Chapter 35
In which Judith enjoys a piece of theatre
Even the most courageous souls, brave in the face of physical danger, cower before the prospect of losing their memories. But really, it isn’t so bad.
— from Lady Avely’s Guide to Guile and Peril
Judith awoke on a couch in an unfamiliar room.
The room was oddly round, with tall windows and beautiful tapestries hung upon the walls.
Beside her, a curving bookshelf brimmed with books, and a fire crackled in the opposite hearth.
A very large, fluffy cat sat on her feet, and a strong sense of peace and calm enveloped her.
It felt like home, though she didn’t recognise it.
Moreover, she was surrounded by strangers.
A stern looking housekeeper stood by the door, her lips pursed.
A very handsome, middle-aged man stood a few feet away, looking down at Judith with a curious expression of longing and fierceness.
He had dark eyes and dark hair, laugh lines at his eyes, and firm lips.
Her gaze dwelt upon him for several moments, then she looked away in embarrassment.
“Do you remember me?” he asked, with a strange intensity.
“I am afraid not,” she replied, and immediately became concerned that she had been impolite. “I’m sorry, have we been introduced?”
His face fell, but he rearranged it into a semblance of civility and gave a low bow. “I am the Duke of Sargen. You may call me Dacian.”
She inclined her head. Something like pain flashed across his face. She was distracted, however, by an argument that was growing louder between two younger men, who were discussing something over by the fire.
“I heard her say it!” said a young blond man furiously. “She said that we could be brothers. Did she mean it literally? Or figuratively? Come on, Robert, I’m sure you can remember. And I find it damn odd that she should think we could be brothers on such a short acquaintance!”
The other young man, with chestnut hair and blue eyes, seemed to be confused. “I don’t know!” he said. “How long is our acquaintance? Are we friends?”
The duke—Dacian—sighed. “Yes, Perry, Robert is your half-brother.”
Perry swung around. “What? How do you know?”
“I was good friends with your father. He sired Robert before you were born, and he trusted me with his welfare.”
Judith listened with interest. Somehow, without knowing how, she could sense that the duke was telling the truth. Clearly there was some family scandal unfolding before her. A secret brother! How intriguing.
“Oh, really!” Perry was incensed. “A pretty thing it is for me to discover my own brother now! What was Father thinking! And Mother! She knew, didn’t she? How long has she known?”
Judith realised that Perry had turned his accusing gaze towards her.
She had nothing to do with it! She didn’t even know his mother!
To avoid his militant look, she glanced away, and her eyes landed on a soldier tucked into the corner behind the bookshelf.
To her surprise, he was bound and gagged, tied to a chair.
His wrists were cuffed before him, and his face was a picture of fuming rage.
“Oh dear,” she exclaimed. “Why is an officer of the Crown bound? Your grace, please untie him immediately!”
Perry let out a huff of despair. Before anyone could explain the matter to her, however, footsteps could be heard marching up the stairs just outside the room. The housekeeper edged away from the door nervously, her silver head turning, and Judith felt some of her own calm slip away.
“Damn,” said the duke. “That will be the cursed captain. Robert, this would be a good time to remember your Illusions. Can you make me into that ugly valet fellow of Garvey’s, with the long nose and bald pate? Now would be the moment to try.”
Robert frowned. “I can cast Illusions?” He lifted his hands experimentally and waggled his fingers towards the duke.
A yew hedge suddenly leapt into being. It missed the duke and took up residence over the bookshelf. Judith blinked, admiring the crisp green leaves and small red berries. It really was most life-like, though it encroached on the muzzled soldier, who looked as if he might explode beneath his gag.
The duke rolled his eyes. “Not the hedgery again. Try something human, for God’s sake.”
Robert frowned, but before he could comply, the door flung open.
Another red-clad soldier stood there, the epaulettes on his shoulders marking him as a captain. He also wore an expression of extreme displeasure. It twisted into a look of comic surprise as his eyes landed on the duke.
Dacian threw up a hand. Suddenly, the room was a battleground, for the captain immediately retaliated.
