Harlequin Historical May 2014 - Bundle 2 of 2: Unwed and Unrepentant\Return of the Prodigal Gilvry\A Traitor's Touch (54 page)

‘You say you took the copy of the newly drafted will.'

‘Yes. I have it with me.'

‘Have you read it?'

She nodded, looking down at her hands. ‘I looked at it before I left. I truly believed Baron Lucas had left everything to Jeremy. He was the sole heir, you see. That was the case in the first will the baron drafted before I became his ward, but when he changed his solicitor it was altered in the second. Apart from a few paintings and things, he left everything to me. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want it. Fearing reprisals from Jeremy, I was quite desperate. That was when I thought of my uncle. I know he will provide me with sage advice about the best course of action to take.'

‘It's a long way to come for that. Couldn't Mr Goodwin have advised you? After all, that is what Baron Lucas paid him for.'

‘I thought of that, but I know Jeremy. He's clever and has the cunning of a fox. He was relying on the money from his uncle's estate to keep him out of debtors' prison and he would find some way of getting rid of me to get his hands on the money as soon as it became convenient. I have no doubt he would assume legal guardianship over me, render me feeble and incapable of communication with strong potions and force me to sign a will which would leave him everything in the event of my death.'

‘Does he know you have come to Scotland?'

‘No. I imagine he'll make enquiries among his aunt and uncle's friends. When he fails to locate me he'll begin ferreting out any connections I might have. Given time, he'll discover I have an uncle in Scotland. He'll also realise I've taken my horse. I can only hope he will think I haven't the courage to travel all that way on my own.'

‘Do you believe he would follow you?'

‘I think he might. He's going to have to find me to resolve the matter of the will. I expect he's feeling pretty desperate by now. I really did consider the full depth of my predicament before I fled. Jeremy has gained enough stature in society to be dangerous to me and I know him to be most persistent when it comes to something he wants. He will not leave me be. He will bide his time until the moment is ripe and then I will find myself in dire straits.'

‘In the event that he does journey to Scotland we must keep you safe. You have need of some convincing protection.'

‘What do you suggest?' she asked with growing alarm.

‘That you remain here. It is the only thing I can offer towards your safety. Since no one knows of our connection, he's hardly likely to come here. You will be safe, Henrietta. I can promise you that.'

‘Safe, but restrained like a prisoner.' Her alarm turned to anger and she shot him a mutinous look. ‘And what am I supposed to do?'

‘Be sensible, Henrietta,' he said sternly. ‘I've talked it over with Annie and she's more than happy to have you stay at Barradine.'

Henrietta had become so angry it almost choked her. It could not be true. How dared he think of leaving her here in this desolate place for what could turn out to be weeks? ‘I will not stay here. You have no authority over me, Simon. I do as I please. I have to go on.'

‘Forget it. I will not permit it,' he said arrogantly.

‘I do not remember
asking
for your permission,' Henrietta retorted defiantly, stiffening her spine.

Caught off guard, Simon stared hard at her. Grown men rarely dared to challenge him, yet here was this slip of a girl doing exactly that. If his annoyance hadn't matched his surprise, he would have chucked her under the chin and grinned at her courage. ‘You're right. You didn't,' he snapped.

‘I must go to my uncle. If you refuse to take me with you part of the way, then I shall leave of my own accord, I promise you.'

‘And so you shall, but I have plans of my own and they do not include you.'

‘I know that. But I mean it, Simon. I will go on my way with or without you.'

Simon sat quite still, watching her. She was furious with him, he knew, for trying to order her life, and she was dying to loose a tirade at his head—he could see it in those flashing eyes of hers. What a proud, spirited beauty she was, he thought impartially. She had seemed such an odd little thing before, dressed in her boy's clothes, but he hadn't expected her to blossom into a full-fledged beauty simply by shedding that unflattering garb.

