by Lori Wick
frowning face and had to catch herself when the room tilted
"Has this woman been drinking?" Judge Pinkerton's voice
sounded outraged, and Brandon spoke.
"No, your worship. She was in the Tower and then moved
without my knowledge. I've just learned within the last hour
that she'd been taken to Klink Prison, where I believe she was
mistreated"
"You've no proof of that," the jailer stood and began to
protest.
"As you can see," Brandon cut him off in anger, "she can
barely stand for lack of nourishment, and when she was taken
into custody, her hair was long. Heaven knows what else she's
been through."
The judge's gavel hit its pad at that moment, and his voice
was dry as it rang out over the courtroom. "Is the jailer on trial
here, Lord Hawkesbury?"
Spectators laughed, but Brandon didn't Join them.
"No, your worship, I'm sorry," he apologized "I was only
trying to prove my client innocent of drinking."
240
'Very well, carry on. No!" he said, suddenly changing his
mind. "Don't carry on. I wish to know from the girl, who did cut your hair?"
Sniokey blinked, not fully understanding that she was
expected to answer.
"Does this woman have the proper faculties to come to
her own defense?" Judge Pinkerton asked, frowning again.
"Miss Simmons," Brandon addressed her from his own
box, his voice all business. "Tell the judge what he wants to
know."
"What does he want to know?" Smokey was feeling completely
disoriented She could tell that the room was full of
people because she heard constant whispering and some
laughter, but she was too tired to even turn around
"Just answer the questions he asks of you," Brandon
instructed her. As Smokey looked to the white-wigged judge,
Brandon prayed
"What is your name, young woman?"
"Victoria Simmons."
"And you are an American?*'
"Yes, sir."
"Do you know why you were arrested?"
"Yes, the charge was piracy." Smokey was feeling a bit
better with something specific to think about.
"Now, why would you be charged with piracy?" The judge
was again scowling.
"I own and captain my own ship, but I've never stolen
anything."
"How did you come to own your own vessel?"
"It was left to me by my father."
"His name?"
"Clancy," she said, and a murmur went through the crowd.
The judge's scowl intensified. He studied her silently until
Smokey thought she wouldn't be able to stand it. Trying to be
as subtle as possible, she moved her hands to the railing of the
dock and held on for her life.
"Did they feed you in prison?"
241
"One time, every other day," Smokey admitted and saw
the judge visually spear someone standing behind her.
"Tell me your story, Miss Simmons," the judge continued
Smokey watched as he settled back in his chair. She took a
deep breath, tried to settle her thoughts, and began.
"Some weeks ago when I was docked here with my men, I
was grabbed, drugged, and abducted I was taken aboard a
ship, and when I woke the pirate Haamich Wynn admitted that
he'd taken me. I escaped him and--"
"How did you escape?"
"We fenced--" Smokey had to cut off when the room
exploded with laughter. The judge himself was looking incredulous,
but he shouted for order.
"You fenced with Haamich Wynn," the judged asked, "and
won?"
"Yes. I cut his face, and he fainted at the sight of his own
blood" Again the room exploded, and Smokey had to stop.
The judge watched as she began to wilt. His heart was unaccustomed
to compassion toward Americans, but for some
reason this small woman touched him. She was clearly not
going to stand up against this crowd for much longer.
He rapped for silence once more and threatened to clear
the court if there were any more outbursts.
"Please go on, Miss Simmons."
Smokey stared at him for a moment and then continued,
her voice a bit stronger.
"He came aboard my ship some weeks after I'd escaped
him the first time and tried to take over. He tried to push his
unwanted attentions on me and steal my ship. Afriend of mine
sneaked aboard, and I was again able to escape him.
"We came directly here to turn him over to the authorities.
I went to stay with some friends. When I returned it was to
find that Haamich Wynn, who I'm told is really Lord Darrell
Lynne, had been released My ship was commandeered, and I
was charged with piracy. I was put into the Tower immediately,
and then taken to Klink Prison.
242
"While imprisoned, Haamich Wynn came to see me."
Smokey, whose eyes were intent on the magistrate, missed
Brandon's scowl. "When I would not agree to marry him," she
went on, "he grew furious and cut my hair off at the neck."
Although the crowd was quieter now, everyone seemed to
be talking. Smokey could not read the judge's face, so she
waited, still gripping the railing with all her strength.
"What have you to say to these charges, Lord Lynne?"
Smokey's whole body stiffened on these words. He was
here; he was actually here! Smokey's gaze flew to Brandon's,
whose eyes, amazingly enough, seemed to be telling her to
trust him. She prayed again and tried to stay calm, but her
heart pounded in her chest.
"As you can see," a mocking voice spoke, "I have no such
cut on my face."
