulled her into his arms. “The only thing I want to do at this moment is to kiss you.”
He kissed her one last time, taking his time, tasting her, inhaling her, loving her.
Bea laughed when they broke apart. “Silly man, of course there will be kissing involved. And, other things…”
Michael took her hands in his. “I’m sorry, but there won’t be time for that now. Ash has come to take you back to London.”
She stepped back. “Back to London? Whatever for? I thought you and I were headed to Portsmouth…”
“I know. But it seems the courts have not looked too kindly on my duel with Bainbridge. I’m being brought up on charges.”
He felt her distress as keenly as his own. “That can’t be. Don’t they know what sort of man he was? How he hit me and how I was so terribly mistreated at the hands of those terrible people he hired to abduct me?”
“I’m afraid there’s more to it than that.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Bainbridge had many allies among the ton as well as
other wealthy businessmen who depended on him to increase their bank accounts. They’re most upset that I killed their golden goose.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Michael shrugged. “I agree. Ash believes we can convince them that I acted out of self-defense and to protect you.”
“But that’s what you did.” She stepped back, covering her mouth with her hands. “What’s going to happen to you?”
Michael sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “At the very least, if I’m found guilty of illegal dueling, then a fine or perhaps a few months in prison.”
“Oh.” Tears formed in her eyes and she dabbed at them furiously. “What is the worst that can happen?”
It killed him to be so blunt, but Michael knew he owed it to her to tell her the truth. To do less was unforgivable.
“At the most, I’ll be hanged.”
Chapter 19
Never would she forget Michael’s last embrace before they parted or the way he’d held her while she’d sobbed in his arms.
“I can’t do this,” she told him, sniffing and dabbing at her eyes. “I can’t leave you like this.”
He sighed and she felt his pain as acutely as her own. “It’s better this way. I can’t bear the thought of you watching them arrest me.”
“But perhaps if we promised that you’d go to London and attend the inquiries, they’d at least let us go back together.”
“If it were only the crime of dueling, I’m sure it would be permitted, but murder is a bit more serous than that.”
Bea nodded. This was the worst possible nightmare. “I can’t believe we’re going to be apart when I’ve just gotten you back.”
“It is the worst turn of luck, isn’t it?” He leaned down and kissed her again. “But we must see this through, no matter the outcome. You’ve no need to worry. We have Ash to testify for me, and I know he’ll hire the best legal council, though how I will ever repay him, I’ve no idea.”
“I’m sure it’s he who owes you. After all, you married his stubborn sister-in-law,” she said, making a poor attempt at lightening his spirits. “One would think that is payment enough.”
She was rewarded when he chuckled. “I suppose that’s true. Though I think we both rather made out well in the transaction.”
Bea nodded and pulled in a ragged breath. “You’d better come back to me,” she said. “I won’t forgive you if you don’t.”
“I shall do my very best.”
Leaning down, he kissed her again, but this one was different than the others. Deep, lingering, and bittersweet. It was a goodbye and a promise of love eternal.
And Bea well knew it could be their last, so she held her breath as long as she could, taking him into her heart and giving him her soul in return.
“I love you,” she told him. “Never doubt it.”
“I love you, too, Beatrice. Know that your love will sustain me when all else falls away.”
She could have gazed into his eye forever, lived and died by the rise and fall of his chest, and spent eternity in his arms…
“It’s time to go,” Ash said, suddenly beside them. “They’re going to be here within the hour.”
Michael nodded and gently pushed Bea from his embrace.
“Goodbye, the both of you. I’ll see you in town.”
With that, Bea allowed Ash to lead her away, gently guiding her to the waiting carriage. She kept her gaze on Michael, even as she was helped into the cab. When she hesitated, just before stepping on board, he gave her a curt nod and a smile that spoke volumes of how much he was going to miss her.
Bea stepped inside, looking out the window until the rigging set off down the road. In all her life, she would never forget the look of him, standing there, soldier straight, chin up, awaiting his destiny.
And the sight of him broke her heart completely.
—
As it was, the arrest was a simple affair. Barely an hour after Ash and Bea had gone, the column of twenty mounted soldiers came down Slyddon’s main road. Michael hadn’t moved from the spot where Bea and Ash had left him. He wanted to remain as long as possible, holding on to their last moments together, as if, by his will alone, he could keep time from pushing forward.
But time was an unwilling beast. It did not stay subdued for long.
“Lord Michael Carver, Earl of Bladen?” the commander called out as he dismounted from his horse.
“Yes,” he answered.
“I am Commander Landon Josephs. By the order of the Prince Regent, you are now placed under arrest for the charges of unlawful dueling and murder most heinous. Do you surrender yourself at this time?”
