Chapter 15 #3
“Oh? I hadn’t noticed,” Angel said with a laugh.
Her voice was light, carefree almost, but it trembled a little and she took a breath, forcing her turbulent emotions to quiet as she knelt and tied Mercy’s wrists together.
The woman groaned but seemed to be returning to her senses as she tried to kick Angel, who dodged just in time.
“Bitch,” Mercy snarled, and spat blood on the ground at Angel’s feet.
“A charming lady,” Leo observed grimly. “Come, we’d better deal with Bill. I’m in no hurry to subdue him again. Considering he’s injured, he was hard work, and I swear his jaw is made of granite,” he added, rubbing his knuckles with a frown.
Angel nodded, and they made quick work of tying Bill’s wrists and ankles, having no desire to see him get free.
“Next time I’ll shoot him somewhere more incapacitating,” Angel said cheerfully. “Though if I’d aimed for his h-head he probably wouldn’t n-notice—” she stammered, and then, despite her best efforts, burst into tears.
“Angel!” Leo hurried to her, pulling her into his arms. He held her tight, one large hand cradling her head against his chest. “There now, love. We’re all safe. No harm done.”
Angel shook her head, too furious with herself not to speak. “This is all my fault. You might all have been killed—because of me! I ought never to have dragged you all into this.”
Leo grasped her by the shoulders and gave her a little shake.
“Now, none of that. You didn’t blackmail any of us into coming with you.
Milly and Toby knew what you were about and you tried your best to get rid of me.
So, stop being such a pea goose. You’re just a bit shaken up, that’s all.
If you want to cry, you go right ahead, but not on our account. ”
“I n-never cry!” she said crossly, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.
“Well, there’s a first time for everything. I feel a bit overwrought, myself,” he admitted, his voice gruff.
Angel sniffed and looked up at him. “You?”
He nodded, gazing down at her as he cupped her cheek with his hand. “I’ve never been so scared in all my life. Oh, not because of him,” he said dismissively, glancing over at Bill, who was stirring now. “But at the thought I might lose you, before—before—”
“Mr Cleaver!”
They jolted, springing apart as the gig rattled into view.
Toby waved at them, beaming from ear to ear as Milly guided the pony into the yard.
The lad jumped down and ran at Leo, throwing his arms around him and hugging him tightly.
“I knew you’d come!” he said, sounding choked, before giving Angel the same treatment.
“I knew you’d not leave me there, not for a moment. ”
Angel hugged the lad tightly, closing her eyes and relishing the moment. He was alive. She crouched down to look him over. “They didn’t hurt you?”
Toby shook his head. “Nah. She threatened to, though. Wicked, she is, miss, and I reckon she might have done if you’d not come so quick, but you came and got me before she could do anything.”
“Oh, Toby,” Angel let out a shaky sigh, meeting Milly’s eyes as the woman walked over to them. “Thank heavens.”
“So, what do we do about these two now?” Milly asked. “And what about Stan?”
Leo groaned. “I’d almost forgotten Stan. In the meantime, we’d best get these to the nearest constable and rouse the justice of the peace. Then we’ll deal with Stan. I reckon he’ll not want to return to Mercy empty-handed, and he’s tucked up nice and cosy at the inn. He’ll wait.”
It took a fair amount of hefting and cursing before Mercy and Bill—who were not exactly feeling cooperative—were loaded in the back of Mercy’s cart. Leo took care to check their ankles and wrists were securely bound once they were in place.
Mercy, who had returned to her senses and was spitting vitriol, sneered at Angel. “You think you’re clever, don’t you? Miss Hoity Toity. Think you’re a fine lady, well you ain’t no better than me, missy.”
“No, I don’t,” Angel shot back, surprising Mercy into silence.
“I think I was lucky. I might easily have been born into a very different life. I suspect you were unlucky, and I’m very sorry for that, but that doesn’t give you the right to go about hurting people, certainly not hurting children.
Toby did nothing to you. You might have felt desperate enough to kidnap him, but why terrify him, why hurt him? There’s no excuse for that.”
Mercy flushed, though whether from fury or shame Angel didn’t know. But then her face darkened and more vitriol poured out.
“You think that fine fellow will marry you, do you? You ain’t fit to be more than his whore, not now he knows your blood is as black as mine—”
She sneered, and opened her mouth to say more, but Leo leaned over and forced a handkerchief into her mouth, silencing her.
Mercy wriggled and raged, her eyes blazing, but could make no more sound than muffled snorts of indignation.
