[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

, so very stupid of me to be like this. I wheeled from the fire and threw my
self on the settee. Snuffling. Father sat next to me. After a minute he put
his arms around my stiff body and got me to relax enough to lean against his
chest. Like a child. Thus had he comforted me as a child.
"You're all right, laddie," he told me, his voice husky with his own tears.
That's what broke it. That's when I gave out with a breathy hiccup and trul
y wept. He held me and rocked me and stroked my hair and never once told me
to hush, just kept doing that until I was able to stop. I finally sat up,
blindly fishing for the handkerchief Jericho always left in one of my pocke
ts. Father had one ready and put it into my hands. I blew my nose, wiped my
eyes, and suddenly yawned. "Sorry."
"Don't be," he said genially. "How did you know?"
"When you came into the parlor looking like a drawn rope about to snap, the
possibility occurred to me. I've seen it before and it's no good trying to b
ury it. How do you feel?" "Not so drawn."
He saw that for himself well enough, but was reassured to hear it confirmed.
He went across to unlock his cabinet and poured out a bit of brandy, then loc
ked up again. The habit had ingrained itself in him in such a very short time
. He sat facing me in his favorite chair, the firelight playing warmly over h
is features.
"Well. Can you tell me all about it now?" I could. And did.
It was easier than the previous tellings. I didn't have to pretend to be bra
ve. I didn't have to lie. So very, very much easier it is to be able to tell
the truth. I left out one thing only: the part about drinking Drummond's bl
ood. At the time it had been my survival, but here in the light and peace of
my favorite room, it seemed unreal, even monstrous. I was not comfortable a
bout it especially the fact I'd enjoyed the taste so very much and was not p
repared to offer such a burden of knowledge to my dearly loved father. He ha
d more than enough troubles on his mind.
When I was done, he looked me over from top to toe and again I seemed to see
myself through his eyes. There was worry there, of course, for my well-bein
g, but I appeared to be strong enough to handle things now. There was also r
elief: that I was safely home and if not totally undamaged, then at least ab
le to recover from it. "We've got the other fellow, Knox," he said. "Nash pu
t him into that blockhouse he had built last fall."
"Will there be a hanging?"
"I don't know. The man keeps saying he's a soldier and thus a prisoner of wa
r. Said he was doing his duty right and proper before his capture."
"Oh? And just how does he explain the ransom note he thought he was deliv
ering?"
"Denies it ever was a demand for ransom. Claims he was given to understand
it was a request from you to ask for help getting home. The other men had
captured you by mistake and he'd come to fetch a horse to bring you back.
He volunteered to risk capture himself in order to do you a good turn. Ve
ry aggrieved, he is."
"Has he convinced Lieutenant Nash of this tale?"
"What do you think?"
My answer lay in my return expression and we both had a short, grim laugh.
Father sipped his brandy, then sighed. "Tomorrow Nash will take him 'round
to Mrs. Montagu's home for her and the servants to have a look at him. Th
ere are a few other places in the county to go to as well if she can't ide
ntify him. He had no commission papers "
"A hanging, then."
"Quite likely."
Silence fell upon us, lengthened, and was so complete that I was able to h
ear to the distant kitchen where Mrs. Nooth was supervising the dumping ou
t of my bathwater. Things were quiet in the parlor by comparison, just Nor
wood talking low, though I couldn't make out the words.
"Is Nash still out looking for me?"
I'd interrupted whatever gray thoughts had been floating between us. "What?
Yes, 1 suppose he is. And in the wrong place. We were miles from where Bel
don and Lord James said they'd found you. Oh, well, it'll do him good. He w
ants the exercise and if he shakes up a few rebels, all the better."
"What made you break off from him and come home?"
"You. I trusted what you said in your note about trying to escape. Worked ou
t that you'd have to find shelter for the day, but you'd come home as quick
as you could after dark. Thought I should be here to check, to see if I was
right, and I was. Didn't expect that you'd hole yourself up like a badger in
a burrow, though. Very ingenious, laddie."
"More like very desperate. Wish it'd been warmer, but if it had, then I'd hav
e been without cover altogether."
"That had me worried, that you'd be out in some open area for anyone to st
umble over. Knowing what you're like during the day, I'd feared you'd be t
aken for dead. There'd be misunderstandings, rumors "
"Me having to influence everyone all over again." I shuddered. "No, thank y
ou."
Father chuckled.
And I thought of something. "Do you think Nash would let me talk to Knox
?"
"To what purpose?"
"I should like to get the truth from him."
He frowned for a time, knowing exactly what I meant. "A confession from hi
m will mean his death for certain, Jonathan."
"At this point I think that's a foregone conclusion."
Another frown. More silence. Then, "Very well. A gift you have and a gift you
should use. Let its use be for finding the truth. Besides ..."
He trailed off; I urged him to continue.
" 'Tis only because I hate to admit it to myself, but I've a streak of vengea
nce in me. If he's one of the bastards who caused Mrs. Montagu so much distre
ss, then I'll want to be there at dawn to put the rope 'round his neck myself
."
Father finished his brandy and asked if I was up to facing the rest of the hou
sehold.
"Only if there's no fuss. I've had enough to last me for months."
He could make no guarantee against that, but said I could leave whenever i
t became too much.
This second attempt to rejoin their company was more successful. The pale
blurs were gone. Their faces were faces once more.
Thank God.
Elizabeth broke away from Norwood and came over to slip her arm around m
ine. "You had us so worried," she told me.
Apparently worried enough herself that in her relief she forgot all about Moth
er. I shot a glance in that lady's direction, but she wasn't reacting to us at
all. She wore her usual joyless expression, nothing more. Well, I suppose it
was preferable to one of her insane tirades. She hadn't had one of those for a
while, certainly not since the night I'd "talked" to her. Perhaps she was bui
lding up to one. I hoped otherwise.
"Yes," said Cousin Anne. "Very worried. It must have been horrid for you."
This was about the fourth time tonight she'd expressed that sentiment. I'd h
eard the other three when I'd been soaking in the tub. I laughed now, more f
reely than I thought myself capable of, and assured her I was fine.
Her eyes lingered on me. There was a touch more depth to them than before.
I wondered if that was from her own growth from this unpleasantness or beca
use we'd shared a few kisses. Perhaps both. I smiled, took her hand and gav
e it a gentle squeeze to say everything's all right. She tossed her head sl
ightly, smiling back.
Elizabeth made me sit in a comfortable chair and Anne asked if I wanted some
tea. I accepted a cup with lots of sugar and pretended to sip, but it was e
asy to avoid drinking when all the questions started flowing freely once mor
e.
Mrs. Hardinbrook had a strong interest in what the men had been like and wh
at they had said.
"No words fit for a lady's ears, ma'am. Indeed, some of them made me blush.
" This raised a laugh.
Lady Caroline wanted to know why I hadn't come home right away if I'd ma
de my escape so very early that morning. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

  • zanotowane.pl
  • doc.pisz.pl
  • pdf.pisz.pl
  • moje-waterloo.xlx.pl

    •