“I do.”
“Then, by the order of law, I’m to take you to the Tower forthwith, where you shall be held until your judgment has been decided.” He motioned for his men-at-arms to step forward.
Over the next few minutes, Michael was patted down for weapons, placed in shackles, and then led to the prison transport. It was a plain, blue covered wagon. It had no windows, save for the barred opening at the back and behind the driver’s seat. Inside, there were only two benches, one on each side, and metal rings for the irons to be attached.
He took a deep breath before entering, attempting a courage he didn’t feel. Stepping inside, the wood floor creaked beneath him, a sound that he was certain mimicked that of the gallows when the condemned tread across it. Two soldiers followed him inside. When his shackles were affixed to the iron ring, they quickly exited the wagon. The next thing Michael knew, the door was slammed shut and the metal key was turned in the lock. It was a coarse, scraping sound that echoed around him, crushing his hopes and setting his nerves on edge.
Outside he could hear the sounds of nervous horses stepping about, the coughing and quiet conversation of the men closest to the wagon. Closing his eye, he summoned up his last memory of Beatrice. He would use that to garner his strength and help him to face what lay ahead. It wasn’t an absence of courage that plagued him but rather a deep sadness that the gentle union they’d begun might not be allowed to flourish.
Nonetheless, he would face his future. He would take whatever punishments the fates saw fit to foist upon him. He still considered himself a very lucky man to have known the love of a woman such as Beatrice.
And he wouldn’t have traded a single moment of their time together for a chance at a different future. He was a man who’d been loved and was in love. If he took nothing else from this world, he was fine with that.
In the end, Beatrice had been worth it all.
—
As they rode back to Summerton, Bea noticed Ash was keeping a watchful eye out the window. She remembered seeing Michael do the same thing. He’d always been alert when they’d traveled together, even more so on their return to Slyddon from the coast. Likely, it had been their soldiers’ instinct that was borne out of many months serving together in Spain.
“Tell me about your abduction,” Ash asked. “What happened when you were taken?”
Bea nodded and told him the entire story, up to and including when Michael had rescued her.
“I see.” He sat back in the seat and crossed his arms. Having fallen silent, he wore a pensive expression that unsettled her even more.
“What is it?”
“I’m curious. Was there anyone else about?”
“There were the two who were in the carriage with me, the driver, and a third man who died when you attempted your first rescue.”
“And the woman?”
“Millie. She stayed close to me. Even when we arrived in Bennington.”
“I’ll set one of my men on her trail. Best to find out what she knows and how’ll she testify. We don’t want any more last-minute surprises.”
Beatrice tried to relax, but it was near to impossible. “Tell me, is there any hope at all?”
“I won’t lie to you, Beatrice. There is a very real chance that the court may rule against him. He has been censured for dueling in the past. I think your forme
r suitor knew that. Why else call the man out?”
Bea could no longer hold back her tears. She dabbed at her eyes. “I wish he were alive, for I swear I’d shoot him myself.”
Ash sighed. “And I would hold your coat.” He shook his head. “Bainbridge was a cruel, calculating man, but he was not stupid. He must have known that Michael was vulnerable.”
“I remember him saying that his plans were going forward. He’d been challenged before and he’d had no concerns about it then.”
“I’ve already sent men to investigate, both here in London and at his estate in Scotland.”
Bea took a deep breath. “Will Michael be forced to stay in prison until the trial?”
Ash looked away a moment. “I’m afraid so. Of course, I’ll petition for his release on bond, but I doubt it will be granted. His are most serious charges.”
“I hate that he has to stay locked away.”
“As do I, but Michael is a soldier. He’s been in worse places.”
Chapter 20
In the end, Michael had stayed a guest at the Tower for twenty-nine days before his trial began. Thankfully, since his best friend was an influential duke, his living quarters resembled more an expensive inn rather than a prison cell. He’d a good bed with warm quilts, plus a cook and valet who came every day to see to his meals and his dressing. Compared to what many at the Tower suffered, his was nothing more than an inconvenience, a fact that was not lost on him. Although he’d tried on more than one occasion to refuse his friend’s kindnesses during his stay at the Tower, try as he might, Ash wouldn’t hear of it.
On the day that his trial began, he awakened before dawn, more than ready to see this affair to its conclusion. Of the nights spent in the Tower, he’d hardly slept. Night after night he’d been haunted by dreams of Beatrice: one moment they’d be making love, and the next she’d be with Bainbridge, his hands about her throat, the last remnants of life draining from her.
Now awake, he’d already washed and dressed for today’s events.
In that moment, he only wanted it to be over, whether he was found guilty or not, whether he’d leave a free man or find his fate at the gallows.
