Page 85 of The Artisan and the Duke
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Gregory rode with the constable towards a hollow that was riddled with little hiding spots. He and Fredrick had played here often as children along with Boris and Maxwell.
Fredrick rode up alongside his brother and nodded. Fredrick motioned to two of the young men to come with him, and they flanked around the other side of the hollow in case the wanted man tried to run.
The hollow was deep with the shadows brought on by the slant of the evening sun. It would be easy enough to hide. Gregory and the constable dismounted and motioned for the young men with them to spread out so that no one could get past them as they walked down into the shadows.
Gregory called out, “If there is someone in here, then you should come out now!”
There was a moment of silence before a voice called, “I thought you were dead.”
The constable and Gregory looked at each other. “Who is there?” Gregory asked cautiously. There was no answer, so Gregory called out again, “We have the hollow surrounded by men. It would be easier on you if you just came out.”
Finally, there was a scrabbling noise, and a man emerged from a hollow tree. He held up his hands. “Don’t hurt me, Your Grace, I was just doing what I was told,” David said.
Gregory scowled, “Is that the man you were looking for, Constable?”
“Does look like the description; I’ll have to let the witnesses have a look at him, though,” the constable said with a nod.
David begged, “Please, Boris said I would get a big house and land. I had to get out of London. There was nothing there for me anymore.”
“And whose fault is that?” Gregory asked with contempt as the constable and two men went down to the man and brought him up to the horses. Gregory ignored the man’s pleas for mercy and rode back up to the house.
Fredrick caught up with his brother. “That was that scum who turned Jules into the police, was it not?”
“Yes,” Gregory said.
They dismounted in the front yard of the main house, and two stable boys rushed over to get the horses as soon as they walked towards the house. Jules met them at the top of the stairs, “Did they find him?”
“You do not want to see him,” Gregory said firmly.
Jules balled up her fist and walked towards where the constable and riders were approaching the driveway to leave. She walked out into their path, and the constable warily came to a stop. Jules walked over to where David sat in his saddle with his hands tied.
David said, “Jules, my friend. Surely you can find it in your heart to understand what position I am in. You and I have endured much growing up.”
Jules glared at the man. “I hope you rot in jail,” she spat.
David’s face fell, and there was real fear in the man’s eyes as the constable clicked his heels to move his horse forward. David’s horse was tied to the constable’s horse, and the man’s eyes were wide with the fear as they left.
“Are you okay?” Gregory asked quietly as he approached Jules.
Jules nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. “I am definitely going to be, Your Grace,” she said with a smile as she embraced her husband.
Epilogue
Jules tickled Jacob’s chin which elicited sweet giggles from the infant. Tally and Georgette crowded near the infant and giggled along with their nephew. “He’s so cute,” Georgette cooed.
“Do you want to hold him?” Jules asked. Georgette looked dubious, but Jules said. “You can sit down, and I will place him on your lap.”
Georgette thought that sounded safe enough, and she sat down on the sofa in the sitting room. Jules stood up and gently set the infant in Georgette’s arms. Jacob was only a few months old, but he wiggled and kicked much to Tally’s delight.
“He’s so squirmy,” Georgette complained as she endeavoured to hold onto the infant.
Jules laughed and scooped the infant up to Georgette’s relief. “I thought you wanted a house full of babies? Is that not what you said?” Jules asked in amusement to her younger sister.
“Well, perhaps. I think I will wait a long while, though,” Georgette said with a shrug.
Tally said, “I want a dozen. We can play games all day.’