And therein lay his problem—despite her alluring curves and that intoxicating face, he was rapidly becoming convinced she was an inexperienced innocent. An inexperienced innocent who had landed at his feet and for whom he was now unwillingly responsible. The thought of this naive girl travelling alone to Inverness filled him with genuine alarm. She had no idea what she was getting into. And yet the image of himself as her protector was so ludicrous that he nearly laughed aloud, yet that was the role he was going to be forced to play.

His features relaxed and a spark of amusement lit his eyes. ‘You're one of the few rays of light I've seen in a long time, Henrietta. Though you're stubborn to the point of recklessness and that concerns me.'

‘I'd never wittingly concern you, Simon, and I thank you for your offer for me to remain in your house. But I do not wish to be a burden to you.' She had her pride and her reasons—Jeremy was indeed a threat, but Simon posed a threat in an entirely different way. ‘I shall do as I originally intended and go to Inverness. I'm not afraid.'

Simon sat forward, his expression hardening. ‘Listen to me, Henrietta. What you—'

‘
Don't
try talking me out of it, Simo—'

‘By God,' he growled, ‘you will listen.' He sighed heavily. ‘You are a wilful woman, Henrietta, but I will not abandon you now.'

‘If you are to go to Perth, I could ride with you as far as there.'

Simon threw her a sharp look. ‘Perth? How did you...?' He nodded, understanding. ‘Some of my neighbours called on me earlier. You must have heard us talking.'

‘Yes—but I didn't mean to.'

‘No doubt you said that when your curiosity got the better of you on Hampstead Heath. One day that curiosity of yours is going to get you into trouble. When did you last see your uncle?'

‘When I was seven years old.'

‘Then he's probably been labouring under the misconception that you are still a child. He'll no doubt be amazed when he sees you.'

‘So you will take me with you to Perth? You won't change your mind?'

Simon sighed, knowing his limitations too well. Having failed during the previous night to banish Henrietta from his mind, he knew he'd have to face days of acute torture if he allowed this lovely, gracious and utterly tempting girl to accompany him on his journey. Yet if he left her at Barradine, he knew she'd be on his tail the minute he'd ridden out of the yard. ‘I fear not.'

That was all he said and that was all he needed to say for her to accept his answer as final.

‘If I am to take you with me to Perth, will you not at least tell me your name?'

‘You know who I am. I told you.'

‘I know your given name is Henrietta. I would have your family name.'

Henrietta stared at him. Uneasily she warned herself that she would have to be careful. But surely no harm could come from him knowing her name. Brody was not an uncommon name.

‘It is Brody. My full name is Henrietta Maria Brody.' Simon eyed her as though weighing each one of her words. ‘Why do you look at me like that?'

‘The name is familiar to me—but I cannot think...' He fell silent, considering. ‘Unless...' His face suddenly went quite white. He looked at her hard. ‘Brody? It is a Scottish name.'

‘Yes.'

His eyes locked on hers. ‘Are you a Roman Catholic?'

‘I am of that persuasion,' she admitted, prepared for his reaction. If he was surprised, he did not allow it to show on his face.

‘Yet—like your sex, you concealed it.'

‘Yes,' she replied slowly, ‘for it's a dangerous time to be a Roman Catholic.'

‘That is true. Well—this is a turn-up. Although after what you overheard on the heath that night, I cannot for the life of me understand why you chose to keep it from me. I did not think you were a defender of the Jacobites.'

A savage gleam entered her eyes and her tone was just as savage when she quickly replied, ‘I'm not. I hate the Jacobites and the harm they do in support of the cause—what the cause did to my family—to my father.'

‘Who was...?' His eyes were suddenly hard and penetrating as he awaited her answer—as if he already knew what that answer would be.

‘Andrew Brody—who was a long and ardent and active supporter of the Jacobites.' She shuddered as she remembered the brutality of her father's death.

‘Why did you not tell me this before?'

‘I had no reason to tell you. Why should I?'

Simon was stunned by Henrietta's disclosure. The truth and the enormity of the dangers this posed to her finally dawned on him. ‘I remember Andrew Brody. I also remember Andrew Brody was executed for his involvement in a plot to help King James regain his throne. Was he your father?'

‘The same.'

‘And you chose to keep this startling piece of information to yourself.'