He watched her for a moment, to be certain she could breathe, and then turned back to them.
Milly and Angel stared at him in surprise.
He shrugged, looking as if butter wouldn’t melt. “What? It was clean, I swear, unlike her mouth.”
Angel nodded her thanks as Leo secured his horse to the back of the gig and then climbed onto the cart.
She was grateful to him for silencing the woman’s spiteful outburst, but Mercy’s words had already struck their target.
Not that she had ever imagined Mr Cleaver would think of her in such a way.
She did not know what had made him hide his identity when they’d met.
Perhaps he was hiding from the law, or maybe debt collectors, but wherever he had come from, he was a gentleman.
As was her father, she reminded herself, though he was a very junior branch on a far from illustrious family tree.
He had married Mama for her dowry, which had been generous.
He’d known nothing about Black Jack until after they were wed.
To be fair to him, he’d not made a fuss about being tricked, had only insisted that the truth never be made known.
Pops had needed to keep his existence a secret, so this had not bothered him, but it bothered Angel.
She did not wish to deny who she was, who Jack had been to her. But she was beginning to understand what such honesty might cost her.
She gave the pony a pat and stepped up into the gig, waiting until Milly and Toby were ready before giving the beast leave to walk on.
Well, she had never intended to stay in England, she reasoned, though the idea made depression settle over her, as cold and smothering as a wet wool blanket. She would go to France, where her heritage might be viewed with a degree less hostility.
“You’re very quiet.”
Angel turned to see Milly watching her. The clouds had parted enough to reveal a three-quarter full moon, and the silvery light made them look ghostly and unreal.
Everything about this day had a strange, dreamlike quality, from finding Jenny’s grave marked with the rosebush to Mercy’s appearance and Toby’s abduction.
Perhaps a nightmare would be more accurate.
Yet, as frightened as she’d been, she had never despaired.
With Leo and Milly beside her, she knew she was not alone.
But Leo would go. If he hadn’t intended to before, which he surely must have, then he would now.
Well, she still had Milly, she told herself firmly.
She could do without Leo. It had been fun getting to know him, flirting with him, but she’d always known it would lead to nothing.
She and Milly would find the treasure and go abroad—Toby too if he wished to—and they’d have lots more adventures.
But it was not the same.
“Penny for them?” Milly murmured.
Angel let out a little huff of laughter. “Oh, Milly, they’re not worth a farthing.”
Milly was quiet for a moment before she turned back to Angel. “Don’t you go listening to what that wicked creature said, Angel. I think—”
“No!”
Angel startled them both with the severity and harshness of that one word, but she stared at Milly, her expression implacable.
“I won’t be a fool, Milly, not for any man.
After everything he’s seen of me, do you seriously think he considers me the kind of lady he would marry?
He saw me shoot a man; I hit Mercy in the head with a plank of wood for heaven’s sake!
Do you imagine he sees me as the mother of his children, or presiding at the head of his dinner table with all his fine friends?
Or do you think he’s imagining a tidy little house somewhere to set up his mistress? ”
“Oh, miss! No,” Milly said, shaking her head in dismay. “I don’t think Mr Cleaver—”
“I don’t think Mr Cleaver thinks,” Angel said harshly, aware she was being unfair, but life was unfair, especially if you’d had the misfortune to be born female.
“He’s an absolute darling. He’s funny and sweet and charming and so wretchedly handsome it’s enough to make a girl weep.
But right now he’s caught up in the adventure, in the romance of it all—we all are—but that doesn’t last, Milly, and when he finally realises that—”
She closed her mouth, unable to continue, her heart too heavy to put into words what was patently obvious.
“Then what will you do?”
Angel shook her head. “We’ll get these two to the Justice of the Peace, Stan too, and then we’ll get the treasure.”
“And then?” Milly asked softly.
“And then—” Angel took a breath, finding it was harder to say the words out loud than she had imagined.
“And then we shall give Mr Cleaver a generous gift to thank him for everything he has done for us and bid him a fond farewell. Our futures are ahead of us, Milly, and it’s up to us to make the most of them. ”
“Yes, miss,” Milly replied, but Angel turned upon hearing her dejected reply.
Milly’s shoulders were slumped, her expression one of resignation.
With a sudden ache in her heart, Angel realised Milly was not so keen on the idea of a life abroad as she had made out.
Which meant she would be travelling alone after all.
Ah, well. The best laid plans…