Smokey turned slowly at the sound of the familiar voice.
She stared into the pirate's face and felt stunned. He was the
same in everyway; handsome, arrogant, and seemingly bigger
than life, except that his scar was missing. Smokey stared at
him, but he ignored her. She turned back to the j judge after just
a moment, wondering if she might be losing her mind
"So you deny all such allegations that you have been a
pirate?"
Darrell Lynne laughed expansively. "I guarantee you, I
have no need to steal from anyone, and as for pressing my
attentions on this woman," the huge man's face was sneering
as he looked at the back of Smokey, "I assure you my tastes run
to women of beauty and grace--English women!" he emphasized
at the end.
Smokey felt utterly defeated Why wasn't Brandon saying
anything? She tried to read his face as he too looked at the
pirate, but it gave nothing away.
"Do you hold to your story, Miss Simmons?"
'Yes, sir, I do. I don't know why he doesn't have a scar, but I
did fight him and I did cut his face."
"Would you be willing to prove that?" the Judge asked her.
243
This time it was Brandon's turn to stiffen. He feared something
outrageous like this would occur, but to refuse the idea
would surely hang her. Brandon stayed quiet long enough to
pray for Dallas' swift arrival and then spoke.
"What did you
have in mind, your worship?"
"Why, a duel, of course. If Miss Simmons is as adept as she
says, she will surely be willing to display her skill."
Brandon glanced at Smokey to find she did not seem as
stunned as he felt, and wondered if she understood what was
about to happen. Brandon knew he had to keep control of this.
"My client accepts on one condition, sir--that I be allowed
to fight her."
"So that you can go easy on her, Lord Hawkesbury?"
"The duel will commence before his worship's very eyes,
and you alone will be the judge."
"Done!" Judge Pinkerton announced with satisfaction.
"This court will recess for 15 minutes so foils can be gathered"
Brandon came for Smokey then, leading her though the
noisy crowd and back to the anteroom. Once inside he said
only one thing.
"Resign yourself to the truth, Smokey. I wish it were otherwise,
but the duel we fought at Bracken wilt feel like child-play
after today. Dallas is not yet here, and I'm afraid that nothing
else will save you."
245
"tell me about my men," Smokey asked Brandon, who
blinked at her in surprise.
He had just warned her how difficult their duel was going
to be, and she asked about her men. Brandon stalled by giving
her some more water, frustrated that he hadn't thought to
bring her some food. She was still very shaky.
"You did say they were released, didn't you?"
Brandon was brought abruptly back to the present. "Yes.
I'd been working for a couple of days on their case, and it was
finally decided that you were the one they were after.
"I couldn't get comfortable until they were out. It wouldn't
do much good to have you released without your crew."
"And you believe I'll be released?"
"Yes."
Smokey sighed. "Where was his scar, Brandon?"
Brandon opened his mouth, but the guarding constable
knocked and entered. Just minutes later Smokey found herself
back in the courtroom. Her eyes met the seething gaze of
Haamich Wynn, and Smokey began to tremble as she had done
when she'd been locked in the cell.
She was still shaking when the guard led her to the open
area of the courtroom and held the foil for her hand Her heart
sank when she grasped the weapon. It felt as if it weighed a
hundred pounds.
245
Smokey suddenly realized the room was deathly still. She
glanced up to find every eye in the court upon her, and she
hadn't even lifted her sword Brandon was in place opposite
her, and she met his eyes, ready to tell him she couldn't do it.
"Is that doubt I see in your eyes, Miss Simmons?"
From where the strength came, Smokey knew not, but her
chin lifted and so did her foil. Brandon cried "engarde," and
their foils met.
Occupants of the room barely breathed as they watched
Lord Hawkesbury's immediate attack. He came at Smokey
without mercy. She countered every move, years of training
overcoming her weakness. Judge Pinkerton came to his feet,
absentmindedly dragging the wig from his head as the opponents
danced around each other, both trying to gain the
advantage.
Using the move that had wiped the smile from Brandon's
face the first time they dueled, Smokey cut his coat. It was to be
her undoing. She couldn't recover, and in a merciless downward
stroke, Brandon flipped the foil right out of Smokey's
grasp. The move left Smokey's arm tingling from shoulder to
fingertips.
Smokey was so spent at that point that she couldn't move.
Only seconds passed before the room erupted in pandemonium.
Everyone seemed to be talking at once, and over the
pounding of the gavel, Haamich Wynn could be heard shouting.
"This proves nothing! You could see how easy he was with
her!"
