Page 51 of The Artisan and the Duke
“You are going to stand there and blame Duke St Claire and me because we somehow spoiled your plans?” Jules turned to leave, but David reached out and grabbed her. “Let go of my arm,” Jules ground out through her teeth.
David said, “You aren’t going anywhere, Jules. Not until Henry gets a good look at you.”
Jules would have asked who Henry was, but it was at that moment that a large man covered in coarse white hair ducked his head to come in through the low doorway. “Ah, David,” the man boomed.
“Henry, wonderful timing,” David said as he let go of Jules’ arm abruptly, causing Jules to stumble slightly. “This is Julia Kelley, the one I told you about.”
Henry nodded and eyed Jules’ clothes. “She is a might dirty for a Duchess. You been working your way up through the ranks, aye?”
“I—” Jules cleared her throat and pulled her shoulders back. “I demand that I be released. My husband will be most angry when he hears that I have been detained.”
Henry chuckled and slapped his chest. “Will he now? How’s he going to know where you are? I never saw you. Did you, Nina?”
“Haven’t seen a soul all night,” Nina said with a smile at the distraught Jules.
Fear was creeping into her. “What do you mean to do with me? Someone will eventually find out what happened.” Jules tried to sound defiant, but fear was all she found in her voice.
Henry said, “We mean to give you the treatment that you should have gotten in the first place, Duchess. You see, you’ve been labelled a libellous traitor to the crown. You’ve called out for people to disobey and be belligerent. There’s an order for your arrest.”
Jules laughed. “You can’t be serious. You can’t just arrest me. I’m a Duchess,” Jules said grasping at what little she knew of the laws governing nobles.
“True, but I doubt the Duke will come running to save a wife that is both a traitor to him and the crown,” Henry said. “David, take her to the back. We’ve got a room ready for her until she can be taken to the jail.”
David grabbed Jules by the arm, and despite how she resisted, the man dragged her. Jules seethed. “I have never betrayed the crown or my husband.”
“Trust me, that isn’t how your Duke will hear it,” David said with a chuckle to Jules’ dismay.
***
Gregory’s lungs burned with exertion. Adrenaline kept him moving forward, but only just. As much as Gregory wanted answers about his brother’s abduction, he knew that he would not get them tonight.
Thompson and Gregory had drawn the men into the woods leaving Fredrick free to make his escape. Only now they had gotten separated, and Gregory just prayed that Thompson remembered where the road was.
He broke free of the trees and onto the clear space of the road. Gregory could not stop the laughter that spilled from his throat as he deliriously gave thanks for the road. He looked around, and in the distance, he saw a huddled figure that he ran towards.
Fredrick looked up with a start at the sound of Gregory’s footfalls. “Curses, Gregory, don’t run up on me,” Fredrick said with a hand over his heart. Fredrick rose to his feet. “Where’s Thompson?”
“I fear he must have gotten turned around,” Gregory said in worry.
There was a commotion that sounded like a bear crashing through the woods which ended with Thompson bursting forth from the trees as if the Devil’s hounds were hot on his heels. The man panted and sucked in a breath as he exclaimed, “You two are such a lovely sight. Quickly, I fear they might be behind me.”
Together, Thompson and Gregory hobbled along the roadside with Fredrick braced between them. Fredrick winced in pain. “I think they got my head fairly well,” Fredrick said with a hiss.
“Cannot have harmed you much then, hard as your head is,” Gregory jested between breaths as he fought to keep moving.
Thompson chuckled, and Fredrick soon joined him. They kept going until they had found the horses. Gregory and Thompson helped Fredrick get his good foot into the stirrup so Fredrick could push himself into the saddle. Gregory got onto the horse behind Fred just as a noise from behind them heralded the arrival of the highwaymen.
“Thompson, go,” Gregory shouted, and the man was swiftly off in front of Gregory’s horse. The inn was a few miles back up the road. The farmer had been helpful, but Gregory had no intention of bringing the wrath of the highwaymen upon the man.
Thankfully, the men were on foot and quickly fell behind them. Their angry shouts faded, but Gregory would not rest until he was back at the inn at least. Fredrick shouted, “Where’s the Duchess?”
“I assume in London with that Larkin fellow,” Gregory shouted back.
Fredrick fell silent, and no one spoke anymore until they were back in sight of the inn. Finally, as they dismounted, Fredrick said, “It pleased me not how familiar the man was with the Duchess.”
“Yes, they came up through the ranks of the masons together,” Gregory said in dissatisfaction. “He was one of the few who knew she was a lady within their ranks.”
Fredrick hobbled to the door. “Those rogues took my cane. I wish I had it back so that I could beat them around the ears with it,” he grumbled as he swung his wooden leg up onto the next step.