Power rushed from both of them, clashing in the middle.
Judith hunched back into her couch, feeling the energy of it upon her skin and the threat of it to her bones.
Everyone stared as the two men strained against each other.
Force for force, scowl for scowl, they gritted their teeth, trying to overpower one another.
“Wait a minute!” shouted Perry, who had once more ducked to the ground.
“Now look here, Captain—I assume that’s who you must be, Drumpelly or whatever your name is—you’re making a mistake.
You’ve got two traitors in your midst! Why do you think your lieutenant is all tied up?
He is feeding information to the French, that’s why!
And your Miss Onslow helped him; she is a devilish young lady, and so I can tell you!
There’s been all sorts of havey-cavey things going on under your nose! ”
Taken aback, the captain’s gaze flickered towards Perry and his lieutenant, then caught upon the yew hedge. His eyes widened, and that moment of distraction was all that the duke needed. He slammed an incisive Impact past the captain’s guard, pushing him against the wall.
“He’s right.” The duke was panting. “French spies. They are the enemy. Let us stop this.”
The captain’s jaw was hard, two spots of colour in his cheekbones. “Lady Avely, what piece of theatre is this?”
Judith blinked, for he appeared to be addressing her. “Pardon me? Is it a play? That explains it! How delightful.” She frowned. It had all seemed very real.
“She doesn’t know anything about it,” growled the duke. “Your lieutenant just gave her a very strong dose of Lethe. If she doesn’t recover, I’ll burn your whole goddamn fort to the ground.”
“No, no,” said Judith. “I am quite well recovered, thank you very much. Pray do continue with the performance.”
The captain’s brow creased. “You don’t seem to be yourself, Lady Avely.”
“No, she is not,” growled the duke. “And I have your rank foolishness to thank for it.”
Perry straightened, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
“Your grace, this is not the time for threats. And Captain, your traitorous Miss Onslow had a long chat with the housekeeper here and told us about a plot to ferry Bonaparte’s troops into England via Travellors.
You’re about to fend off an invasion, so in my humble opinion you two should stop fighting like dogs and work together. ”
“Bravo!” said Judith.
“Indeed,” said the housekeeper, who had retreated to stand under a far tapestry. “Most advisable.”
Judith was suddenly aware of a strong desire to co-operate with her fellow man, and she clasped her hands together.
Even the captain seemed to crumple a little, even as he was still pressed against the wall. “Did you say ferrying Bonaparte’s troops into England?”
“Into this very castle,” said Perry, “using Travellors, stopping on a ship in the Channel. It’s how I arrived here, so I know it is possible.”
The duke lowered his hand, turning it over in a gesture of surrender. “I will release you, if you will promise to listen.”
The captain scowled. “Fine. You have five minutes of my undivided attention.”
The force holding him fixed abruptly fell away. The captain stumbled, irritably brushing himself down. He eyed the soldier trussed up in the chair. “Now, please explain why my lieutenant is tied up like a turkey.”
Perry launched into a garbled explanation, punctuated by the duke’s pithy remarks. Even before two minutes of it, the captain’s demeanour had begun to change, his ire now directed towards his lieutenant, and his gaze avoiding the duke’s.
At the end of the tale, Dacian spread his hands out again.
“I’m perfectly willing to help you, Drumpellier, if you forfeit all threats against myself and Lady Avely.
I am as patriotic as the next man, and I have no desire to see Bonaparte succeed, but I will not stand for any accusations of treason against myself or those I hold dear. ”
The captain chewed on his lip for a moment, stubbornly silent. Then abruptly he expelled a breath and met his eyes. “I appreciate your forbearance, your grace. You have a deal.”
“You will continue to uphold my immunity and drop all allegations against myself and the marchioness,” repeated the duke implacably.
Judith looked around for the marchioness. She feared that she was in rather exalted company, but it appeared that her ladyship was not currently in the room. Perhaps she was belowstairs ordering refreshments. Some cream tea would be nice for the intermission.
The captain gritted his teeth together but nodded. “Agreed. I suppose I may need your help to stop this devilish scheme.”