Brandon turned to the man in fury, but the door burst
open and a commotion ensued from the rear. The occupants
of the room finally heeded the judge's call for silence as
Dallas Knight marched in. Wrists tied behind his back and
preceding Dallas at the point of his sword was Haamich Wynn,
scar and all.
Smokey stared at the man's face in shock. His eye was
blackened and his lip was bloody, but the resemblance to the
man already in the room was remarkable.
246
Suddenly the first Haamich Wynn panicked. With no
warning whatsoever, he vaulted over the railing and grabbed
Smokey. With an arm around her throat in a choke hold, he
dragged her back toward the judge.
"I'll break her neck," he shouted in desperation, his eyes
wide with panic. Smokey clawed at the arm that was cutting
off her air, but it did no good
"Stay back or she's dead." He continued to back toward the
judge's podium. He was about to shout again when he stopped
dead in his tracks. The judge, his wig in place once again, was
holding the point of one foil in Wynn's ear. The impostor had
never noticed as Brandon set the foils up on the stand.
"Now release her," Pinkerton's voice was calm, "or the
entire room will watch what we do with pirates."
With the point pressed against his ear, the first Haamich
Wynn grudgingly released Smokey and stood frozen in place;
in fact everything seemed to freeze outside of Smokey, who
crawled to safety and stayed were she was as Brandon began
to speak.
"The man you see before you is not Haamich Wynn. This
man is Lawrence Lynne. The man in the rear, however, is Lord
Darrell Lynne, alias Haamich Wynn." The crowd began to
buzz, but Brandon continued.
"Darrell and Lawrence are cousins who have been robbing
us blind for nearly a year. When Darrell is in London, Lawrence
goes into seclusion. Only when Darrell is headed out to
sea does he contact his nearly identical cousin to cover for
him on the streets of London. The split is 50-50 from what I
understand, and with the success they've enjoyed, there have
been no plans to quit."
"Take them away," Judge Pinkerton said softly. "The case
against Victoria Simmons is dismissed." The room exploded
with noise and confusion.
The guards started toward Lawrence, but with a swift
move he leaped away from the judge's box and tried to run.
The guards fell on him.
247
It seemed to Smokey that a fight was breaking out in every
corner of the room, forcing her to hold her position on the
floor. Just seconds passed before Brandon appeared before
her. As he reached to pull her to her feet, she saw the Judge
shouting to be heard above the fray.
"The press will be pitiless. Bring her out through my
chamber."
Brandon followed without question and began to move
Smokey forward Her head whipped back just before they left
the courtroom, hoping for a final glimpse of Dallas. Smokey
spotted him amid the commotion, struggling with a man on
either side. Then just moments later, befo
re Smokey could
find her bearings, she was outside, lifted into a carriage, and
headed onto the streets of London.
"Where to, Smokey?" Brandon asked her from his place
across the coach.
'The docks," she said wearily, praying as she did that
Dallas would be all right.
"Are you sure? I know Dallas wants to see you. Sunny is at
our town house here in London."
Smokey nodded "I appreciate the offer, Brandon. I would
like to see Sunny and especially Dallas, but I need to get to the Aramis."
"As you wish," Brandon told her, seeing that she was
fading fast. He gave orders to his driver and settled back
against the squabs.
"Brandon," Smokey's voice came weakly from her seat.
Her senses were beginning to dull, but this had to be said "In
Klink Prison I had a cellmate. Her name is Aggie. I told her
about Christ," Smokey's head had fallen back against the seat,
but she forced the words from her mouth.
"Please check on her. I didn't even get to say goodbye.
Please go to her, pray with her. Please--"
"I'll take care of it," Brandon told her, and Smokey let her
eyes slide shut with a sigh. She wasn't aware of the way the
driver used back streets to avoid being followed or of Brandon
250
himself, who was determined to get her to her ship safely,
even if he had to lay down his own life.
They stopped 30 minutes later. Smokey had been sound
asleep for most of that time and was not aware that her ship
was finally in sight. Not until someone called her name did
she come out of the dream she had been having about sitting
at Willa's kitchen table.
"Smokey," the voice grew louder. When someone shook
her by the shoulder, she opened her eyes.
"Darsey?"
"It's me, lass."
"Is Willa here?"
"No, but if you come aboard theAramis, we can sail home
and see her."
"I can go home?" Smokey asked with childish wonder, just
before she began to sob. Her hands covered her face, and
amid her harsh weeping she was hardly aware of the way
Brandon lifted her from the carriage and tenderly handed her
to her first mate.
A crowd that included newsmongers who had been keeping
an eye on theAramis was swiftly converging upon them.
Smokey's crew was there to surround her and to take care of
anyone overly zealous for a story. In an effort to see them
safely up the gangplank, Brandon's own coachmen climbed
down and assisted in the fray.
