Page 53 of The Artisan and the Duke
When the wagon stopped, one of the guards opened the door and gave a wave of his hand. “Your castle awaits, Duchess,” he said with a leering smile.
Chapter 11
Henry O’Grady met the Duke of Thornton at his door around mid-morning. If this fazed Henry, then Gregory could not say. Henry said, “You must be very tired.”
“I am not tired, kind Sir. I simply want you to answer my question,” Gregory said reasonably. Fredrick, Thompson, and the two Dawson brothers eyed the large man with equal curiosity.
Henry nodded. “Well, you are welcome to look here, but we’ve no more prisoners at the moment. The last ones were shipped out this morning to Gates Prison. I do recall a woman calling herself a Duchess, but we get those from time to time.
If she was in that lot, then she’ll still be in the holding cell there more than likely,” Henry said helpfully.
“I do not understand why she was arrested in the first place. She came here with a friend. What became of her friend David Larkin? Was he arrested as well?” Gregory’s patience with the man was wearing thin, and his voice showed it.
Henry shuffled his feet slightly and rubbed his head. “I don’t recall any names, but if you mean the young man that was with her, then it could be that he was arrested as well. I got called out to a situation a few streets over, and then all the transferring prisoners were gone when I got back.”
Gregory gave up on the man. “We’ll go to the prison in question. If I don’t find her, then I’ll be returning,” Gregory told the man firmly.
“Of course, Your Grace, I do hope you find her if there’s been some sort of a mistake,” Henry said apologetically. The speed at which the man closed the door on the four of them belied the fact that he probably was not too sorry.
Fredrick scowled, “I would not wager on his words being true. What do you think happened?”
“I think our Mr Larkin probably knows. He should hope for his sake that he is in jail as the guard said,” Gregory said. They turned their horses towards the West and Gates Prison which was so named for its location near the gates on that side of the city. Gregory swung up into his saddle and led the way through the streets.
Gates Prison was as full as any other prison Gregory had been in, and his hopes sank when he questioned one of the guards about incoming prisoners. Apparently, they got large batches of prisoners which they signed in, but oftentimes prisoners were leased out to local workhouses and subsequently forgotten.
Fredrick growled, “This place is not fit for a harlot let alone a Duchess.” Fredrick thumped Gregory on the shoulder and said, “Isn’t that your barrister friend?”
Gregory breathed a sigh of relief on catching sight of Barrister Dulock. He waved the man and begged his pardon, “I apologize for waylaying you like this, my friend, but the situation is dire,” Gregory said pleadingly.
The barrister took a look at Gregory and his company and frowned. “What is it that has all of your lot so upset?”
“My wife was unjustly arrested, and now I cannot find a trace of her,” Gregory hissed.
Barrister Dulock nodded. “Let me see what I can find out. Some of the guards are loyal still to nobler ideas,” the man said gently.
Gregory clasped the man’s hand in thanks, “You are a prince among men, Barrister.”
***
“I do not understand,” Gregory said as he stared at Barrister Dulock.
Dulock inclined his head. “It would be a hard thing for anyone to accept, Your Grace,” he said kindly. “But it does happen in the system. There are so many faces that come and go.”
“She is not any face, Dulock. She is my wife, the Duchess of Thornton. I demand that she be found. I demand there be accountability for this atrocious act,” Gregory shouted in the small room where the barrister had asked them to wait.
Fredrick had stayed by his brother’s side while the other men had gone outside the prison to wait with the horses. He put his hand on Gregory’s shoulder. “This is my fault,” Fredrick said. “I was to escort her. If I had done so then, she would not be in this situation.”
“You were set upon by men who had been paid to kidnap you,” Gregory hissed. “This is not your fault. This is the fault of whoever mistakenly put the bounty on her head. What charges could be brought against her?”
Barrister Dulock cleared his throat. “Apparently, she was mistaken for a young mason that had incited revolt and led rallies in the city. I know it seems absurd, but they claim that they thought she was merely pretending to be a noble to get out of her sentence,” Dulock said sorrowfully.
“We will not stop until we find her, but it may take some time. She is still due to be brought before a court, so she has to be found. Give us time, and I will contact you when she is located, Your Grace.”
“I will see this prison shut down,” Gregory growled as he stood up.
Fredrick heartily agreed, “I think fewer prisons would be all the better as they do nothing but besiege those who need it the least.”
“I understand your venom and frustration,” Barrister Dulock said as he rose as well. “I pray that she is found well, and we can right this horrible wrong, Your Grace.”