She shrugged. ‘It was my concern, not yours. I never talk about it—I choose not to, but, yes, my father was a Jacobite. He confessed it openly. In fact, he more than confessed it. He went to Rome where King James has his court. He was undoubtedly involved in plans to bring James back to the throne.'

‘Which was a foolhardy thing to do considering the failure of the rising back in fifteen.'

‘Yes,' she said quietly. ‘But whatever my father may have done, my mother suffered terribly. When he was executed, she never got over his death. It hit her hard. She...lost her mind afterwards. But this was nothing I did not expect—how could anyone keep one's wits in her circumstances?' She found she was unable to speak of her mother's suicide. It was too painful. ‘I was a child when they came to arrest him. I knew something wasn't right and I was devastated when I was told he wouldn't be coming back—although I didn't know the whole of it until later. The stigma of his execution will not go away, which was the reason I did not turn to my guardian's friends for help. They are all of the same opinion—that I was not worthy of their care. The accusations of conspiracy against my father were based on a good deal of evidence. His captivity was short-lived. Which, following the suffering his torturers inflicted on him, I can only look on as a mercy. When I was still a child and feeling as though my father had been stolen from me, there were times when I swore that were I a man I would avenge his death.'

‘I knew you had courage, Henrietta, but I failed to notice your wits are addled.'

Henrietta's body became rigid and she glowered at him. ‘I'm sure if it came to it, I could fight as well as any man, but if I were to do so to avenge my father, then I would be inadvertently supporting the Jacobite cause. I would never do that.'

She saw his blue eyes darken to indigo, but not even an eyelash flickered to betray his alarm. He raised his eyebrow with an amused admiration which exasperated Henrietta.

‘What a bloodthirsty wench you are!' he said softly. ‘It has not escaped my mind that when we met you threatened me by drawing a knife on me.'

‘Don't mock me—and don't underestimate me either. And you are mistaken, Simon. When I drew my knife on you that was no threat. Just proof that I can take care of myself.'

Simon's eyes narrowed, studying her with unnerving intensity. ‘Don't underestimate me either, Henrietta. I am well trained in the arts of combat. Surprise tactics and cunning are my strongest weapons. But are you aware of the danger to yourself at this time? If there is to be another rising and it fails, if you are apprehended, because of who you are you will suffer the same fate as your father. Let there be no doubt about that.'

Henrietta blanched. ‘I—I did not think... When I ran away I was running for my life. I had no thoughts of plots and Jacobites until my encounter with you on the heath.'

‘Then you had better give it some thought, Henrietta Brody, because your life is in danger—from two sides apparently. But the danger Jeremy poses will be as nothing compared to the full might of the English. If you are to remain with me for the time being, I shall make rules for your behaviour. The first is that you will accompany me as my servant and continue to dress as a youth.'

‘Can I get away with it, do you think?'

‘I see no reason why not,' he replied drily. ‘You fooled me well enough and if you can do that you can fool anybody.'

‘Annie wasn't deceived.'

‘Annie's different.' He chuckled. ‘She's been the housekeeper at Barradine since I was a lad. Never underestimate her. Always in command of herself is Annie. You must never think of her as anything less than a warship under full sail, gun ports raised and cannon at the ready.'

‘Oh, dear. As bad as that?' Henrietta uttered with a smile.

‘Absolutely.'

‘Then she is a woman after my own heart.'

‘The second condition that I ask of you is that you keep out of sight as much as possible—some of the scurvy lot who call themselves soldiers can't be trusted with a lady—much less a comely lad who looks like one. 'Twill be lucky if any of them are fit to fight the way they would be wont to ogle you.'

Henrietta's eyes opened wide and she had to stifle a smile. ‘Why, Simon! I would take that as a compliment if I didn't feel it wasn't meant to be one.'

‘You're right. It wasn't. The next condition is even more important.'

Henrietta waited.

‘You'll speak of your past to no one,' he said bluntly. ‘What you have told me just now concerning your father you will tell no one else. Do you understand?'

She nodded. ‘Anything else?'