“You can start,” said Perry crossly, “by chatting to this slippery Miss Onslow, and put her to good use. She can find out the details of the plan. Then whenever these damn Frenchies pop into our cellars, we can take them prisoner.”
Judith was confused by this new barrage of information. Her head ached, and she felt very vague, as if she had consumed a whole bottle of wine. Perhaps she had. She couldn’t quite remember. Cream tea would be much appreciated. Or drinking chocolate.
The housekeeper spoke up. “I can show you where Miss Onslow is being kept under guard by Cador, Captain. I suppose you will need to know all about the cellars.”
“I most certainly will,” snapped the captain. “I know you were hiding something from me, with all your tottering about!”
“One is permitted to lie about one’s age.” The housekeeper smiled, and Judith became aware of a faint wave of amusement rolling through the room. Really, the housekeeper was quite a wit.
Even the Captain gave a reluctant smile, though his eyebrows quirked in confusion.
The servant turned with a regal air. “Come then. Though I warn you that some of the cellar walls are now destroyed by this young man’s efforts to unlock the door.”
“Ha,” said Perry. “You loved it, Mrs U.”
“I most certainly did not.” She gave him a reproving look.
The vague sense of hilarity vanished as she left the room. The captain followed the housekeeper, after one more admonishing look and extracting a vow of honour from the duke not to disappear again.
Once the captain had gone, his grace let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God for that. I thought he might overrule me and arrest us all on the spot.” Then, in two strides, he crossed to Judith, kneeled beside her, and stared into her eyes. “Do you remember me yet?”
“No,” she said apologetically. “Are you really a duke? Or are you play-acting?”
“I’m really a duke.” He smiled, taking her hand between his. “I am your suitor, and your lover. I’ve been courting you for years, waiting for you to love me—and I will do so again, if I must.”
Judith’s heart fluttered. He was so very handsome and intent. His hands were strong and capable, his eyes dark with passion, and she felt a tingle of warmth run through her…
Perry spluttered. “I say! Hands off, your grace!”
“You can leave now,” said the duke, without looking at him, and continuing to stare into Judith’s eyes with adoration.
“I’m not leaving you alone together! You’ll take advantage of my mother, while she is in this vulnerable state! You—you—libertine!”
“I love your mother. I’m not going to take advantage of her. I want to marry her.”
Judith blinked. “You love me?”
“Yes, dearly, and completely. So I won’t ravish you just yet.”
Judith felt a distant sense of regret.
“However,” he added, “you could take off that mobcap, as a gesture of your favour.”
Judith patted her head with her free hand, finding it adorned with some lacy contraption. She pulled it off, examined it distastefully, then cast it aside without further thought.
“Oh God,” said Perry in despair. “She’s completely lost to us.”
Dacian ignored him and smiled at her. “Judith, my love, shall I pick you up and take you to your room? You probably need to sleep it off.”
Judith examined his broad shoulders doubtfully. “If you are sure you can manage it.”
The duke slid his strong arms under her and lifted her as if she were a feather bolster. She leaned her head upon his shoulder, and he brushed a kiss against her cheek.
“Your grace!” said Perry in outrage.
“Oh shush,” she said. “It’s fine. I accept him as my suitor. He’s very handsome.”
“Mother!”
“Well,” said the duke, “that was a very quick courtship. Much quicker than our last one.”
She nuzzled into his chest, feeling the lovely heat of him, his strong arms, and the smell of him: whisky, leather, and smoke.
“Mmm, is that whisky?”
He carried her over to the door. “Yes, I found some in my sitting room. It was quite helpful in regaining my memory; something about the scent of it, and the taste.” He paused. “I think you will require some drinking chocolate.”
“An excellent idea,” she murmured.
“See?” said Dacian, over his shoulder to Perry. “She’s coming back to us already.”
Perry folded his arms in disapproval and watched them leave. As the door shut behind them, Judith heard him say, “This is what happens when I leave Mother alone for a few weeks!”
“Yes, yes,” said Robert dreamily. “Just look at that yew hedge! Quite remarkable!”